samsung LE40R51 humming/buzzing ?

thelurch

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Hi

Does anyone who has the samsung LE40R51 ( or the R41 or any size from the range ) have a buzzing noise coming from the back of the TV?

Its coming from the vent on top of the TV, I am guessing its the backlight.

Its quite noticable when the TV is turned on from cold, sometimes goes away but last night it stayed there all evening, albeit a lttle queiter but still audible during quieter moments in programmes.

Its definately not coming from the speakers and does not make any difference what source, type of cable or whether its a dark scene or very bright.

I have tried all the various picture settings on and off, adjusted contrast, brightness etc. Changing settings does not seem to stop it and when it does I think its just coincidence.

If you have a TV from this range I would appreciate a quick report saying whether you can hear humming/buzzing.

I sit about 10 foot from the TV, its not audible over normal TV programmes, just those quieter moments.

I am going to give samsung a call but just wanted to know if its common first, if it is the backlight it may be a sign its faulty?

Thanks guys
 
I have the Samsung LE26R41BD and don't have any humming/buzzing noise. Whatever sound you get doesn't sound normal to me.
 
Have you got the auto backlight adjust set to on ?.

Most LCD's buzz when the backlight is turned down, god knows why.

Try turning off the auto adjust and see what happens.
 
jerkyboy said:
Have you got the auto backlight adjust set to on ?.

Most LCD's buzz when the backlight is turned down, god knows why.

Try turning off the auto adjust and see what happens.

as far as i could see there isnt an option for auto backlight adjust?

Theres the brightness sensor on the front of the tv but turning that on or off does not make any difference

Does anyone know if samsung send out engineers to look at faults in situ or does every fault mean the TV is sent back to them?
 
just phoned samsung, told them about the buzz/humm. I was expecting her to tell me that an engineer would call back ( like with the tearing issue) but she straight away said they would send out an engineer to have a look from DK Audio, Im near Brighton and they come from Southampton so bit of a trek for the engineer.

I have subsequently found that if i turn the Brightness sensor on, so the bar on screen automatically goes from right to left until it finds the right level, usually to the left. As this bar moves and the screen darkens with every move of the bar the humm either gets less or it changes its pitch.

That makes it less noticable but still there during quiet points in viewing.
The only problem with having that set like that is I find it makes the picture seem too dark and I prefer it with the brightness sensor set to "off" but then I get the buzz!

Is there anyone else who has a Tv from this range who can say yes or no that they have a buzz/hum from the top grill on their TVs?

And if, when this engineer visits he deems the buzzing normal then where will I stand? Will samsung charge me for his visit? as there was no mention of cost for a "no fault" diagnosis when I spoke to samsung.
 
feel like im chatting to myself but had a call from DK Audio, they are sending engineer on friday to look at TV ( or listen!) .
 
Hi Lurch. My 40 does it too. I think it is normal. I thought it was the fan that was humming, not the backlight. I don't seem to notice it as much as you though. If the material I am watching is really quiet, or if I am channel hopping, then I can hear it. Otherwise I can't. Hope this helps.
 
phorenzik said:
Hi Lurch. My 40 does it too. I think it is normal. I thought it was the fan that was humming, not the backlight. I don't seem to notice it as much as you though. If the material I am watching is really quiet, or if I am channel hopping, then I can hear it. Otherwise I can't. Hope this helps.

Thanks for that, is it worse when you first turn on the TV from cold ie in the morning or evening?
 
its pretty much the same volume of hum/buzz constantly. Meaning that it doesn't seem to be any louder when the TV is fisrt turned on. It is just there, at the same volume, even if the TV has been on for most of the day. I notice it more at night, but there is less background noise so this is understandable. It isn't very loud at all, but you can tell it is there. I would definately get an engineer to look at it, just for peace of mind. I don't class this as a fault on the TV, but it all depends on the volume. I have NTL so I can't compare with the noise from a Sky box. It is a lot quieter than my Xbox used to be (I sold it recently) and a hell of a lot quieter than my PC. The noise is comparable to the 5 series of PS2 (the one with the quieter fan and built in IR port, just before the launch of the slimline model). Hope this helps you.
 
