Interesting find by the dumpsters

[x88x]

So, I was on my way out of my apartment complex today, driving past the dumpsters, when I saw something that caught my eye...Someone had thrown out a very large flat-panel TV. :eek: CRT and rear-projection TVs I'll ignore, but flat-panel?...hells no. :P

So, I pulled over, threw on my flashers and got out to check and see what we had.

Turns out it was a plasma TV that had, by the look of things, fallen off a table or something, and what I found out later was the outer dielectric layer had cracked into many large pieces (also, the base was pretty much shot from either the fall or the previous owner dragging it out to the dumpster). Oh well! I was sure I could find something interesting to do with it, so I threw it in my back seat (just barely fit).

Once I got back from Lowes, finished what I had been working on (quadmount (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22061)), and cleared out some space to work on it, I pulled it into my apartment and started investigating it closer. As it turns out, what I have is a Vizio P50HDTV10A, and before you go searching that model number, it's a 50" plasma TV with a resolution of 1366x768. I did find that I could get a new panel for ~$550+shipping, but at that tiny resolution...no thanks. Instead, let's open it up and see what's inside. :twisted:

So far I've just got the back and front covers off, and I'm starting to pull out all the wiring (stopped to check on the replacement panel). I'll post anything interesting I find, but for now here's a shot of what's to come:
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/x13931x/P50HDTV10A_00.jpg

[knowledgegranted]

Damn good find! Dumpster diving ftw! That's the modder spirit.

[x88x]

:eek: So, I had been thinking I would just pull components off the boards, but...I took a look at the retail prices for some of these boards, and..WOW! Given the state of the screen and the fact that when I tried to power it on the status light behaved correctly, I'm guessing that all the boards are fine. So, if I can sell them on eBay...even if I can only get 50% of the retail value for each board, I could make several hundred off this. :eek:

[Zephik]

Well heck, at this point, anything you sell those parts for would be profit. You could destroy the competition. Although, there might not be much demand as that set isn't even available anymore.

or you could get the panel and save $200. (compared to current 50" 720p models)

[x88x]

Yeah, you make a good point about demand, but if they don't sell I can always strip them for parts. As for buying the panel, thanks but no.. If I wait for the right sales I can get a 40-ish inch 1080p panel for the same that the panel for this would cost...and I really have no desire to have a 1366x768 screen that large :dead:. Heck, that's a lower resolution than every display I own except for my phone, PDA, and really old laptop. Oh, and for a size comparison to the setup I'm currently using... :P
14.6% the resolution stretched over more physical area... O_O No thanks.
http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq3/x13931x/P50HDTV10A_01.jpg

[x88x]

Doh! And, after that, I forgot to actually post what I was going to... :facepalm:

I got everything stripped off except for the actual plasma panel. I can't find anything that would be holding it on, so I have to assume it's adhesives of some sort...which is a shame really, there's a nice big flat sheet of aluminum there, but it's tied down to the stupid display panel. :( On the bright side, now I know what the inside of a plasma display looks like. :D

[crenn]

That nice big flat sheet of aluminum there is the back of the substrate, I'd leave it alone.

[simon275]

Nice find you can find some awesome stuff dumster diving. A mate and I found a P4 with no password and the persons copy of quickbooks on it. We where good citizens and wipped it all.

[Luke122]

Be careful of the power supply on that television! I got a nice shock when I stripped one apart! I went to pick up the television from my table, and my fingertips brushed across the capacitors that were now exposed by removing the covers off the back.

[x88x]

That nice big flat sheet of aluminum there is the back of the substrate, I'd leave it alone.

Awww, but I waaant it. :( IDK, I'll fiddle around with it a bit tonight, see what I can see.


Be careful of the power supply on that television! I got a nice shock when I stripped one apart! I went to pick up the television from my table, and my fingertips brushed across the capacitors that were now exposed by removing the covers off the back.

Hahaha, yeah, definitely. There are four 450V caps on there, two 490 microF and two 1000 microF....those honestly do scare me a little...and there are plenty of smaller high voltage caps around that and some other boards. I'm gonna be heading over to harbor freight after work tonight to pick up some high voltage electrician's screwdrivers to short them with.

[Luke122]

It wasnt painful, it like someone just grabbed me and shook me really hard for a second or so, then I could smell Ozone in the air.. I threw the panel onto the table I was shook so hard, then everyone around me froze. "Did you just get shocked?"

Me, eyes huge, pale white face, nodding my head 150mph. The adrenalin was flowing SO hard, I couldnt sit still for hours. I ended up cleaning my office, bedroom, took out garbage and recycling, etc.

My wife joked that she needs to get a taser to get my ass motivated.

[Zephik]

You actually don't even have to wait for the right sale...

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-PN42C450-42-Inch-Plasma-Black/dp/B0036WT3V6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276553080&sr=8-1

Ignore that "at final checkout" complete and utter bull****. Why they're even doing that I have NO idea at all. Yeah, because people are going to buy something they don't know the price of, right? lol Whatev. It's $550, though. Has been for awhile. I've also seen it down to $540 and up to $580, but it's usually $550.

Edit: Doh! It's 720p, not 1080p. My bad.

[x88x]

Well, crenn, I chose to ignore your advice and try and get the aluminum sheet off using a large flat knife. ...and promptly introduced several more cracks to the sheet and broke a chunk off the part that was already cracked.. :facepalm: That'll teach me to not listen to you. :P

So, then I decided to not ignore crenn's advice, and just drilled off the three beams that made the panel rigid, which I managed to do without cracking the sheet too much. It was all still in one piece, and that's all I needed. So, that part has now rejoined the dumpster.

[crenn]

Well, crenn, I chose to ignore your advice and try and get the aluminum sheet off using a large flat knife. ...and promptly introduced several more cracks to the sheet and broke a chunk off the part that was already cracked.. :facepalm: That'll teach me to not listen to you. :P

So, then I decided to not ignore crenn's advice, and just drilled off the three beams that made the panel rigid, which I managed to do without cracking the sheet too much. It was all still in one piece, and that's all I needed. So, that part has now rejoined the dumpster.
Sorry but you brought this on yourself....

I TOLD YOU SO!

[x88x]

Hahaha, that I did, that I did. :D