Friday, July 3, 2009

Welcome to Panasonic Plasma Fail

Greetings, and welcome to Panasonic Plasma Fail. This blog is intended as a site for consolidating consumer complaints about Panasonic Plasma television sets purchased between 2007 and 2009. If you are having problems with your Panasonic plasma television set not turning on, please add the details in the comments thread.

You might have reached this site by typing in one of the following search phrases:
  • my panasonic plasma will not turn on
  • red light blinks seven times
  • what is wrong with my panasonic plasma
  • blinking red light of death
  • faulty power supply on panasonic plasma
If this describes your situation, you have come to the right place. In recent months, a flood of consumers have reported that their Panasonic plasma television sets died unexpectedly. According to some forum experts, these failures are the result of faulty power boards that were shipped with the units.

The bad news is that Panasonic has not done much to publicly acknowledge this problem, and it is very difficult to reach their customer support on the telephone. Most people who have encountered this problem after the warranty has lapsed have either (a) paid hundreds of dollars for costly repairs or (b) given up and purchased a replacement set.

Within the electronics industry, a 3% failure rate is widely accepted as standard. However, a cursory search of Google reveals that an unusally high number 2007/2008 Panasonic plasma sets have displayed the dreaded "blinking red lights of death." In order to maintain its reputation for quality customer service, Panasonic should really do something to remedy this situation. They should either fix the television sets free of charge, or replace the television sets with working units.

There are dozens upon dozens of complaints about these Panasonic television sets posted to various forums. If we can consolidate these complaints in one place, we may be able to put enough pressure on Panasonic to take action.

1,123 comments:

  1. Name: Aaron D.
    Location: San Antonio, Texas

    Problem:

    Approximately eighteen months ago, I purchased a 42 inch plasma Panasonic television from Sears (model number: 42pz77u). The picture quality was fantastic, and the television performed flawlessly.

    On Saturday morning, the television displayed the infamous "seven blinking red lights of death" and died. When we attempt to turn on the unit, the only thing that happens is that the red light on the front of the television blinks seven times. We have swapped out power cords and switched the television to different outlets, but nothing has worked. The unit is dead.

    After consulting Google for several hours, I determined that this particular line of Panasonic plasma sets is prone to power supply failures. Even if one acknowledges a 3% failure rate for most television sets, there are an unusually high number of complaints about the Panasonic plasma units purchased in 2007 and 2008. In fact, if one searches Google with the phrase "My plasma television will not turn on," most of the top-level search results are from people who have had problems with these Panasonic models.

    Apparently, these sets are notorious for being released with faulty power management. The "back-light inverter board" is said to be the source of the problem. Unfortunately, it's not easy to track down and replace the problematic board. When one factors in parts and labor, it almost makes sense to buy a new television set.

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  2. Panasonic TH-42PZ77U purchased in February 2008. Has power light blinking 10 times as of Friday, July 3. Seems too much of a coincidence that most of the reports I've seen about these issues are for sets that are just out of warranty by 3-6 months.

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  3. Panasonic TH-50PZ80U purchased in March 2008. Power light started blinking 10 times as of today, July 19, 2009. This is just plain wrong.

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  4. Thanks for your comments, I am currently shopping around and not sure which type to chose: Plasma or new LED (Not LCD). My major issue is price.
    Image quality is pretty much comparable to me, but price wise, Plasma is the winner. But with your comments, I am starting to question it.
    Should I stay out of Plasma?

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  5. You may want to check out another set of posts at

    http://community.crutchfield.com/forums/t/5022.aspx?PageIndex=1

    I have a 10 time blinking issue and of course am out of warranty - seeing all of these posts is frustrating.

    I did see this though which was nice - although I am not sure how useful it would be to someone not electronically proficient.

    BLINKS PROBLEM MALFUNCTIONING PART
    ============================================================ ===========

    1 blink STV 5v sense DG Board

    2 blinks 15v SOS D Board

    3 blinks 3.3v SOS D Board

    4 blinks Power SOS P Board

    5 blinks 5v SOS D Board

    6 blinks Driver SOS 1 SU / SD / SC Boards
    (SC energy recovery circuit)

    7 blinks Driver SOS 2 SU / SD / SS Boards
    (SC floating voltage area)

    8 blinks Driver SOS 3 SS Board
    (SS energy recovery circuit)

    9 blinks Panel Config. SOS

    10 blinks Sub 5v SOS / Main 3v SOS DG Board
    DTV 9v SOS / Tuner Power SOS

    11 blinks Fan SOS PB Board

    12 blinks Sound SOS H Board

    13 blinks Communication error DG Board
    with IC8001 (Pesks Lite 2)

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  6. I purchased my 42 PZ77u from Circuit City about 17 months ago and have been watching the 10 blinking lights for 2 weeks now. 3 calls to Panasonic and I've still yet to get any resolve on the issue.

    I'm fully on board for any class action as it seems that there are more than enough cases just on the internet alone to warrant a case.

    Never Panasonic again, my last Sony tv lasted 10 years and is still going for the person I sold it to.

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  7. My set is 18 months old and blinking at me 7 times as we speak. I'm freaking disgusted with this.

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  8. Another one bites the dust. 7 blinks. I am in shock. A tv that lasts just over a year.

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  9. I bought a panasonic 37phd8uk, the commercial model. After 2 years, I began having a 5 blink problem. I brought it in for service, and the tech couldn't find the problem. I brought it home and it worked for four months, then the problem began again. This time 5 blinks and 3 blinks. Brought it in again. Tech not able to find problem. Brought it home, now 7 blinks. This is ridiculous.

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  10. I am from Canada
    I have an 18 month old Panasonic plasma TH42PZ700 and its a 6 blinker of death.
    Now a 2 grand boat anchor!!!!
    It should run for 5 years trouble free.
    They make a big crap about 60 thou screen life and this units guts have failed at less than 6,000 hours of use!!
    What a joke!!
    E mailed Panasonic Canada they are sorry to hear about it blah blah wanted the info on it and then type back they will have the nearest repair facility give me call and estimate a "verbal" estimate..its out of warranty as far as they are concerned.
    Panasonic seems to have no faith in their product either.

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  11. Hello,
    I read your blogs this weekend when my TV started blinking 7 times and got totally stressed out. Panasonic US could not help me and waited until Monday morning to call Canadian #. I called at 8:30 and they had someone out to fix it at noon the same day. This is more than I would have ever expected and was so pleased. I guess I was fortunate there was 5 days on the warranty left. The technicion did say they know there is a problem with the plasma's but have adequate stock of part needed to fix fast. Also if I had registered on line I would have received an email saying that the TV needed to be upgraded. Glad i could ass a good news story.

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  12. I have a 15 month-old 42PZ77U TV that randomly starts blinking red. It's not completely dead though, If I unplug everything else, plug it in and wait for 2-3 minutes I am able to start it again for a couple of weeks.

    Good thing I still have my 35 years old 20" admiral TV when it happens...

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  13. I've had my share of problems with my TH-42pz77u. I also have had this piece of junk for about 18months. I had it give me 13 blinks of death and two tech quotes of over $1000 to get it fixed. Well i replaced 2 boards in it myself and now have another problem with the picture messing up. Theres no end to the shit that this tv can cause.

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  14. Panasonic knew there was a problem

    Panasonic should do the right thing and replace all defective serial number tvs with coerrect parts.

    Panasonic used the consumer was a guinea pig...plain and simple for shoddly engineered parts and product.

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  15. I am now on my 2nd 42in Plazma. The first was purchased 4/08 (TH-42PZ77U) and in 11/08 started turning itself off. No blinking lights though. Once I unplugged it and plugged it back in, it worked for 10 - 15 minutes and had to unplug/replug again. Panasonic sent a tech within 2 days and took the tv to the shop and left a loaner. 2 weeks later, they had to replace the tv with a newer model, TH42PZ80U, build date 01/08. Now I'm getting 10 blinks and Panasonic tells me since it's a replacement tv and no money changed hands, they go by the 1st tv's purchase date warranty and even though the new tv is less than a year old it's out of warranty and I have to pay for repairs. They send me 2 defective products in 18 months and I have to pay for repairs. There will never again be a panasonic product, or anything built by panasonic in my house other than the 65" Plazma and the 50" Plazma that I already purchased.

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  16. The sticker on my Pana TH-42PZ85U says 3/08, today is 8/26/09. I have the 10 blink LED Syndrome. What the %$@#& is going on. At least there should be a card swap that you can get for "X" amount of $'S.

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  17. Purchased Pana TH-50PZ80U 5/08 and today 8/26/09 the repair shop Panasonic recommended picked it up for evaluation. I have the 2 flashing red lights. I mentioned all the web sites with this common complaint and was told to fax them the evaluation and management would decide if they would cover. I will contact Consumer Reports regarding these web sites and anyone else that will listen.

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  18. Set wouldn't turn on, blinking 13 times-called panosonic, gave a # of a local repair shop with take over a week and 100dollars to just look at it.

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  19. What ever happened to the customer is always right? We all can't be just trying to pull a fast one. I have the 7 blink syndrome on my 42" Panosonic Plasma model#TH42PZ77U. When I called Panosonic they gave me a # for a repair shop that would "diagnose" my problem for 114.50 then cost of repairs.WHAT? I've seen people get free meals in this world for a measley hair in their 8.00 dinner.....we obviously forked out a lot of money to help out your major company to keep in business, and we can't even get FREE replacement parts....something is terribly wrong with the CEO of this company to not want to make good on their products to ensure their good name out in the consumer world. Thank God for internet and media so it won't take long to trash their company's GOOD name.

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  20. A few weeks ago my TH-50PZ80U started acting up- it would not turn on and the LED would blink 10 times. If I unplugged it, waited 2 minutes and then plugged it in again it would come back on. Today, however, it has not come back on at all. I should not have had a problem seeing as I had purchased a $300 warranty with a company called Repairtech that was supposed to add on 3 years of in-home coverage to the 1-year manufacturer's warranty. Unfortunately, Repairtech went out of business at the beginning of this year. Now, I call Panasonic and they tell me that I will need to pay to have a qualified service shop look it over and then pay to have it fixed. I am quite surprised at how rampant the problem seems to be. I thought that Panasonic was a good name.

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  21. Just started my TH P42G10. Ran for about 1 hour before it turned off. Now blinking 5 times soundslike the SOS board is gone. Payed extra for the G series and it worked for 1 hour. Decided panasonic was the best buy now not so sure.

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  22. Based on Consumer Reports we purchased plasma model TH-42PZ77U. TV will shut off and flash the infamous 7 lights. It will turn back on later but for how long varies before the 7 lights rear their ugly heads. This of course happens after the warranty expires.

