Pioneer Elite RPTV problem solved.

[Happy Camper]

I have a ten year old PRO 710 HD set that had been going out for the past year. While watching, the pic and sound would go out. In the beginning, I could bump the set and it would come back on. Eventually, it would not respond. I got on line and found out that this series had poor solder joints on their power boards.

I pulled out the board and resoldered every joint. I am good to go now and saved a few grand by continuing use of a quality set. If you don't mind trying, some repairs are only intimidating until you try it.

[TheHills44060]

Job well done HC. You must have been unbelievably relieved at the end.

[pixelthis]

Good job, but you'd be better off upgrading and giving this set to a
homeless person to sleep in, IMHO.

[Happy Camper]

No, no, no. This set is still impressive compared to the flat panels. Better color, blacks and grayscale. The new ones are spectacular in the show room but are bright and fatiguing after a while. The one thing that's a drawback is 1080i vs p but 720 p don't look too bad for sports. The replacement cost of $3500 would have been tough leather to chew, glad I didn't have to give it up (yet). We did swap out our couches with home entertainment chairs though. Soooooo much better on the back.

[pixelthis]

No, no, no. This set is still impressive compared to the flat panels. Better color, blacks and grayscale. The new ones are spectacular in the show room but are bright and fatiguing after a while. The one thing that's a drawback is 1080i vs p but 720 p don't look too bad for sports. The replacement cost of $3500 would have been tough leather to chew, glad I didn't have to give it up (yet). We did swap out our couches with home entertainment chairs though. Soooooo much better on the back.

Well, good luck with that ace, but RPTV tubes are driven much harder than direct view CRTS, the fact that they have lasted so long is a miracle, but I BET THEY ARE QUITE DIM.
Its called viewer acclimation, you gradually get used to a gradually
dimmer and dimmer pic.
With a 55" panel selling for less than 1400 (for a decent one)
your sets days are numbered, because you are looking at not one, but three replacement tubes, if you can find them.
But don't fret, after looking at 1080p for awhile the tears shed for your big screen homeless condo will be few, especially when
you free up enough floor space for another bedroom.

[Happy Camper]

Works til I'm ready to get a new set. That will be when the gimmicks and technology finds some stability. Right now, buying a tv is like a computer, obsolete by the time you get it home.

[pixelthis]

Works til I'm ready to get a new set. That will be when the gimmicks and technology finds some stability. Right now, buying a tv is like a computer, obsolete by the time you get it home.

ACTUALLY the opposite is true.
A TV with an ATSC tuner is not going to be obsolete for years, decades even. 1080p is pushing the limits of display tech,
don't have to worry about 2,000p for another decade or so.
A DECENT led lcd will last probably longer than you will.
AS A matter of fact, if you wanted a monitor that will last the
ages now is the time to buy. Any set you buy will be non obsolete,non out of date for a very long time, at least until the robots take over.
AS A matter fact I WOULD start shopping, as your current set will
not last until you're "ready for a new one".
Any set that old is working by the good grace of probability,
every time you turn it on is a crapshoot, FYI.

[Woochifer]

Works til I'm ready to get a new set. That will be when the gimmicks and technology finds some stability. Right now, buying a tv is like a computer, obsolete by the time you get it home.

Most of the standards for HDTV are pretty well set right now, so you don't need to worry about obsolescence in the near future. But, if you're getting the viewing enjoyment you want out of your current TV, and it works with all of your HD sources, then there's no need to upgrade right now.

Like so many things with consumer electronics, whatever TV you buy right now, there will likely be a more fully featured and higher performing version selling for less money next year. For example, with 3D, you could've paid ~$300 more to get that feature last year, you could pay ~$100 to $200 more right now, or you could wait until next year and likely get the 3D feature for little to no added cost. Or even in my case, when I got my HDTV about 2 1/2 years ago, it cost $1,400. The current version of that TV, which performs better than mine, now sells for about $800.

So, if you're happy with what you have, be happy. When you're ready to upgrade, you'll pay less for something better later.

[Happy Camper]

I found a place that re-builds the tubes. So the question is whether or not to get the tubes done ($250 each) and ISF cal'ed or pay over twice as much for the Panasonic 65" 3-D plasma. Getting only two sets of glasses is squeezing the consumer. I'd prefer to see what the non-glasses screens will present. I think 3-D has a place but like when hi def first came out, they have to figure out how to use it. Right now it's just an animation enhancer (Ironman 2 didn't impress) caveat: not seen much content. Sports would be great when they can get the camera angles properly positioned. Remember the first years of HD was upconverted SD. The real HD shows were cooking shows, bug closeups & other crappola.

Wooch- that is exactly why I'm in no rush to chase the latest/greatest. This system was set up for 1080i. Is it worthwhile to replace a TV, disc spinner, sat. box, etc. for the difference (right now)? I do not like LCD (have one) and plasma can be fragile. If the re-tube/cal(s) gets me to 4k p OLED (or whatever) by then, I'll be blind and won't appreciate it. Maybe the baby boomer death camps will have a nice set.

