Polaroid FLM-3734B 37 in. LCD HDTV Logo
Posted on Dec 11, 2007
Answered by a Fixya Expert

Trustworthy Expert Solutions

At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.

View Our Top Experts

37" polaroid lcd tv won't turn on

I've had the tv about a year. Yesterday the blue light would come on, but there was no picture. After turning the power off a couple of times it came on. Today it won't come on at all. Please help.

  • 89 more comments 
  • Anonymous Dec 27, 2007

    EXACT SAME PROBLEM

  • Anonymous Jan 04, 2008

    I have had a similar experience though my TV lasted about 3 weeks before the picture went out.

  • Anonymous Jan 07, 2008

    I have had mine for about 6 Months. I looked and sudeenly only see a blue screen. I go to turn if on and off and it seemed to reset and work ok. I turned it off and back on in the morning and the blue screen comes on and now it turned black. The blue light says the power is on but I can't even get that to shut off without pulling the plug...darn....now I will have to talk to the manufacturer.....bet its not poloroid!

  • chris nic Feb 14, 2008

    tv comes on but no picture screen lights up blue

  • rickado Feb 16, 2008

    the blue pwer light comes on and then it will dim but the picture wont come on.it did it twice yesterday.i unplugged it and plugged it back in turned it on and picture came on.today it did the same thing but now it wont come on.

  • jrwheat57 Feb 17, 2008

    TV will not come on. The red indicator light is and when you push the on button the blue light will display, but there is no picture. The only way to turn the TV off, to get the red light back, is to unplug the TV. The picture will not come on at all.



    jrwheat57

  • Anonymous Feb 18, 2008

    same problem. blue light comes on but no sound and no picture. called polaroid. they are sending a part and a tech out to try to fix. thank god it's still under warranty. hopefully this problem can get resolved one way or another.

  • Anonymous Feb 19, 2008

    I have the same problem. TV won't come on at all anymore. It would come on if I unplugged it and turned it on.....several attempts sometimes. When it did come on it would buzz loudly and finally silence after a couple of minutes. I bought it just before last years superbowl, so it's just out of warranty........this sucks bad. Anyhelp would be appreciated.

  • eva1969 Feb 23, 2008

    Same exact problem for me too...This is SOOOO frustrating! Can't this be a manufacture defect? Had the TV since October 2006. This shouldn't be happening!!

  • waydes Feb 26, 2008

    I have the same problem as the others. Red light is on, when use power button or remote, the light turns to blue and no picture. I bought this in 12/2006 and it started this around 2/23/2008. Polaroid will not do anything since it is "out of warranty". Will never buy a Polaroid product again. I will try changing the fuse, but I am not very hopeful.

  • Anonymous Mar 11, 2008

    Same problem as everyone else. TV quits about a month out of warranty...suspicious.

  • Anonymous Mar 12, 2008

    there is no help for anybody with this problem except hope your still under warranty cause if not then your gonna have to have polaroid send some one to your house with some part and they replace it there is no other solution, i am waiting for guy to show up right now as i type this message

  • Anonymous Apr 05, 2008

    power on blue light appears, black screen. tv will not turn off using on and off switch, or remote. was able to get picture for awhile, but no longer. power strip will turn power on at which time blue light flickers. have owned set one year.

  • Anonymous Apr 05, 2008

    power on, blue light no picture. remoye will no turn of set. 3 solutions was given earlier, one being control box. what and where is control box, and how do I correct the problem?

  • Anonymous Apr 05, 2008

    Same problem. Blue light on - TV doesn't work. I unplug from wall - then try again. It works but makes a horrible noise for about 30 seconds that fades away and TV works OK. I've found that if I turn it back off, it'll come right back on but if it's left off for very long, it will not come on without unplugging and re-starting everything. I bought this in Nov 2006 so it's less than 1 1/2 yrs old. Is this just a piece of junk?

  • DebbieD Apr 19, 2008

    We have a Polaroid 37" LCD FLM-373B tv...with similar problems as described by others: makes poping/cracking noises, loud humming noise, fuzzy picture; we turn it off by unplugging it from the wall, turn on and no picture shows, goes to blue screen, no picture or sound at all.

    THIS TV IS A PIECE OF ****! DO NOT BUY IT!

    Polaroid said they cannot do anything about this because tv is out of warranty.

    I plan on keeping after Polaroid until this problem gets a solution or until I get a new tv out of them.

  • jorge38 May 09, 2008

    where do u buy the fuse, I have a problem that my tv wont star after a year and four months. please help [email protected]

  • Anonymous May 19, 2008

    We bought the same Polaroid LCD HD Dual Tuner TV on Jan 28, 2007. It stopped turning on at 1 year and 3 months. I finally figured out that by unplugging from the power source for a few seconds and plugging back in that it would turn on. I now have to unplug it twice before it will turn on. I suspect it will stop working anyday now. I have also seen on at least two occasions where after turning it on there was no sound. We have emailed Polaroid about it and are awaiting a response.


  • sbirge May 19, 2008

    I have the same problem with the same tv, and polaroid isnt helpful at all since the tv is 1 year and 5 months old and is out of warranty. Their only offer was to sell me another USED piece of junk at a discounted price ($500). I turn it on, blue light comes on, nothing on screen...have to unplug it 3 or 4 times before it will finally work. Please let me know if you find any other solutions and I will keep you updated if I find anything.

  • Anonymous May 22, 2008

    This is an update from my posting on May 19, 2008.

    I was correct from the previous posting that my TV would fail to turn on at all since the progression had worsened. This was the case today.
    So, I called Polaroid today about the fact that my $1000 TV that I purchased only 15 months ago does not turn on. The first 'tech' i talked to was "Tibo". He told me my TV was out of warranty and nothing they could do. He gave me two phone numbers where the part could be obtained, but he could not tell me what the part was, that he was not a technician. That i should call a TV repair company and give them the numbers so they could compare prices. He also told me that I had available to me a "out of warranty exchange" where I could return the TV to them at my cost and get another, refurbished TV for $310. I voiced my displeasure with the product, but he said there was nothing he could do. After I hung up and not being satisfied, I called back. This time I spoke to 'Rita'. Rita had the lowdown on the whole situation and I was glad that I called back because Rita told me that 'Tibo' only took overflow calls and was not good with all the information. Rita told me that the part was called a "control box" and that it was a box on the back of the TV that controlled the power supply. She said she had heard of people calling a TV repair service only to be told it would cost $800 to repair, and of course - - - the best option would be to buy the refurbished TV from them for $310. Does this sound like a scam or what? But what can you do - they have you over a barrell! She also told me that if you purchased the refurbished TV from them, you would get a 90 day warranty. So I asked, 'and what happens if the control box goes out on that one?' and she said, 'well if it's within 90 days, they will send you a part and have a repair person come out to fix it. If it was outside 90 days, they might give you a break for 15 days after the initial 90 days, but nothing more'. She then told me that they do not sell the "control boxes", but ironically had two prices to share with me, $251 & $360 for the control box, from some unknown source. Of course she said, "you would also have to pay labor on top of that". So what choice do i have? pay up to $800 to have it repaired locally, i don't think so. So it seems I have no choice to buy the 'out of warranty refurbished P.O.S from them for $310 plus shipping, so around $400, which will mean i will then have $1400 invested in a TV that surely won't last 2 years!! Guess where my "economic stimulus check" will be spent! I am NOT happy, I hope somebody starts a class-action lawsuit against them, if so please contact me so I can participate. In case you are interested, here are the two parts company phone numbers Polaroid gave me:

    Advance Baldwin
    1-800-432-8542

    Andrews Electric
    1-800-274-2314

    Good luck all you other Polaroid TV owners, you're going to need it.


  • mary jo m Jun 13, 2008

    I have the same problem. After having the TV a little over a year, it will not turn on. It started gradually, until I had to unplug and plug back in. Then the blue light would flicker, and finally turn on. Now it does nothing.

