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Re: [ OT ]: TV-OUT on laptop causes major damage, fire / shock



On Fri, 3 Dec 2004, Tom Bruno wrote:

> Tonight, at roughly 10:30pm 12/02/04
> 
>  I proceeded to plug my tvout adapter into my laptop to watch a dvd on 
> my tv.  I had just been a video from the cam corder, so the tv ports 
> were ok and so was the rca cable.
> 
>   When I plugged it in, all I saw was a white flash. 3 of my friends in 
> the room say that the RCA cable melted, the tv smoked inside with lots 
> of white flashing inside of it, and the RCA cable was blown out of the 
> laptop TV-OUT connector.  I with a numb arm, awoke laying on the floor.
> 
>   Looking at the rca cable, I see bare wire sticking out of where it 
> melted about 2 inches melted at each end.
> 
>    I'm still in a state of panic/shock as to what just happened.  I will
> be researching legal options now, as my laptop warranty ended because 
> the dell wouldn't let me renew because of a mix up, and other things 
> that have built up (like sending it in for fan swap to have it come back
> not even turning it on),  now this.. a laptop I'm totally terrified of 
> even turning on.
> 
>   Update to the little story,  I got a junk VCR that I have, and tried 
> to plug the RCA tv out into it. it also proceeded to fry the vcr, and 
> new rca cable.  This is a problem with the laptop.


Are you sure this is a problem with the laptop?  I'd like to get some
facts before rendering a full opinion.  Was the laptop on and running when
you attempted to plug the RCA cable into the laptop?  If the laptop was
working before this then it's hard to see how the laptop could work given
the voltages involved, especially since most if not all laptops have
wallwarts.  It's entirely possible that there was a severe (read line)  
voltage on ground but I'm still not sure how your laptop could operate in
that condition.  I'd expect the wallwart to stop working before that.

The reason why I say this (in particular your line about the junk VCR) is
that I have a friend that did cable modem installs that was working in the
demarc and suddenly found himself on the other side of a yard.  Coming to
find out the customers VCR was putting mains voltage on the shield of the
coax (how it had not melted is a good question).  It could very well be
there was a voltage on the TV/VCR and by hooking it to the laptop caused
the situation you describe.  The laptop could very well be at fault.  

Sean...

--
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	--Old 97's
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