phorenzik said:
its pretty much the same volume of hum/buzz constantly. Meaning that it doesn't seem to be any louder when the TV is fisrt turned on. It is just there, at the same volume, even if the TV has been on for most of the day. I notice it more at night, but there is less background noise so this is understandable. It isn't very loud at all, but you can tell it is there. I would definately get an engineer to look at it, just for peace of mind. I don't class this as a fault on the TV, but it all depends on the volume. I have NTL so I can't compare with the noise from a Sky box. It is a lot quieter than my Xbox used to be (I sold it recently) and a hell of a lot quieter than my PC. The noise is comparable to the 5 series of PS2 (the one with the quieter fan and built in IR port, just before the launch of the slimline model). Hope this helps you.

thanks i will report back after engineers visit on friday
 
Well engineer has just left, and his verdict?....not faulty :thumbsdow

He said it was the power inverter board !?*$£ ( whatever that is ) and is usual,even though I told him that Ive seen various model sizes in currys/comet etc which I have pressed my ear to the top vent and couldnt hear a thing!. He just said that you wouldnt hear it in the shop!, why? I asked.He just said it was "weird".

I am still not convinced with this diagnosis but apart from paying someone for a second opinion I think im going to have to live with it :(

Not too happy but I suppose will have to live with it, its a bit late to get an exchange from the retailer and then I still might get one with the same noise and dead pixels ( something I fortunatley dont have).

It could be worse, I could work for currys!
 
thelurch said:
Well engineer has just left, and his verdict?....not faulty :thumbsdow

He said it was the power inverter board !?*$£ ( whatever that is ) and is usual,even though I told him that Ive seen various model sizes in currys/comet etc which I have pressed my ear to the top vent and couldnt hear a thing!. He just said that you wouldnt hear it in the shop!, why? I asked.He just said it was "weird".

I am still not convinced with this diagnosis but apart from paying someone for a second opinion I think im going to have to live with it :(

Not too happy but I suppose will have to live with it, its a bit late to get an exchange from the retailer and then I still might get one with the same noise and dead pixels ( something I fortunatley dont have).

It could be worse, I could work for currys!


LOL (the Currys quote I mean.......not laughing at your situation)

Thanks for the update. Sounds like the engineer is trying to fob you off. Did you get your TV from Currys? because I know some horrendous stories about Mastercare (their repair division). If you think the TV has a fault, request a new one. It doesn't matter how long you have had it. It has a 12 month warranty in case these situations arise. I really hope you get it sorted mate. :thumbsup:
 
phorenzik said:
LOL (the Currys quote I mean.......not laughing at your situation)

Thanks for the update. Sounds like the engineer is trying to fob you off. Did you get your TV from Currys? because I know some horrendous stories about Mastercare (their repair division). If you think the TV has a fault, request a new one. It doesn't matter how long you have had it. It has a 12 month warranty in case these situations arise. I really hope you get it sorted mate. :thumbsup:

No I do not work for currys, what a horrible thought LOL !

I bought it from 121electricals on the net, do you think I should pursue getting a replacement from them or get back on to samsung?

The only problem with going to samsung is that they will have this engineers report stating the TV is normal.

I think I will phone samsung on monday and say im still not happy.
 
Update to my situation!

After my visit from so called "engineer" on friday who seemed to be fobbing me off I thought I was going to have to live with it but we had friends round on Saturday and Sunday night and both commented about the buzz!

So that was it, a phone call to my retailer this morning who said put it all in an email and they will look at it and contact samsung.

Phoned Samsung straight after and spoke to very sympathetic guy, explained the whole situation and what the engineer had said and he said the engineers response sounded strange.

He also told me that the TV sould be " Whisper Quiet ", and he really thought it sounded faulty :thumbsup: . He had the response from DK Audio saying the noise was normal but has now requested the full report.

He offered me another engineer visit but unfortunately that would be DK Audio again and I could get the same guy so I put that on hold.