    Mary Jo Marlin

  • Anonymous Jun 14, 2008

    Ok, enough is enough. I am lucky that mine has gone out within the year and they replaced it. The rest of you who lasted long enough to get out of the warranty program should do something about it. Someone step up gather names, phone numbers and circumstances and present them all to the at once and tell them they should have notified you of the defective parts before they went out of warranty. Tell thm if they dont you will do it the hard way and the fact you have all the names and numbers they will know you meant to follow through. They can fix it or pay you later.....a good attorney will make them wish they just paid.

  • Preacher200 Jun 17, 2008

    I've had my tv less than 13 months .Same problem.Sounds like we need a attorney.

  • Anonymous Jun 18, 2008

    I purchased the same set in early 2007. By around the 12 month mark I started noticing the erratic long wait to turn on, the need to 'reset' the set by unplugging/wait 30 seconds/plug it back in, etc. I came to this board looking for solutions and wasn't too surprised to see it widespread. I was fortunate in that although the set was over a year old- it was still in a short (25-30 day?) 'grace' period so they sent me out a new control box. I suspect this box isn't going to last much past a year, so I made the decision to void any future warranty install it myself. I figure if the replacement part doesn't even last 90 days then looking to Polaroid's sub-contracted call center for a solution is utterly futile as Polaroid obviously has a lemon board. They are allowed three chances to repair the product, so they'd probably get a box in there that makes it past the 90 days and they'd heave a sigh of relief. The box was very easy to replace, but in hindsight I should have at least stuck Polaroid with the labor bill to replace. I just didn't want to hassle with a repairman. Don't think this is just a Polaroid problem though- even the best name brands are pushing low end junk sets to compete in retail locations. As a former call center rep that handled calls for a prestigious brand, the way these 37FLMB duds are being handled is 'par for the course': fix sets in warranty, offer the refurbished , send everyone else away. Doubt it’ll happen, but here's hoping a class action suit gets some footing- seems this lcd has a very common problem. A 1-2 year life span is pathetic. To those outside warranty without a part failure: Good Luck. I’ll keep the board posted when/if this 2nd box fails.

    Some other unhappy Polaroid customers:
    http://reviews.pricegrabber.co.uk/plasma...
    http://www.hdtvsolutions.com/Polaroid-FL...
    http://www.pcworld.com/shopping/detail/p...

  • Pol-avoid TV Jun 18, 2008

    I purchased the same set in early 2007. By around the 12 month mark I
    started noticing the erratic long wait to turn on, the need to 'reset'
    the set by unplugging/wait 30 seconds/plug it back in, etc. I came to
    this board looking for solutions and wasn't too surprised to see it
    widespread. I was fortunate in that although the set was over a year
    old- it was still in a short (25-30 day?) 'grace' period so they sent
    me out a new control box. I suspect this box isn't going to last much
    past a year, so I made the decision to void any future warranty install
    it myself. I figure if the replacement part doesn't even last 90 days
    then looking to Polaroid's sub-contracted call center for a solution is
    utterly futile as Polaroid obviously has a lemon board. They are
    allowed three chances to repair the product, so they'd probably get a
    box in there that makes it past the 90 days and they'd heave a sigh of
    relief. The box was very easy to replace, but in hindsight I should
    have at least stuck Polaroid with the labor bill to replace. I just
    didn't want to hassle with a repairman. Don't think this is just a
    Polaroid problem though- even the best name brands are pushing low end
    junk sets to compete in retail locations. As a former call center rep
    that handled calls for a prestigious brand, the way these 37FLMB duds
    are being handled is 'par for the course': fix sets in warranty, offer
    the refurbished , send everyone else away. Doubt it’ll happen, but
    here's hoping a class action suit gets some footing- seems this lcd
    has a very common problem. A 1-2 year life span is pathetic. To those
    outside warranty without a part failure: Good Luck. I’ll keep the board
    posted when/if this 2nd box fails.



    Some other unhappy Polaroid customers:
    http://reviews.pricegrabber.co.uk/plasma...
    http://www.hdtvsolutions.com/Polaroid-FL...
    http://www.pcworld.com/shopping/detail/p...

  • Anonymous Jun 21, 2008

    We have a Polaroid FLM-373B 37 inch LCD TV. We purchased it in April 2007 and all of a sudden when you try and turn on the TV, the blue indicator light comes on and nothing happens. You cannot turn off the TV by remote or by using the button on the side of the TV unless you unplug the TV. If you turn the TV on and let it set for about three hours and then unplug it, and turn back on it will eventually come on. Today it has started roaring when it finally comes back on. Any suggestions?

  • sec829 Jun 23, 2008

    I have the same problem. Purchased the Polaroid 37" inch TV in late December, 2006. Last week it failed to turn on even though the blue light was lit and then it wouldn't turn off unless you manually unplugged it. Now that won't even make it work!!! It's ridiculous to pay such a large sum of money for a product that lasts for such a short period of time - we were totally ripped off!!! Please inform me if something is being done about this injustice.

  • griffin7633 Jun 24, 2008

    same same. took back of tv apart and looked at the cap like the one other guy did. mine are blown also the ends bulge out. tv is 1 year and 60 days old so polariod wont help. they say i can give them this tv and sellme another at discounted rate. i dont think parts are much to fix it an not much to pay someone to fix it i hope. will let u all know how it turns out.

  • dlwyatt1 Jun 28, 2008

    I have the exact same same problem. I have had this tv for year & 4 months and now it is not working. The problems I am having are the same as being described by everyone else here.

  • dsimpson Jul 01, 2008

    We have had our polaroid for nearly two years and now the blue light comes on but no tv. You have to unplug the tv from the wall in order to make it turn off. I am very dissapointed in my $1100.00 waste of money. I have not called a repair guy yet ,but I guess that is the obvious solution.

  • Dlsg23 Jul 02, 2008

    i have the same problem i noise and can't see tv the noise is getting very laud and this sucks hope they can fix it for me if now ill do something maybe calling a lawyer to take it in his hands. my warranty went of 2 1/2 month ago
    tanks for all the you post Email Me if someone know of a lawyer that want to take is in his hands [email protected]


  • Anonymous Jul 05, 2008

    exactly the same problem described ad naseum

    bought march 2007 from walmart

    3 months out of warranty

    called polaroid 1 866 # and told was told out of warranty

    nothing they could do because it was out of warranty



    HELP!

  • kcorley8 Jul 10, 2008

    Have FLM-373B same problem as others will not power on and no sound just a blue light blinking..

  • mobidom Jul 15, 2008

    Same issue with me on mine but I did get the 5 yr extended and Circut City will fix or replace. Glad I was talked into it by the salesman. $299.00 / 5 yrs. Not bad deal! Good luck to all.

  • Anonymous Jul 16, 2008

    ok I have the 37 inch same problem bla bla bla I called a tv repair guy and its gonna cost me $500 dollars for something that costed 900 to begin with I dont know if this is allowed but if someone is starting a class action lawsuit let me know at [email protected] if there is not one started yet I know a lawyer to start one with....

  • Anonymous Jul 17, 2008

    I had the same problem with my TV. I took the control box out and looked at the caps. Found two that were bulged on th top. A local electronics guru changed the caps and it works fine.He replaced the old ones, which were 85 degree caps with high temp caps,105 degree,and it only cost me 20 bucks.Try this before you shell out 600 bucks on a new control box. polaroid is nothing but a bunch of crooks. They give you \two places to get the control box and all they do is replace the caps and sell it for 600 bucks. I hope everyone puts the word out about polaroid.

  • ihatepolroid Jul 17, 2008

    I did the same thing that mgrrsn did and changed the caps. works great. Thanks for the tip. Only cost me 20 bucks.

