TV BRANDS (help needed)

I need the brand of a reliable TV that you have used in close proximity to your bird. The one that my parents had is off-gassing and they want a better one for our next visit...and not a $600 expense... lol--- I am not sure what caused it, but the TV definitely caused extreme (potentially deadly) respiratory issues...Once we knew what was happening, it was unplugged and removed, but it seemed to be working fine...I have noticed the smell around computers and flat-screens in the past and commented on it, but having been in the room, my nose had adjusted.

I have a 50" Phillips that has been on 12 hours plus a day for the last 10 years next to the cage still working great. Also have three 32" Element TV in the garage that are six years old (two for the computer and one for cable). No issues with any of them.

Noodles, how did you know something was happening? How could you tell it was off gassing?

Vizio is the brand we e used a couple of with Parker around and no problems at all

Laurasea said:

Noodles, how did you know something was happening? How could you tell it was off gassing?

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Bird started acting weirdly tired---everyone in the room said she probably just didn't sleep well. I wasn't convinced (it was very subtle at first, but she was acting way too docile--especially if she was tired (normally, she would be bratty if tired)). When I picked her up, I heard slight wheezing (which grew louder). I set her back down on her perch (because I had no idea what was causing it ) and over time, her beak was opening wide with each breath and one of her eyes was periodically shutting. I proclaimed that something was VERY wrong and removed her immediately (panicked and unsure as to the cause, but desperate). When I returned to the room to open windows, I smelled an electronic/plastic smell coming from the TV vent (which I have smelled before in other people's homes). The wiring etc is fine in that room and the TV wasn't broken to our knowledge, but that was the source of the smell. My whole family was worried for the bird and they generally think I am nervous, but this scared them too..It was bad. She stopped within an hour of being removed from the TV/it being removed and windows open. During her time of distress, she also attacked (drew blood ) on people who she NEVER bites. We all smelled the plastic after re-entering the room- including my dad who didn't know what was going who/hadn't been home. The scent wasn't super strong, but very electronic....It is hard to describe but I often smell it at people's homes where there are computers in tight spaces etc. I should mention that the door has been shut with the TV off and issues haven't occurred. Again, the smell wasn't noticeable while in the room (it took walking away and re-entering to notice it, and even then, it wasn't super intense, but it was undeniable).


PS: When we visit, my parents don't use any teflon, aerosols, paints, markers, etc etc..I have always done my homework in that department...and before that TV, birds had no issue in that room.
The only other possibility is that furniture caused it, but it is room specific and the furniture is older than the TV (over 6 years).

Walking around on thin ice here, but it sounds like a problem with the power convertor (supply) that 'could' be overheating or operating hotter than it should.

Visit a big box store like Best Buy. Ask to see any LED unit that is in the price range that you can afford. You want a current unit (2018) that comes with an onscreen set-up and a channel search and select feature. Do not get crazy about abilities above 1080 dp, 3D, curved screen or advanced sound system. Most TV use will never take advantage of those abilities.

You are quickly coming to the end of the sweet spot in getting last year units at discount prices. The new model units are already arriving.

FYI 1: You are likely going to be shocked at just how lite weight these things are. Also, they do not want to be placed on their side. So, you are going to need a rear side door that opens wide or an SUV that drops it third roll of seats. Take blankets or like that can be used to keep it upright!

FYI 2: New units do not include anything beyond a 110V AC electrical cord and plug and that is it! Anything else, you need to buy or have before leaving for home unless you like to drive back to get additional stuff.

Name brand are commonly top end and more expensive. I have a 50+ Sony at home that was top end and is now 6 years old. Bought an off brand for the cabin two years ago the same size for a third the money and pretty much the same TV viewing quality.

The one my parents had is super light-weight and new by my standards (under 6 years and a flat screen) but it produces smells that the old ones didn't...When you say power-supply, are you referring to the TV or the wall?

Even the lightest TV's become heavy when you are trying to mount them to a wall mount LOL.

I bought a medium sized LG 4K tv 42" or so for the bedroom about 2 years ago. no smell, no problems.
4K is over-rated. I can't tell the deference when watching a movie, even new movies. The nature vids in 4K are a different matter. They look great.

Power supplies (converts 110 VAC to DC) can fail regardless of age. Their failure is ether 100% dead, or a slow failure when they begin to overheat. It can happen on top end units or the cheapest of the cheap! The reduced weight is the lack of support for the screen, etc... Sadly, the slow failure can only be picked up on by the smell.

noodles, my recollection from your original post on the TV was that you didn't smell anything and then you did. I also assume that you have been at your parents with that tv on in the past and didn't smell anything.

If that was the case then something in that TV has begun to fail and overheat, producing the smell. I've been around a bunch of LED TV's and none of them have smelled and as a matter of fact, none of the new LED TV's even get warm so there is really nothing to smell.

I would just pick one in your price range. Most name brand TV's are pretty cheap now (entry level)

bill_e said:

noodles, my recollection from your original post on the TV was that you didn't smell anything and then you did. I also assume that you have been at your parents with that tv on in the past and didn't smell anything.


If that was the case then something in that TV has begun to fail and overheat, producing the smell. I've been around a bunch of LED TV's and none of them have smelled and as a matter of fact, none of the new LED TV's even get warm so there is really nothing to smell.

I would just pick one in your price range. Most name brand TV's are pretty cheap now (entry level)

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I think the smell was there the whole time after whatever heated started to produce it because my sister stayed in there and until she left, she couldn't smell it either.

Last summer, we had Noodles in that room while the TV was on and she started doing some tail-bobbing while breathing, but she was having other health issues at the time, so, while I removed her from the room (in anticipation of taking her to the vet) I didn't assume that there was a connection between some sort of toxin within the room--I never went back in to investigate, and my nose would have been adjusted while in the room.

It wasn't until she had issues again (1 year later and in the same situation) that I put two and two together (plus, I noticed the scent this time, since I went back in there to open windows)... Note: I was opening windows all over the house as a last resort (not because I had noticed any fumes, but because the onset was sudden and severe)---I returned to the living room and detected a faint plastic/electronic scent (like a hot computer) but I wouldn't have gone back in there at all if t hadn't been to open the windows. My mom had been in and out of the room when the smell would have been present and until I pointed it out to her, she didn't notice it...SO it's really weird. My sister and I were in there watching movies, and the only reason we left was because the bird was acting weird.

I hope something is off with the TV, but at the same time, I have smelled this scent before in other people's homes and in schools...It is like the smell that comes from the vent of a hot computer....Does that make sense kind of? It isn't SUPER strong...It is electronic smelling and pretty mild...I'm wondering if it could be normal and if it normally just goes unnoticed.
I wonder if it isn't just the smell makes when it has been on for a few hours....We normally have the french doors open, but we shut them so all of the air was more concentrated...we also don't normally run it for 4 hours.

I found a lot of websites discussing off-gassing electronics and it would be awesome if I could find out whether this is normal or not-- I know it seems like something must have gone wrong, but the doors to that room are normally open (so any past smells would have been impossible to detect)...I am just kind of traumatized by all of it.


https://molekule.com/blog/what-you-should-know-about-vocs-and-off-gassing/
https://toxicfreefuture.org/pr-flame-retardants-tvs/


I know the links above are a bit....ermmm....."green" for my taste, but I do know that electronics can/do produce chemicals when operating properly.

all tvs are safe for parrots, and all tvs have a risk of failure, and will eventually fail. I don't think there are any issues with modern tvs, but there's always a risk of something freaky happening. I wouldn't worry about it, if the tv seems unsafe, recycle it.