Something I've Noticed....

[zenith2134]

...while using old CRT sets. I usually set the sharpness control to 0, meaning, no sharpness added to the picture. I tend to do this in order to get the most accurate and cleanest picture. I hate how sharpness 'smears up' the image. Way I see it, the sharpness control isn't really needed anymore since most people use satellite, digital cable, DVD, or OTA digital and the reception interference which the sharpness control is designed to hide is non-existent in many cases.

Well, the problem is this: Many sets I've used (everything from A to Z) show a white 'ghosting' type artifact between text when I turn the sharpness all the way off. Its amazing, how I can put the sharpness control to halfway and the artifact completely disappears. This happens on any source. Originally saw this on an '83 Trinitron, and thought it was the CRT's oddball design, but no. It happened on my '79 System 3, my CTC-97, and a bunch of others.

Its almost as if the fine tuning is off a notch, but when its adjusted it has no effect on this problem. Any ideas?

Don't get me wrong, its not a big deal. I'm just interested in what exactly causes this?

PS: I don't think its a 75-ohm/RF versus composite versus S-Video issue, because on my WEGA it used to happen regardless of the input.