Blink

Our TV won't turn on.

We had just hooked up satellite radio in the house and run it through the stereo. While we were at it, we hooked the television audio into the stereo as well. The plan is for more music and less TV.

So when we wanted to watch the full first season of Flight of the Conchords on DVD and in stereo, and the TV went dumb, we thought it was our fault.

Two days later, after hours of double-checking and resetting and calling 800 numbers and googling, we discover it's not us. It's the TV. Specifically, it's the garbage capacitors in the power supply.

When you call Samsung, they answer quickly. Then they play dumb, like a capacitor problem is news to them.

But when you google "Samsung power supply repair" on YouTube, you see that the best of the scores of choices has been viewed 128,000 times. One of them is us. We learned enough to forget soldering replacement capacitors ($30) ourselves and just ordering a new power supply board for $110.

We also learned there's a two-year old with a bright future in either electronics or the theater.

At one point in Part Two, and on cue, Milo takes the capacitor from his  hand, holds it up, looks directly into the camera, and somberly explains, "Vee-see poodit pee-ay."

You can hear his mom barely containing herself.

Thanks, Milo. We understand.

copyright 2010 J. O'Brien, all rights reserved