  • TFLCT Jul 26, 2008

    same problem with a tv i purchased in nov 2006!!!!!!! I purchased 3 tvs for my small business. I am very motivated to make sure polaroid is accoutable for this deplorable business conduct!

  • wiesinhim Aug 05, 2008

    Same problem...all of a sudden...nothing...the first thing that happened was it would not turn on or off with remote...could turn it on with the switch on the side of the tv...could not turn off with remote or switch on tv...only by unplugging...then after about a week of that...it would turn on occasionally but with an unstable picture...then not at all...nothing happens...when plugged in the red standby light is on...when turned on at switch, the blue light comes on but no picture and no sound.....it is very frustrating...I paid about 1000. for this and I am still paying for it...2 years+ later....Please help.....I can't find anyone in the Chattanooga area that repairs tvs any more....

  • Analyssa2Kya Aug 07, 2008

    have the same prb bought 3-13-07 @wal mart called 800# said they could send a rephreb for$310.00 help anyone

  • Anonymous Aug 08, 2008

    Same issue here with FLM 3732. Unplugging several times this morning got it going again. Screen dances around for several minutes until warmed up. This started last night and sounds like, after reading these posts, this problem is here to stay. TV purchased in 1/07 at Circuit City.

  • steven0548 Aug 09, 2008

    This is definate BS. I have the same story as everyone else and I would love to jump on a band wagon. A lot of people are mentioning lawsuit, has anyone actually went forward. I would love to help. Class Action, Lets do it!!!!

  • Anonymous Aug 09, 2008

    I am having the same issue. I will try changing out the capacitors on the power supply board to see if it works. If not, then I will probably purchase the $135 MLT070A Power Supply Unit on EBAY.

  • Latin thug Aug 10, 2008

    I have the problem now been about a week, plug and unplug. Tv is dead now I want serivce or a new TV damn you Polaroid stick to cameras. I should have stayed with the Toshiba plasma! $1,000 DOWN THE DRAIN

  • Anonymous Aug 10, 2008

    The green 1000 uF, 10V capacitors on the power board are the culprits. Change them out with ones with a higher temperature rating. You can unhook the power board (located on the top) easily after taking the back cover off. I took mine down to a local electronics shop, and they soldered new ones on for $20. The guy did tell me that Polaroid TV's are bad.

  • Anonymous Aug 11, 2008

    We have the same problem with our Polaroid TV. It wouldn't turn on, just a little blue light. For two days we could unplug it and that seemed to work, then nothing. I called customer service, if you no longer have the warranty, don't even bother. "Gustavo" my customer service rep was not helpful, told me to try unplugging it (thanks buddy, didn't think of that!) then offered to exchange the TV for $310. I don't really want the same TV I got a 18 months ago that broke. There is a 90 day warranty but after that there is nothing they will do. THANKS POLAROID!!!! I told him that there is obviously a problem with this model and they might want to consider looking into it. He told me only a small percentage of people have this problem. I beg to differ. I hate Polaroid. So I have just taken off the back of the TV and of course there were two bulging capacitors. Taking it to the local electronics place to have it fixed now. Fingers crossed it will work. Thanks for the advice guys!

  • Anonymous Aug 11, 2008

    Guy's.... I fixed my FLM-3732 in about an hour and that included a trip to the local Radio Shack. There are 2 Electrolyic Capacitors at the top of the board. They are10V 1000uF. Mine were black but some say they are Green. They are $1.58 at radio shack. Replace both of them. I have never done anything like this before so I was worried that I might mess it up but it was really easy. I had to get an Soldering iron and some thin solder but the whole trip cost me $18.00. I found this out from a post here. I was about to send the TV back for the $300.00 that Polaroid wanted to send me another piece of junk but figured what the heck it was not working anyway so how much damage can I do. If anybody wants to email me and I can walk you through the process I would be willing to help. [email protected].

    I don't want anymore money going to these crooks. $300.00 when the fix can be done for $18.00. Good luck all.....

  • hybidder Aug 14, 2008

    Daughters TV is doing the same thing. Same model and everything. Looks like I will making a trip to Radio Shack. Thanks for the posts.

  • rudy2101 Aug 16, 2008

    same thing here..tv less than 2 yrs old

  • liza42 Aug 19, 2008

    Hey same problem with mine, willing to replace the caps, however my radio shack doesn't carry 10v 1000mf. I have called a few repair shops however they either don't sell parts or don't have them. I am in miami aera if you have suggestions. [email protected]

  • Anonymous Aug 25, 2008

    Should have posted this the first time. Sorry. If they do not have the 10v get the 35v. Polaroid used the wrong parts in the first place.



  • FrustratedJH Aug 31, 2008

    I am wondering if I have the same problem. I have a Polaroid FLM-3701 37" LCD TV. I went to turn it on with the remote, the blue light came on for a spit second then nothing, no light, no picture. Did the usual unpluging etc, to no avail. People have mentioned a "control box", is this what's needed to repair the TV, how much do they cost, and are they fairly simple to install? Where can I purchase on? Any giudence on this would be great. Thanks.

  • caroltiki Sep 06, 2008

    I had the same problem, did the replacement of the capacitors and after it week it died again. Only this time not even a red or blue light will come on. Its as if it were not plugged in, but it is. What now?

  • Anonymous Sep 09, 2008

    Model FLM-373B Same problem...blue light comes on but no picture. Seems to work after unplugging several times. In addition to that the side inputs started having bad video about three months ago. My tv is about 4 months out of warranty. Polaroid offered me a $300 dollar "out of warranty" replacement. I didn't stop there. When I finally got through at 800-605-5364 and mentioned that at least 56 people on the first website that I found had the same exact problem she reluctantly agreed to send me the control board at no cost.

  • Anonymous Sep 13, 2008

    I have the same issue. TV won't turn on. Blue Light comes on, but no picture. Unplug/plugin several times and it works. I've had the TV for 2 years.

  • charleneplau Sep 16, 2008

    The same as everyone here. I sent a letter as well.

    Dear Mr. Petters:

    This is a repeat of a letter that was emailed to your company. I have decided to send you another copy of it along with just 2 web sites of complaints. I am sure there is more out there. I spoke with "Shannon" (who refused to give me her last name) and I must admit that I have never been so utterly disgusted. She had to be about the rudest human there is. My Polaroid TV was a gift to my husband from his mother in December of 2006. The manufactured date on the back reads November 2006. It is my understanding that Poloroid started to manufacture these tvs in mid 2006. If these tvs have only been in existence for 2 years, how can you possibly know the full magnitude of this malfunction. I would think it is only a matter of time before you start receiving even more complaints.

    Please give me the courtesy of a response and indicate your company's position in this matter. Thank you.

    Charlene Plauche


    It appears that there is a problem with your Polaroid LCD TV brand. Included is testimonials from a small fraction of customers that I found on a web site that have bought your Polaroid brand 37" LCD TV. I have the same problem with my TV that these poor people have. I bought my TV in February 2007. Now in June of 2008, One year and four months later my TV has started to not work correctly. This is what happens, I turn the TV on and the indicator light changes from red to blue showing the TV is on but the screen still looks like it did when the TV was off. Now when you push the button on the remote or on the TV itself to turn it off it will not turn off. You have to unplug the TV and plug it back in and then turn it on again and so far this has been working, But if you read these testimonials below you will see that in a short time the TV will not work at all. The problem lies in the Control Box and this cost a whopping $600+ for just the part and this is not including the cost of a repair person. This is a good amount of money to spend on a TV that is only a little over a year old. I as well as the people who have made the comments below have all shelled out at least $800.00 to $1,000.00 if not slightly more to Buy Polaroid TV's. I was sure that when I bought mine that the Polaroid name was one of quality and I am sure that these other people had thought the same thing. I believe there is a defect in the Control Box and that there should be a recall or refund on these units. I have not contacted customer service because as you will read it appears to go no where. Like one person here who said that Polaroids customer service told them "Thousands of these units have been sold so a few hundred having the same problem 12 to 16 months after being bought does not warrant a recall" I beg to differ. Does the name Polaroid mean quality or has it gone to the way side and been
    replaced by the top dollar and junk. I would like to think that you would care just a little about the customers that have long made your brands what they are today.


    http://www.fixya.com/support/t293971-37_...
    http://www.hdtvsoultions.com/Polaroid-FL...