    Called Panasonic and was told to fax a copy of my purchase to "TEAM 20" A rep (very nice and helpful women named Zinda) later called and offered to split the repair bill of $479. I am calling the "Concierge" and asking why I have to pay anything for a factory defect. The tech is coming on Monday.

    Like a car, this should be a recall. Calling Panasonic requires taking a day off from work as you will be on hold forever. When I called an automated voice asked if I wanted to participate in a costumer satisfaction survey after speaking with a rep. I said yes and the voice said they would call back in 30 minutes. I was still on hold when the automated survey called. I was on hold for a total of 47 minutes before someone took my call.

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  23. I am currently awaiting a reply reguarding this familiar defect from Panasonic effecting my "new??", 2 month out of warranty, 50in Pan. Viera plasma with the DEFECTIVE power supply, flashing red light syndrome. If not covered, I will make it my new job to get the word out beginning with Consumer Reports, which I loyally consult before any major purchase. They have dropped the ball on this one. In the past I have received questionaires to evaluate various products. I will compose my own report for this Panasonic product specifically documenting the endless websites, by far surpassing the 3% expected disatisfaction rate. Facebook is also a quick and easy networking tool to get the word out. Be sure to note the numerous web sites and be specific. This defect should be completely covered by Panasonic down to the evaluation cost for repair.

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  24. I'm willing to join a class action suit. I have a TH-42PC77U, purchased from COSTCO that is 21 months old. This is its third repair, the first repair was fixed immediately, the second repair took a month to get the part, and now I'm told that with my current repair the part is on backorder and it will take at least a month for the part to come in. The TV won't turn on and is blinking 12 times.

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  25. Here we go again. Bought my Panasonic TX-P50V10E only 2 weeks ago. The day after receiving it, it shut down, but I managed to get it back on after aprox. 10 min. Since that, it has been on and of on until this morning where I am looking at 12 red blinks and no other response. I wish I had read all thees responses before I did my purchase, then Panasoinc would never had been my choice.

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  26. TV is 2.5 weeks old and I too have been cursed with the 7 blinking lights of death. A brand new TH-50G10A model brought fresh from Darwin NT. Latest and greatest model they said, "Pigs Arse" it is ! I am very unimpressed by this siuation as I live over 1000klms from my place of purchase in a remote location. A logistical nightmare as Retravision will expect me to get it back to them to look at. Again, "Pigs Arse" I will be. Very dissapointed that this issue is so common yet no one at the store mentioned the possibility.

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  27. I bought my th50pz80u in 3/04/08 and I have a 2 blinker,The tech came out to fix the set.He changed the board that he thought was the problem and guest what? It wasnt.Hes gone and the set is still blinking after working for about 1 hour.This is pure crap that no one is being held accountable for this problem

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  28. My 58 inch plasma was anything but inexpensive, I rather expected it would last longer before dying. Since it is of course out of warranty, I called the repair guy, $300 minimum, and it might go up from there. I'll have to wait and see what the final price is.

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  29. TH46PZ85 in Canada. Got the 11 blinks of death today after 12 and a half months of use, two weeks after manufacturer warranty expired. I did purchase the extended warranty from retailer Future Shop (I never usually buy extended warranties but I was worried about having a $1600 anchor ...)I hope they come through. Fingers crossed.

    It appears that this problem is widespread. Panasonic should do the right thing and recall the faulty parts. If they don't, they will lose a lot of future business.

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  30. Bought my 42' Panasonic in late '07. I arrive home from work just the other evening and it will not power on. Alas, 7 red blinks. This is fucked. I have Best Buy's gay warranty, but they can't send someone out for almost 2 weeks. Weak. As. Fuck.

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  31. I bought my 42" Panasonic in Nov 2007 and started using it in Jan of 2009. About 2 weeks ago, the TV went blank and come to find out this is common Power Supply Issue. I called Panasonic and they assigned me a case and asked me to contact my local repair shop. I think Panasonic should cover this expense. I bought a 50" in Nov 2008 and wonder when that is going to be dead...

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  32. I purchased my 42" Panasonic Plasma TH-42PZ77U in Oct 2007. Today it turned off by itself and will not turn back on. I get the red light flashes 10x repeatedly. I tried to unplug and replug the tv, even into another outlet. NO LUCK. Panasonic customer service basically told me that they can't do anything about it since it is out of warranty. Now I have a $1600.00 piece of crap sitting in my livingroom. Do I get it repaired? Possibly paying almost as much to service it as it would be to replace it. OH WHAT TO DO?

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  33. TH46PZ85 in Canada. Follow up on my 11 blinks of death.

    Called Future Shop September 2nd in the evening. Service guy came on the 3rd and took the tv back to his shop. Returned the tv on the 4th in working order with a new power supply. Incredibly quick service. I asked the service guy what the part was worth and he said about CAD$250. Not sure what his labor charge was. No charge to me for parts & labour. I think I got my money's worth on the extended warranty.

    Still think Panasonic should come forward and recall their defective power supply.

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  34. I bought my TH-42PZ77U from Best Buy on Nov 13, 2007 and it just died yesterday (Sep 4, 200). I see the red light blinking 7 times. I googled and arrived at this page. I am glad I am not the only one but also frustrated that apparently, Panasonic is aware of this problem and is not doing anything about it. I called them up today and have been asked to fax across my receipt to them after which they will decide if it will cost me or not. I told them that it was out of warranty but they said that they would decide after they see the receipt. Maybe there is some hope !!

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  35. Here lies a Panasonic TH-46PZ80U. Born 6/15/09...Died 8/26/09 briefly came back to life twice but all but dead now. Started with the twice blinking light, then 11 and even 7 times once before returning to the double blink. Going to call Panasonic tuesday even though its out of warranty.

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  36. Bought a Panasonic TH-46PZ85U 6/19/2008...It started doing the deadly 8 red blinks or 6 red blinks. Unplug it and it will reset and work for about an hour and quit again. Called Panasonic Viera Conciege for help. They said I had bad HDMI cables, which makes no sense what so ever. Well I unplugged the HDMI cables and plugged another one in still does it. Re-plug the set in another outlet still does it. The blinks code point to the same problem which is the SC or SS energy recovery circuit, which means it has nothing to do with HDMI cables. It's obvious Panasonic service is not going to help fix a defect in the Plasma sets. It will costs big bucks to fix to replace the boards. It to bad it's a very good TV for picture quality and was top rated by Consumer Reports and Panasonic was known for good quality.

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  37. omfg my 58 inch plasma has died with 13 blinking lights... we are broke. so we don't know what the fuck to do. this is horrible. Never panasonic again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  38. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

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  39. Guys, lets actually turn this into a class action lawsuit. I will contact a lawfirm tomorrow about this.

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  40. EVERYONE PLEASE FILE A COMPLAINT ON CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM TO START THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. WE NEED # OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VICTIMS TO PANASONIC'S INABILITY TO RECALL FAULTY PRODUCTS!!!

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  41. My love affair with Panasonic is over. This new
    TV is headed for the trash.

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  42. I had an 11 flash shut off issue with my Panasonic 50PZ80U 5 months after i bought it. I called Panasonic to inform them about it and they sent out an authorized tech to look at the problem. At that time, they could not do anything as the problem was not occuring when they were here (much like going to a car mechanic). Nonetheless, fast forward to today (4 months after my warranty expired), I had a tech come out again b/c the darn thing wont turn on at all and is flashing 11 times again. Luckily, when I called panasonic, they already had it on file that I called about the issue before the warranty was up and they asked that I fax to them my receipt and the work order so that they can approve and cover the work. It remains to be seen if I get the approval, I'll let you all know. They are replacing the fans and the "A board", i've no idea what these are but nonetheless, it seems as though they are stepping up

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  43. Cant believe this happend. Bought the TH-42PZ700U in October 2007. Never had an issue with the set, loved my panny tv. This morning I go to turn it on and no picture and sound. The power light blinks 13 times.....set is done. Cant beleive it, just like that, my expensive plasma panasonic tv is done. Called customer service, was told that since I was out of the warranty period I would have to get it repaired at a local service center. Its $200 just to look at the tv, then its parts+labor - this fix is gonna cost me over $500, how does that make sense?! Panasonic should admit that these tv's shipped with faulty parts and correct the situation.

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  44. add me to the list ... TH-42PZ77U purchased in December 2008 ... worked fine earlier today .. then just died and only have power light blinking 10 times

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  45. Another one bites the dust... BRAND NEW TC-50PS14 bought new from Costo dies with 8 flashes not even 20 minutes after the first time it is plugged in. Unable to get it come back on - just more flashing. Costco concierge got me through to Panasonic fairly quickly and repair man is scheduled for tomorrow. I have 90 days to return it and after reading all these problems I very well may risk breaking my back to haul it back to Costco.

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  46. I recently filed a report with consumeraffairs.com regarding my situation with the TH-42PZ700U dying after 1 1/2 year use. They have decided to publish my complaint for the public to see. I urge everyone on this blog site to do the same. Together, we can force Panasonic to rectify this situation.

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  47. We actually brought our 42" plasma back in 2004 and it worked well for last few years. Just in the last couple of weeks we started noticing 7 red blinking lights. The audio seems to work sometimes, when the lights are not blinking. Panasonic should be providing a rebate check for those who can produce proof of purchase. I am so done with this brand.

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  48. I recently had my TH-42PZ77U Panasonic plasma fail for no apparent reason. The set was lightly used and I've had it about 14-16 months. The only indicator was 7 red blinking lights. A google search turned up this site and several others lamenting the series of failures for panasonic plasmas. My set was manufactured Nov 2007.

    A call to Panasonic resulted in them telling me I had to go to a 3rd party service center. I was told I could appeal but only after I pay the service company to "evaluate" my tv. They offered no estimation of cost or any information at all.

    When asked about this being a problem for this series, I was quoted that it was only a 2% failure rate no class-action or recalls were in progress.

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  49. Got the same run-around from panasonic and then a bad phone number for local service.
    sometimes 4 blinks and sometimes 10

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  50. 42"plasma purchased nov-07.I was watching t.v and it just shut off and nothing no blinking light nothing so changed the fuses in the back and went to turn the power back on and all i get now is 10 blinks then nothing.I have the t.v at the service man and he is telling me its the power board and after the price of the board and his labor charge it will be around 300$.I think panasonic should step up and either replace the t.v. or at least fix them all for free.

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  51. how do u fix 23 blinking lights?!!@@!!

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  52. 13 blinking lights!!

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  53. We got our 42" Panasonic Plasma 18 months ago and love it - fabulous picture and sound. Last week it shut off and was blinking 7 times. We called Panasonic (not Concierge Service) that evening, given a case number, and were asked to fax the purchase receipt to them which we did the next day. We were told they were covering the problem under an extended warranty, and we would be called within 48 hours to schedule a repair person to come to the house. We didn't buy any extended warranty so I'm guessing they had so many complaints they're now fixing it as warranty work. Three days later our tv was fixed at no charge. So while it was very annoying and disappointing to have our $1800 tv break down in 18 months, Panasonic did the right thing.

