NS-LCD 32" TV - Video Input Problems

[tbonfig]

Where to begin.

I have a 32" Insignia LCD TV that recently started experiencing problems. Basically the picture would cut off after 5 minutes of watching (I use an HD cable box from Cablevision).

I went into serious troubleshooting mode tonight and this is what I've come up with:

My tv has two HDMI inputs, a coaxial cable input and component cable inputs (amongst others).

I tried using 3 different HDMI cables with each of the ports and tried using my HD cable box, my laptop and my PS3 as different input types.

Initially, my test was with one of the HDMI cables and my HD cable box. As mentioned earlier, the TV worked for about 5 minutes and then turned into a black screen with the source (HDMI Input 2) pulsating on the screen. This continued as if the TV was trying to detect the input and then a code was thrown up "Unknown Input Timing." The pulsating continues as long as I leave the TV on and it will throw up either the error message mentioned prior or a "No Signal" message. I've actually just let the TV stay on like this for over an hour to see if it would figure itself out, unfortunately, it hasn't.

When I had originally contacted Insignia (which is one of the poorest customer services response companies I've ever experienced), I mentioned this code and no one knew what it meant, surprise surprise. Unfortunately, even when I contacted my local TV tech repair guy he didn't know what the code meant and told me it would prob cost about $250 for him to get a new board and put it in.

I had previously attempted to connect with the component cable hooked up through the cable box and when the picture ended up cutting out (which it inevitably did again), the audio still worked. So I don't know what this means.

In terms of receiving sound when my video cuts out, if I'm testing using the HDMI cable the audio cuts out also, and I'm assuming its because the HDMI cable delivers both the audio/video. However when I'm testing using the component cables then the audio still works when the video doesn't.

Ok so here's the next doozy. I decided to try hooking the coaxial cable straight from the wall into the TV.... IT WORKS! However when I try to run the cable into the cable box and then from the cable box into the TV it does not work.

What does this tell me now?

P.S.

I also want to add to whoever from Insignia may check this message that I'm absolutely disgusted by the fact that I paid for a $600 TV two years ago (Feb 2008) and it has started failing me already.  When I originally contacted Insignia's customer support, I thought that it would be solved because I had a two year warranty HOWEVER how wrong I was to assume that... turns out when I purchased this TV Insignia was only providing a one year warranty.  I did not feel the need to spend the extra money on an extended warranty that Best Buy was offering at the time because I thought that, stupidly enough in retrospect, that my new $600 TV would last longer than two - three years. 

When Insignia informed me my warranty had expired for a year now (even though the newer models of the same TV have two year warranties, which they started offering in 2009 [so another fault of mine, I prematurely purchased a brand new 32" LCD TV a year early, which if I had ironically waited a year to purchase I would definitely be covered under warrant!!!!]), and when they admitted that they had no idea what could be wrong with my TV, they offered the only options I had was to:

1. Have a Geek Squad tech look at my TV for an exorbitant fee
2. Have a Geek Squad member recommend a third party company that Best Buy works with to fix the TV for a slightly less exorbitant fee

Wonderful options.  I called back after thinking about it for a little bit and was hoping that Insignia might realize that there is an obvious defect in my television for it not to work two years after purchase and would step up to the plate to
resolve this issue for the obvious reason, of customer satisfaction and retaining a young spender who has not purchased their last electronic product.

Once again, I was foolish for thinking this.  After speaking with a tech person, I requested to be put in touch with a Customer Care specialist and the person I ended up speaking with was a Quality Control specialist.  In summary, the person mentioned that there's nothing they can do in terms of a "courtesy fix."  He mentioned the only option I had is to pay out of pocket. 

When the fact is that fixing a TV costs half as much as purchasing a brand new one, I am in a complete daze right now.

I APPRECIATE ANY AND ALL ADVICE!

[Jax]

So you're saying that your laptop and PS3 also cut out like this after 5 minutes and the only thing that works is when you plug the coax straight in right?

TV's nowadays come with tons of hdmi and other inputs. hdmi is really finicky and prone to having problems, especially on lower end tvs like the Insignias.

Try this:

• Turn off and unplug everything (all inputs and even the power cable)
• Leave off for at least a minute
• Plug in all your hdmi sources
• Plug your tv back into the wall and turn on

If that doesn't work, try waiting up to an hour before plugging it back in. This should give the tv a chance to recognize all the hdmi inputs again and hopefully end its confusion.

[tbonfig]

Thanks Jax,

Unfortunately even after having the TV and all of the input devices unplugged for several days, the problem still exists.

Any other advice would be appreciated.

Thanks