JVC 32" TV just went Ffffffffffttttttt

[tdodd]

I just turned on my seven year old JVC 32" CRT TV and there was a sort of Fffffttttt noise. Now the picture is marred by concentric coloured rings, a bit like an archery target, covering the entire picture area. Apart from the rings the picture is still quite clear and well defined.

Id love a shiny new HD flatscreen (TFT or DLP), which would suit my Media Center PC very nicely, but havent got the money to splash out on something big enough and good enough at the moment.

Does anyone have an opinion on what might have blown and how practical/expensive a repair might be?

[tdodd]

FWIW here is a picture of the problem. Geometry also went a bit squiffy when the colours arrived and I cannot correct it from the engineering menus for the TV. Maybe there are controls there that I do not understand but I am unable to properly size and position the display (for zero overscan) as the visible picture is offset to the right and shifting the image to the left just makes the picture disappear under a false edge about a centimetre in from the proper edge of the visible (unmasked) display area.

Whats even more strange is that the screen should be blue all over - pretty much the blue that you see around the central green "bullseye" - and the text should all be white. The text has remained white all over the screen and yet the coloured areas are messed up. I'm hoping that's a big clue to the problem and hopefully the solution.

<img src="http://www.easytiger.plus.com/TV/TV.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br />

[Kryten]

That looks a little messed up and possibly terminal! Seems like a tube failiure to me (although I am no expert here).

[grimley]

WOAH! Very pyschcadelic :nuts: :eek: (& look very expensive to repair too, thats if it is repairable. I used to sell TV's for a living but like kryten I've not much idea on what the actual fault is) on the other hand it could be something simple like a 'dry joint' which will be a simple repair for any TV engineer & not too expensive but TV's requiring replacement parts for repair & you'd better start to think about three figure repair costs. IMO most TV's that age with the tube gone or other major fault are 'Uneconomical to repair'

My advice is to take the piccy above to a local TV repair shop & show it to an engineer, If you're lucky he'll be able to tell you what the fault is on the spot & a rough estimate of repair cost without paying a penny. :)

[tdodd]

Elsewhere someone mentioned that it might be the shadow mask having moved. I gave the TV a tap and the coloured rings wobbled while the actual picture remained stationary. I don't know whether that experiment bears out the shadow mask theory or something else but I'm not hopeful :-(

[craigizmo2k2]

Aww i'd keep it for a nipper to have in their room. Looks pretty :D

I reckon it'd be easier to replace the tube rather than fix the problem which I think is inside the tube.

OR: Steal a plasma tv instead. :p

[andymc]

Replacement tubes cost almost as much as the TV. My old 4:3 JVC tube died (different symptoms) and the replacement part from £330 + £90 fitting - the TV was just under 2 years old and cost £500. JVC came through with a FOC tube but at 7 years old I doubt they'd do that for you.
I would definitely take the picture to an independent TV repair outfit and ask for a guestimate on the problem and cost to fix.

[tdodd]

I took it in this morning. £15 to investigate. Estimate of about £60 if it's a degaussing problem but a right off if it's the tube. I'm awaiting a phone call.

For the past week we've been watching a 21" 4:3 set. Apart from the big gap now between the AV speakers the funny thing is that I don't actually miss the larger picture. But I'll still be getting something between 37"-45" to replace it if it turns out to be toast :)