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  54. U lucky. I'm going to try that.

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  55. Another Victim here. I bought the th-42pz85u and loved the performance of the tv. unfortunately, approximately 14 months after my purchase, I began to get the 7 blinks failure and the set would not power up. Unplugging from the wall for a short time repaired the problem for a few weeks. During that time period, it probably failed 3 or 4 times. Finally, one day, i had a 2 Blink failure and that was the end. I left the unit unplugged for days at a time with no resolve. I was recently quoted $350 to replace the power supply board. I might try to source the part and install myself. It would appear that the part is cheap at www.shopjimmy.com. I'd appreciate any advice on this matter.

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  56. WTF I just got 13 blinks! too ughhh I just bought this PLASMA over a year ago! I'm so in on that class action lawsuit!

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  57. I too had the 7 blinks of death and my tv was 6 months out of warranty. I contacted Panasonic (the number in the owners manual) and they asked that I scan a copy of my receipt as they may yet warranty it. Within two weeks of starting this process my TV was fixed at no charge. The repairman even came to my house. Thank You Panasonic!!

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  58. I'm also part of this 7 blink party. My TH-42PZ700U died in Sept. '09 after purchasing it in Aug.'07. Had bought Best Buy's extended warranty so called them up. They sent out 3rd party contractor, who now cannot get the parts. BB tells me that I need to call Panasonic, because the manufacturer warranty trumps the BB extended warranty. Yet, it's now over 2 years and beyond the manufacturer's warranty. Someone at BB clearly can't tell time, why they would have me contact them beyond the warranty period is silly. So Panasonic tells me BB needs to live up to their agreement. Which I can agree with although I still think Panasonic should do their part and do a recall. This is an abundant problem. Yet, after multiple calls to customer service supervisors, no one at BB will own up to their mishandling of this situation and do the right thing...get me a replacement or get it fixed today...not it a week, or next month. Today! The reps even have sympathy, but have no authority so I'm waiting for "their process" to take it's course. What happened to taking care of the customer?

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  59. My 42 inch panny is 22 months old and cost 1500 it has of oct 14 has 10 bli
    nking lights.I am very disappointed that something that cost this much would only last 22 months

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  60. Bought the TH-46PZ80U from Best Buy on 09/02/2008. Did not purchase the extended warrenty. In October 2009 the TV started acting up with the 10-blink code. Called Panasonic and they said the error was due to an inferior HDMI cable. Now I am not so certain as it is failing more frequently and is taking longer and longer for the system to recover. Best Buy wasn't much help, either.

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  61. TH-42PZ85U, failed with 10 blinks after 14 mos. Sad. Paid 140 for service call / diagnostic. Will cost 600+ to replace the power supply, if that fixes it.. sad. Panasonic, please help us..

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  62. TH-42PD50U bought 2/06 lasted until this week..... yes another victim of the 7 blinking lights, notsure what to do? Any suggestions?

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  63. Just 3 days ago my 50 inch plasma fell ill to the 7 blinking lights of death. I contacted customer service and since my warranty expired 4 days earlier they will not come out and remedy this issue. I've tried multiple calls to them citing the large number of issues reported on the internet. You would think that spending thousands of dollars with a company including their blu-ray player, sound system etc. they would throw you a bone and back-date your warranty by 4 days. I will not be a Panasonic customer anymore, and will try to spread this recent display of a company failing to stand behind their product to anyone possible.

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  64. Panasonic th42pz700u will not power-up and gives a 10-blink blink code. Purchased 2007-11-08, failed today.

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  65. TH-42PZ85U

    I bought two (2) of these sets from an online retailer 15 months ago. I now have 8 blinks on one of them. It's frustrating that this would get through Quality Control in a corporation as large and mature as Panasonic.

    I contacted Panasonic via their "contact us" link. The link states, send us a message and we'll get back to you in 2 business days -- it's been two weeks. Un-friggen-believable!

    Pansonic should do something because they're in for a world of hurt once people start to get wind of this issue. Who in their right mind would buy Panasonic with their next refresh after going through this? I know I won't be buying anything with a Panasonic badge on it EVER again. It's incredibly short-sighted of them to treat customers this way.

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  66. Same damn story! Purchased a Panasonic 50" Plasma HDTV in June 08 from Best Buy. Worked fine, great picture, then, yesterday, 2 blink power failure!! The set is 17 months old, five months out of warranty. Tech support gave me the same response mentioned here by several people – contact a certified tech, get an estimate, fax the estimate and receipt to Panasonic, and the “might” help with repairs.

    I have been a Panasonic product fan for 20 years and now this. Several of my friends have purchased Panasonic plasmas on my recommendation. I’m waiting for the pissed off phone calls to start. Count me in on a class-action suit!!

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  67. Update to 11/8 post. On my 3rd call to Panasonic trying to get someone to come out and fix my warranty, I spoke with a 'manager' who said they would come out and take care of the repairs (parts & labor) free of charge. He mentioned that there is an unwritten 60 day grace period after a warranty ends in order for Panasonic to extend service. Not quite sure why the other 2 people I spoke with didn't tell me about this. To me it sounds like an admission of guilt and certain coverup of a known problem. Sorry this won't help many of those with warranties past 14 months, but it may lead to some further action down the line. Glad to hear that they are going to fix my TV (tech is coming out next week), but it still leaves me with a bad feeling towards Panasonic.

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  68. Purchased the TH-42PZ85U on 1/10/09. Today, 11/14/09 I noticed the power light blinking 7 times,stop and repeat. No picture on the screen. I tried this: held in the power button (approx ten seconds or so) I could hear the clicking and cycling noise inside, released the power button. Hit the power button again & the TV came on working just fine. Guess it's just a matter of time now.

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  69. i have panasonic th-50 pz77u one day i tried to turn it on and shut off n the red light started flashing 12 times. i only had the tv for about 16 months i bought it from best buy which is now close. i called panasonic and they told me to take it to there service center. i havent done it yet due to the fact that im unable to physical remove the tv from the wall and i dont have a car large enough to transport it

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  70. 42PX77U, purchased November 2007, died with red light blinking 10 times today.

    Will never buy anything by Panasonic again.

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  71. I purchased a tz50ph80u and the led is blinking 2 times 10 months after purchasing the tv. It randomly turns off and will not turn on for an extended period of time. When you submit an online claim, the website at panasonic claims that it cannot be processed. I will try the customer service phone number again as I still have 2 months of warranty.

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  72. Bought a 50" in March '08...started getting the red lights of death a few days ago.

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  73. I'm in also th46pz80u...started to random no power with 2 blinking lights, then while I had panasonic on the phone(after 15 minutes on hold) and he said that 2 blinking lights would have to be looked at by a technician my TV turned back on, so I hung up...Big mistake, 2 minutes later tv is off with 10 blinks of the red ("dead") light. purchased in 2/09 now 11/09.
    going to consumer affairs next
    MJ

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  74. I've a Pano th58pz700b.
    Its been repaired twice in the first year and now a 3rd time is coming up.
    First was a green strip up the middle of the screen, second was a sound problem and now I get 12 red blinks after the tv shuts off for no reason.
    Never want to purchase a Pano again.

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  75. I purchased my panasonic TH-42pz85u 16 months ago I turned it on a few days ago and the red light located next to the power on/off button began blinking 10 times. I spoke with Panasonic techincal support regarding this and they were absolutely no help. They referred me to a local tv repair shop.

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  76. Purchased a TX-P42X10Y September 2009. Tonight the it suddenly went into protection mode. Got the 5 red blinks. Contacting the store tomorrow...

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  77. TH-50PZ85U purchased 4/2008...getting 2 blinks and it's at the shop now. Going to be $480 + tax to fix. My TV repair shop advised me to ask Panasonic to pay for parts since the problem is widespread so I called Panasonic and asked what the process was for this. They told me to fax the proof of purchase and the diagnosis and they would evaluate it. I'll post again when I have resolution.

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  78. Th-42pz80u purchased May, 2008 and got the 10 lights of death November, 2009. Panasonic said I had to get it fixed myself. I took it to the shop and paid $40 to have someone look at it. They said it was the Digital Board and would cost nearly $600 to fix. It does turn on once in a great while and stays on until you turn it off. Once it turns off, good luck getting it back on again. F... Panasonic. My fault for not purchasing an extended warrenty but I actually thought Panasonic was a reputable company. NOT SO MUCH!

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  79. Ya me too TH42PZ77U Plasma. 10 red blinks. Panasonic could care less. I'm so disappointed, my last TV, a Toshiba is still going, 14 years old. Panasonic is a new wall ornament.

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  80. Bought a 50 inch Panasonic TC-P50S1 eight days ago from Best Buy... Today I have no picture and the - apparently - dreaded 10 blinks of death.......It's going back to the store tomorrow morning.

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  81. Have a TH-50pz80U Panasonic bought April 2008, started blinking 10 blinks three weeks ago, directed by Panasonic to unplug the unit, and disconnect the HM cables, and pluge into a different outlet. This worked "every day" for a week, then started blinking twice, now won't come on at all. I have the extended coverage plan, but they won't be able to fix it until the end of December. Panasonic says it's the S board, but the repair company says it's the P board....... This is not acceptable, a TV should last more than 18 months at the price of 3500.00

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  82. I PURCHASED A PANASONIC TH46PZ80U PLASMA TV IN 8/08 AND 2 DAY'S AGO MY SET WOULDN'T COME ON AND THE POWER BUTTON IS BLINKING 10 TIMES.I USED TO LIKE PANASONIC,BUT I DON'T THINK I WOULD BUY ANOTHER.

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  83. Bought mine 16 August 2008. Model TH-50PZ800A. Worked fine last night. 1 December 2009 () Tonight 7 blinking lights of death!!!!! Freaking Panasonic. I was really impressed with it until it had a 16 month life!! What a waste of MONEY.

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  84. TH-42PZ77U assembled Oct-07 and purchased Jan-08. 6 blinking lights (have not seen any posts for 6). No help from Panasonic. VERY FRUSTRATING!

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  85. I purchased a TH-42PZ700u in January of 2008 (assembled in November 2007) and it died in late July 2009 making it 18 months of use when it quit. The red LED was blinking 7 times. I called Panasonic and was told to fax in my receipt and serial number to the "management team" who would supposedly decide whether or not to cover the repair. After faxing the stuff in early August, I called back to follow up with them a few times and have heard nothing since. The estimated cost for the repair is $500-$700 so I think I will just buy a new set... but it won't be a Panasonic. I work for a Television retailer and no longer recommend Panasonic to my customers.

