Just bricked a TV...

timo_w2s

Retired moderator
My Satellite Setup
Vu+ Duo 4K SE
Dr.HD F15
My Location
Maidenhead, UK & Helsinki, Finland
Applied a firmware update for a new Lenco DVL-2493 TV as it wasn't working very well when using the DVB-C tuner (channel numbers seemed to be assigned to when they where found during a scan rather than with proper numbers, with no renumbering possible).

I was redirected to this page from their official website for the firmware:
https://lencosupport.zendesk.com/entries/22267831-DVL-2493
With "Improvement of the DVB-C Tuner" promised.

But of course during the update at about 60% the TV went off and never came back on properly again. I get power but only a blank dark screen whenever it's switched on now. Occasionally when I switch it to standby using the remote I see a very brief flash of a snowy untuned analogue picture but no menus at all (I'm supposed to do a "Restore Factory Default" to finish the upgrade but pretty difficult without a working menu). Only the power button on the remote or TV seem to do anything (just switches it on and off).

Spent ages wasting my time trying to find a solution on the Internet. Only thing I have found is a Facebook posting by someone who did the same thing as me last year with no help from customer support.

Pretty pissed off. It's the first thing I've ever managed to brick. Cheap crap. I'll stick to the proper brands from now on. I guess I should have expected that when I bought it on special offer for just 99€. :-dohAnd since Finnish consumers have virtually no rights, I think I'll just end up chucking it in the bin and be grateful I only lost 99€. :mad:

Just had to get that off my chest.
 
Especially if you omit to mention the minor problem :D
 
Now I just need to start eBay Finland.
 
At the company I worked for, they (before my time) managed to release a firmware update that worked when upgrading from the previous version (n-1) but screwed up the Flash RAM when upgrading from software version older than n-1. (This was partially the box mfgs fault, but should've been verified before releasing).
The guys estimate they bricked a couple of thousand set-top boxes before discovering the problem (each box was about 200GBP in cost).
(The company of course replaced each and everyone free-of-charge - mostly because it's a rental box!)
 
You could always start a "how do i jtag my TV" thread.

I would look at some of the electronics forums. I have a friend that buys faulty Samsung and LG plasmas to fix. The most its cost him upto now is about £25 for a controller board.

He has one in each room of the house, the smallest being a 48" Samsung.
 
If it's a no name brand TV, just throw a brick at it, it's cheaper than bothering to repair it...:-rofl2
 
Cheap and nasty krappenfest TV. Just do what 2cvbloke said! :D:D:D:D:D
 
I was tempted to lob it out of the front door and watch it smash on the drive this morning as I took it off the wall mount I had carefully installed yesterday but then I'd have to clear it up, so resisted no matter how satisfying it would have felt.
 
I miss the days where a hearty thump on top was all that was needed for a quick fix.
 
I miss the days where a hearty thump on top was all that was needed for a quick fix.

It sometimes still works, but mostly in pointing out really 5h1tty soldering somewhere on the boards... :-rofl2
 
I miss the days where a hearty thump on top was all that was needed for a quick fix

Ahhh...non invasive repositioning of components by vibration......as we used to say to customers...
 
If you can't fix it someone will buy it for the screen and other bits and bobs, my mate buys old screens and logic boards for the big TVs as long as theres not that much damage (no big cracks in screen or broken screen but working logic boards) so he can take in repair work or build a working set out of a few scrappers
That said with all this non-consumer serviceable tatt on the market now its becoming a dying art
 
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