I said I wouldnt want DK Audio to repair my TV based on this guy that visited.

So he said to contact the retailer and get them to contact Samsung which they said they will do after receiving this email.

Watch this space!
 
Update number 2!

I apologise if this saga is getting boring but heres the latest incase you are still reading!

Got an email back from where I bought TV, they said that they would need to see a 2nd engineers report before looking at a replacement, so I had to then get back onto Samsung yesterday and begrudgingly let them organise another visit from DK Audio.

Just had a phonecall from DK, and it was the engineer that came the first time, he now states that the TV could well be faulty and he will come and have a look inside the TV this time ( why didnt he do this last visit !) and will change the power supply!.

So he has now changed his diagnosis over the phone even without coming a second time.....mmmn....sounds a bit odd to me.

Someone stated earlier that engineers will often try to tell customers that these more simple faults are actually normal when they are not because the majority of people, when told this will accept it and the engineer gets away without having to do the work.

That sounds very much like what has happened in this case, I think he was hoping that I would just take his word for it,put up with it and he would hear no more about it but no.

So I may be a step closer to getting that quiet TV I crave! :thumbsup:
 
I hope you get it sorted mate. It definately sounds like your TV is faulty. If the engineer tells you there is nothing wrong with it again, just tell him that your friend has the same TV and theirs doesn't make the same sound, so therefore yours must have a fault. I never trust engineers whenever they have to come round to my house. I watch them like a hawk, and always make sure they do exactly what I want them to. (not in a perverse way or anything.........in case you were wondering). The vast mojority are work shy, and will feed you any old rubbish, just so they don't have to do any work.
 
phorenzik said:
I hope you get it sorted mate. It definately sounds like your TV is faulty. If the engineer tells you there is nothing wrong with it again, just tell him that your friend has the same TV and theirs doesn't make the same sound, so therefore yours must have a fault. I never trust engineers whenever they have to come round to my house. I watch them like a hawk, and always make sure they do exactly what I want them to. (not in a perverse way or anything.........in case you were wondering). The vast mojority are work shy, and will feed you any old rubbish, just so they don't have to do any work.

I dont really trust them either.

The fact the same engineer phoned me today and said he would come and fit a new power supply is almost an admission that he should have done it on the first visit. I think he wanted to get away with not doing the work and hoped I would accept his diagnosis ( If I hadnt found this forum I would have done).

By the fact that he is actually going to attempt a repair now goes against his first report which stated " no repair, set normal" and it will strengthen my case for a replacement should this repair fail as I would have technically had 2 failed repairs and would be well within my rights to ask for a replacement.

So if tomorrows repair does fix the buzz then alls good and if it doesnt then I should be able to get a replacement......the only worry is, if I do get a replacement ... a) what if it buzzes too! b) dead pixels as this set has none!
 
Samsung have a zero tolerence on dead pixels........I think, so if it has only 1 then you should be able to get a replacement. I doubt the replacement will buzz......what would be the odds of that? its not impossible, but it is a very minute probability. Hope everything goes smoothly. Get your own back on the engineer when he comes round. Make him a cup of tea with a used tea bag or something equally as childish. LOL
 
Well.... 2nd Engineer has just left.

It was a different guy, he turned on the TV and immediately said " Oh that definately sounds like a faulty power supply"

He claimed he had not seen the last engineers report ( didnt know whether to believe him )

So he set to work undoing about 4000 screws, took the back off, and another cover ( its alarming to see that there is actually very little inside these sets!, and they do not have fans )

The power supply is a circuit board a bit bigger than A5, he put in the new one, did up the 4000 screws again and plugged it in....wait for it.... drum roll please.......... it was completely silent!....
But and and theres a huge but.... the only problem was it didnt work, at all!!!!! so off came the 4000 screws again and he compared power supplys and could see nothing wrong, swapped them around this time without putting the cover back on ( einstein!!) and the old one worked with its buzz.

He thinks that the supposed "new" power supply board may have got "mixed up" with their faulty pile! ( how many do they have for goodness sake!)