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  86. My light only blinks twice,
    my set is 1 year and 10 days old

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  87. My Panasonic 42" Plasma (bought new in October/2007 but has only received minimal use since November/2007) just encountered the "7 blinking light pattern of death" this evening while I was watching it. This TV was hardly ever watched.

    I suppose it's a good thing that I Googled the problem and that's how I ended up here. I can't even imagine how much it will cost to fix this thing -- without a doubt, Panasonic should be acknowledging defective parts and paying to fix these TVs...

    Count me in....

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  88. In the middle of watching TV tonight our Panasonic TH-42PZ77U came down with the swine flu...better known as the '7 blinking lights of death'. We received this on 12/13/07, so are literally one week shy of the 2 year mark. We will be calling Panasonic tomorrow demanding they get this fixed. What a pain in the ass.

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  89. Mine too. Two year old 42 inch just died showing the dreaded 7 blinking lights of death. Guess I'll try to see if I can get some love from Panny. If not, Panasonic is history in this household.

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  90. Bought TH-42PZ77U in Oct 2007 and a few days ago it would not turn on and I, too, got the dreaded 7 blinking lights. I called Panasonic and the rep courteously said it's out of warranty and gave me the name of 2 authorized repair shops in my area. One will not service plasma tv's any longer an the other said they will charge $70 just to look at the tv and that the minimum "average" repair is about $350. I went to the Panasonic Concierge site and sent an e-mail letting them know I expected a longer life span than 25 months on a $1600 tv and that there's a ton of info regarding power board failures, etc. They e-mailed me a case number and asked that I call back. This time the rep talked to a mgr and they agreed to "review" my case once I fax them my receipt and the test results/estimate from the repair facility. Now I just have to get the tv to the Panasonic "authorized" repair shop - they don't make house calls and you have to take it to an authorized shop if you want to work things out with Panasonic.

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  91. Bought our Viera TH-42PZ85B 42' 1080p 14 months ago, 20 minutes ago, i was lecturing my mother about leaving the SKY HD STB on 'rewinded playback mode' overnight & put the TV on standby.
    Tried to take it out of standby, and get:

    2 blinks = dead 15v SOS D Board

    And to think Panasonic Plasmas are known as the pinnacle of the HDTV world. Try & get a warranty tech out before Xmas?
    Fail, EPIC fail.

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  92. Purchased TH-58PZ800U in October 2008. 12/9/2009: The dreaded seven blinking lights. Panasonic service made it sound like I need to get it fixed first and THEN beg for them to kick in money. Lovely. It's really quite astonishing to hear how many people have experienced this EXACT same problem right after the warranty expired. I am 100% willing to join any class-action lawsuit. Has one started yet? It seems like most models are failing in the 12-18 month range.

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  93. i purhased my th-42pz77u nov 2007 and dec 2009 got the 7 blinking lights. i saw somewhere that someone had posted a website consumeraffairs.com to file a complaint. we must do this. a recall is needed on the faulty parts or the whole tv. a gift certificate to best buy would be nice so i can buy a samsung.

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  94. Follow-up to my 12/10 post: The servicer has provided an estimate of $500 (parts and labor) replace a faulty SC board. Panasonic is supposed to get back to me "on Tuesday or Wednesday" to let me know if they are going to do anything for me as my warranty expired 2 months ago. I will updated as I know more.

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  95. I have a 50" Panasonic Veira I purchased back in February. Today, December 11, 2009, my wife turned the TV and nothing happened. The redlight blinks twice, but that is all. Will call panasonic immediately, thank you for this blog and to everyone for attempting to bring this to panasonics attention.

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  96. 42-inch TH-42PZ85U, purchased 13 months ago. Two days ago we started getting 8 blinks, which now happens after a few minutes of use. I can get it to come back on by holding down the power button several times, but it never stays on for more than a few seconds if it's just been blinking. Spoke to a Panasonic customer service rep yesterday, who suggested I try the ridiculous options of plugging it directly into the wall and disconnecting the HDMI connections. Of course, neither did any good.

    I'm encouraged by the couple of posters who reported that Panasonic eventually let "slightly expired" warranties slide. I'm going to call back and try to get in on that!

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  97. I'm from Brazil, so I don't know if I can get someone to come here and fix it, never mention for free. ;-) But, yeah, this is just shameful. Its a great set, near 2 years old, and now the 12 blink of death. The repair people are very far away from where I live, and its only ONE place that does it. And they already said it would cost around 200U$ just for them to fix it up, not counting the parts. :-(((((

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  98. TH42PZ80U has the 10 blinks. Purchased in May 2009 from Best Buy, 7 months later and no joy. I've tried everything. Plugging into the wall directly, on a battery backup. Disconnected HDMIs completely- nothing. Sent an e-mail to Panasonic. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

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  99. Add another .. TH-P50G15A delivered today in Perth Australia. Out of box...strange sound comng from back of unit...sounded like fan...then 11 blinks of death. Phoned Harvey Norman and they swapping it over tomorrow...not impressed at all...should have saved my money and bought a set top box and kept watching my 10 plus year old tv

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  100. Yes, like many I got the 10 blinks of death on my TH-58PX60U a few days ago. My repair guy tried two parts he already had in his van, I think knowing this is a common problem for Panasonic. Unfortunately it did not work, he said it is the main power supply which he has to order. Let see what all this going to cost. It's $100 just for the service call which still did not make the TV work. What a shame.....

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  101. I bought an additional 4 yars warranty from Harvey Norman...fingers crossed it will cover problems that I feel will definately arrive with the one they are swapping over today. Such a bummer, felt I had done a lot of research and now got a lemon. All I said to the guy at HN when I rang up is 'its making a noise from the top right back' right after I had turned it on for the first time-no questions asked he organised a new one to be delivered=get the feeling its a known common problem. Great 2 days before Xmas with 5 days off I get to spend 2 of them waiting for delivery of $2200 tv

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  102. btw...8 hours later 11 blinks of death after it turned off and won't turn on for more than a few seconds now. Looking at it sitting there blinking at me still...

    ReplyDelete
  103. My two year old Panasonic suffered the blinking light death on Dec. 22, I called the concierge service got immediate help, they
    sheduled for service to come Dec. 28 but Lin's
    service called the morning of Dec. 23 and picked up the set fixed it and returned it today Christmas Eve. I had purchase a four year Best Buy plan but Panasonic took care of the problem. Since I also own a newer model and have had two sons buy them and have a new G15 coming for a third son, I hope this is a sign that Panasonic is better prepared to deal with a fragile power circuit. The picture quality of a Panasonic plasma is so good that I would hate for this version of TV to become extinct.
    The new LED's seem harsh to my eyes.

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  104. Mine is the TH50PZ700U. Picture went out during watching a movie on the DVR. Got sound but no picture. It went dead around Thanksgiving, right at 2years old almost to the day. Spent initial $2350 and another $513 to get it fixed as I can not justify throwing away this tv(....or $2350). Thank you to the originator of this blog as I am going to reference this blog (if necessary)in an effort to get a refund for the repairs. As someone else mentioned, I too have another Panasonic plasma (TH-42px80U) and wondering if or when it will go out.
    Back to the originator of this blog, could you create a seperate page for those that have actually had success getting money from Panasonic for repairs? Im curious and willing to forgive and forget if Panasonic actually stands behind their product. I mean, when these sets first came out, we all paid a premium, right? Now you can get a 50" plasma for around $1000-$1300. I cant help to believe there should be enough profit to cover some of our repairs. Good luck to all.....

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  105. i have a panny and today i have 8 red lights...only 7months old and out of warranty..pretty pissed off at the moment

    Andy

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  106. Purchased our TH42PZ85U on 1/9/09. Christmas day 2009 I recieved the 11 blinks of death. Called Panasonic the next day, A repair man is scheduled for 12/30/09. he said it could be 3 things and is coming with all three parts. I hope it goes well, reading all these comments is not giving me a warm fuzzy. My wife just got me a Panasonic Blue ray for Xmas. did not even hook it up yet. Maybe I should have bought the Samsung. We'll see.

    Mike

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  107. Bought a TH-42PZ700U in Sep 2007. Just started getting blinking lights, I think there are 7 or 8 (still need to count them). The problem is intermittent, and it hasn't done it for a couple of days. No matter what, I can get it to turn on if I press and hold the power button twice (OFF, then ON).

    I am going to call Panasonic and see what they say since it is about 2 years old. I really don't want to buy a new set, as I like the picture on this one very well.

    I am also going to submit a Consumer Reports and Consumer Complaints if Panasonic gives me a hassle. It is clear that there is a defect that they need to recognize and address/

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  108. Good News! Update to my Dec 7th post regarding TH-42PZ77U purchased in Oct 2007. The problem is a bad "SC" board that costs $341.75 to replace. I talked to the Viera Concierge dept and the rep said they recently extended the warranty on just the "SC" board due to the upward trend in failure rates on that particular board. They faxed an authorization to the repair facility and are going to cover the expense even though the TV is out of warranty. The rep said the extended warranty is only for the SC board - so if the problem is with another board they will not cover.

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  109. Purchased TH-50PZ85U in March 2008. Has the 2 blinking light virus. Was able to unplug and reset for about 2 weeks. Now... DEAD. Oh yeah the blinking light still works. My other problem is I also have the TH-42PZ85U. Will it too be on the "BLINK". This is a BIG problem. KEEP PUTTING PRESURE ON PANASONIC. My War starts today!!!!!!

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  110. Bought my TH-42PX77U in Oct. 2007. Came back from a trip and the set is dead (no trouble lights..etc). Unplug the set and plug it back in...nothing, don't even hear the relays click when you first plug it in. After about 4 hours it will blink once when the power is button is pushed. After about 8 to 24 hours the set to begins to operate normally.

    I purchased the set at Circuit City and have the extended warranty. Repair is suppose to be out today....but they may not be able to troubleshoot as the set is now working again.

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  111. Purchased TH-42PC77U in August 2007. Watching a show last night, the TV just died. Got the 7 blinking lights. Disconnected everything, tried a different outlet, couldn't get the set to turn back on at all. Just more red light blinking.


    Called Panasonic today. I got a case number and was told to have it evaluated by their authorized repair shop, at my expense, and fax the estimate and original receipt. They gave me no guarantee that they would pay for the repair. Not sure if I should sink more into this as there is no guarantee of coverage. I don't think I'll be purchasing another Panasonic in the future.

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  112. I have a TH-42PZ700U. Seven blinking lights this morning. Didn't realize this was the "death" of my tv, until reading these posts. By the time I realized what was going on, Panasonic must have closed early for the New Year holiday. Now I have to wait until Monday to even try to reach anyone, as if it will do any good from what I've read. Maybe a class action suit will wake them up!

