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Philips Recalls Almost 12,000 Flat Panel TVs
wh0pper writes "Arcing capacitors have caused Philips to recall select Ambilight flat panel (read plasma) TVs. Because the TVs make use of flame retardant materials, damage was only sustained to the TVs and not homes. This is the first time I've heard of TVs having this type of issue. How safe are LCD and DLP TVs from this type of thing?"
"This is the first time I've heard of TVs having this type of issue. How safe are LCD and DLP TVs from this type of thing?"
m puters/philips-plasma-tvs-recalled-306.htm
The source of the problem are fluorescent lights that Philips built into these sets to illuminate the wall behind the display. There is a fix: turn the bulbs off.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-co
"The recall includes sets with "Ambilight," or ambient light technology that projects a soft glow onto the wall behind the set, to create atmosphere and an enhanced viewing experience, according to the company. If owners turn off the Ambilight feature, the hazard is eliminated."
Whenever the offence inspires less horror than the punishment, the rigour of penal law is obliged to give way...
RTFA, the fires were caused by an arcing capacitor used in the ambilight system. The ambilight system has nothing to do with the plama technology, its just a rear lighting system projected on your back wall to help prevent the weird feeling you get from watching a large image (that and a marketing gimmick). This is more fire cause by a faulty ballast or capacator in a flourecent lighting system in your ceiling.
Sigs? We don't need no stinking sigs!
Plasma TV methodogy basics.
A Plasma tv has two plates of glass that sandwich panels of cells (the pixels) that house 3 sub-pixels corresponding to the colours blue red and green.
The TV's control circuit can address any of the sub-pixels through the rear glass substrate mounted circuit and pass an electrical charge through neon and xenon gas and as a result, the gas state changes to plasma and ultraviolet light is emitted.
This UV light is absorbed by the blue, red and green phosphors in the cell, and re-radiate the energy in the visible spectrum.
It's fairly old technology, dating back to the '60s.
Isn't science fun?
I always wondered if you could make a cool ray gun with one of those, and why noone has.
Because the electrons can only go about 10 cm in air. They bounce off the air molecules, lose energy, and stop.
This is why we use a vacuum tube in CRTs like TVs, if there was air in them you wouldn't get a picture. It's not just for the fun implosions.
I quit!
How safe are LCD and DLP TVs from this type of thing?
If I read the article correct, the products are just as safe as any other product. Caps arcing has been seend for ages and is a "common" problem. Here at work, we got old computers dieing every month due to caps.
Just check out http://www.badcaps.com/
Although it was Sylvania, not Zenith, that pioneered this idea. And a few years prior to 1957, too...
Beginning in 1952, some of their high-end sets incorporated a feature called "HaloLight", which was an illuminated bezel surrounding the CRT, designed to reduce eyestrain when watching the set in a dark room.
Everything old is new again....
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Actually, RoHS does allow for some flame retardants deemed safe under those use guidelines. While not knowing exactly what Philips uses for its plastic, since I am a fire safety researcher, I'm betting that they used a polycarbonate + RoHS allowed flame retardant system, or something similar.
Not all flame retardants are banned under RoHS. Many are eliminated under a related code (waste electronic and electical enclosures or WEEE) but not all are banned.
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