Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

[MoreAckAck]

I have a 2015 model Samsung UN55FS9000 55" Curved UHD-TV. I am the original owner. About two months ago it suddenly developed an issue where the right side of the screen went dark. I could still see the images behind the dark but they were ghosted and laggy. I power-cycled it a few times and the issue remained. I took it down and let it sit for a few days. I researched the symptoms and purchased a replacement T-Con board for it. I installed the new board but the issue remained immediately after I powered the TV back up. The next day, the TV worked fine, no issues at all. It worked fine for a few weeks until the issue came back, same problem statement. Only this time, it cleared after 20 mins. It worked fine for a few days but then the issue came back. I ordered and replaced the main board based on advice I got elsewhere but the issue was still there on power up. I took it back down, let it site for a week and it worked fine when I turned it back on. The next day, the issue was back. Any ideas? I will try to figure out how to post pics. Thanks for any help.

edit: The black on the right side now goes to the top of the screen, not cut on a straight line like the pics show.

[budwich]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

it appears that you have the "standard" tab failure / panel issue.... :-(
It might be salvageable depending on the design of the tabs at the side / bottom. Search the forum and read about these types of failures and how to "work around" is done... BUT don't go to fast... as the "workaround" is a "final outcome" that can't be reversed.

[MoreAckAck]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

it appears that you have the "standard" tab failure / panel issue.... :-(
It might be salvageable depending on the design of the tabs at the side / bottom. Search the forum and read about these types of failures and how to "work around" is done... BUT don't go to fast... as the "workaround" is a "final outcome" that can't be reversed.

This panel has the tabs on the side that look like little foil flaps and appear to just be jumpers. I had been advised elsewhere that these tabs could be removed and that would solve the issue but since it is a permanent modification, I wanted to make sure I got the same info from a reputable source, like this forum. Thanks for your help.

[MoreAckAck]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

Here are pics of the panel disassembled, showing the tabs. My understanding is if I cut these tabs off, all of them, the issue should be resolved? Is that correct?

[budwich]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

sorry but I can't make out the tabs. The ones in question are on the side NOT the bottom or top of the panel.

[MoreAckAck]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

sorry but I can't make out the tabs. The ones in question are on the side NOT the bottom or top of the panel.

Closer pics: Edit: these are on the right hand side. I don’t know why the pictures are rotating.

[budwich]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

OK, I understand now. Look closely at those tabs along that side and see if you notice anything different about one of them especially in the region where the horizontal "discontinuity" shows in the display. Either way, as you found, it is likely that the side tabs are an issue and need to be removed to save the set. The tabs are like removing tape and can be easily / gently pulled away / up from the contact points of the panel. Cutting them may leave behind material that is compromising the panel contacts if that is the underlying problem.

[MoreAckAck]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

Ok, so good news/bad news. I pulled the tabs off the right side and I got the whole picture back, so that's good. But now the right side of the panel is dimmer than the left. Slightly so, but noticeable to me. Is there anything I can do about that? Thanks.

[budwich]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

well... you have to "lose" something by removing something... just the "law of the universe"... :-) The "save" is not "perfect" so if you have "golden eyes", you will be disappointed.... maybe even more so with a curved screen. A 46in sony that I "saved" has a noticeable difference across the screen but it is useable.... and do notice it more when watched "off center". Not sure that I noticed as big a "gradient" on a sharp 70 that I saved but that was an "early success" and was more interested in the result of a working set as opposed to a getting back a "fully operational / spec'ed" set again. The owner of that set still likes it better than the samsung replacement that he tried and returned when we got his set back to "working".

Anyway, you might try adjusting some of the setting to try to reduce the differences.

[angelos]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

I did a save on a 40" Samsung and the results were perfect. No shading nothing. Tell me budwich what does removing the whole on side of COF IC's affect. Resolution?

[budwich]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

I don't think resolution is impacted "directly" as this is a fixed pixel display and if resolution was impacted (ie. missing pixels), you would see the result especially with static displays. Uniformity is more likely an issue both in terms of color and brightness as the drivers from one side are working to provide full "range driving" across the panel all of the time... but I am not expert on the design. There are others who have more knowledge of this. I have only my experience and eyes along with readings to base this on.

Having said this, I could see how vertical resolution is unchanged as all horizontal lines of the display are still being driven "equally" (ie. same number of vertical tabs are working and driving the same number of horizontal lines). However, because the drivers of the horizontal signal have been "halved", the signal moving across the panel may not fully "reach" across the panel with the expected level to the opposite end which may result in some loss of horizontal resolution in some form.

[angelos]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

Would you say that the remaining horizontal tabs would now work harder thus causing excessive heat which could lead to early tab failure?

[budwich]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

As I think about it, maybe not. My reasoning is... basically they are working the same way as they would normally... I think it was referred to as a "push pull" design. In terms of circuit, a portion of the drive circuit is missing with the removal but its either the "push" or the "pull" (depending on timing or otherwise), but remaining circuit is still driving exactly the same circuit which hasn't changed with their removal so the "drive effort" is still the same and hence the remaining circuit works at the same rate as it would normally. My guess though. There has been relatively few reports of secondary failure (tabs on the remaining side dying). Some of the sets have been going on more than 3 years. It it possible that the initial failure is the "infancy mortality rate" for the design in some manner. After it has been reached, the remaining components may have been "cooked" so to speak and will now follow their "normal failure rate"... assuming of course, that the initial failure did not "stress" the remaining components due to some form of "heating event" or otherwise (ie. shorting / near shorting? etc) prior to removal.

[Xfacter]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

I just wanted to confirm, I just attempted this fix on my Samsung 15 minutes ago and it was an amazing success. I pulled off all the tabs on the left side which had a fried tab/shorted tab. I started with the bad tab,pulled it off, turned the tv on. No difference. Then I did all the tabs on that side. Instantly solved!!

Model number: Samsung model un58h5202afxza

Problem: Glitchy horizontal lines/flickering/highly abnormal picture on one side. Really hot in one spot (the bad tab)

Cause: Apparent water got in shorting a side tab on the left side

Solution: Pulled off all tabs like I was recommended.

^ Just to summarize in-case someone else stumbles upon this thread on a google search. Seems to be a common problem?

It seems to have fixed it with no noticeable difference in picture quality..? Not sure how it looked before I fixed it, i've only seen a broken model So for this model I can confirm it as a great solution if you have a bad tab.
Much thanks to Budwich and Andrew F. Ali

Make sure to put the front bezel back on before moving it around again

[Davi.p]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

There's a reason why projects are with 2 sides of tabs, 3 years for a half working screen is not so few but here we are often talk about very recent TVs, so 3 years are nota proof of a good repair, i think something can be done better to save theese screens, not much but the goal is how to insulate only the faulty gate driver's outputs..

[Andrew F. Ali]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

I'm happy you got your TV working again.

[JBC#1]

Re: Samsung UN55FS9000 Half-Screen Dark/Ghosting Issue

I want to thank everybody that are helping people like me to realize nice project. I had a side tab on a Sharp lc-60LE660U defect that i removed a long time ago and was stuck with a partially repaired tv wondering what to do next. Trying to find an answer wasn't ease. Bacaps and you guys gaved me the answer to save my tv. Thanks a lot everybody.