In my years of being an A/V fan, I've had to buy vinyl, VHS, LD, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, Hi Rez. audio..... Time to give consumer electronics (read my disposable income) a break. I'm not going to continue to pay inflated prices for the same material to be shown on purposely obsoleted technologies.

There is one influence that may have a higher impact on this decision......mama.

[Woochifer]

I found a place that re-builds the tubes. So the question is whether or not to get the tubes done ($250 each) and ISF cal'ed or pay over twice as much for the Panasonic 65" 3-D plasma. Getting only two sets of glasses is squeezing the consumer. I'd prefer to see what the non-glasses screens will present. I think 3-D has a place but like when hi def first came out, they have to figure out how to use it. Right now it's just an animation enhancer (Ironman 2 didn't impress) caveat: not seen much content. Sports would be great when they can get the camera angles properly positioned. Remember the first years of HD was upconverted SD. The real HD shows were cooking shows, bug closeups & other crappola.

That's only an issue if your tubes are at a point where they can no longer deliver a picture within reference specs. Otherwise, all you have to do is sit back and watch the price on the 3D Panny continue to tumble.

The main advantage of CRTs is that they are not fixed pixel grids and rescale much better than LCD and plasma sets. But, in your situation you also have a TV that cannot natively display 1080p, and at 65" you're well into the range where the upgrade in resolution is visible (generally, I think ~46" is where the advantages of 1080p are less visible).

With 3D, I think the glasses-based sets will reach price parity with the 2D sets within the next year or two. (For one thing, the glasses will still cost extra, so that will make up for some of the eroded profit margins) At that point, the only 3D sets you'll pay extra for will be the glasses-free models, and I have my reservations about those sets because we don't know yet how the optics will affect 2D viewing. Right now, with glasses-based 3D, the feature has no impact whatsoever on regular 2D viewing.

Wooch- that is exactly why I'm in no rush to chase the latest/greatest. This system was set up for 1080i. Is it worthwhile to replace a TV, disc spinner, sat. box, etc. for the difference (right now)? I do not like LCD (have one) and plasma can be fragile. If the re-tube/cal(s) gets me to 4k p OLED (or whatever) by then, I'll be blind and won't appreciate it. Maybe the baby boomer death camps will have a nice set.

In my years of being an A/V fan, I've had to buy vinyl, VHS, LD, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, Hi Rez. audio..... Time to give consumer electronics (read my disposable income) a break. I'm not going to continue to pay inflated prices for the same material to be shown on purposely obsoleted technologies.

There is one influence that may have a higher impact on this decision......mama.

And that's exactly why if you're content with your current setup, it's fine to wait it out, and when you're ready, a better set will be out there that costs less than what you would pay right now.

[pixelthis]

That's only an issue if your tubes are at a point where they can no longer deliver a picture within reference specs. Otherwise, all you have to do is sit back and watch the price on the 3D Panny continue to tumble.

The main advantage of CRTs is that they are not fixed pixel grids and rescale much better than LCD and plasma sets. But, in your situation you also have a TV that cannot natively display 1080p, and at 65" you're well into the range where the upgrade in resolution is visible (generally, I think ~46" is where the advantages of 1080p are less visible).

With 3D, I think the glasses-based sets will reach price parity with the 2D sets within the next year or two. (For one thing, the glasses will still cost extra, so that will make up for some of the eroded profit margins) At that point, the only 3D sets you'll pay extra for will be the glasses-free models, and I have my reservations about those sets because we don't know yet how the optics will affect 2D viewing. Right now, with glasses-based 3D, the feature has no impact whatsoever on regular 2D viewing.



And that's exactly why if you're content with your current setup, it's fine to wait it out, and when you're ready, a better set will be out there that costs less than what you would pay right now.

No ten year old CRT will meet "performance" specs.
THE ONLY reason this set is watchable is that the owner is used to it, witness the statement that current TV is too "bright".
THE ONLY reason not to upgrade now is financial, all of
the codecs and standards are pretty much set.
I CAN TELL you when the owner will get rid of this set, and thats when one of the tubes dies, which will be in the next one to five
years, because all three tubes will need replacing, at a cost of
hundreds , maybe thousands, of dollars.
IN THE AGE of the sub 1400$ 55" flat screen, that would be insane. SO YOU CAN measure the life of this set in years,
most likely months, maybe even weeks.

[Woochifer]

No ten year old CRT will meet "performance" specs.

Right, and you know the "performance" specs of every ten-year old CRT in existence?

THE ONLY reason this set is watchable is that the owner is used to it, witness the statement that current TV is too "bright".

And the default settings for nearly every TV I've ever tried is brighter than the reference standard. How do I know this? I use a calibration disc to verify, and the reference level is what my eyes are acclimated to.

If anything, Happy Camper knows a lot more about what's watchable, given that most unadjusted TVs ARE too bright and fatiguing over long viewing periods. If an owner is "used to" a calibrated picture, why would they want to go with something that they already regard as bright and fatiguing?