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  113. I have 12 blinking lights on a TH-42PZ700U after 27 months. Looks to be related to sound board. I can usually turn it on after a second or third try, and the problem is intermittent.

    I read that some people have luck using a different HDMI port. So I am doing that and turning off all sound stuff in the menus since I don't use for audio. I also applied the latest firmware. All this in hopes that it won't fail any more.

    If this doesn't work, looks like I am getting a Samsung LCD, though google "samsung LCD power problem", and you can see Panasonic is not alone.

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  114. Have a TH-50PZ80U 14 months old. During Thanksgiving my brother hooked computer board to hdmi 2 behind tv. It shut down. Unplugged it and plugged it back in and it worked fine for two weeks then would shut down with 10 blinking lights. Unplugging it worked temporarily until no picture at all just the 10 blinking lights. Estimating $400-$500 for service and parts after doing extensive research. I got burned on this one. I didn't do my homework before buying this tv. I usually research and check reviews before making big purchases. I will never buy plasma or panasonic again.

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  115. I bought a TC-P50X1 three weeks ago. It wouldn't turn on just last week. I got 2 red blinking lights. I searched the internet and now realized that this has been a known problem with Panasonic plasma TVs. I'm surprised that Panasonic has not improved or fixed these problems with their plasma TVs. I bought a no-name LCD TV 3 years agon from Home Depot. Yes, Home Depot! That LCD TV has not let me down in 3 years. It's a sad commentary when a well known Panasonic TV fails within 3 weeks of purchase. Needless to say, I returned the TV back to the store and will not be purchasing a Panasonic TV again.

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  116. I bought the TH50X75U 18 months ago. I got the 7 blinks; called Panasonic customer support. I was told that the repair shop contact me within 24 hours. The repair man show up the next day; unscrewed the panel at the back; disconnected and connected the cable. I saw a sparks while he plug the cable into the circuit board. He then told me that he needed to replace 3 boards, SU, SD, and SS. He returned 3 days later; installed all 3 boards, and told me that Panasonic only paid the the SS board and I had to pay $250 for the SU and SD. It sounds like a good deal, so I paid for it. The nightmare had just started. I got a black horizontal stripe arcoss the bottom of the screen. He told me that the new SD card is bad and he would requested a replacement for free. I waited for a week. He returned to install a new SD card. The same black stripe showed up again. He then told me that my panel was bad and it was not worth it to replace the panel because it would cost more that a new TV. After a month without a TV, paid $250 for an unrepairable service, I would not buy a Panny again.

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  117. 58'' Plasma Viero 10 Red blinking lights. Have been on the phone with them 3 days in a row and of course warranty is out and nearest ""authorized"" repair shop is 70 miles away. I told the guy in support that I wanted to speak to his boss and he is ""supposed"" to call me within 48 hours....we will see. The parts needed are a SD Circuit board and a Power board supposedly. I had it diagnosed at our local tv repair shop but Panasonic will not sell them the parts because they are not authorized, but I can buy the parts at full retail- take them to the repair shop and pay him 225 to put them in. About 600 total. TV= 2 years old. $600 maint. No support from Panasonic. ==Last Panasonic product ever and will discourage any friends from buying Panasonic.

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  118. Purchased a TH-42PZ85U on 5/14/08. Shortly after Christmas 2009 I received the 10 blinks of death. Gonna call the Panasonic certified repair shop near me to see if they can fix the issue and hopefully its the "SC" board that was given the extended warranty (detailed in the post on Dec. 29 above). Will update this post later with my results.

    Phil

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  119. Mine is TH42PZ77 purchased in Canada in Nov 07. Died during Christmas holidays with 7 lights. Asked Panasonic about extended warranty on SC board and they told me not applicable in Canada (sounds like good news for our American friends, though, and looks very bad for Panasonic Canada). Faxed them copy of repair bill and original invoice and promised to get back to me with decision. Lets see if they do the right thing...

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  120. Follow up from post on 1/4/10 at 7:25pm. Brought tv to repair shop and the P (power supply ac) board was bad. Part number ETX2MM704MGA cost from panasonic parts 202.84 along with labor total came to 414.68 as I assumed between $400 and $500. Technician was very helpful and surprised I researched the problem with my tv and knew as much as I did. He suggested buying a good surge protector and not using a power supply with more than two receptacles. The one that I was using had four and no surge protector.

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  121. Sorry follow up from 1/4/10 at 5:50pm not 7:25pm.

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  122. 15 month old TH-42PX80U died tonight. 4 flashes = Power SOS P Board failure. More like POS failed.

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  123. Update on my 12/17 post:

    Panasonic had me fax them my receipt with purchase date, and get a "service estimate" from their authorized repair shop. I called the shop and told them I had 8 blinks. The service guy came to my home and counted for himself, then wrote in on a clipboard. End of service call. Estimated cost of repair: $500.

    Anyway, Panasonic agreed to pay most of the cost of the repair, I ended up paying about $150. The repair shop had to order the board, and the guy cam out and replaced it in my home yesterday. Working like a charm now (but if they haven't improved the board design in the meantime, is it going to break again in a year??).

    The whole thing took longer than I would have liked, but I'm reasonably happy. If you're getting blinks, get on the horn to Panasonic, they may work with you on it.

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  124. oh, second update on my 12/17 post: I watched the repairman change out the defective board. I could easily have done it myself. A few screws, about six cable connections. Everything totally obvious where it goes. They were charging $300 for labor, which Panasonic covered, but that is an outrageous price for the actual labor involved.

    So, if you're comfortable with swapping say a video card in a computer, this would be no problem. If you can't get Panasonic to cover the repair, you might consider ordering the part and installing it yourself (does Panasonic deliver parts to mere mortals, or do you have to be an authorized shop?).

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  125. We purchased Panasonic 50" (TH-50PX60U) March 07. It performed great up until a few months ago. Then one day we turned it on and were unable to change the channel or change the volume. We could get it to run DVDs for a while and were successful at turning off at the power source and resetting the TV for a while. But after a few weeks, we were unable to turn it on at all. After reading many entries about blinking lights of death, I checked ours. We have 20 blinking lights (??). We brought a tech took a look at the TV and he said he'd never seen anything like it. His only advice was to call Panasonic. This blog doesn't give me much confidence.

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  126. "CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT"
    I own a 50 inch Panasonic that I bought in 2007. This TV is a victim of a failed DG board and 11 red blinking lights. Panasonic has had widespread issues before, specifically with their light bulbs in the early 2000's. Below is a link to this class action settlement by Panasonic; it can be done!

    http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/09/panasonic_settlement.html

    Short story is I think we have enough parties to file, but I do not know for sure. Is anyone familiar with the number of people and $ amounts required to file a class action? I live in the southeast and have friends that are attorneys. I am considering contacting them to pursue this matter further.

    However, I would like to compile information prior to contacting them. I have set up an email "panasonicclassaction at gmail (dot) com. Not sure exactly what information I need so I will start broad.

    Please email me your name and email address, model number, date of purchase, date failed, the issue if diagnosed and number of red blinking lights, the repair bill if estimated (if you don’t have these prior two do some internet searching and I bet you can get a good estimate) and any other pertinent information you think I may need. Also, make the subject line “Panasonic TV failure” to make it easier to sort through.

    I am going to compile all this information in an excel spreadsheet and I will provide it when I contact an attorney. I have seen lots of complaints about this problem across the internet, but I am not sure how many posts are overlapping. This will be a good way to determine an exact number of failures and the associated costs. I will start an email list and keep everyone updated with any new information. Please post this information as many places as you can (you can copy and paste this verbatim if you like). We need to disseminate this information so that we can get an accurate estimation of people affected by this problem. Thanks for your help and let’s not rest on this issue!

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  127. I am in Australia. My Panasonic TH-42PZ700A Plasma TV gave up the ghost on new years eve 2010 during the fireworks display, with a 10-blink error code. Just out of warranty. I called Panasonic who sent somebody out from AWA servicing to repair the set. I told them repeatedly to be sure to bring out the power supply P-Board, as this was the most likely cause, but when he arrived he only had a DG board with him. After insisting on swapping this out for no result, he then insisted he had no option but to take it back to base for repair, as he had neither a multimeter nor maintenance manual with him.

    I rang up early the next day and it had been already repaired - faulty P-board. Total cost of repair $AU652-50, including a charge of $387-50 for the Power supply board. The office insisted unconvincingly that the workshop had spent hours working on it despite the fact It was already fixed and i was ringing up early the next day and considering the P-board failure check only requires checking for (lack of) 14 Volts at pin 1 to diagnose failure.

    I also pointed out the the part was available for $96 on Ebay, but the AWA office insisted (lamely) that this was their order-in price from Panasonic and they were just passing it on to me at cost. I didn't have any choice but to pay up if I wanted the TV back.

    I would suggest you shop around for a reasonable price on repair as AWA are very pricey - $160 per hour for labour. Also install a high quality surge protection board, as the Panasonic plasma TV appears to be very sensitive to short spikes - I did have a cheap surge protector installed which would have failed on a decent power surge but it came through completely unscathed while the TV totally failed.

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  128. I am a french Canadian from Quebec, so sorry for my english. Baught a 42 Plasma Pana in december 2007. 7 blinks of death on jan 5 2010. Happy new year with your broken Pana! Call Pana, said it is a 600,00$ part, i will pay the labor they will pay the part. We have a good law in Quebec that says a product should last a "raisonnable" time in normal use. Repair man came, 111,00$, says it's the plasma itself, no repair could be made. Pana will call me he said. I call back concierge today, they are looking for a 2009 model to replace mine (could not tell how much it's gonna cost me). If they can,t find one, I will have to wait til april 2010 for a 2010 model. Can you believe that? A P R I L. They are laughing at me. Last Pana product I will ever buy, I used to think they were reliable products. But nowadays...

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  129. Hi my tx-p50g10b did not start up tonight, it tries to start as normal, i get the normal green LED then the dredded "click" and i get 2 red flashes from the front LED. Unit is only 4 months old, hope this is covered! ‏

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  130. Model: TH50PZ85U
    Purchase Date: April 2008
    Blinks: 10
    Location: Canada

    Calling Viera Concierge to see what they will do for me. Not too happy!

    NOTE: Check with your credit card company. Many cards extend your warranty by one year if you used it to purchase item...

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  131. EDIT: Called Panasonic. Not too hopeful they will cover it. They were polite, but made no promises. I have a feeling if I didn't have the extra credit card insurance venue, I could probably get htem to pay for a portion.

    I then called Visa, and they said that if the original warranty period would cover the problem, they will as well...

