tv help?

[manhattanproj]

what are some reputable places in the san francisco that can repair television?

the picture of my tv at home looks distorted. i don't know how to describe it but i'll try. some of the colors at the top of the screen drooped down, so the picture looks as if it's out of focus/distorted. and the same happens to the lower left of the screen.

the tv is a hitachi. i tried using the magic focus but the process stopped prematurely, meaning that it's probably broken?

should i bring it back to circuit city to see if they can repair it for me?

[edtyct]

How long ago did you get the set from CC (I recall you researching LCDs)? If it hasn't been long, you certainly should try to get the store involved. I've heard of Hitachi CRT RPTVs having convergence problems at the corners; that could be what's happening to yours. Magic Focus apparently doesn't always take care of business. Manual convergence may be the only recourse--unless something is more deeply wrong.

I'm assuming that the tv isn't suffering from magnetic distortion. Have you placed unshielded speakers closer to it lately? If so, and the screen starts showing something that resembles the northern lights, it will usually bounce back after a while if you remove the speakers, though a degaussing tool might clear it faster.

Whatever the problem, have you tried a hard reset? Shut down, unplug, and leave it alone for a few hours. Sometimes the TV will return to normal on its own.

In the meantime, you might take a look at this site: http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/brandspecific/hitachi/servicemenu.html (http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/brandspecific/hitachi/servicemenu.html). I don't know whether your model meets the same specs, and I'm not recommending that you do what it describes. You could blow your warranty and/or do damage to your set. But maybe it will give you a better idea of what might be at issue.

If the hard reset doesn't work, the safest bet is a local tech, or CC if possible. If you talk to a technician, don't sound like a babe in the woods. Tell him/her that you're noticing serious convergence errors and that Magic Focus doesn't appear able to correct them. You're hoping that a manual service convergence is all that you need. Sir Terrence the Terrible, a moderator of this site who's employed in broadcast, might be able to recommend a repair shop in S.F. You might send him a PM, but be patient. Apparently he doesn't check his messages regularly.

Ed

[manhattanproj]

actually the tv was bought awhile ago. probably about 8 years ago because i remember something similar happen during the 98 world cup. but i bought the insurance with CC so i was able to get it fixed free of charge.

i'll be sure to give CC a call once i get around to it.

does anyone know around how much it cost to fix? assuming that it's a convergence problem.

[davidhiggins]

actually the tv was bought awhile ago. probably about 8 years ago because i remember something similar happen during the 98 world cup. but i bought the insurance with CC so i was able to get it fixed free of charge.

i'll be sure to give CC a call once i get around to it.

does anyone know around how much it cost to fix? assuming that it's a convergence problem.
I hope you have lots of cash if you have a bad Pix tube it can cost you up to 1,000.00 depending on the size of the pix tube I had a 30" tube under warrenty i was told by CC that if it was out of warranty the cost of the tube was 1200.00 plus labor cheaper to buy a new set