  • jefferyphill Sep 17, 2008

    I have a 19 inch polaroid flat screen tv.. like many others I have the issue where the blue light comes on but no picture no sound, nothing. I have attempted to contact Polaroid with no luck finding the solution. manufactured in Sept 2007 according to the label.

  • jcymanski Sep 20, 2008

    my problem with the polaroid is exactly the same as this one. What can we do? Polaroid will not help!

  • philipualr Sep 22, 2008

    About a year ago my grandpa came to my house and saw my new LCD TV. (It is a inexpensive 32" Symphonic) Being wheel chair bound, watching TV was the bulk of his entertainment. He decided he needed a TV "like mine". To his disappointment, my grandma told him that their current TV was fine and that there was no need for a new one while the old one worked fine. Mysteriously, the very next day the old TV went out. LOL Grandma conceded that a new TV was needed and went to town to purchase a new one. Since she was not up on new technology, she enlisted my help. I immediately suggested Poloroid as a superior brand name. My grandma took my advice and purchased the Flm 373b. (At almost $1000 it was probably out of their price range but she got it anyways) I was immediately disappointed by the sound quality but since they are aging it didn't bother them. Fast forward 11 months. My grandpa was able to enjoy his TV for about 9+ months before getting sick and eventually passing away. Now my grandmother's TV is doing the same thing as all the rest and she cannot find the receipt. I am stuck feeling horrible for ever suggesting Polaroid. I am sure I will never make that mistake again. Hopefully, grandma can fine the receipt and at least have a TV that works. I have called Polaroid and they told me exactly what they have told everyone else. Tough Luck!

  • DanaShea Sep 26, 2008

    I have the same problem with my Polaroid 37" Plasma TV and Polariod customer service is the worst I have ever seen. I am still working on them and have left several messages. They over you a refurbished TV at a discount. What the ****? If this $900 TV don't last but a little over a year, why would I want to buy a refurbished one? I am soooo aggrevated. If I can't get them to do something about this isued, I will never buy another thing with the Polariod name... not even a disposable camera.



    Shea

  • DanaShea Sep 26, 2008

    Can't we do like one of those Class Action law suits because this is clearly a huge problem with this TV and the consumers are out thousands of dollars due to their Defect? I'm going to contact an attorney because this TV should have been recalled. Shea

  • Anonymous Oct 02, 2008

    The Polariod sucks. They don't even listen to anyone. We got extended warranty for nothing they don't even want to do any thing about out situation. $800 down the drain in less then 2 years

  • Cyndimarie Oct 04, 2008

    We have the same damn problem.... ours is the polaroid lcd 42"... had it not even a year (bought in November of 2007). Sadly, ours didn't work with the "plug and unplug" like some of the other complaints did. We turn it on, it blinks Polaroid, then goes back to a black screen. We have sound but no picture. We cannot get anyone to help us. If anyone is following through with a lawsuit... we definately want to join you!! Email me at [email protected]



    Thanks and I hope everyone else has better luck than we've had. I will no longer buy ANYTHING with the polaroid name. This is a rip-off and honestly, in this recession we are in... Polaroid should be ashamed!!!

  • Anonymous Oct 04, 2008

    Thank you guys so much for posting this info on how to fix the problem. Mine went out on me last night. Saw this posting and figured I'd give it a try since the other options were expensive. 2 capacitors cost me $4, and I had to buy a new soldering iron as mine was way too big. Took me about 45 minutes between cracking the case, going to Radio Shack, and putting them in. Powered right up after a slight pause. Good to go now. Super easy and definately worth a try since not only did they sell you a junk TV but they want $$$ to fix their problem.



    THANKS AGAIN, oh and POLAROID SUCKS

  • dave232134 Oct 12, 2008

    same problem,. 42 inch Polaroid.. gonna take to a local tv repairman with the posted capacitor info from this website and see what it will cost for him to repair,( it better not be more than $75) if it's too much, I'll fix it myself.

    I just stumbled on this website by chance (kind of) Thanks troubleshooters!

  • Anonymous Oct 13, 2008

    I just got the same problem today, but mine is 42".

  • wendy_hirnin Oct 14, 2008

    I too have the same problem. I have the FLM 3732. Bought in Nov. 06 so out of warranty. I emailed Polaroid earlier this evening, but now that I have found this website and another called My3cents, and have read the numerous comments and complaints about Polaroid, I realize I may never hear back and this forum may be my only hope and answers. I'm still paying on the TV. What a bummer. My bad. But it was one of those no interest things from Circuit City. Which of course can't do the repair. I'm a little wary about taking the back off and looking into all of this myself, but what do I have to lose. I appreciate the hutzpah of the guy who just boxed it up and sent it back to Polaroid. It does simply become a fancy paper weight.

  • wendy_hirnin Oct 17, 2008

    Well the plan was to follow the advice and get the capacitors from Radio Shack for the quick and easy fix. I had great hopes. When my husband was attempting to take the TV off the stand and the back cover off it fell over off the furniture TV stand and cracked/or gouged the screen. So now I suppose there is no use in repairing it at all. If there is bad luck it finds us.

  • Anonymous Oct 18, 2008

    my just did the same thing , please help !!

  • joshsmith22 Oct 20, 2008

    wow I wish I had read these before I bought mine. I bought the FLM-3732 and have the same problem. Do I spend $400 to get a refurb that may do the same thing in a year? Or just go buy a new one? Oh well it only cost me a grand and that's not hard to come by or anything right?

  • Anonymous Oct 24, 2008

    Same problem at 1 1/2 years. Will never by Polaroid again.

  • Anonymous Oct 25, 2008

    The TV would work ONLY if turned on with the DirecTV off and then turned on afterwards. Now it just doesn't work-period. I have a TV guy coming out tomorrow in the AM. He says it should be an easy, inexpensive fix. The fact that Polaroid just blows people off is just one more example of how big business is fleecing America.

  • quennie0812 Oct 31, 2008

    I have the same problem. The blue light comes on and nothing happens, eventually it will come on. I contacted Polaroid and they said there wasn't anything wrong with the television to do a recall on them but they would send me a new control box. Polaroid has sent me a new control box. WIll I be able to put this in myself (does it just plug in?) or do I get a TV repairman to install?

  • Anonymous Oct 31, 2008

    One day it was working find and now it will not turn on at all. What is wrong.

  • dlmbot Nov 21, 2008

    my tv won't turn on even though the light changes from red to blue.

  • Anonymous Nov 24, 2008

    I just discovered the same problem with my flm 373b. Its good to know there's a simple solution, but I've never soldered anything in my life. If I can describe the problem in detail to a TV repairman, how much should the fix cost me? It's a shame that a business that has been around as long as Polaroid has such lousy customer service and no sense of responsibility. They will put themselves out of business eventually if people like us speak up and make sure we let everyone we can know what a bad deal buying one of their products is.

  • jerryfsm Nov 25, 2008

    Mine was doing the same thing. Blue light would come on but no picture or sound. Just did the suggested repair this morning. It took about 30 - 45 minutes and I repaired it for less than $20. That includes the purchase of the soldeing gun. Thanks so much for the fix. Count me in on a class action if one is started.

  • Anonymous Nov 25, 2008

    We have a Polaroid TLU1511CU 15" LCD with the same problem. After 14 month there is no picture no sound, can not be turned on. I will try to find the bad capacitors.