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  132. 1/18/10 Bob/Michigan
    Bought a TH-50PZ80U in May 08 from Sears for $1907. In December 2009 just over 18 months I received the 10 blinking lights. called Panasonic, had to fax receipt & estimate. They ended up paying a portion. How can Panasonic continue to sell TV's that they know won't last? Very poor business. Never Again! $2000 dollars & it won't last 2 years! Extended warranty is the only way to go. SAD

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  133. Ok i sat and read most of these blogs....first thing i will say is if you have any tv outside of a th42pz77u,or th42pz700u then you are SOL. Panasonic is only coving those tvs for a 7 blink problem.I know more bout this cause i work for them. im not an ex worker and 9 out of 10 times i probally spoke with a few of you. I will be first to say Panasonic tvs suck but not all models and this isnt a problem just with Panasonic!All plasma tvs have problems. But panasonic does have a few models that have probelms. Now i will say this STOP CALL PANASONIC ACTING A FOOL. If you call acting like you got some common sence then the rep you talk to you may help you ....but when you start yelling,cussing saying this and that we going tell you "heres your local service center" I have done that a million of times....or will have a sup call you and trust me they arent going do nothing. i think anything you pay that much for you should get an ext warrt. anyways. But most people dont and get mad. Plasmas arent like the older tvs they dont last 20 years...avg life span is 7 years. If you have a 10,8,5,4,2 blink problem and your over a year YOU ARE OUT OF WARRT. and Panasonic more than likely will not help you. Hell they treat their own workers like crap how do you think their going treat their customers??? Call today...they going claim to have a 10-20 min wait but in real life they are hoping you will get tired of holding and hang up....and panasonic dont have a real tech support dept. they have customer service reps and tell you they are tech reps. I wouldnt buy Panasonic and i work for them....the tvs are crap to be honest...and most will...not might but will break within 3 years tops. Good luck cause if you reading this panasonic probally already got you for your money

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  134. I purchased the TH-42PC77U exactly 2 years ago and it just went out. 7 blinking lights. I am very upset with Panasonic. Please include me in the lawsuit.

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  135. I purchased a Panasonic TH-42PC77U from Costco. They extended my warranty by one year. I also experienced the 7 blinking light syndrome exacty 1 month after the warranty and extended warranty period ran out. Will never purchace any electronics from Panasonic again.

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  136. I got a TH42PZ77 bought in march 2008. Got the "red light blinks seven times" syndrome. I took the invoice, the serial number and exact model was on it, since I got that, called Panasonic customer service. They will replace the defective part even if out of warranty period. I will have to pay the service guy... about an hour to replace. I still think my Panasonic TV is excellent... That kind of things is going to happen more often in the next years...

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  137. THPZ5085U bought in Dec 2008. Ten blinks on the set. Will contact Panasonic to see what is up. Only one month out of warranty. They better fix it given the amount of complaints. Was a great TV up until now...If this costs me a bunch, I might as well buy a new TV, and definitely not a Panasonic!

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  138. Update on my Januaty 7 post:

    TH42PZ77 purchased in Canada in Nov 07, 7 blinking lights. Faxed infor first time followed up with second fax pointing out US extended warranty policy on this model with 7 blinking lights. First official response was 50% of parts. Second official response (after a phone call) was 100% of parts. Repair cost me just over $200 for labour, which I am happy with. Repair guy was great but never heard of an extended warrantly for the SC board in the US. I never once raised my voice or behaved sarcastically or impolitely. I just pointed out that the cost of the repair was approaching replacement cost for the set after only 2 years and the US warranty policy. Restored my faith in Panasonic and will continue buying from them as a result.

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  139. My TH-50PC77U plasma just shut off today and is blinking the 10 light sequence. Called Costco tech support where I bought it, and they didn't know anything about the 10-blinking light scenario. This TV is exactly 25 months old - one month older than the extended warranty Costco gives (1 year over manufacturer's warranty). After reading all of these comments (and other Google'd websites), I too fear it's going to be a big hassle, expensive repair, and makes me question whether to even try to repair it. Repair results seem mixed. The only thing that makes me feel better about this whole situation is that I'm now reading how so many other consumers have the same problem. I should have bought a Sony. They last forever.

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  140. Montreal. Another 42pz77u bites the dust after 2 years and few days - 7 blinks.

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  141. Panasonic TH-42PZ70EA failed after 2 years and 15 days (2 hdmi ports are out of order). Warranty was 2 years. No answers of Panasonic to my questions.
    NEVER PANASONIC AGAIN...

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  142. I purchased my PANNY TH-42PHD8UK in March of 2006 and has now given me this power problem of blinking "6" times.. I called panny and they referred me to a local service center because I do not have any waranty : (

    Any luck in getting the parts myself to install?

    6 blinks Driver SOS 1 SU / SD / SC Boards
    (SC energy recovery circuit)


    please let me know what you think or know who can help!

    matt - mattss@hotmail.com

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  143. CLASS ACTION - Bring it on !!

    Has anyone actually looked closely at the marketing techniques Panasonic adopts? I purchased a 42" TH-42PA60A Plasma that was manufactured in January 2007, on the understanding (from their marketing) that I could expect many many years of trouble free quality TV viewing. Oh, how sadly misled I was - BIG TIME!!

    On Panasonic's Aussie web-site, they state the following... '

    ------------------------------------
    Link: http://www.panasonic.com.au/products/details.cfm?objectID=3129

    Panasonic VIERA Plasma & LCD TV panels boast a long service life of approximately 60,000 hours*

    Long Service Life: By making the panel glass thinner, we are able to increase the light transmission to create a brighter picture with less power. We're also proud to have achieved a VIERA lifetime of about 60,000 hours.

    * The time until the panel brightness is reduced to half its inital level. However, this time varies depending on the content of the images displayed and the usage environment. (The service life given above is intended as a guideline when displaying standard moving images.)
    ------------------------------------

    Wow, 60,000 hours huh? - Most Impressive !! In fact, this has sold me on purchasing one :)

    I figured, with this sort of claim even if one was to turn the TV on and not turn it off for one year, the maximum hours it could clock up in one year is 365 day x 24 hours = 8,760 total hours per year. Therefore, if left on permanently for a 3 year period, this calculates out to 26,280 hours per 3 Years, which is still less than half the life that Panasonic boasts their Viera and LCD panels can achieve. Hmmmm.... so why boast such an impressive life span on the panel, yet only provide a mere 12 months warranty on the whole unit? Is this a classic case of "planned obsolescence" (aka "Engineered Fraud") as they know that other parts are doomed to fail and won't make the long journey, therfore forcing us to spend more dollars to continue upgrading to newer models?"

    ..So Panasonic, why make these BIG statements promoting the BIG hours if you can't back it up??? Hmmmm???

    In contrast this would be like Toyota claiming their car's engine is capable of travelling 300,000 km before noticing diminished performance, yet the rest of the car suddenly corrodes and fails in the first few years?? I mean WTF??? ...and what's the Govt doing to protect the concumer and the fragile economy??? How can so many people continue to get burnt by these large corporations for thousands of dollars every few years???? This is trully an economic tragedy !!

    I'm with all you folk.... BRING IT ON !!!

    Cheers
    Chris_Aus@hotmail.com

    PS. Out of intereest, I too have contacted the Aussie Panasonic Customer Service centre on a couple of ocassions for support where I engaged in some very enlightening conversations about their plasma products... (thankfully, I have both these conversations digitally recorded thanks to the wonders of VOIP phone technology). This could very well come in handy at some future stage.

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  144. Add another one to the list. I have a TH50PZ85U that blinks 2 times. It is 18 months old. Repairman is coming to look at it tomorrow. By reading the other reviews, I am not expecting a positive result. This really sucks -- 2 Days before the BIG Super Bowl Party!! I am sure my guests won't mind, I have a 17" replacement to fall back on!!!

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  145. Purchased TH-50PZ80U in May 2008 at Frys.

    Got 2 blinking light syndrome after about 18 months. At first, I could unplug/plug the TV and it would restart. The problem would sporadically return, but after a while, the TV finally could not turn on again.

    I called Panasonic Concierge & they basically told me I'm out of luck and there's nothing they could do for me.

    Luckily, my credit card extended the warranty and covered the repair which was $540 to replace the power supply board.


    Tony, San Jose, CA, USA

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  146. I purchased a Panny TC-P54S1 in December 2009 at Sears and after a mere 2-3 months of light use, tv won't start up and i've have experienced the same dreaded blinking red lights in the front LED. A lot of good information on this blog, hopefully Panasonic will issue a replacement for a display still in warranty...although this will be the last purchase i make with them!

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  147. I purchased a 42 inch Panasonic Plasma in December 2007. On Saturday February it died...7 blinking lights. I called Panasonic on Sunday, Superbowl Sunday) and they were very helpful. They said the earliest they have could someone out to my house would be Wednesday February 10th. They gave me the name of the local company who will be making the service call. This morning, at 8.00 a.m. I got a call from the local service company who said they would be out tomorrow to pick up the TV; apparently they need to take the TV back to their workshop for a couple of days to make the repair. Until Saturday I had no problems with the TV and the picture is magnificent. Granted it's a pain in the butt to be without the TV for a few days but we can manage! So far I have been impressed with the response I have received. One last thing. Panasonic said the repair would be free if I can find the original receipt..now the pressure's on me to find it!

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  148. I purchased a TH-42PX80U plasma TV and it died on me a week after the warrantly expired. Just one blink of the power LED. Not feeling very good about Panasonic right now.

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  149. Purchased my THC46FD18 at Best Buy in Canada in Apr. 09. I get 2 blinking lights, I am within the warranty so Panasonic says they will send someone to the house. After reading all these problems everyone is having...I am scared shitless...think I will buy an Extended Warranty plan before it runs out.

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  150. Hey moron, I mean, former Panasonic employee who posted:

    STOP CALL PANASONIC ACTING A FOOL. If you call acting like you got some common sence then the rep you talk to you may help you ....but when you start yelling,cussing saying this and that we going tell you "heres your local service center"

    The very first thing that was said to me after I described my 10 blinking LED problem was "Contact an authorized service center".

    Now, where in the warranty does it say that it is up to the customer to lay out $$ for a service tech before their warranty "may" kick in? Is this another ploy by Panasonic to squirm their way out of their responsibility like your other quote?:

    "...they going claim to have a 10-20 min wait but in real life they are hoping you will get tired of holding and hang up...."

    Yeah, nice post idiot!

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  151. All these Panasonics breaking with the same issue... here's another one.
    My Panasonic Viera 42" plasma just crapped on me tonight. 14 months after purchase.
    I get 10 blinking red lights, TV will not turn on.
    Before it broke completely it had a few instances where it would not turn on and I just reset the power strip thinking maybe it threw itself in safe mode for no good reason as my other components work flawlessly.
    TV would continue to work fine until tonight where it died completely...

