Prolonging TV Life

[Brad]

Hi,

I have been servicing TVs for years. One thing I learned,
when I see a picture, I can usally tell if the picture tube is getting "soft"
(below normal emission). When I see this in TVs that are not very old,
I will check the picture settings (via menu), and sure enough, almost every
time, the "Contrast/Picture" and/or "Brightness" is turned up full or almost
full (high). I always reduce the settings and tell the customer. Most
times, this is the default setting from the factory, and you know what that
means? Shorten the life of the TV requires replacement sooner.

Brad

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[Sofie]

Brad:
The "conservative" settings that you recommend obviously needs to be
BALANCED with the customer enjoying a bright, clear and detailed picture,
after all this is what he paid for when he purchased a new television.
Everything has a finite life and the old saying "a light that shines twice
as bright will shine half as long" applies to most things in life.... I
think I would rather have a brilliant shorter life than a very dull long
one.

 

[Charles Schuler]

I suppose that any setting that increases the cathode current on the picture
tube will decrease its life.

 

[John]

I suppose there could be an argument for increasing the CRT heater current
near the end of the tubes life to get a few extra months of quality viewing.
John....

 

[Charles Schuler]

I suppose there could be an argument for increasing the CRT heater current
near the end of the tubes life to get a few extra months of quality
viewing.

You suppose right. Boosters often work well. About 15 years ago, I
experimented with rejuvenation which used capacitor discharge + temporary
filament voltage boost to "blast" the cathode and expose new emissive
material. Got mixed results. At best, it worked for a only short while.
Filament voltage boosters can work for years. However, I am going on past
experience and don't really know how more recent CRTs behave with boosters.

 

[Jerry G.]

The manufactures want their TV products to look very high in contrast
when out on the floor. This is why the contrast is set to 100% when the
set is out of the box. They calibrate the set, so that at maximum
contrast, the drive is just at under 10% of the maximum clip point, to
have just a little latitude.

Most customers leave the settings this way. The very high contrast
setting will wear the CRT out faster. Many of the viewers like a solid
very high contrast picture, and leave it this way. The rating of the
tube is done at the maximum contrast. Lowering the contrast to about 60%
of its maximum output will most likely nearly double the life span of
the CRT.

--

Jerry G.
======

Hi,

I have been servicing TVs for years. One thing I learned,
when I see a picture, I can usally tell if the picture tube is getting
"soft"
(below normal emission). When I see this in TVs that are not very old,
I will check the picture settings (via menu), and sure enough, almost
every
time, the "Contrast/Picture" and/or "Brightness" is turned up full or
almost
full (high). I always reduce the settings and tell the customer. Most
times, this is the default setting from the factory, and you know what
that
means? Shorten the life of the TV requires replacement sooner.

Brad

Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,
be sure there is no active key logger (spyware) in your PC.

 

[RonKZ650]

And as a side question to tube life, what's the oldest original tube out there
still working. My family still is using an old Quasar TS915 works in a drawer
from 1968. Tube still good as the day it was built. Also the old 19" zeniths
from 1973 to 1976. Anybody *ever* seen one of them even marginally weak? Age
and use isn't everything.

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

And as a side question to tube life, what's the oldest original tube out there
still working. My family still is using an old Quasar TS915 works in a drawer
from 1968. Tube still good as the day it was built. Also the old 19" zeniths
from 1973 to 1976. Anybody *ever* seen one of them even marginally weak? Age
and use isn't everything.

Hey, I have a B/W Philco around 1951 with a good CRT. The base fell off and
the vertical died but the CRT is otherwise fine. Anyone wants it, make
an offer or I might get to repair it in a future life.

There's also the Pilot TV-37 with a scope CRT. Needs all its paper caps
replaced, etc., but I think the CRT works.

Oops, maybe you meant real TVs. ;-)

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[John Del]

Subject: Re: Prolonging TV Life

From: [email protected] (RonKZ650)
Date: 10/12/04 7:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: <20041012191650.08240.00001916@mb-

Also the old 19" zeniths

from 1973 to 1976. Anybody *ever* seen one of them even marginally weak? Age
and use isn't everything.

Yeah, the old Chromacolor IIs last forever. Most of them were thrown away
still running strong. I had a 17" model in high school. I sold it many years
later still running like new.

The oldest TV I have is a Philco Predicta from 1961. Tube still excellent.

John Del
Wolcott, CT

"I'm just trying to get into heaven, I'm not running for Jesus!"
Homer Simpson

(remove S for email reply)

 

[Andy Cuffe]

Brad:
The "conservative" settings that you recommend obviously needs to be
BALANCED with the customer enjoying a bright, clear and detailed picture,
after all this is what he paid for when he purchased a new television.
Everything has a finite life and the old saying "a light that shines twice
as bright will shine half as long" applies to most things in life.... I
think I would rather have a brilliant shorter life than a very dull long
one.

