The power supply board (PSU) is the first stop for mains power inside a TV: it converts 220V AC into the several DC rails the mainboard, backlight and speakers each need. Because everything downstream depends on it, a power board fault is the classic reason a TV appears completely dead — no lights, no standby glow, nothing.
South African conditions are hard on power boards specifically: surges when mains returns after load shedding, and repeated on/off cycling as the grid drops, both stress the electrolytic capacitors that smooth the board's output. A modest surge protector at the wall extends a power board's life dramatically.
The classic tell-tale is a TV that clicks or attempts to start (a brief light, a faint click from the board) and then dies — that pattern points squarely at failed or bulging capacitors, one of the most common and most economical TV repairs there is.
Brands we fit and service
The power supply board market splits into hardware built for South African conditions and lookalikes that fail at the first hard season. These are the manufacturers we trust on our installations:
- Samsung
- LG
- Sony
- Hisense
- TCL
- Philips
See our brand guides for how these manufacturers compare.
When the power supply board goes wrong
These are the failures we're called to most often — each with its symptoms, causes and our fix on the dedicated problems page:
- TV won't turn on at allNo standby LED — No standby light, no sound, no picture — the TV is completely unresponsive to the remote or the power button.
- TV clicks but wont start — A faint click or pop from inside the TV every time you try to switch it on, then nothing.
- Standby light on but nothing happens — The standby LED glows normally, but pressing power does nothing — no backlight, no sound, no boot sequence.
- TV powers off by itself — The TV turns on fine but shuts down after minutes or hours, sometimes worse when it is warm.
- Burning smell or visible damage — A burnt smell from the TV, scorch marks on the board, or a component that has visibly failed.
Need this fixed or installed?
Our TV Power Board Repair service covers power supply board work — quoted upfront and backed by our 12-month workmanship warranty.