Vitron SM26 Smart TV - HDMI Port Repair (September 2025)

Another shop botched the HDMI port replacement on this Vitron SM26. Lifted pads, damaged traces, complete mess. Customer brought it to me to fix their fix.

Assessing the Damage

Someone had tried to replace the HDMI port. They used way too much heat and lifted several pads. Then they tried to solder jumper wires but did it wrong.

The HDMI port was barely attached. Several pins had no connection at all.

The Repair Process

First, removed the botched HDMI port completely. Cleaned up all the pads with desoldering wick and flux.

Several pads were completely gone. Had to trace where they connected and run jumper wires.

Used 38AWG magnet wire for the jumpers. It's thin enough to work with tiny pads and traces.

Soldered the jumper wires from the HDMI pin locations to the destination points on the board. Secured them with UV glue.

Then installed a new HDMI port, carefully soldering each pin.

Testing and Verification

Connected an HDMI source. Perfect picture and sound. Tested all HDMI features including ARC. Everything worked.

Let it run for 24 hours to make sure the connections were solid.

Lessons Learned

HDMI port replacement requires patience and the right technique. Too much heat lifts pads. Not enough flux causes bridges.

If you're not comfortable with fine-pitch SMD soldering, don't attempt HDMI port replacement. You'll make it worse.

This is a common failure on Vitron LED TV models. The ports are fragile and people don't treat them gently.