Is it "NEW TV" time??

[new guy]

I have an RCA (1999 vintage) 32 in. tv. Today the screen went to light purple. I have sound and I can change channels but no picture. It may be a coincidence but I just upgraded to digital cable (comcast) 7 days ago. I've tried all I could think of but still blank(purple) screen. Any ideas what might be wrong and is it worth(possible) fixing, or time to buy new?? P.S. I swapped with another cable box and no better, I plugged into cable without box and no better, I swapped remotes and no better. I called comcast and they sent new signals and still no better. The box and the remote does work ok on another tv in another room.

[Deac_1]

Hi,

Does the set have the OSD? (on screen display, menu etc..)? If not the problem may be a bad video buffer transistor.. IF the OSD is functional that would indicate a problem further back.

As for whether it's time for a new one. Well, the set is 7 years old and while that didn't use to be old for a TV, in todays world it's no kid anymore. I guess it would depend on how well the set has worked to this point in time. Is this the first repair? Was the picture quality still acceptable or was it starting to show its age, getting dimmer, maybe not quite as sharp etc..

And lastly how badly you want something newer...maybe high def? Bigger screen? Plasma or LCD?




Kerry

[new guy]

the tv does have on screen menus and they do work. this tv has worked perfectly up to this morning, never any hint of any problem. I plugged a small portable in at the same location using all the same hookups and the small tv worked good. I am wondering is it possible to be stuck in the screen that comes up when you switch to VCR mode? When I noticed the problem, I noticed the VCR was on but turning it off didn't help. What is the first check internally for a no picture situation? Maybe as simple as a fuse??

[shillyard]

It would help a lot to know how you have the cable set up. For example is it going from the cable into the digital box to the TV? Or from the digital box through the VCR? I don't know how you set this up but the symptoms sounds like you are coming from the VCR and have the RCA inputs plugged incorrectly. In that situation you would have sound without video. Double check yellow white and red are in correct plugs.

[Janitor Tzap]

How is the Television connected to the Cable Box?

RCA Cables? Left, Right Stereo & Video Cables?

S-Video and the two RCA Left & Right Cables?

Have you tried just connecting a Antenna to the set, and check for broadcast signal?

If It works ok on Antenna.

Then I would say you have a problem in the video input circuit.
You might get lucky, and find it's just a loose jack or bad solder.


Signed: Janitor Tzap

[JerryR]

RCA late 90's vintage TVs had a problem with bad ground solder joints in the tuner area, that resulted in all kinds of problems, Some of the problem that I've seen: no video, snow, vert collapse. While most problems related to the bad grounds showed up fairly soon, yours may be one of the lucky ones that lasted that long.
I would try resoldering the grounds before discarding the set, or spending a lot of money on a 7 yr old TV.
HTH
JerryR

[Dean Huster]

Well, New Guy, since you indicated that you subbed out the TV with a little one using exactly the same hookups, we can eliminate the hookups and signal supply system from the fray.

Is the screen "purple" or is it one of those "no signal blue" screens? I suppose that you could have lost the green gun/circuitry in the TV, but all other functions would still work fine, including the actual receiver circuitry.

Hey, if nothing else, it's a wonderful excuse for a new TV. Trouble is, you've hit it at a bad time, when there's a big push toward digital, HDTV, etc. that may render a poorly-made new purchase obsolete quickly, so be careful there. And prices aren't really plummeting yet as the industry poises for the next big leap. It used to be that TVs were no more expensive than repair of the old one and a new one was going to give you quite an upgrade: SAP, PIP, lots of video inputs, a couple of RF inputs, stereo, bigger screen, fancier remote, etc. Now, things have slowed down on innovations as we plow into the digital realm, and after that's accomplished, things will probably start changing quickly again in the bells-and-whistles department.

Dean

[haklesup]

I think any TV with an NTSC and ATSC tuner and HDMI inputs as well as composite and component (as the majority are sold with now) won't become obsolete but there may be new features in the future that the set can't handle (I don't know what).

That broken TV will however eventually become obsolete without a cable box of some sort and even then the resolution will be obsolete for sure. I hesitate to predict when that will happen as the set dates have passed several times already. My best guess is that you would be seriously wanting to replace within 2 years and having to replace within 4 years anyway. If its not a burden, why not do it now.

But don't get carried away. Get a good set in the medium to low price range. Don't go high end yet as these are the prices likely to fall the most. I heard it reported that many Chinese factories are tooling up to make flat displays and we should see new brands on the market starting within the year. I bet we see some by Christmas. I already see flat displays on a steady price decline but not the step down that's predicted. What you save now can buy another next year.

If you have the space, DLP rear projection big screen TVs have some of the best $/Inch prices around and have excellent pictures compared to LCD and plasma (still not as good as CRT).

If you intend to use it only with the cable box or satellite receiver, you might consider an HDTV monitor to save a few bucks. Not as many as these models this year as the tuners have come down in price so much.

If it makes you feel better, I trashed my 1989 Sony when the sound went out. I know I could have fixed it (or at least tried) but I am trying to attrit my old AV equipment. I'm waiting for the 1982 Zenith Console to die or it will go later this year anyway.

And I do think the failure was just a coincedence. If the internal tuner shows the same symptom, it wasn't caused by the cable box.

[Edd]

OOOO-TAAAAY…neeeeew guy……but not really, as you have hit the site at least 67 times.

I have an RCA (1999 vintage) 32 in. tv:
And would that be a TV alone…or does it also incorporate an internal Vee Cee R_uhhh ? Also look on the back and give us the RCA model number to do further research from.

Today the screen went to a light purple color. I have sound and I can change channels but no picture:

Okay….that is indicative of your incoming signal at least being present in some relative degree
of signal strength and with the tuner having channel change functionality.

I just upgraded to digital cable (Comcast) 7 days ago.

Sooo that means that you have/had three typical options in connecting that cable converter to that specific Tee Wee’s input options:

1…..Worst quality case is the feed into the set via RF coax connection as a Modulated RF carrier on channel 3 through the RCA tuner.

2…..An upgrade in quality by transferring the input to the RCA’s back control panel as a composite video input as Video 1 input. Using three shielded lead pigtails with their end terminated RCA connectors. One is video, the other are for the two audio channels.

3…..Optimal performance is made by transfer into the RCA’s back panel SHVS input via its special 4 pin mini connector….in this route however you still need to use a tandem pair of shielded audio connectors as was done before (just above) to transport your separate stee-rooo audio channels.

I am wondering is it possible to be stuck in the screen that comes up when you switch to VCR mode? When I noticed the problem, I noticed the VCR was on but turning it off didn't help:

Without your sets model # I am unsure how your Tee Wee is connected up to watch your VCR…considering that it is a separate unit. That being whether you go to channel 3 or switch the TV mode to one of its other VIDEO 1 or its VIDEO 2 inputs. Typically if the VCR is on an then turned off the TV station video comes on through automatically or the other
option is the use of the TV/VCR switch on the Vee Cee R_uhhh and placing it in its TV/ Bypass position to watch regular TV on the selected channel of the TV .

Maybe as simple as a fuse??

No way Jose….you would not have OnScreenDisplay, audio, a blank raster or the presence of the cabinet if the units sole fuse was blown.

I think that I have an idea of what your problem likely might be…..for a whopping $4.72 parts cost if you will come forth with your model number…….a Doctor has it EASY with just having one model to work on….with a minor variance on that in the plumbing fixtures …and he can
always bury or explain away his errors.

73's de Edd
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