Once again, this may not be the place to pose this question but I thought I'd ask just in case.

I have an older Sony 46" rear projection TV (it must be at least 14 years old) The TV has been a good TV over the years. I'm thinking it must be geting tired as the picture is starting to not look so good. The colors are becoming purplish/red and no matter how much adjstment with the controls, it seems as though it can't be corrected. It also seems as though each channel is different and that what looks good on one for a fix, doesn't look so good on the next.

Are my CRT's tired? Can this be adjusted out by a tech guy? I've had this guy out before and he did do a good job of bring back the colr but this time the TV is looking worst.

(PS, make sure that all the responses include the phrase "your TV is dead" so that the wifey see's it and then I'll be back in a few days asking advice on a new TV)

Thanks -

MArk W

Your TV is dead. 14 years is a good long life for a rear projection. Time for a plasma.

Your TV is Toast.

Forget Plasma... Time for a 100" Front Projection setup.

Your TV can be fixed for the price of a nice new TV. Not a good deal when new technology will give you a much better picture. Yes the CRT's need replacing.

When you are ready to talk new set, describe the room, any built in furniture that needs to be accommodated, the viewing distance from your best chairs, the amount of light in the room and your viewing habits (when and what you watch). If you have any alternate rooms (basement?), tell us about it.

Sit your wife down in front of a TV that's working ok and measure how close she can sit, before the picture looks fuzzy to her (that's your NTSC viewing angle). Now, have her sit in front of your computer monitor with a high res photo on the screen. Measure how close she can sit before the picture looks artificial (that's HDTV viewing angle).

Then we can help you decide the right technology for your room. Of course you'd get better advice if you found a knowledeable custom installer to actually see your home and work with you!

If you are interested in REAL (on-site) professional help, go to CEDIA.org and find a member near you.

Best Regards,

-Eric

Eric Johnson
www.hometheaterpro.com
(Product Development and Product Launch for the Home Theater Industry)
Phone 1-800-247-7001

I was kinda in the same situation, finnally talked the wife into buying a new Sony wp 700 57", I've had int for a couple months, and any time she watches a DVD she is totaly amazed by the picture, I havent seen HD on it yet.

YOUR TV IS DEAD

cb1

When the CRTs age (you have three of them), they can lose brightness and/or lose their ability to track each other from low to high brightness scenes.

Since it's 14 now, it will never be like new. However, you can do some quick checks:

Turn OFF the color. The picture should be black and white. Lighter areas white, darker areas grey to black. If you have an overriding hue to the picture, then the tubes are at least in need of adjusting and maybe gone.

If you have a hue to the picture, turn the picture control or contrast control down so the screen is lit but really washed out. THEN, adjust the brightness from dark to light. This is the test...if for instance you have a purplish picture and it keeps the same hue from dark to light, then a tech could tweak the controls to restore a good black and white pic, then your colors will be fine. IF the screen is purple in low brightness, and fairly white in high brightness, the tubes are not tracking one another, and are probably shot. There are some video drive controls that could improve this, but...maybe not.

You need to get a good black and white pic before you can get a good color picture.

Another thing to look for is if you have one color (perhaps red) that seems to be OK at lower brightness but forms a sort of a shadow around the edges of straight lines when you turn the brightness up. That's a lack of emission or gassy tube.

Lack of emission - some techs can use a 'restoring' device which can improve it for 3 months to a couple years.

Gassy - NEED A NEW SET.

If you want to know for sure, get a tech you trust to tweak it and give you his opinion.

=Tom

your TV is DEAD

Time for a new one!



hey, this is kinda fun.. it's kinda like the time my buddy Russ's wife said 'sell your car' so we all sent him messages saying that no one would want that ugly piece of junk, it's a ticking time bomb, rusting out from under him, etc...

He got to keep it 2 more years... LOL