If you swapped the eMMC from a working Sony LCD TV board to a non-working board and now the eMMC doesn’t work anymore, that means there’s more going on than just “memory chip bad or good.”
Here’s what’s likely happening and how to fix it:
1️⃣ Why eMMC Swap Fails Between Boards
Sony mainboards (and most smart TVs) store not only firmware but also:
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Security keys (HDCP keys, DRM licenses, Netflix keys, Google Widevine keys for Android TVs)
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Board-specific calibration data (panel type, LVDS mapping, white balance, backlight curve)
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Bootloader tied to CPU/SOC ID
→ Many Sony boards “lock” firmware to the original SoC, so swapping eMMC to a different board can cause a boot block mismatch and brick it.
2️⃣ Common Results After a Bad Swap
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TV stuck on logo or no boot at all.
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TV power LED blinking error codes.
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eMMC unreadable or “protected” in programmer.
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TV shows distorted image (wrong panel data).
3️⃣ Correct Method to Repair
Instead of directly swapping the eMMC, you need to clone its contents to the faulty board’s chip or program it with a compatible dump.
Method A — Chip Clone
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Read the working eMMC fully with an ISP programmer (RT809H, EasyJTAG, UPA, etc.).
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Save the dump.
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Write that dump to the faulty board’s original eMMC.
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Keep the faulty board’s original chip — it contains matching serial keys.
Method B — Merge Boot + User Data
Sometimes only the system partitions are needed from the working board.
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Read the BOOT1, BOOT2, USERDATA partitions from the working board.
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Merge them with the faulty board’s secure area dump.
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Write merged dump back to faulty board’s eMMC.
Method C — New Blank eMMC + Fresh Software
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Install a new, same-size eMMC chip.
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Program it with a full dump (boot + user area) for your exact Sony model and mainboard.
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If dump not available → use Sony’s USB recovery mode after programming minimal boot sectors.
4️⃣ Testing the eMMC
Before blaming the chip:
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Test eMMC with eMMC tester or programmer’s “Check Health” function.
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Check life cycle count — if it’s near end-of-life, it’s safer to replace.
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Look for bad blocks — if many are in critical boot areas, chip is unreliable.
5️⃣ Power & Signal Checks
Before and after chip work:
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Ensure eMMC has stable power (1.8V and 3.3V rails).
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Check CLK, CMD, DAT lines for activity with oscilloscope on power-up.
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If no activity, CPU/SOC could be faulty — not the eMMC.
💡 Pro Tip for Sony Android TVs
If you have the original faulty board’s eMMC dump, you can flash only the system image from a good dump but keep the DRM/secure partitions from the original — this keeps Netflix, YouTube, and Android services working.