I CAN TELL you when the owner will get rid of this set, and thats when one of the tubes dies, which will be in the next one to five
years, because all three tubes will need replacing, at a cost of
hundreds , maybe thousands, of dollars.

Read his post before launching into yet another uninformed tirade.

And if his TV dies in one to five years, he'll be able to choose a better TV that costs less than what he would buy right now. Bottomline is that he fixed his own TV at no cost to himself, and he has clearly stated that he does not need or want a new TV right now. What's wrong with continuing to enjoy what he already enjoys?

IN THE AGE of the sub 1400$ 55" flat screen, that would be insane. SO YOU CAN measure the life of this set in years,
most likely months, maybe even weeks.

Given how many TVs you've bought and kicked to the curb over the years, you're hardly an authority for talking about longevity. Again, read HC's post. He already owns a LCD TV, and prefers the Pioneer. Why should he buy a new TV right now, if even your doomsday predictions indicate that it might last "years" longer?

[pixelthis]

[QUOTE]

Right, and you know the "performance" specs of every ten-year old CRT in existence?

Didn't say I DID.
On sets theres this little thing called a brightness control.
AS crt's age they get dimmer as the phospers are used up,
and as the set gets dimmer you adjust the brightness, when you can't adjust the brightness anymore, time for new tubes.
No CRT with any age on it can meet the specs for a brand new tube. A ten year old tube is getting near the end of its life,
especially one used in an RPTV, because those are driven harder
than direct view

And the default settings for nearly every TV I've ever tried is brighter than the reference standard. How do I know this? I use a calibration disc to verify, and the reference level is what my eyes are acclimated to.

And this matters how?
THE OLDER A TUBE GETS, the more you will have to adjust
the controls up to compensate, its all relative.

If anything, Happy Camper knows a lot more about what's watchable, given that most unadjusted TVs ARE too bright and fatiguing over long viewing periods. If an owner is "used to" a calibrated picture, why would they want to go with something that they already regard as bright and fatiguing?

Because its kind of embarrassing to have guests over and they can't see your TV.
PEOPLE are adaptive and get used to things. I have seen sets that are barely watchable, and the owners were complaining abouit something else!

Read his post before launching into yet another uninformed tirade.

Nothing in his post changes the fact that his RPTV is in its last days. CAN'T CHANGE THE LAW OF ENTROPHY

And if his TV dies in one to five years, he'll be able to choose a better TV that costs less than what he would buy right now. Bottomline is that he fixed his own TV at no cost to himself, and he has clearly stated that he does not need or want a new TV right now. What's wrong with continuing to enjoy what he already enjoys?

nothing, but if he keeps monkeying around with power circuits
he won't be enjoying anything. THE DRIVING voltage for CRT is around 30,000 volts, and while the amps are low thats still
enough to knock you on your a***.
Think its worth risking your life for a TV with almost zero dollar value? AND YOU DYING would be easy compared to it catching
fire and taking your family out with it in a fire, etc, and you
surviving. WHAT FUN!!!

Given how many TVs you've bought and kicked to the curb over the years, you're hardly an authority for talking about longevity. Again, read HC's post. He already owns a LCD TV, and prefers the Pioneer. Why should he buy a new TV right now, if even your doomsday predictions indicate that it might last "years" longer?

he doesn't have to buy "anything", but he won't be watching
that ten year old set much longer, just stating fact.
And if hes not carefull with those power boards he won't be doing much of anything .
People slay me with how much they get attached to inanimate
objects , most of which are next to worthless.
And FYI, I did trade sets for awhile, because I HAD RELATIVES THAT WANTED MINE.
Truth is it did't cost me much, so I took advantage.
But of course its "bad" for me to take advantage of a situation
to get new sets often, but perfectly ok for a civilian to play around
with power boards in an old, unpredictable TV set.
MAKES about as much sense as anything else you said.

[Happy Camper]

Just as a follow up. The big box 710 did indeed follow the death throws as suggested. The picture got darker and darker. It has now been replaced and I am enjoying a new Panasonic 65" plasma. I paid a third the cost of that 710 and while the pic is a bit better, I wouldn't go so far as to claim absolute dominance. Still, I was able to get another year out of the old beast before the end.

And I tried to find a tube repair offering and they did not exist for the Pioneer. Sad because they were top quality for their time.

[sideswiper]

Well i am still using my Pioneer Elite Pro 710 HD RPTV I clean the screen ,mirror and guns at least once a year by removing the screen, you do not want to remove the back on these sets as the mirror will fall out and get broke as it will also damage the guns and screen also. The picture quality is still great and i have not had any issues with the cold solder joints on the power supply.I will use this RPTV until it dies. I bet it will out live any fixed pixel as they are throw away tv's lucky if you get 5 years out of them.I also use a calibration disc(Monster ISF series) My black levels (brightness) is set a only 7 not bad for a 11 year old RPTV and the picture is great still after all these years,but it only gets used 4-6 hours a day.I also added a HD fury 3 to the Pioneer so i have 2 HDMI ports for the new blue rays etc.