topspeed
11-01-2010, 01:29 PM
OK, if you're pretty knowlegeable about RPTV's, this is going to be a major "Duh!" For me, it was a revalation as I'm a moron when it comes to video.
So, my picture on the 'ol JVC LCoS has been getting more and more faded with blacks appearing closer to grey and edge definition turning into a vaseline soft focus. The degredation in PQ was made all the more apparent when I replaced my bedroom set with a new Sony LCD that just flat blew it into the weeds (at 1/3 the cost :mad:! Ah, progress). I tried replacing the bulb, but that didn't really help and then last week, the set started tripping off for no apparent reason. Now, I'm in no mood to replace my main set, regardless of bad PQ or how cheap today's sets are, so I start googling reasons for the set dying.
Here's where it gets interesting.
One of the links notes cleaning the light engine is really easy and very beneficial. On my particular set in fact, it's only a four step process:
1) Remove the back panel
2) Remove the brace
3) Unplug 4 plugs into the light engine
4) Remove two screws at bottom plate, slide out, wipe off, reverse process.
How hard could it be? Well, after removing the 23(!) or so screws and staring at the back of the set for a good 1/2 hour trying to figure out what the heck a light engine even is, I concluded there was no way these instructions were right. So I googled "light engine on JVC" and lo and behold, another link notes that all you have to do is remove a single, small panel on the side of the set to get complete access to the engine. I walk back to the set and sure enough, there it is surrounded by a glowing golden halo (or not, but it looked that way to me). One screw to remove the panel.
One.
There inside lie a very dusty interior cavern with a projector lens, mirror, and front panel. A little vacuuming, a careful wipedown of the lens, mirror, and front with a microfibre cloth and drumstick as make-shift extension pole (the access panel is ridiculously small, as in "What-sadistic-liliputian-designed-this-pinhole?" small) and Viola! I had a brand new set! I installed the old bulb to rectify the shut-down problem and honestly can't tell you how happy I am to have my old set back. THIS is the picture I fell in love with years ago!
I have no idea why it never occurred to me to clean the projector lens or reflective surfaces, although sheer ignorance seems as good a reason as any. Oh sure, I had concocted a number of excuses for my set dying a slow and painful death before my eyes. My favorite being, "This must be why no one makes LCoS any more." Alas, the moral to this story is from the classic movie Real Genius:
"It's your own fault, Knight. Didn't anyone ever tell you to always check your optics?"
So, my picture on the 'ol JVC LCoS has been getting more and more faded with blacks appearing closer to grey and edge definition turning into a vaseline soft focus. The degredation in PQ was made all the more apparent when I replaced my bedroom set with a new Sony LCD that just flat blew it into the weeds (at 1/3 the cost :mad:! Ah, progress). I tried replacing the bulb, but that didn't really help and then last week, the set started tripping off for no apparent reason. Now, I'm in no mood to replace my main set, regardless of bad PQ or how cheap today's sets are, so I start googling reasons for the set dying.
Here's where it gets interesting.
One of the links notes cleaning the light engine is really easy and very beneficial. On my particular set in fact, it's only a four step process:
1) Remove the back panel
2) Remove the brace
3) Unplug 4 plugs into the light engine
4) Remove two screws at bottom plate, slide out, wipe off, reverse process.
How hard could it be? Well, after removing the 23(!) or so screws and staring at the back of the set for a good 1/2 hour trying to figure out what the heck a light engine even is, I concluded there was no way these instructions were right. So I googled "light engine on JVC" and lo and behold, another link notes that all you have to do is remove a single, small panel on the side of the set to get complete access to the engine. I walk back to the set and sure enough, there it is surrounded by a glowing golden halo (or not, but it looked that way to me). One screw to remove the panel.
One.
There inside lie a very dusty interior cavern with a projector lens, mirror, and front panel. A little vacuuming, a careful wipedown of the lens, mirror, and front with a microfibre cloth and drumstick as make-shift extension pole (the access panel is ridiculously small, as in "What-sadistic-liliputian-designed-this-pinhole?" small) and Viola! I had a brand new set! I installed the old bulb to rectify the shut-down problem and honestly can't tell you how happy I am to have my old set back. THIS is the picture I fell in love with years ago!
I have no idea why it never occurred to me to clean the projector lens or reflective surfaces, although sheer ignorance seems as good a reason as any. Oh sure, I had concocted a number of excuses for my set dying a slow and painful death before my eyes. My favorite being, "This must be why no one makes LCoS any more." Alas, the moral to this story is from the classic movie Real Genius:
"It's your own fault, Knight. Didn't anyone ever tell you to always check your optics?"