TV replacement parts: boards, LED strips and references
Power boards, mainboards, T-Con boards and LED strips. How to identify each one and read its reference, with the safety warnings this work requires.
Start with the model number of your TV: every compatibility question below depends on it.
Black Screen but Sound Works: What the Flashlight Test Proves
The flashlight test points the fault towards the light side or the signal side without any tools, though it is not conclusive on its own. This guide covers how to run it properly, how to read the pattern it produces, and why a faint image does not prove the LED strips are dead.
Reading time: 8 mindischarge TV capacitors safely before touching the power boardDischarge TV Capacitors Safely Before Touching the Power Board
The power board is the one part of a television that can hurt you after the plug is out. Below is the safety procedure that other repair guides take for granted, plus a clear list of things never to do.
Reading time: 7 minhow to find TV model number without the remoteHow to Find Your TV Model Number (No Remote, Faded Label)
The quickest place to find your TV's model number is the printed label on the back of the set, which needs no remote and no power. If you cannot read it, there are three more routes, listed below from least to most effort, and only one of them depends on a working remote.
Reading time: 8 minhow to identify compatible LED backlight strips for my TVIdentify the Right LED Backlight Strips Before You Buy
Backlight strips are one of the easiest TV parts to order wrong, because the number people search with, the TV model, is the one number that does not identify them. Below is the verification method to run before you pay.
Reading time: 8 minTV model number vs panel number vs part numberModel Number vs Panel Number vs Part Number: Not the Same
A television carries at least three identifying numbers, and only one of them, the model code, identifies the product from the outside. The other two are printed on parts you cannot see with the cabinet closed, and treating all three as one number is what leads to a replacement part that does not fit.
Reading time: 7 minis it worth replacing a TV board or buying a new TVIs It Worth Replacing a TV Board, or Buying a New TV?
A decision framework that works in any country and any currency, because it is built on proportions, age and which specific board failed. Figures from one market stop being true the moment you cross a border, so this guide does not use them.
Reading time: 8 minvertical lines on TV t-con board or bad panelVertical Lines on TV: T-Con Board, Ribbon or Dead Panel
Vertical lines on a TV usually come from one of three parts: a board you can replace, a cable you can reseat, or a panel that cannot be saved. The shape of the lines tells you which, and you can check it before you spend anything.
Reading time: 8 minwhich TV board is bad based on symptomWhich TV Board Is Failing? A Symptom-First Index
Look up what your TV is doing and this index gives you a shortlist of likely boards, the cheaper causes to rule out first, and a clear idea of what to eliminate before spending anything.
Reading time: 8 min