Is it possible that a digital cable box could blow out my TV?

Question

We had severe winds in my area last week and power went on and off for several hours. The cable went out also. The power came back on after a couple hours, but the cable did not come back. Two days later the cable did come back, but it was sporadic... When I finally got the cable back permanently, the TV blew out... I got a shrinking screen and then a thin line and it smelled like electronics burned.

The TV is maybe 9 - 10 years old. Anyway, a cable technician on the phone said that he thought the box blew out the tv. We are replacing the box, and eventually looking for a new tv.

Both were plugged into a power strip. Just wondering if it was a coincidence or not.

Answer 1

Simply, NO. The intermittent cable problem was probably another bad connection in the cable to your house. If the cable box could even damage your tv, the most damage it could do is to the tuner. Your tv's problem most likely was a vertical or power supply problem. Since you mentioned that the power went out, I assume your power company restored downed lines, bad connections, or a burned out transformer. Most likely, a power surge occurred when power was restored. This can happen when many inductive loads are started at the same time, for instance, refrigerators and air conditioners. If you are home when power goes out, unplug sensitive electronics, and wait till power is restored and be sure to wait long enough to confirm it will stay on. You didn't mention whether your outlet box had surge suppression. Either way, throw it out, and include a good one with your next tv purchase. There's no need to spend a fortune on the surge suppressor/ outlet strip, there are voltage, and other ratings which any qualified, reputable salesperson will explain.

Answer 2

I have U-verse connected to my 2nd TV. I called for a tech and they stated that their boxes were fine. I explained that the TV had been off since 6am and was working fine then... but later that morning the internet kept going down and the main box reset itself. After i noticed the box was resetting i waited for it to boot up and their was no power to my tv. Now what? I know for a fact that there were no power outages in the area and the weather was perfect.

Answer 3

Any electronic devices connected together through cables are capable if frying each other... It is possible, for example, that a lightning bolt hit the cable wires outside, and the charge passed through the cables, through your box, and into your TV.

Answer 4

anything is possible, but i wouldnt put my money on it.

Answer 5

yup,

happened 5 yrs. ago.......