  • Anonymous Nov 30, 2008

    37" polaroid lcd tv won't turn on

  • TICKEDOFF01 Dec 01, 2008

    SAME **** AS EVERYBODY ELSE. HIGH PITCH NOISE THEN IT DOESNT WANT TO COME ON...I UPLUG IT, PLUG IT BACK IN, HIT THE POWER BUTTON AND SHAZ-AM...IT COMES ON. READY TO THROW MY 20 MONTH OLD TV OUT THE WINDOW.

  • Anonymous Dec 02, 2008

    count me in as well. Like everyone else i wish i had read this before purchase.

  • Anonymous Dec 09, 2008

    Same problem as the rest of you guys! Went to radio shack and did the
    magic. Not hard at all on the FLM-373B. My Caps were not bulged and did
    not look bad but swapped them for the 35V's. Almost did not even have
    to add any solder at all. Put a little flux on with a toothpick and
    everything is fine now. Thanks for all of your help!



    Eric



  • Anonymous Jan 19, 2009

    Polaroid FLM3732 3700



    WANT TURN ON?

  • Anonymous Feb 21, 2009

    Replacing the caps worked for me too! It really wasn't that difficult. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is to make sure you put the caps in the right way. There is a positive and negative lead on caps. The positive is marked on the board and the negative is marked on the cap itself (kind of wierd)



    Thanks so much to whom ever figured this out first!

  • Anonymous Feb 23, 2009

    Same here powers up with a blue light then no picture, when I pulled the power plug out from the bad a few days ago it worked but now I can't do anything to get it on.

  • rahoover Feb 27, 2009

    I replaced the capacitors following the instructions at http://www.fixya.com/support/t293971-37_...



    This was the first time I had soldered, but it worked. But after watching for approx. 1.5 hrs it lost power. Now, I have no sign of power. Is there a fuse that can be replaced or could it be a poor soldering job?

  • canisk8 Apr 08, 2009

    I have the same problem the tv has power the red light turn on but never come turn blue. what caps I need to change? does have a part number?and where can find it? thanks.

  • Don Villoni Apr 12, 2009

    Polaroid model 3200

    FLM 3232

    no power, Fuse blown, fuse replaced and blows

  • Anonymous Mar 19, 2014

    My 2007 Polaroid LCD TV turn Blue when I turn it on no picture
    & sound just Blue screen ?
    What do I do ? Please help ?

  • Anonymous Mar 19, 2014

    My 2007 Polaroid 42 in. TV . When I turn it on Polaroid comes on the screen say's Blue no Picture No Sound ?
    What do I do ? please help ?

  • Daniel Harris
    Daniel Harris Mar 07, 2019

    Power light on TV is ON but no pic and no sound? The power ON light or standby light on my TV comes ON sometimes blinking but no sound. Need help. McdVoice

×

34 Answers

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Corporal:

An expert that has over 10 points.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

Problem Solver:

An expert who has answered 5 questions.

  • Contributor 9 Answers
  • Posted on Jun 17, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Corporal:

An expert that has over 10 points.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

Problem Solver:

An expert who has answered 5 questions.

Joined: Jun 17, 2008
Answers
9
Questions
1
Helped
30042
Points
16

First, I am no tech, this is at your own risk! I have a flm-373b which is out of warranty 15mths. A nice paper weight. Plug it in, blue light, no picture or audio. So I got the service manual and started taking it apart. Pulled out the so called control box and at the top is what appears to be some sort of power inverter board. I looked closely and saw that there were 2 capacitors that looked damaged. One was bulged and the other looked like it had popped. They were side by side, green and marked 1000Uf 10v. I took the board to work with me and unsoldered the capacitors and very carefully replaced them with 1000Uf 16v caps. This was just a crazy chance. When I got home I put everything back together, ran 2 extension cords to the back porch and plugged it in. The tv came on faster than when it was brand new. Now I have waited 3 weeks to post this, just in case my house burned down, but the tv is still working great. Again this is at your own risk. Polaroid is not helpful and they want you to spend more money to correct their problem which will probably not correct anything. I really do wish you luck with this or with putting up with polaroids BS.

- m@tT

  • Anonymous Nov 21, 2012

    Wow! I had no idea Polaroid TVs were such lemons! I bought mine in 2006 and about 3 days ago it quit working. No red light at all. I called Polariod and they said it was the fuse or possibly the control box. After going to a Radio Shack, 45 min from me, they did not have the fuse in stock. I got on the computer, after going to 5 or 6 other stores in Sherman, TX, to try to find the fuse. So glad I read all of these articles. Customer service acted like it was no big deal for me to try to replace the fuse and said it was about $90 for a new control panel. I so wish I would have read these comments before calling! I feel sorry for the poor ****** I get on the phone in the morning!!!!! Thanks so much to everyone for the advise. I know my tv is a lot older than everyone's posted here, but I believe that a 6 year old tv should still be working. And to think I was lining up my Black Friday sales incase I had to buy a new tv. Let's hope I can get this problem fixed tomorrow!! Again, thanks, and I'll let you know how it goes!

  • keith adams
    keith adams Oct 19, 2014

    I tryed that , it worked for several months did it 3 or 4 times ,now tv popped and won't come on , any ideas what to do now???

×

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Aug 02, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

Joined: Aug 02, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
5

Yesterday I discovered that I too had this problem with my Polaroid TV. I found this forum, and the person who suggested to replace the cap's was correct, at least in our case. We took our 2 year old TV apart found the control board, which for those that don't know, when you take the back off, locate the plug wires from where they come into the back of the TV follow them up and it will end in the control board. Any way after looking at it we discovered that 2 of the cap's were bulging. This was not just take a quick look, one of them was so slight that it wasn't even really apparent until we scrutinized each one. The two that went out on ours were the 2 located in the upper left corner of the board, they are 1000 CU 10 V cap's. We took the board into our local electrician, 1 hour and $17.00 and the TV is working again. I would like to that the person who suggested this as it worked for us.

Ad

supercap

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Corporal:

An expert that has over 10 points.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

  • Contributor 3 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 04, 2008
supercap
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Corporal:

An expert that has over 10 points.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

Joined: Dec 04, 2008
Answers
3
Questions
0
Helped
38566
Points
15

Polaroid HD TV, 37' LCD (FLM-3732 which is the same as FLM-373b but hase more features) - when cold must unplug and re-plug AC, power on - no logo, just some sound snaps. Eventually after about 10 tries it comes up with a picture but the sound has loud hum which gets quieter and then ok after about 15 seconds - then all fine. While hot can turn it off and on fine, just a cold start up problem.
I replaced the 2 capacitors and it's like new again - cost $3.00 Even though the caps did not show any sign of failure - no bloating or constipation:)
I have been servicing computers for over 43 years and you can guess my level of expertise:)

If you don't want to do the soldering etc, take these details to a TV repair and have them replace the capacitors, should be a lot less than the board at $600.

See the following link for pictures.
http://home.roadrunner.com/~rblapham/polaroid.htm

  • supercap Feb 26, 2015

    My previous pictures are not available anymore - here are the pictures



  • supercap Feb 26, 2015

    Here is a PDF of the writeup and pictures

×

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Nov 06, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

Joined: Nov 06, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

If you are having a blue light without a picture you need to remove your control board and check for two capacitors that are marked 1000uf10v. as with my experience with these tvs I believe the capacitors are too small to handle the work load. I replace them with 1000uf35v from radioshack these are about $2.00 each. remove the bad ones and solder the new ones into the control board and this should fix your problem. the capacitors are on the uper left hand side of the board, next to each other. they can be green or black they are the only ones that are 1000uf10v on the board . hope this helps.

