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by squidgedcricket 617 days ago
I think that's no longer true for modern flatscreen TVs. Older CRT TVs had caps charged to a dangerously high voltage, but all the caps on an LED/LCD TV should be a low enough voltage to be touch safe.
4 comments

Mains will still kill you, even if its not 3.3kv or what was needed to run a CRT.

Its always best to work out where the mains PSU is, and either cover/isolate it so that you don't touch it by accident. Even if turned off, there is a non-insigificant risk that there is either mains power lying around or some other large charge/current ready to bite.

THe back of the inlet is also tends to be a hazard, so be really careful around there too.

Can't echo this enough. If you're working on anything that has been connected to residential mains... use a multimeter. They're cheap! Check the power supply for residual voltage from PSU caps. Discharge them safely before working on the equipment!
How do you discharge them safely?
The correct answer is "bleeder resistor."

The other answer is "pliers."

(Make a connection across the terminals that have a voltage difference)

If the maximum voltage is within range, a neon line tester with the button grounded should work well. When the light goes out, the remaining voltage is below the sustain voltage of the neon lamp.

That kind of tester is usually built into a screwdriver and often comes free with some electrical items. They are maybe $2 otherwise.

Except for the switching power supply, where you have capacitors charged at (rectified) mains voltage so around 155 or 325 volts depending on where you are. They should discharge relatively quickly, but they might be dangerous for a few minutes.
Touch safe, how about lick safe?
That’s what flyback transformers were for. If you licked them, you’d fly back.
Some older flat panels use “cold-cathode fluorescent display backlights” and they’re driven by a high-voltage inverter, I believe - so it’s still a good idea to be wary.