Since you guys know everything...
I have a Panasonic Viera 42" 1080p plasma TV in my living room right now. It's a model # tc-p42u2. I've had it since 2010, and it's been a great TV. Well, until last weekend.
While I was watching TV, I noticed some multicolored lines appearing down the center of the screen. Then, the lines converged into a multicolored vertical bar, and then it began to turn black. My standard reaction when electronics stop working properly is to smack it with "Tony's Technical Tap". This has had varied success in the past, and this time, the line went away.
But it eventually came back. Smacking the rear of the TV housing makes it go away again, for a few hours at best.
We've already decided to upgrade the living room TV, but I was thinking of fixing this and using it in my game room. Any ideas what might be wrong with it? I'm thinking it may have overheated on a hot day and de-soldered or lifted a ribbon on one of the boards, but who knows.
You must watch less TV than I do, to have a plasma screen last 8 years. I have no useful input though. Enter Spicoli: "My old man is a TV repair man. He has an awesome set of tools. We can fix this."
In reply to barefootskater :
This TV has been amazing. It even survived a winter storm that nearly grenaded all the electronics in my house after we lost power! And I use it every day. Lately, I've been leaving it on for the dog during the day, and I think that's what may have did it in. It gets VERY hot, so the recent heat plus that may have de-soldered something.
Either that, or the panel is dead.
As awesome as Plasmas are, are I don't think it's worth fixing unless you're an electronics buff who has access to the appropriate tools, schematics and parts. TVs in that size don't cost much more than a repair person's hourly rate anymore.
And I say this as someone who loves his LG Plasma.
In reply to BoxheadTim :
One of the reasons I want to fix it is because it RULES for video gaming. It has 3 HDMI inputs, 2 RGB Component inputs, a regular 3 wire Composite A/V input, and more. I have a bunch of older gaming systems in my gaming room and it would be taking the place of a CRT AND a small LCD HDTV.
Backup plan is to keep the CRT and get a larger HDTV above it. The one on the wall is only a 20" and I can't see the damn thing while sitting on the couch! I also have a small 13" CRT in storage that I can bust out for the ancient stuff if need be, so losing the bigger CRT isn't the worst thing in the world.
(Yes, I know that stack of stuff is ridiculous)
Sounds like something in the video control board.
A new tv will cost less and have a better picture
Dude. I have that exact same TV sitting on my kitchen floor about to go to Goodwill after it got replaced with a new LED unit this last tax season. How far away from Nashville are you?
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Ridiculously awesome you mean!
are all the Panasonic Viera plasmas ?
are there any "bad models"
on my local craigslist there are a 44inch for $60, a 42inch for $75 and a 60 inch for $35 and a couple 50 inch ones for less than $100
I always heard that they were great TVs , but do not no how they hold up after a few years....
t25torx said:
Dude. I have that exact same TV sitting on my kitchen floor about to go to Goodwill after it got replaced with a new LED unit this last tax season. How far away from Nashville are you?
Uhh... I am in Massachusetts. Local pickup ain't happening. 
californiamilleghia said:
are all the Panasonic Viera plasmas ?
are there any "bad models"
on my local craigslist there are a 44inch for $60, a 42inch for $75 and a 60 inch for $35 and a couple 50 inch ones for less than $100
I always heard that they were great TVs , but do not no how they hold up after a few years....
They made LCD ones later on, and I think they used the Viera branding as well.
I feel for you man. We have a 55 in Viera that has been out only TV for at least 10 years and I will be very sad when it dies.
Check on ebay for a video board and swap them, its not hard to do.
You can buy 55" 4k Smart TVs for under $350 now.
There is really no point in trying to fix it.
How does a plasma Panasonic Viera work as a computer monitor ?
and can you use a Fire Stick ETC with it ?
Thanks
If percussive repairs get any results, I'd look for any cracked solder joints and try to reflow them.
Brian
MegaDork
6/28/18 7:53 a.m.
My bedroom tv is a Viera 32”LCD from ‘09, so yes, there are LCDs in that line.
I will be really sad the day my Samsung PN50A650 Plasma finally dies. Its been a great TV. No desire to replace.
I looked up the weight on a 50 inch plasma and it was 120 lbs !
no idea how much a new 4K 50 inch weighs but I doubt that heavy
Googling on "panasonic viera vertical lines on screen" turns up a bunch of hits...it appears a simple fix is a loose ribbon connector inside, worst case is a bad display. Panasonic was apparently replacing the displays free of charge but that was years ago, chances are that offer is long expired.
In reply to stuart in mn :
I don't think Panasonic is even making TV's anymore!
Last time I smacked the thing was over the weekend, and it has been working OK ever since. I'm leaning toward a bad/dirty connection rather than a screen on this one.Probably got too hot and something lifted off the board.
Again, the reason why I want to keep it as long as I can is because of all the inputs. Most modern TV's have 2-3 HDMI inputs and maybe a Composite AV input if you are lucky. Most of them don't have R/G/B Component, which is something I want due to the older game systems I will have hooked up to it. Also, since it's a plasma, there's virtually zero input lag. Some modern TV's have gotten better with this, but a lot of the budget ones are TERRIBLE. This makes old-school gaming near-impossible.
I'm waiting for my Montgomery Ward console to die.
Tony Sestito said:
In reply to stuart in mn :
I don't think Panasonic is even making TV's anymore!
Last time I smacked the thing was over the weekend, and it has been working OK ever since. I'm leaning toward a bad/dirty connection rather than a screen on this one.Probably got too hot and something lifted off the board.
Again, the reason why I want to keep it as long as I can is because of all the inputs. Most modern TV's have 2-3 HDMI inputs and maybe a Composite AV input if you are lucky. Most of them don't have R/G/B Component, which is something I want due to the older game systems I will have hooked up to it. Also, since it's a plasma, there's virtually zero input lag. Some modern TV's have gotten better with this, but a lot of the budget ones are TERRIBLE. This makes old-school gaming near-impossible.
They are. I have a 55” 4K LED in the living room. Works great.
you have a bad solder joint. Pull it down, clean the boards, check for and repair any bad solder joints, clean the connectors and put it back together.
All plasma TV's need to die.
They consume too much power.
The picture quality has been beat by LCD for a long time.
They are electrically noisy and interfere with radio communications.
