Plasma TV Foggy area

To be honest Mark, I'm not sure that as described, it actually sounds like any kind of display technology fault that I have seen. I would be struggling to think of any kind of LCD problem that would result in an irregular smudgy-looking mark, unless it was an actual physical mark on the surface of the panel ...

Arfa

I will let you know if I finally get a chance to see this thing again.. I saw it very briefly and it wasn't a major flaw. Had I not been told about it, I'm not sure that I would have noticed right off. Seeing it I thought it was a very strange fault if electronic, but I haven't seen a plasma fail except in getting darker or burn-in. Anyway. . Hopefully I will see it tomorrow and solve this mystery.

Ok I got another look at this TV. It is a Hitachi W32-P5000 Upon close inspection it appears that there is something on the inside of the front glass. You can tell by looking closely moving side to side and watching pixels go from blury to clear

My next question is that is the front glass typically seperate from the plasma display or is it part of the display like an LCD tv. If it is indeed seperate it would be an easy fix. My best guess is that its seperate but as I said I dont know anything about these and dont want to drop $160 on something that I cant fix.

By the way, thanks everyone for all of the insight. This group has always helped me in my electronic ventures.

Forgive me if this is a double post. It seems that it didn't work.

I had a closer look at the TV today. It is a Hitachi W32-P5000. Upon closer inspection it appears that the "fog" is on the inside of the front glass. I can tell by looking closely and moving side to side. The pixels were obviously clear and the front glass is fogged.

The next question is that if the front glass is attached to the Plasma display. If its not this should be an easy fix.

You'd have to get ahold of someone who has either tried to separate the front glass or who has successfully separated it. This is going to be a real challenge because it is not something that is normally done. I don't think I'd toss $160 at the owner either for the chance to find out on my own.

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Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse

I'd get in touch with Hitachi today, or tomorrow at the latest (even though "in touch with tomorrow" was Toshiba's slogan). I'm not so sure this is a case of the protective front surface pulling away from the panel.

display. If its not this should be an easy fix

I would pass on this unless you can live with it as it is. I am definitely no expert but it sounds like and internally caused flaw or manufacture flaw that was not originally seen by the owner.

My best guess by looking at it is something that is on the inside of the panel, but certainly not the actual pixels. It is definitely tolerable. If anyone saw it they would think the TV just needed to be cleaned in that spot.

The construction on the viewing side is a dielectric layer then the front glass. Sandwiched in the dielectric are electrodes. I think the front glass seals the gas cells so there would be no chance of removing it if this is the case. I don't know what the dielectric is made of, possible glass with an oxide coating. If that were the case one would assume that seals the cells.

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Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse

It would drive me stark raving bonkers.

My son for some untold reason scratched the glossy protective cover on my

51" Panasonic rear projector. It was done with a pencil and maybe an inch long vertical. It took me a very long time to stop staring at that particular spot that wasn't anywhere near the center of the screen. I think too that it would be too much of a distraction for me to watch a set with a big smudge anywhere on the screen.

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Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse