[Combwork]

[QUOTE=old_tv_nut;3056207]What do you mean by "on broadcast TV via a digibox?" There's no need for a box if it's broadcast.

Thanks old_tv_nut; my replies a bit long.

We use a digibox because it's an old analogue set. It can't deal with a digital signal; the digibox takes a digital signal in and sends an analogue signal out. I worded the bit about "broadcast TV via a digibox" badly. What I meant was the difference between something made by the broadcaster (news review, game show etc) and films. Films have a different colour balance. "Back To The Future" is a good example, sharp colour seems to work well on it.

I understand what you mean about default settings. Awful. We've 2 wide screen CRT sets (Toshiba and Panasonic).

After getting into the service menu of the Toshiba and balancing Red, Green and Blue cut picture looks very good. Then STUPIDLY after a couple of pints of cider decided to 'improve' the geometry. No No N0.............. It took me a while to get it back to reasonably correct. Wide screen looks good but 4.3 has a curve on both sides (Paralax adjustment helped as did ASC (?) but it was an improvement only, not a cure). Cinema, Super Live and Subtitle all have pronounced vertical curves at the edge of the picture. On these three only, headings are almost completely off the bottom of the screen. I could adjust height and width but having got wide-screen to look good I don't want to disturb anything.

It's a good example of someone with just enough knowledge to know how to screw things up. If I could find a default setting I'd use it, leave geometry alone and adjust the colour only.

So plan 2. Find a TV man who really knows what they are doing. Clean, oil and set-up a mechanical clock for him and let him loose on the set.

The Toshiba is is a heck of a set. Three SCART inputs, built in Dolby Surround. Other inputs front and back. It even has a built in crosshatch generator accessible via the service menu.

Both sets are close to the top of the range. The Toshiba cost the equivalent of $40, the other was free.

ANOTHER CORRECTION. What we get is a broadcast digital signal picked up by the old UHF tv aerial on the roof. DVD's do look good, but given a strong signal broadcast picture on the Toshiba is a very close second.