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Jun 25, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

Joined: Jun 25, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

Hello every one I have emailed a letter I copied and pasted all the complaints here and sent it to Petters Group LLC. This is the investment Company that owns Polaroid. I felt that most likley they were not aware of any problem with one of their brands. I may get somewhere or I may not. This is not just one model of Polaroid 37" LCD TV. They all share the same Control Box they just change a certain number in the product code depending on size of screen. Here is a copy of the letter I emailed them. One person is not going to change the situation so if everyone here emails Petters Group LLC. about the problem they just might do something. Their email address is [email protected].
Here is the copy of the letter. Good luck to all.
Dear Petters Group,
It appears that there is a problem with your Polaroid LCD TV brand.
Included is testimonials from a small fraction of customers that I found on a
web site that have bought your Polaroid brand 37" LCD TV.
I have the same problem with my TV that these poor people have. I bought my TV
in February 2007. Now in June of 2008, One year and four months later my TV has
started to not work correctly. This is what happens, I turn the TV on and the
indicator light changes from red to blue showing the TV is on but the screen
still looks like it did when the TV was off. Now when you push the button on the
remote or on the TV itself to turn it off it will not turn off. You have to
unplug the TV and plug it back in and then turn it on again and so far this has
been working, But if you read these testimonials below you will see that in a
short time the TV will not work at all.
The problem lies in the Control Box and this cost a whopping $600+ for just the
part and this is not including the cost of a repair person. This is a good amount of money to spend on a TV that is
only a little over a year old.
I as well as the people who have made the comments below have all shelled out at
least $800.00 to $1,000.00 if not slightly more to Buy Polaroid TV's. I was sure
that when I bought mine that the Polaroid name was one of quality and I am sure
that these other people had thought the same thing. I believe there is a defect
in the Control Box and that there should be a recall or refund on these units. I
have not contacted customer service because as you will read it appears to go no
where.
Like one person here who said that Polaroids customer service told them
"Thousands of these units have been sold so a few hundred having the same
problem 12 to 16 months after being bought does not warrant a recall" I beg to
differ.
Does the name Polaroid mean quality or has it gone to the way side and been
replaced by the top dollar and junk.
I would like to think that you would care just a little about the customers that have long made your brands what they are today.

Thomas E. Sheffield

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Apr 08, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

Joined: Apr 05, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
2

You can call the horrible thieves at Polaroid and ask them where to get the control box. They'll give you an 800 # and also give you a number to call to get it installed - ha - which in my area was Sears by the way. Of course when you complain about the TV and all of us having the same problem, they start telling you how many TV's they've sold and what a small percentage of us have problems. They're liars and thieves - spread the word.

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 2 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 04, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Nov 28, 2008
Answers
2
Questions
1
Helped
28299
Points
3

Yep Yep, same problem..... I took my 37 inch apart, found the 2 caps that were mentioned in the forum. Although I had to look very very close to see that the tops of the cap. were slitly damaged I figured this was the problem..... It was! I went to Radio Shack bought the 1000uf 35v cap. and took the board out and replaced to 2 1000uf 10v. I put all back together and it seems to be working just fine. Thank to all the folks that posted the solution. I was about to toss the tv away after paying just over a 1000.00 for it.

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Sep 13, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Aug 27, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
1
Helped
28149
Points
1

We replaced the 2 capsitors in the back on the top left hand side ,my husband took it to some who repaired mobil radios and its working great and capsitors were only less than a dollar each, we read this solution and it solved our problem, thanks to who ever posted this solution

shaffersw7

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Jun 11, 2008
shaffersw7
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Jun 11, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
2

JUST GOT OFF PHONE WITH POLAROID CALL CENTER,AFTER TALKING WITH MANAGER THEN THERE SUPERVISOR AND NOT GETTING ANY RESULTS BECAUSE TV WAS OUT OF WARRANTY I ASKED FOR CORPORATE NUMBER SO I COULD COMPLAIN TO THE ACTUAL POLAROID COMPANY.WooHoo FINALLY GOT THEM TO SEND ME A REPLACEMENT PART FOR FREE JUST HAVE TO PAY FOR INSTALLATION. HERE IS THE NUMBER 1-800-605-5364 YOU MITE WANT TO SKIP CALLN CALL CENTER UNLESS YOU STILL HAVE WARRANTY. HOPE THIS HELPS OTHERS LIKE ME WHO CANT AFFORD TO GO OUT AND REPLACE A LCD TV THAT IS THIS EXPENSIVE EVERY YEAR.

Coffee Tech

Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

New Friend:

An expert that has 1 follower.

Cheetah:

An expert who has answered 20 or more questions within one hour.

  • Polaroid Expert 158 Answers
  • Posted on Sep 03, 2015
Coffee Tech
Polaroid Expert
Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

New Friend:

An expert that has 1 follower.

Cheetah:

An expert who has answered 20 or more questions within one hour.

Joined: Aug 14, 2015
Answers
158
Questions
0
Helped
2830697
Points
503

Check the stand by light if there is any. power board could be bad

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 2 Answers
  • Posted on May 15, 2009
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: May 09, 2009
Answers
2
Questions
0
Helped
28720
Points
2

Ill buy it from you. name your price

CEGuru

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 2 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 01, 2008
CEGuru
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Sep 16, 2008
Answers
2
Questions
0
Helped
42650
Points
2

I've been reading this board for a while and wanted to pass along some info. Appears Polaroid is providing parts for sale. From what I am seeing, they have control boxes around $100. Sounds like a smokin' deal compared to some of the other places that are selling them.

Also, I think they are offering In-Home service at a flat-rate price - something like $225...

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Nov 17, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Nov 17, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

I have the same problem with the 37"/flm-373BPolaroid LCD the blue light comes on but no picture. when I turn on the TV the blue light comes on, flickers and stays blue but not as bright.... still no picture! can anyone help? thank you, rinsight2

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Nov 02, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Nov 02, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

I have had my 37" poloroid tv for just over 14 months and it will no longer turn on. The blue light comes on, but no picture. was told it was control panel and will cost over $600.00 to fix. please help!

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Nov 02, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Nov 02, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

Replacing the two capacitors. It works. I used two 1000 uf 35V capacitors from Radio Shack. Cost $22.00 including soldering iron. The capacitors on my control board were black.

A

Anonymous

Same Problem...turn my flm-37 on and a blue light only would come on, so i would unplug it and plug it back in. usually it would turn on and make an awful humming noise for a while like i started up a small lawnmower. now the tv wont do anything. i bought this at wal mart 18 months ago and opted to get the 2 year extended warranty. they are sending me a casket this week, hopefully this works...poloroid sucks.

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

  • Contributor 2 Answers
  • Posted on Oct 30, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Mayor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 2 times.

Joined: Oct 30, 2008
Answers
2
Questions
2
Helped
28718
Points
5

I had the same problem. The capacitors didn't even look damaged, but I switched them out anyway and it worked! Thanks to whoever posted this solution.

A

Anonymous

Well, bet you can't guess what happen to my flm373B Polaroid tv yesterday.... same story as all the rest, got 15 months out of it.. but thanks to the folks that have posted the solutions for this problem, I took the back plate off of it, found the control box, and the same two compasitors had dome heads on them, unhook the 3 cables, and then took out the 4 screws, and made a few phone calls to local tv repair shops, One would not do it, one wanted 125.00, and the third, was 29.00...yey,,,yey,,, replaced the defective compassitors, and labor, in a hour, Came back and picked it up, took it home, put it back together,,, 10 minutes, and did a reset, and works better than before, Now I did go with the 16v caps, they are rated a little higher for heat, that should prevent the problem in the future, Now what I would like all of you to do that have or are having the problem with these Tv's, is send a email to the headquaters of where ever you bought the tv, and to Polaroid.. ask the company you bought it from to talk to there supplier about the defect in this tv, this could be a case where Polaroid got some bad Compasitors, or just were to cheap to use the a better one. Call it a design defect with a potential fire hazzard. If anyone is doing a class action, I would be happy to join, because with this many tv's having the SAME problem, it is a result of the same part failing.. I am sure that Polaroid, could work out a fix with the SEARS repair service to fix these for 25.00 or less. If you read the post about the cost of the control box, and the core fee, you can see that the Company is making about 300 dollars proffit on every tv they fix.. and then if they replace the copassitors on the core for 5 dollars, they make another 295.00 on the next person that has the problem,,, CUSTOMER SERVICE ONCE WAS A STANDARD, NOW YOU MUST DEMAND IT... Thanks again for the help, Ron

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Sep 29, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Sep 29, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

I tried changing the caps, actually had an Engineer do it for me and sadly it did not work for mine.
My symptoms were a shrill almost tone like sound coming from the TV when i turned it on.Gradually after 3-5 minutes the tone would go away. Over a month or so it got worse and then yesterday right in the middle of NFL football it went out.
I could unplug it and plug it back in and the red light would come on but when I hit the power button I would get a blue light for 2 seconds and then it would cut out.
I had the engineer put in 25v's to replaces the 10v's (which did have swelling).
It's now at the TV repair shop, the guy said he thought he could fix it for $50 bucks but I'm not holding my breath.
The TV is out of warranty so I guess I'm out of luck. I have had it nearly 2 years.
Next time I'll spring for the extra cash and get a reputable HDTV brand with an extended warranty.
POLAROID will never get another cent from me for any product they make.