It's true that it makes no sense to run a TV too dimly to enjoy it,
but the factory default of most TVs is ridiculous. They have the
contrast and color set so high that the picture is often blooming and
out of focus.
Andy Cuffe
[email protected]

 

[MarkC]

Usually the CRTs will outlast PCB component failure. I very rarely see a
TV with a bad CRT (unless it's a '94 & up Zenith) I usually run my
personal TVs at about 90% contrast & keep the brightness at around
65-75%.
Mark

 

[Leonard Caillouet]

I'd rather have a better focused picture that lasts longer than a blazing
bright one that is soft and has a shorter life. Virtually all sets come out
of the box with the contrast levels defaulting to higher than necessary for
the best pix.

Leonard

 

[Leonard Caillouet]

"Tube still good as the day it was built."???? Come on, with a statement
like that no one will give you much credibility on anything.

Leonard

 

[Jacques Carrier]

Usually the CRTs will outlast PCB component failure. I very rarely see a
TV with a bad CRT (unless it's a '94 & up Zenith) I usually run my
personal TVs at about 90% contrast & keep the brightness at around
65-75%.
Mark

Hi fellow techs !!

Thanks to all for their useful comments.
I just want to add a few words.

I clean the inside of my 5 TV's once a year to make sure everything
is running cool.I also check all caps for high ESR.(Thanks to Bob Parker).

Whenever I encounter an IC/Transistor that is too hot to touch I simply
bolt a larger heat sink to the original one.Makes wonders!! I even added a
small and quiet fan to cool down a reluctant vertical output.
I believe that this will prolong the life of my TV's and prevent future
failures due to excess heat.


Jacques

 

[RonKZ650]

"Tube still good as the day it was built."???? Come on, with a statement

like that no one will give you much credibility on anything.

Leonard

Another real intelligent remark from you Leonard. I suppose you've got better
eyes that me. Let's just say for "normal" humans, the tube looks as good as the
day it was built, a catagory which you don't fall into.
Ron

 

[Tom MacIntyre]

Also the old 19" zeniths


Yeah, the old Chromacolor IIs last forever. Most of them were thrown away
still running strong. I had a 17" model in high school. I sold it many years
later still running like new.

The oldest TV I have is a Philco Predicta from 1961. Tube still excellent.

John Del
Wolcott, CT

I tested a 20+ year-old CRTa few years back just for fun; the set was
toast. I don't know how it looked, but the CRT tested better than many
newer ones only 3-5 years old. I don't know how the phosphor was,
though.

Tom

 

[Paul Taylor]

I clean the inside of my 5 TV's once a year to make sure everything

is running cool.I also check all caps for high ESR.(Thanks to Bob Parker).

Whenever I encounter an IC/Transistor that is too hot to touch I simply
bolt a larger heat sink to the original one.Makes wonders!! I even added a
small and quiet fan to cool down a reluctant vertical output.
I believe that this will prolong the life of my TV's and prevent future
failures due to excess heat.

My previous 29" 4:3 JVC TV had a power device fail after 3 or 4 years.
No heatsink compound!!!
When the bloke arrived with a pack of replacement components to fit, I asked
if he was going to use heatsink compound? I had some to use otherwise!
Too messy to bother with at the factory? (or the sets would be far too
reliable if they did use it?

Got a rear-projection Tosh 42PW23P about two years ago. No problems so far.

Paul

 

[Tom MacIntyre]

My previous 29" 4:3 JVC TV had a power device fail after 3 or 4 years.
No heatsink compound!!!
When the bloke arrived with a pack of replacement components to fit, I asked
if he was going to use heatsink compound? I had some to use otherwise!
Too messy to bother with at the factory? (or the sets would be far too
reliable if they did use it?

I'm assuming there was no rubber strip either? That stuff is used
sometimes.

Tom

 

[Leonard Caillouet]

Another real intelligent remark from you Leonard. I suppose you've got better
eyes that me. Let's just say for "normal" humans, the tube looks as good as the
day it was built, a catagory which you don't fall into.
Ron

It is simply silly, Ron, to say that any decades old tube works the way it
did when new. No offense intended, but if you want to be deemed credible...

Leonard

 

[Jason D.]

Um, Open RCA TVs, no heatsink grease on many unless part was
replaced. Thermal pads, RCA did use them on many transistors that has
live (cold or hot) tab not insulated tab. Early RCA sets (13" mainly
had thermal pad on HOT that has exposed collector tab on back of that
transistor.

Cheers,

Wizard