So hes been here 2 hours, taken the TV apart 2 twice and im left in exactly the same situation!. he phone head office and they are out of stock of them and will have to order another from Samsung!

So now not only have I had to take one day off for an engineer to visit to say the TV is normal, then I take another day off for another engineer to admit theres a fault but not fix it, and now ive got to take another b****y day off to wait for the 3rd visit.

Im phoning Samsung in a minute to share my dissatisfaction with them.
 
Blimey. I'm usually the unlucky one. Surprised about there being no fan. The slight hum I get from my set comes from a vent in the top of the TV so I just assumed it was a fan emmiting the noise. At least you will get it sorted now........eventually..........the phrase 'third time lucky' springs to mind.
 
Got me worried/paranoid now :eek:

I received my LE32R41BD last Wednesday and mines has a slight buzzing noise, but you can only hear it if you put your ear to the top of it. It does sound like an electricity type of buzzing.

Hopefully it won't get any worse. Keep us updated on how you get on.
 
mparter said:
Got me worried/paranoid now :eek:

I received my LE32R41BD last Wednesday and mines has a slight buzzing noise, but you can only hear it if you put your ear to the top of it. It does sound like an electricity type of buzzing.

Hopefully it won't get any worse. Keep us updated on how you get on.

I wouldnt worry unless it gets louder, any buzz comes from the power supply circuit board which is mounted centrally behind the backlight, by all accounts they all buzz slightly but shouldnt be heard, especially not from 10 feet away with the volume on 20 like mine does!.

If you can only hear the buzz when you put your ear to the vent then dont worry, mine is much worse and has got slightly louder. :thumbsdow .

I decided to email Samsung to register my dissatisfaction at the whole situation. Looked for an email address on the website and all I could find was one of those forms which you put your contact details in and a box to type in your message whether it be complaint or whatever. But the box for putting in your contact phone number only allows 10 digits! and if im not mistaken most phone numbers are 11!!

Anyway they sent me an automated email today thanking me for my comments and my custom! and that was it!

Oh and the engineer said that they should be able to come out today (friday) to fit the new one but then they phoned to say they didnt have anymore in stock and would have to order one which could take 2 weeks...aaaargh!.....all I need now is bird flu to make my life complete!

The only 2 saving graces are A) ive still got a TV that does work although a noisy and B) Ive got a copy of the 2nd engineers diagnosis saying the psu is actually faulty.

To any Samsung owners, if you live within 40 miles of mitcham and samsung send you an engineer, its likely they will come from DK Audio ........

Be afraid be very very afraid.............. :eek:
 
My LE26R41BDX is making a noise aswell. It's only 3 days old, so I'm considering taking it back.

It makes a noise (on the top vent) you would expect from a very small fan.

Then when I turn it off, it makes a very quiet noise, very much similar to a kettle boiling,and then it will go back to the fan noise.

Also when it starts up, it makes weird whistling noise?

Anyone else getting these problems?
 
digitalwolf said:
My LE26R41BDX is making a noise aswell. It's only 3 days old, so I'm considering taking it back.

It makes a noise (on the top vent) you would expect from a very small fan.

Then when I turn it off, it makes a very quiet noise, very much similar to a kettle boiling,and then it will go back to the fan noise.

Also when it starts up, it makes weird whistling noise?

Anyone else getting these problems?

There are no fans inside this range of TVs, there is very little actually, 2 A5 size pcbs and two small pcbs and either side plus the screen, it makes me wonder why they are so damn expensive but it must be the screen itself.

I only get buzzing when the picture is being displayed, as soon as the standby button is pressed, the noise stops completely
 
Hi Lurch

Sorry to hear about your problems with the Sammy. Thanks for keeping us updated, it's given me a good insight into Samsung customer care...

Been looking at getting a 51 or 61 series myself. I'll wait to see how your probs are resolved before I take the plunge! Especially as I live closer to Southampton than you :D

Btw, does anyone know if Lurch would have received better service if he'd bought from John Lewis (thinking about that 5 yr warranty :p). Would they have used a DK Audio engineer?

Cheers

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