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Sep 22, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Sep 22, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

Well guys - you have my sympathy. It is bad. I fought with Polaroid for months over my 16 mth old 37" TV doing the same thing. I finally gave up, bought a 42" Vizio and decided what have I got to lose now. I boxed up the Polaroid, costs me $60 plus shipping costs and I shipped it to their customer service dept in CA with $800 insured value. I included a letter that said "fix it or keep it - I really don't care " and I copied the letter to every consumer group and agency I could think of to send it to. Polaroid went nuts. I got about 3 calls from Polaroid and they were mad asking why did I send it to them and what did I expect from them. I repeated what I said in my letter - a broken 16 mth old TV sitting in my house wasn't doing me any good and if anyone was going to throw it away, it should be Polaroid. I just told them I expected some inquiries on my letters but I would hold off until they (Polaroid) decided what they were going to do. Several weeks later I got my repaired TV FedEx'd to me. Who knows how long it will work but at least something was done.
You just have to resign yourself that you really have no alternative and hope that you get someone at Polaroid that decides to do the right thing. I can assure you, they are few and far between. CAUTION: don't buy any Polaroid stock.
Good luck.

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Sep 22, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Sep 22, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

I too am having the same issue. I am working on contacting a layer to file a class action suit.

Please contact me with your name and email address if you would like to be involved in this suit.

Brian

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 3 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 08, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Jul 08, 2008
Answers
3
Questions
0
Helped
28770
Points
2

It seems that the manufacturer of the Polaroid FLM-373b HDTV either used the wrong parts or there is a design problem. I found someone on the internet who said they replaced two capacitors on the power board and it started working just fine (see solution #8 above). I took the power board out of mine and sure enough the two caps with the 10v markings were swelled. I replaced them with two 25v caps and it is working just fine. All the other caps on the power board were 16v and above. So, I would assume they were shipped the wrong parts or they just put the wrong caps in to begin with. If you want to send me your power board I will fix it for $50.00 plus shipping.

send inquires to:
mott414@@yahoo.com (remove second @)

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Vice President:

An expert whose answer got voted for 100 times.

Governor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 20 times.

  • Contributor 15 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 04, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Vice President:

An expert whose answer got voted for 100 times.

Governor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 20 times.

Joined: Jul 04, 2008
Answers
15
Questions
1
Helped
39521
Points
25

Http://www.fixya.com/support/t293971-37_polaroid_lcd_tv_turn

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 2 Answers
  • Posted on Jun 30, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Jun 30, 2008
Answers
2
Questions
0
Helped
28736
Points
1

I also dished out a grand for their flm-373B and got the shaft cause my warranty expired 3 months after my warranty date. Luckily I found a brand new control box on EBAY for a cheap price and havent had I problem since and that was 3 months ago.
There's a Polaroid Assembly Control Box #909-KEO-GF371XAH that was posted on ebay a couple days ago. It might be the way some might have to go since Polaroid's not stepping up and taking care of their customers!!!!!!

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Jun 24, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Dec 08, 2007
Answers
1
Questions
1
Helped
28149
Points
1

Exact same problem!
Checked the capacitors - they were fine -
It figures I would get ripped off - usually do.

  • writeclick Jan 09, 2011

    I'm sure my Polaroid LCD is experiencing the same capacitor failure described by so many other here. However, here is a alternative (albeit non-ideal and temporary) solution:

    1) Turn on the TV and make sure the blue light is showing. Also ensure that you have either your cable or satellite box turned on.
    2) Put a blanket over the TV. Be sure it covers all the vents in back.
    3) Wait an hour or so.
    4) Turn off the power to the TV, and turn it right back on again quickly (this is most easily done with a power strip or by unplugging and plugging back in, because sometimes the power button won't work).
    5) At this point, one of three things will happen:
    i. no picture, no sound...SOLUTION--repeat above steps.
    ii. sound only, and maybe the backlighting turns on, but no sound...SOLUTION--turn the power back off and on again quickly; repeat until you get a picture with sound.
    iii. The TV is working (although perhaps with a hum or bad picture)...SOLUTION--buy a Sony next time, but for now, enjoy the game, because you've just avoided having to take apart electronics on your day off, yippee!!! After the game is over, go to Craigslist.org for your city and put up an ad to hire some kid to replace the capacitors for you. Give him $50 to do it.

    Why does the blanket work? My guess is that it traps the heat and causes the unit to warm up enough that the undersized capacitors which shipped with the unit don't have to provide as much juice to start it up.
    4)

×

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Apr 09, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Mar 12, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

Getting my 3rd control box today, tech is on his way out to put it in. called polaroid andtalked to manager he told me that if this one doesn't work then they will ship out new t.v. 2day express. good thing is they don't make 37" inch t.v. anymore so suprise suprise i get a 40" with new warranty!!! trust me don't give up keep bothering them call them every other day until they do something about it don't let them smooth talk you and also do not talk to customer support ask for manager you get better results. also mention that you went online and seen that there are about 100 different people that have the same problem with same style t.v. it makes them feel like **** and they also don't want people to spread the word that there t.v.s **** so believe it or not if you stay on them and raise your voice they will listen and fix t.v. or replace it i gaurantee that!

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Apr 08, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Jan 07, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

I just wanted to update what happened to me. I called polorid and they agreed to send out a replacement part on back order. Like previously indicated I was to call an 800 number to schedule installation. Sounded like a run around but it worked ...well sort of. Like previously stated the part shipped didn't work and the tech got on the phone with them. Just mention to them is smells like something is burning and they offered to end out a new TV. After waiting they sent a new tv with new warranty and sent a box for me to ship the old one which I did. No problems so far.... fingers are crossed!

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 3 Answers
  • Posted on Apr 08, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Feb 19, 2008
Answers
3
Questions
0
Helped
28460
Points
5

I posted in this forum about the same thing. My tv was 2 weeks out of warranty. Polaroid said there was a 45 day grace period. So they sent a new control box and had a repair tech come out. The first one didn't work but they sent out a second box and I put it in myself. Complain and ask for a manager if you have to.

A

Anonymous

Try changing the fuse in the back..

A

Anonymous

Try a different input

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Oct 04, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Oct 04, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

I also have a 37" poloroid FLM 373b and it will not come on, Sarted out could un plug and then come on but will not come on at all.

Anonymous

Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Governor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 20 times.

Hot-Shot:

An expert who has answered 20 questions.

  • Expert 51 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 27, 2008
Anonymous
Expert
Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Governor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 20 times.

Hot-Shot:

An expert who has answered 20 questions.

