Samsung 5.1 systen - PROT error

After just over a year, and little use, my home cinema system has developed the dreaded Samsung "PROT" feature. It shows this error and powers down. The 5.1 sound is dead. I can coax it to play a DVD and get sound via the HDMI from the TV speakers.

Seems loads of these fail around a year old (mine is 14 months old!!!).

Because the box has the built in 5.1 amp (which is dead), anyone any ideas where and what DVD 5.1 system to buy which will have the 5.1 amp built in - I don't want to buy another system with all the speakers again!!! Cost me enough the first time round.

Cheers,

Rob

PS. I bet C*m*t won't do anything about it coz the 1 years manuf warranty is up.

So you checked the speakers aren't shorting?

Yup ... checked.

Still does PROT when the HDMI, the optical feed and all 6 speakers are disconnected.

Also, quite telling, is that in the SETUP menu, when in the audio section, the "Test Tone" section is now not available.

All points to the audio section being dead as a dodo.

The way I can get the player to work is to have the HDMI plugged in, then, with the player off, I go to the input selection part of the TV (also a nice Samsung), and get it ready to switch to the DVD input. I then power on the DVD and while it's twiddling its thumbs for about 5 or 6 seconds before it barfs, I hit the select on the TV and this then takes me to the DVD's menu screen. Once there, I can open the tray, put in a DVD and it all works (but with no 5.1).

Just annoyed it's died after 14 months. But, from looking on tinternet, this does not seem to be unusual even taking out the obvious ones which have overheated etc ..

Cheers,

Rob

PS Was thinking about popping into someone like Richer Sounds and see what they have lying around on the shelves - often have good, but old stock around. Love my Missions I got from them many moons ago - replaced my huge 770's which I bought when Lasky's opened a store here (store only lasted 2 years) - but they had these monsters on for 30% RRP! It was these or the BBC BC1's ...

Oh well,

Got another box from fleabay ... one of the shops selling off demo models, but no speakers.

Cost me £90 ... when I set it up, the speakers buzzed for a bit ... then it all settled down and is fine. Probably a little damp from the transit.

Also, this one starts up with "Digital In" as the default, which is good, coz my SKY+ box goes into the optical. (The broken one came up with a different default input, and it was a pain to select the optical).

Push in a dvd, and it switches the TV to this HDMI channel as well. So, all works just fine - in fact better.

Might have a poke around inside the broken one ... maybe there's a fuse lurking to protect the speaker/amp circuit? Otherwise, might have a go at finding which chips are required and try a fix ... you never know, a bit of nifty work with a "soddering iron" may work wonders ...

Cheers,

HNY

Rob