For the past 2 months I've had a brand new Vizio D55-D2 TV plugged into a Power Sentry 10-outlet surge protector that is AT LEAST 6 or 7 years old (I believe it is rated at 3360 joules), with zero issues whatsoever. The surge protector is also powering a DVR, an Apple TV, and a few game consoles which all function perfectly. So last night the TV powers up like normal, but there is no video or audio. After a bunch of troubleshooting, I searched the internet for information and was convinced that something had failed and the TV would have to be repaired. When I called Vizio the next day, they suggested plugging the TV directly into the wall instead of the surge protector. Sure enough, the TV came right on with no issues. I tried a few other outlets in the surge protector and the problem comes back. Again... no issues with the other devices as I mentioned before.
Is it possible for a surge protector to start going bad and it only affects certain electronics?... or is there a reason why the Vizio no longer functions properly when hooked up to the surge protector? I don't have a spare surge protector to test it on unfortunately, but I figured I'd ask my fellow CNET readers if they've ever seen anything like this before. Truly bizarre.
There haven't been any power surges that I'm aware of, and the house has never had any type of electrical issues.
Thanks for reading! Any feedback is appreciated
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Question
TV only works when plugged directly into wall outlet.
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4 Posts
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Answer
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I agree 100% that the surge protector is worth replacing given the odd circumstances. I'm just baffled that it would only cause issues with the TV.
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Figure a visit from an electronics engineer with the gear to see what's different on the taps.
It could be noise, low voltage or other. Without testing, we can't be sure.
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I bought a new surge protector and had the same thing happen unfortunately. Everything else works fine, but no luck with the TV. So as a final test, I dragged the giant Vizio into another room and tried it with both the new and old surge protector in a new outlet. Sure enough, the TV came on with no issues while being plugged into either surge protector. Will have my electrician take a look at the questionable outlet in the next week or two. I'll update the results for anyone that may read this down the line. Thanks for the feedback!
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