Joined: Jun 05, 2008
Answers
51
Questions
10
Helped
57533
Points
116

Same problem I have the flm-3732 and you do not have to replace the whole control box. The power supply board inside the control box is the problem. The power supply is made by Element Electronics and also used in Element lcd tvs. My power supply board # is mlt070a and it is $135. on ebay or on shopjimmy.com it is very easy to replace take out control box unscrew the cover (3 screws) then 4 screws hold in the power supply board and a couple of connectors will need to be unplugged. If you are going to try this be very careful when removing the control box there's a connector coming out of the box that plugs into the top underneath the box not too much slack so don't rip it. It is very easy to do even if you don't know what you're doing it should only take about a half hour. Please remember my tv is the flm-3732 so take out your board first and make sure yours is the same example: I know the flm-3701 board isn't even close to the board in my flm-3732 so not all 37" have the same parts. Good luck

  • Anonymous Dec 26, 2008

    Ok so I'm not the most honest person in the world but I don't care because Polaroid is a bunch of crooks, I emailed the Ceo of Polaroid (got his email from the contact us link on the website) about my FLM-3732 same problem as all of you, the tv was about 1.5 yrs old and I went crazy in an email telling him the company produced tvs purposely knowing they'd fail right after 1 yr. I told him Polaroid screwed me so I would make it a point to cost them a lot more than the $1200 the tv cost.(haha I paid $100. "as is" on Craigslist cuz it was already broken) I told him I was gonna make a website called Polaroidlcdtvsux.com that way anytime anyone googled Polaroid Lcd Tv my website would come up with everyone's horrible comments about their broken tvs and deter people from buying them, then I ended it with "all I wanted was a power board I'm sure they're a dime a dozen to you" I was really just talking **** but it worked I got a brand new control box FedEx overnight and return shipping paid for the old one to go back. Now it's a perfectly functional tv. He did want a receipt so I did go through the trouble of making a fake Amazon.com receipt just to show proof of purchase, if anyone needs the receipt I'll forward it to you let me know, you'll just have to change the name address and serial # easy to do.

×

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Problem Solver:

An expert who has answered 5 questions.

  • Contributor 7 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 03, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Problem Solver:

An expert who has answered 5 questions.

Joined: Jul 03, 2008
Answers
7
Questions
0
Helped
29860
Points
5

I have found a guy who fixes this specific problem at www.mikecampagna.com/Polaroid

Anonymous

Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

  • Contributor 1 Answer
  • Posted on Oct 16, 2008
Anonymous
Contributor
Level 1:

An expert who has achieved level 1.

Joined: Oct 16, 2008
Answers
1
Questions
0
Helped
28149
Points
1

It worked. I replaced the two bad capcitors on the control board and presto. Thank you for solving this. I just about threw away my expensive HDTV, but for only 20 bucks it now works. I hope we can let more people know.

Randy

2 Related Answers

Anonymous

  • 1 Answer
  • Posted on Mar 02, 2008

SOURCE: 37" polaroid lcd tv won't turn on

I have the same problem, very unreliable, just tried solution posted on this board and it worked. Turn on - while LED Bliinks push the channel button - also tap back a few times not too hard not too soft - possible problem(s) here, as suggested on tyhis board, capacitors (sic?), poor soldering connection, (In which case tapping might make it worse, but if you have no pic, nothing lost nothing gained), good luck, repair work suggested at about 200 bucks on this board.

Ad

Anonymous

  • 2 Answers
  • Posted on Oct 30, 2008

SOURCE: 37" polaroid lcd tv won't turn on

Here's the fix:

http://www.fixya.com/support/t293971-37_polaroid_lcd_tv_turn

I had the same problem with mine. Replaced the capacitors and now it works. When you open the back of the tv up, the problem is with the 2 capacitors on the upper left of the top card. Mine didn't look damaged except for a very, very slight bulge on the top. If you've never soldered anything, you might want to take it to someone who has, otherwise, it's a pretty simple fix. I was surprised I could do it so easily.

If the warranty is still good, make Polaroid replace it. They make shoddy products and should pay for it. And never buy another Polaroid again.

Add Your Answer

×

Uploading: 0%

my-video-file.mp4

Complete. Click "Add" to insert your video. Add

×

Loading...
Loading...

Related Questions:

1helpful
1answer

37" Polaroid HD LCD black display but appears to be "on"

The power supply board was having problems before.That the board,where the power a/c cord plug into it Now might also the Tuner board are dead too.The tv Tuner board,that the board where the tv broscast signal cable plug into it.That the Tuner board.Tries Websites like shopjimmy.com,Ebay.com to buy a refurbish power supply board for the replacement to see if solved the problem,not probally will have to buy the refurbish Tuner board for the replacement too.
1helpful
1answer

POWERS UP BUT NO PICTURE OR SOUND WILL NOT SHUT OFF POLAROID 37" HD LCD TV-2 YEARS OLD

my POlaroid 37" did same thing blue light stayed on no pic or sound was 2 electrolytic caps on power supply board took back off and they were noticably bulged at top radio shack sells these caps at $3 apiece fixed mine works like new saw a video on here how to do it
5helpful
2answers

I have a Polaroid 37" LCD TV (FLM3732)

it could be 2 caps on the power board, i had the same problem and for $3.39 at Radio Shack solved it.
There is a link on hre with pictures and instructions from stiv0, that works. Of course your on your own if you try it.
0helpful
1answer

TV wont show picture but redlight and blue light come on.

Go to youtube.com. search, Polaroid 37 lcd hd repair. Two or three vids on how to fix. Radio shack has 45 watt capacitators for about 4.70 for two. Easy fix or get someone to help.
1helpful
1answer

Blue power light flashes No picture on a 37 HDTV/LCD Polaroid -

this might help

http://www.fixya.com/support/r741402-polaroid_flm_373b_lcd_tv_black_screen
3helpful
1answer

37" polaroid lcd tv won't turn on

Here's the fix:

http://www.fixya.com/support/t293971-37_polaroid_lcd_tv_turn

I had the same problem with mine. Replaced the capacitors and now it works. When you open the back of the tv up, the problem is with the 2 capacitors on the upper left of the top card. Mine didn't look damaged except for a very, very slight bulge on the top. If you've never soldered anything, you might want to take it to someone who has, otherwise, it's a pretty simple fix. I was surprised I could do it so easily.

If the warranty is still good, make Polaroid replace it. They make shoddy products and should pay for it. And never buy another Polaroid again.
0helpful
1answer

My TV won't turn on

That was my problem.

http://www.fixya.com/support/t293971-37_polaroid_lcd_tv_turn
0helpful
1answer

37" polaroid lcd tv won't turn on

I have the same problem, very unreliable, just tried solution posted on this board and it worked. Turn on - while LED Bliinks push the channel button - also tap back a few times not too hard not too soft - possible problem(s) here, as suggested on tyhis board, capacitors (sic?), poor soldering connection, (In which case tapping might make it worse, but if you have no pic, nothing lost nothing gained), good luck, repair work suggested at about 200 bucks on this board.
0helpful
1answer

BROKEN TV

Polaroid has a 1 year manufacturers in-home warranty on 32+ inch TV's. Contact them and they should send someone to fix the TV for you.

http://www.polaroid.com/company_info/ww.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441765894%3FFOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id%3D2534374302029019&bmUID=1202320078795&bmLocale=en_US

Since it is still under warranty make it Polaroids "problem"

hope that helps!
0helpful
1answer

37 inch LCD TV

These Polaroid LCD sets all fail like this. Bad power supplies. Call the warranty number and demand to have the main module replaced even if it is out of warranty.
Not finding what you are looking for?

28,159 views

Ask a Question

Usually answered in minutes!

Top Polaroid Televison & Video Experts

matt martin
matt martin

Level 3 Expert

1259 Answers

Cindy Wells

Level 3 Expert

6679 Answers

Paul Bade

Level 3 Expert

1818 Answers

Are you a Polaroid Televison and Video Expert? Answer questions, earn points and help others

Answer questions

Manuals & User Guides

Loading...