Is my TV doomed?

[Shinerman]

OK, The Shinerman actually has a question this time. I know, I know, Shinerman knows everything. How can he have a question? Actually, I know just about nothing when it comes to TV's.

My TV is a standard 32" Hitachi (CRT?). It's about 8 years old. Last night I noticed a blue cast to the upper right corner of the screen. It probably takes up about 20% of the entire screen. I did the usual banging and poking and pulling and nothing. With the TV that is.

Is this thing doomed? Please say it is. I really need a big new widescreen HD TV but the wife won't give in until this one goes. Have my prayers been answered?

Any advise on what the problem is and if it's fixable?

And no, I don't have any unshielded speakers or magnets next to the screen. My speakers are shielded and about 3 feet away. The center is below the TV.

Shinerman

 

[HookedOnSound]

Blue cast? something like a rainbow? Why not post a digital pic?

Maybe it needs to be degaussed? Look to see if you have this feature integrated in your TV, it is usually accessible via a menu option.

It might be malfunctioning but I would seriously look at degaussing it first. 7-8 yrs is about the avg. life of a CRT so you've been one of the lucky ones....

 

[nav]

Most TV CRTs seem to degauss when turned off long enough and then turned back on. You can usually hear it when it happens. Make sure to leave the TV off long enough for it to no longer be in a stand-by state (remove the power cord if you have to) before turning it back on. Sometimes it will take multiple attempts, but make sure to space them out over a certain amount of time (off for half an hour or so is more than safe) so as not to damage anything.

My (brand new, at the time) Toshiba 27" CRT started turning blue in one of the corners. I turned it off for about an hour (got distracted ), turned it back on and it was all better. It hasn't happened since.

If you're lucky you'll find a manual deguass function, but I've only seen those on SVGA monitors. There are external degaussers you can purchase as well, but they're trickier to use (and don't have good results on certain problems).

If it doesn't appear to be getting any better (or you really want that new TV ), the solution is probably something harder.

 

[Shinerman]

I've tried to find a degauss function but it looks like the TV does not have one. That's the first thing I tried. I have left the TV off for 10 or so hours twice now and I still get the blue. It's off right now so maybe the third time is the charm.

I might be able to take some photos tonight and post them. It's just blue color cast. No other colors and highlights the upper right corner about 5 to 6 inches out from the corner.

I'll cross my fingers that it's NOT fixable, Uh Huh, Uh Huh, I mean fixable.

Shinerman

 

[Leprkon]

don't just leave it off... unplug it too...

(makes it easier to haul off)

 

[basementtheater]

I think the TV is is on it's deathbed. Not seing the problem and seing what has been done so far in an attempt to fix the TV, I think it is time to go and buy that new HDTV!!!!! I have not been having any luck with standard CRT televisions over the last 5 years or so (2 of them. 1 Zienith, the other 1 can not remember the brand, both 27") the tube started flaking after about 2 years of use with each. My point is that 8 years is a long time for a TV in my book.

I hope this helps......Have fun shopping!!!!!

DG

 

[Shinerman]

IT'S ALIVE!!!!! Dangit!

I got home yesterday and the blue cast was still there when I plug it back in and turned it on. I thought, HDTV here I come. I called the wife at work and started my "pitch". I even got a budget of about $3kish. She likes Plasma and I like DLP. As I was talking to her on the phone I went back into the Den and turned the TV back on and the blue was gone? Two things went through my mind, unplug it and take it out to the curb and tell her it went completely out or tell the truth. I HATE BEING A GOOD GUY! Oh well.
Hopefully it will come back and I can get a new TV. I think I am going to start looking around anyway. I think I can actually "will" my TV to it's death.

Anyway, thanks for the advise and hopefully the next thread I start will be a
"Which one of these TVs."

Shinerman

 

[BMXTRIX]

All it takes is a strong will - enough to sweat... so you need some water... which 'ooops' might get spilled on said TV.

Really, some people drive their cars for 500,000 miles and then still feel like they haven't gotten their money's worth. Others replace them every 5 years no matter what. There is a happy medium by which you also need to find for your electronics. It's been 4-8 years... time to do some TV shopping if there is better out there. Move the old one to a guest room.

 

[Mort Corey]

IIRC, Hitachi used to incorporate the blue hue as a warning device for possible transduction capacitence overload in their circuitry which showed eminent danger of fire and or explosion. It's possible that you have reset the circuit, but I'd sure not take that chance.

Mort

 

[Shinerman]

IIRC, Hitachi used to incorporate the blue hue as a warning device for possible transduction capacitence overload in their circuitry which showed eminent danger of fire and or explosion. It's possible that you have reset the circuit, but I'd sure not take that chance.

Mort

Fire? Explosion? My wife will freak.

Shinerman

 

[Leprkon]

does your wife have a "less fortunate" relative who might benefit, even for a short period of time, from a kind donation ?

 

[sjdgpt]

I love CRT's and hate loosing even one of them.

I would look for a new home for the old CRT.

Besides, you might find out that you like your old CRT is better than anything else on the market.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

So, did the blue streak come back? If not, take a nice powerful magnet and hold it to the screen for a while. That should bring it back.

 

[Shinerman]

So, did the blue streak come back? If not, take a nice powerful magnet and hold it to the screen for a while. That should bring it back.

No, not back yet. Still waiting.

Shinerman

 

[rgriffin25]

Try this

Have you moved it recently? Have you had any lightning storms lately? Both are known to be culprits for magnetizing a screen. I have even seen spots show up on a TV if you face it a different direction.

A CRT TV Degausses itself everytime you turn it off. Turn it on and off several times in a row. It might just do the trick.

 

[ducker]

Another couple of ideas. Any telephones near your TV? I was suprised to find that a (cheaper) telephone that I left on top of a TV for a couple of days started to magnetize my TV. Luckily I caught it quick enough that no perminate damamge was done.

And, I'm going way out on a limb here, but have you contacted Hitachi about the screen? They might give you kind of explination on what's up.