    These issues appear to be more frequent then your average fail rate. I'm leaning more toward a full defect in the original design or manufacturing of the TV.
    We'll see what Panasonic says when I call them tomorrow.
    It better be f@#$ing good or they lost another customer. These are televisions sets, we shouldnt need to worry about them for at least 3 years. If components start crapping out before that... it speaks volumes on the overall quality of the product and manufacturer.

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  152. I bought Panasonic TV TH42PZ80U in April 2008. Started to get the 10 Blinking LEDs after about 12-13 months. Called PAN support told them they should have my reg card that was sent in - rep gave no response and insisted on receipt info. Told me I could get a service rep to look at it. I responded That I was NOT going to pay a repair man to look at TV when they already know what 10 blinking LEDs mean. Rep responded with, "That's your choice". NOWHERE IN THE WARRANTY LITERATURE DID I SEE THAT THE CUSTOMER IS RESPONSIBLE TO LAY OUT $$ FOR A REPAIR TECH BEFORE THE WARRANTY WOULD BE HONORED. Crock-of-Dung!!! I told him I would never buy another Panasonic product again! He answered again, "That's your choice" Like who cares? Right? Who gives a flying Whoot? Well I was pissed! Asked if they could "just" send me the part/board and he said, "We don't ship repair parts to customers only to an "Authorized repair center". I then asked for the parts department since I wasn't getting anywhere with this ding-dong. He transferred me and I was promptly disconnected! I called the main switchboard 3 times before I got the parts department. Rep acted stupid about the blinking LED problem asking me for a part reference # to pass on to research department. I then asked if I could order the service manual so I COULD get the REF #. Charge was $28.75 + shipping + Tax. Then was told it was backordered 2-3 weeks. WHAT A FREAKIN' JOKE!

    Well, I'm in to a class action suit! I will be setting up an email address for all to get together and will post. We need to contact Attorney General on this!

    Also, in the meantime, if anyone out there has had the repairs done and know the part numbers for repairs on specific models could you please post them.

    Thanks!

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  153. 50" viera. 14 months old. 10 flashing lights. Been turning off and in for about a week. Finally died completely. Will see what costcos warranty will do about this. Very irritated to see that this is a common occurrence.

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  154. I tried to turn on my two year old Panasonic 42" TH-42PZ85U this morning and all that happened was a blinking red light.I tried unplugging it for half an hour and replugging but no luck...so I went out and bought a Samsung...

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  155. Well I have 14 blinks :-( and there does not seem to be a code = scenario for that in any of the guides I've seen.

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  156. 50" plasma TH-50pz80u, bought November 2008, died Dec 2009, one month after warranty expired. I got the 10 blinks of death and won't turn on. panasonic has refused to work with me stating..it's out of warranty..so sad. Since Dec I have been trying to deal with Panasonic while also trying to find a decently priced repair shop that might get it working again. If there is a class action brewing, count me in...very disappointed with panasonic's handling of this issue.

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  157. Purchased my TH-50PZ85u Plasma around January 2009 as Circuit City was closing their final locations. Wouldn't you know it just out of the warranty period and I'm getting 7 blinks and no power, as everyone else has stated.

    I reached out to online support with Panasonic, they opened a trouble ticket, but that meant absolutely nothing since I'm out of warranty.

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  158. I bought my 42 inch Viera TH-42PZ77U Jan 1,2008.It worked flawlessly until Jan 23,2010
    it stopped working abruptly and hasn't worked
    since{10 blinks}.Getting nowhere with Panasonic Canada.COUNT ME IN ON ANY FURTHER ACTION!!!

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  159. After 15 months, my TH-50PX80U turned itself off while we were watching it. No blinking lights or anything. Unplugging and replugging does nothing. It just died and will not turn on. Bought Dec 2008, died Feb 2010.

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  160. Add me to the list. TH-42PX77U, purchased May 2007. One blink as of today. Sigh.

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  161. Th-58pz700u purchased Jan. 2008 now will not turn on and has 13 blinks.

    I was laid off in Oct. so I'm not even going to call for service. TV will just be a wall decoration till I'm working again.

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  162. hey everyone i have fallen victim of this as well, i purchased my 50pz80u on feb 14, 2009, and today feb 8th, 2010 i have the 10 blinking lights, after seeing all these posts i did two things, well three, called panasonic and got shut down, 2nd called my local news abc7 chicago that does investigations on these things, as well as started a group on facebook, so plz everyone come join it and lets get the word out even more. http://www.facebook.com/pages/panasonc-blinking-light-we-demand-a-recall/314621733346?v=wall

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  163. plz help spread the word of the facebook group as well if you go into other forums or groups about this issue

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/panasonc-blinking-light-we-demand-a-recall/314621733346?v=wall

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  164. I purchase a P58V10 January 23rd 2010. Today February 21 while watching the Olympics the TV shut down and only displays the seven blinking power light syndrome. I contacted Panasonic today and they said they would set up an in house service. We will see what happens. Very disappointing for a $2500.00 piece of equipment. Less than one month of service.

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  165. Purchased P58V10. Delivered today....plugged in...static for 4 seconds...shut off. 11 blinking lights. Never even got it to turn on! Cant call today because they are closed, but I want a full refund and them to pick it up immediately.

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  166. I guess we got lucky...our TC-50PS14 died after just 10 +/- hours of operation...10 blinks of the ol' red light. I will get my money back and buy Sony or Samsung!

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  167. 2 blinking lights, Pan customer service claimed they didn't know what the problem was, warranty was up 1/29/2010 today is 3/1/2010, they will not cover anything will not send a tech out. Will never intentionally to buy anything pan.

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  168. I have a 42" panasonic viera plasma. Have had it for about 16 months. Recently started to get this fucking red blinking light. Sometimes if i hold the power button on the tv it will turn back on. Other times, im forced to basically only turn the tv on and off once during the whole day. FUCK YOU PANASONIC, get your shit together and grown some fuckin balls. Own your fuck up and give the people what they paid for... A FUCKING WORKING TV!

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  169. TH-50PX80U was a GREAT tv till this morning...bought Dec. 08....7 blinking lights...always liked Panasonic till TODAY. On-line chat guy was useless... If there's a class-action that goes down count me in!! I'll join the FB page to help count people with the problem. I'll also file with BBB and consumeraffairs.com

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  170. TC-P50S1 Viera purchased January 2010 from Sears. Stepped out to get a DVD, wife calls "the TV just went black" -now 7 LED flashes.
    Called Panasonic Viera Concierge service, got a claim number.

    When describing the 7-blinking LED signal to the tech on the phone, his response was "Geez, another one? That shouldn't be happening so soon!"
    I asked "is that significant?" -he did not reply, then said "a local tech would call to schedule service" -Hrmmm....

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  171. Purchased my Panasonic TH-46PZ-80U in Aug 08 and put into service in Nov 08 along with a new home theater system. Worked flawlessly for over a year. Starting having issues late Jan, early Feb 10. 10 blinking lights. Unplug and let set for a few minutes and it will work again. Repeat this and each time it seems to take longer. Now overnight. Panasonic will not address since out of warranty. I will continue to press the issue with them. You can add me to the class action suit. Will be reporting this at ConsumerAffairs.com.

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  172. Same here. Last year, about a month after the warranty expired, I got the 7 blinks, off and on over a period of weeks. Called Panasonic and they had some mob come out, pick it up take it away for a week, only to return it and tell me there was nothing wrong with it. I said don't be stupid, I didn't imagine any of this! Then, 2 weeks later, it did it again and got worse, eventually not coming back on at all. They took it away again and 500 bucks later and a new part, it's been working for the last year; until last night. Off it went, this time with 10 blinks. Unplugged everything for half an hour and it worked for the rest of the evening. But I don't trust it to continue. I'll buy a Pioneer as soon as this thing goes. My mother's had a Pioneer plasma set for years and it goes like a rocket. I'm not a very well off person financially and I can't believe I've been taken for a ride by Panasonic. A complete waste of $2200 and it would seem that they're doing nothing about it. They can go rot and I will never ever again buy anything manafactured by them.

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  173. Shelby said.

    I have own my panasonic 42pz77u for approximately 2yrs.
    I personally did alot of research before making this purchase and was very confident about this tv. personal reviews and consumer reports top pick at the time. for as long as the set worked it was the best viewing set I have ever seen.
    None of that matters now as one day my teen age boys were playing their ps3 game the tv shut off and has not come back on. I noticed that I have 10 blinking lights and after looking up this problem Im finding so many people with the same problem.
    As the Toyota company has had to have a major recall on their vehicles, they did it to keep their good name. I think with this many people with the same problem that panasonic should be concerned about their name and do somthing about the now thousands of non-working tv's and the thousands of unsatisfied and ripped off and pissed off customers.

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  174. Our Panasonic TH-58PX60U lasted 38 months. That works out to over $1000.00 PER YEAR to own a Panasonic. Had to haul it into the repair shop, which is 45 minutes away, because it is impossible to find someone that Panasonic will sell their precious parts to. What a racket!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  175. Bought a Panasonic TX-P42X10Y about 6 months ago.
    Then suddenly yesterday the screen was just black, and when turned on it just blinks 7 times.
    I have tried holding in the power button but nothing works.
    I am going to call the dealer tomorrow.

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  176. bought my TH50PZ80U 50 inch plasma and less then a year after having it i got the blinking light of death.. blinks 8 times and i have called panasonic and messaged them and all they can say is ill give you a number to the nearest repair shop. they couldnt care less that they sold a product to thousands and thousands of people that dont work they did nothing to correct it and told me its not their problem.. i say we start a CLASS ACTION SUITE. their are more then enought people to get this going. panasonic needs to be held acountable. i have a tv that i owe over 2300 on and it doesnt even work

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  177. TH42PZ80U 18 months old, 10 blinking lights, dead. Bought an LG to replace it. Cost less than the repairs on the Panasonic. Local tech gave me the part numbers for repair. TNPH0721AJS POWER BOARD, TXNSS1AYUU MAIN BOARD.
    He said both should be replaced. Replacing them my self wouldnt be a problem but I'm afraid of getting junk boards like I have now. I found them through online search of part numbers for around $250 for the power board and $175 for the main. Had a similar experience with Panasonic DVD player, almost new, repairs cost more than the player. So long Panasonic I'm done with you.

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  178. I bought a TH50pz80u on June 28th 2008. Last month tv began to blink 10 times. I unplugged everything for a while and I could get it to come back on. Problem seems to be related to my PS3 plugged into HDMI2. Never had an issue with the TV until my PS3. Panasonic to me to but a GE HDMI Extender. This did not solve the problem. Now the TV just blinks 10 times as soon as i plug it in. I am waiting to hear back from Panasonic MGMT Team 8 to see if they will fix the problem. Needless to say I am pissed at the whole situation, since I still owe on a broken TV!

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  179. So what's the cure? none?

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  180. I'm sorry to find so many people to commiserate with. TH-50PZ800U bought in 12/08 started with 10 blinking lights 02/10, resolved with unplugging TV for longer and longer times. In March won't turn on again. Local repairman recommended scrapping TV as a replacement could be bought for the same cost as repairs. Unacceptable! 2 months out of warranty and I'm stuck with a $2k decoration? I don't think so. It will be difficult, being as we live in the middle of nowhere, but I expect Panasonic to own up to a faulty piece of crap board and replace it, warranty or not.

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  181. Strange that so many people are having issues with Panasonic support. I had the power LED blinking 7 times on my TH-42PZ700U plasma display. Called the Panasonic Viera Concierge hotline, they took some information from me and verified a few things and scheduled a service tech to come out. Service tech came the next day and replace a bad SC card. Works fine now. I saw some of these cards on ebay too.
    Maybe some of you should call them again and see if you get a different result..

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  182. Our problems started a week ago with the 10 blinking lights. Now our TV is officially toast. We called Panasonic, and they will send the part for free to their local service guys, who will come to fix it tomorrow. They figure it will cost upwards of $250 +tx. This happened only 14 months after buying the TV...2 months after the warranty expired. A class action lawsuit is definitely in order.

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  183. TH-42PZ77U, DOB-Decmber 2007. paid $1500. Two weeks new, 10 blinks. Nice Service, w/ new board. 10 blinks again, at 26 months of use. Sony or Samsung are looking like good future tvs.

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  184. Purchased a new TH-42PZ77U from Costco 9-15-2007. It is for my mother-in-law, who rarely watches TV. With very light and gentle usage, the TV just failed on 3-21-2010 (2.5 years later). Costco only extends warranty on extra year (2 years total).

    I have not started contacting either company yet to see what our options are.

    Panasonic, if you are reading this, you better make good.

    I have recommended TVs in the past, and if you make good, I will continue to recommend if not, not only will you lose my recommendation, but my business too. I will be in the market for two flatpanels later this year (finishing rooms in the house that will need TVs).

    If there is a class action, I will be pursuing that as well.

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  185. Same problem here. Bought a TH42PZ80U in December 2009. Just two days ago it wouldn't turn on and had one blinking light. Tried the unplugging and plugging back in, a different outlet, disconnecting HDMI, etc etc that customer service will tell you to try to no avail. Just 3 months out of warranty. I called Panansonic who gave me the same story everyone else is getting. They supplied the name of a couple of repair places to look at it, provide an estimate, send it to them and they will have management review since it is out of warranty. Problem is the closest repair shop is 65 miles away. I pointed this out and the customer service rep said he will send my report to the Regional Manager who will contact me within two to three days. Waiting on that call but not really expecting it. I won't leave Papasonic alone on this one though. Over $900 for a TV that will only last 15 months. They need to stand by their product. To be continued.

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  186. Previous post correction: purchase date was 2008 not 2009. Still waiting for a call from Panasonic but won't be for long. I will be contacting them again today.

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  187. UPDATE March 19th 2010 - I had the 10 blinks of Death - I asked Panasonic to Pay for the TV Diagnosis ($90) from an authorized Repair. They called me and left a voicemail 3 working days later.."Please have the TV diagnosed and send us a copy of your purchase receipt and the estimate and we will let you know if we will help you out. Thank you for choosing Panasonic."

    Its as if they didn't bother to read my detailed letter on what I wanted them to do.

    I took the matter into my own hands..Googled the Panasonic Repair Training manual from Scribed. Determined that it was the Main Powerboard..Then I scoured the internet and found the Powerboard for $19.99 + $12 shipping from a Wennow.com. I then pulled my tv off the wall and unscrewed the back cover and then I removed the old Power Board and put the new Powerboard in and Voila! It worked!

    It took me about 1 hour to change out the board. Its similar to a computer once you take the back of the TV off. Everything is on connectors. My wife even told the neighbors that I was a Genius.

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  188. Same problem here in Australia. Panasonic Plasma lasted less than two years and then cost $700+ to get fixed and has been back again. Will never touch this company again as they do not support their products once they have been sold.

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  189. Same problem. 7 blinks. They sent tech. He says it's defective boards. After 9 letters, emails and faxes, they tell me 'your warranty ran out' offering me discount on another purchase. I said 'this was publicized as 60k to 100k hours. I got 2k. You have defective product and you know it. Panasonic doesn't care. I said there are likely land fills full of their junk. They told me I should have purchased long term warranty. I said they shouldn't claim 'state of the art', proof is in the pudding', 'facts....60k life span', all in THEIR links, and news releases. I will NEVER purchase anything Panasonic. Sorely disappointed in this defective $1400 42" plasma that lasted only 24 months.

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  190. Hello everyone-
    I am surprised that after hearing all these complaints no one has led the cause for a class action suit!! I'm one of the victims too and would love to pair up with someone in doing the leg work. I say this because I spent LOTs and LOTs of money on a Panasonic 50" Plasma TV (model # TH-50PZ85U) in December '08. And I've been on Google for the past several hrs attempting to find out what went wrong with it so soon! The irony is Best Buy sold me on this TV on not just its quality but its longevity (what is it? like 60,000 hours of TV watching).
    A couple of weeks back we started experiencing the "blinking red lights of death". Ours was and is 2 at a time. We tried unplugging the TV and letting it rest for a while. Sometimes overheating may cause some electronics to revert back into a safe protective mode. We figured this would be a temporary problem, only to find out earlier this week, that it was not. Our TV shut down completely by itself and it's not coming back on again. Like many of you, I tried contacting Panasonic tech support and was denied any assistance since I did not purchase extended warranty...yeah right...extended warranty on an item that markets itself on longevity! Since then I've also had 2 people come by to take a look at the problem but I guess I went the cheap route because neither were educated enough to diagnose the problem. They were all concerned with taking the TV with them and honestly, I'm not sure I just want to hand off my TV to just some repair man found on Craigs List. I have finally found someone who's checking up on the problem for me (he sounds legit and not too greedy) but I already know what I'll be hearing --> problem with the power supply, replace the SOS Board which I'm hearing now that it costs big bucks! Anyhow it has been hard for me to digest that such a reputable brand can so conveniently produce such an anomaly in one of their (not so cheap) products, on purpose, and get away with it. I have had a JVC TV for over 15 years and never has it broken down. I would like to capitalize on the complains on this site and initiate some action against Panasonic because this is NOT fair! Some of us actually saved up lots and lots of money to afford such a luxury. It is only reasonable for us as consumers to demand comparable quality!
    I'm experiencing a similar issue with an HP laptop I purchased. Luckily there HP actually recalled the battery which they sold with my laptop after 3 years of me owning it.
    Another story, we have an amp from Harman Kardon which started giving us trouble after a year of purchase, and Harman Kardon, without any hesitation admitted to me over the phone that the model I had was equipped with an outdated part. But get this...HK didn't just replace the part, they sent me a BRAND NEW amp for FREE!!!
    So YES, good brands do! I'd like to use this site to wake up Panasonic. Can the author of this blog post or someone please contact me so we can get this started!
    Thanks!!!

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  191. Anyhow, in case someone needs help in diagnosing their problem, you may refer to this website I just discovered a couple of hours ago - its www.FixYa.com. They have online experts who give you free advice on your electronics-related problems. You also have the option to search for complaints filed on the product you own to find similar complaints like yours. I have yet to receive a response from them on my question but I thought this may help alleviate some of the issues I've been reading about. here
    Thanks!

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  192. I have a 46inch panasonic with 8 blinks of death. I am really upset about this I have only had the tv for three months and now it is broken. From all the other comments posted it is not looking very good. could anyone tell me what happened to quality products? well I guess me and the family will just stare at the blinking red light. Geez isn"t this fun. Panasonic enjoy the money you got from me, cause there won"t be anymore. I just can"t wait to tell everybody not to buy your junk.

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  193. Hello,

    I have a TH50PZ85U purchased from BestBuy on June of 08. Today the t.v. went black, unplugged it, gave it time... The audio still comes out from the hdmi speaker system that the cable runs through first, but no picture at all on the t.v. When the hdmi isn't working, I sill get a volume, etc. pop up for adjustment. Anyways I now get the 10 blinking red lights of death. Luckily or unluckily, I had a Sony 108i die on me before this t.v. and thus got the extended plan. Tech, coming out this week... I'm reassessing my willingness to drop big money on t.v's now. These companies don't make em like they used to.

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  194. I was rsearching 48 inch class HDTV's for purchase and found a link to this blog. Panasonic...? NO WAY! If enough buyers vote with their wallat and also pursue a class action law suit, Panasonic will get the message. It's important that Consumer Reports wake up to this very serious problem, as many depend on their product assessments. I sent them a message and suggest you do the same.

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  195. 10 blinking red lights. Of course, finding years of complaints. Goodbye, Panasonic.

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  196. I have to tell you ... if you have this model ... TH-42PZ77U ... manufactured in 2007 ... and got the "7 blinks of death" ... just call the plasma concierge number. Everything was taken care of. Technician to the house in 3 days. No charge. Everything fixed. They know it's a problem and they are taking care of it. Very professional and fast service from Panasonic. I'm highly satisfied.

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  197. Fifteen months old TH-50PZ80U died today. Two red lights blinking. Why didn't I find anything about this problem when I was researching what TV to buy. Consumer reports should now about this.

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  198. I am an internationally recognized award-winning feature film director. I own many Panasonic products (HD projector, camera, etc.), and bought a 42" PZ77U plasma on boxing day '07.
    Between then and now I've only used the screen maybe 11 months--I travel a lot.
    7 blinks of death.
    Panasonic will not cover the labour for the fix.
    I am possibly the *worst* PR mistake Panasonic could make. Chuffed is an understatement.
    You'd think after 'Toyota' companies would wake up and figure out that when you cover-up recall-needing problems and make the consumer cover the costs (even if you're nice enough to cover the parts) you're asking for some bad word-of-mouth. Really bad!
    I'm a busy guy. I'll pay the labour charge for now. If anything else goes wrong with this set, they'll be hell to pay.
    If they subsequently recall, I'll be making sure they pay the labour costs!

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  199. Isn't it obvious that there is a basis for a class action lawsuit. This isn't all about ONE model number, it's several of them. Panosonic should definitely make this right. There is a definite problem with the list of possible reasons for failure listed.
    My TH-42PZ80U just went black after only 16 months....ten blinks looks like it may be more than one possible solution...meaning it will cost more to diagnose, I presume.
    I sure did not expect to see the numerous forums and such talking about this! If I can manage it, I am going to mail as many links as I can TO Panosonic. A comment on http://baddealings.com/ may feel good, too!

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