Brightness levels on New Sets?

[Celt]

I can't remember if the cabinet said "Trinitron" or not. I assumed it did. But the picture tube had a white and orange paper label that said "Gold Star". I saw it when I tried to solve its intermittant audio problem. That and the picture tube had a slightly uneven front surface that bothered me. It had bad audio even when it worked. It was a real POS.

[kc8adu]

trinitrons have 3 guns like any other crt and need convergence adjustments just the same.
the one gun is a bunch of bull.
it has 3 cathodes .
a true one gun would have only one.
what is more unique about a trinitron is it's cylindrical screen and electrostatic h convergence.

Originally posted by jstout66
I'd like to know as well. If Sony is attached to GoldStar somehow, that would be bad. As for the convergency issues, a true Trinitron tube should never have that problem. They only have 1 gun so there is nothing to allign. Also...... Apex isn't tied in with Sony are they? Heard a rumor and thought it was odd that Apex offers a 24" set. My Wega is a 24" set, and why would both companies offer such an ODD size?? I'm just po'd that the only sets I ever bought turned out to be such "dogs". I bought an RCA CTC-185 in 2000. The picture is great but it is developing sound "issues". The Sony I just got has a CRAPPY picture and the sound is "odd". I've had OLD Sony's in the past that were great. That's what I get for buying a new set........

[andy]

It's sort of a hybrid between one gun and three guns. It has 3 cathodes, 3 G1's and 3 G2's, but only one focus grid and one accelerating grid. The idea of the single large focus grid is that it will allow for sharper focus compared to an inline gun of equal quality. The electrostatic horizontal convergence is the only way to straghten out the beams after they cross in the focus grid. They do require convergence, but were much simpler to converge than delta gun CRTs.

Interestingly, Sony abandoned their unique gun design in computer monitor CRTs in the late 90's. I'm not sure if it was cost, or some technical reason. I can say their current monitor CRTs have the sharpest focus I've ever seen, but very poor reliability. I've junked lots of 19" flat Trinitron monitors because of gun defects that cuased various focus, or brightness defects. I'm using a 21" Sony right now that every few months decides to go way out of focus for a few min, then snap back in. I saw a 19" that looked perfect sometimes, but other times would go very bright and COMPLETELY out of focus.

[Eric H]

Jack, I have a question regarding the service menu.

The CRT in my 14 year old XBR is slowly dying. I've gone into the menu a couple times to readjust the tracking (getting to the point where it won't track well anymore) I notice the up/down settings aren't strictly 0-30 or whatever but there are some letters settings too, i.e. 19, 2a, 2b, 2c... and then back to numbers. what the heck does that mean?

Eric

Originally posted by rca2000
But, there is a way to get more brightenss from your sony wega. You have to go into the service manu, and access the sub. brightness control.

[rca2000]

Those numbers are OCTAL. this is a combination of numearls, and digits, used by some computers, for data. it starts off a 01, goes through the digits, then 1a,or so, and then so on. some digital menus use this, (panasonic, for one.)


still, it is adjusted the same way. if your brightness is too low, and will not come up with the menu, try the screen control probably on the crt board. BE CAREFUL. do not raise the level too high, or you will get retrace lines. raise the level till you get retrace lines, then back off, till these disappear. do this wiht the brightnell at minimumm, as sometimes the lines are hidden by bright scenes.

[kc8adu]

the g1 and g2 are common.
and i too am seeing lots of bad crt's in esp the flat trinitrons.
seems the redesign introduced problems with intermittant shorts.

Originally posted by andy
It's sort of a hybrid between one gun and three guns. It has 3 cathodes, 3 G1's and 3 G2's, but only one focus grid and one accelerating grid. The idea of the single large focus grid is that it will allow for sharper focus compared to an inline gun of equal quality. The electrostatic horizontal convergence is the only way to straghten out the beams after they cross in the focus grid. They do require convergence, but were much simpler to converge than delta gun CRTs.

Interestingly, Sony abandoned their unique gun design in computer monitor CRTs in the late 90's. I'm not sure if it was cost, or some technical reason. I can say their current monitor CRTs have the sharpest focus I've ever seen, but very poor reliability. I've junked lots of 19" flat Trinitron monitors because of gun defects that cuased various focus, or brightness defects. I'm using a 21" Sony right now that every few months decides to go way out of focus for a few min, then snap back in. I saw a 19" that looked perfect sometimes, but other times would go very bright and COMPLETELY out of focus.

[jstout66]

Just thoght I'd update you all. (I'm the one that started the post) that I called the store and told them to pick up the piece of CRAP Sony that I made the mistake of buying. I can't believe I would have to say that about a Sony, but the final straw was when I tried to watch some DVD's last night and the picture was so dark you couldn't see the movie! The sound sucked as well. After looking at "eopinions" and seeing like a zillion complaints of the SAME problem I was having I figured this "dog" could go. I'm going to try a Toshiba Cinema Series. Wish me luck!! If any of you are thinking of buying a new set, I'd do some serious research before choosing a Sony. I think they are putting out alot of crap now and think they can get away with it because of past reputation and performance. A Sony you get now is NOT the same you could have purchased a few years ago. I think all the complaints on the repair posts will back me up on this. Thanks for letting me vent. I will be calling Sony tomorrow and give them an earfull as well.

[andy]

I'm really surprised by this problem on a Sony. Correct black level is hardly rocket science! Every working TV I've seen that has DC restoration lets you adjust the black level from way too dark to way to bright. I normally adjust it so that the black letter box bars are about one step above completely black.

[jstout66]

one would think so Andy, but I had the brightness "maxed" and it was still to dark. I may have had a "lemon" but I have gotten on some sights and noticed that ALOT of people had the same complaints about the Sony Wega. (too dark of a picture and crappy sound) What's bad is, is that you pay more for the Wega so you can get premium sound without having to use your stereo. I also wanted all to know they delivered the Toshiba, which is a 24" model that is comparible to the Sony Wega. The picture is MUCH better. I will have to say it's not as "sharp" as the Sony, but will take that over an unwatchable picture. It's brigtness level is great! I'm very upset with Sony. I had wanted to have a new Sony for years, and when I finally get one it is CRAP. In my opinion, they are as shoddy as RCA and Zenith is now. My parents had a 26" Sony console that had a great picture until it blew up 26 years later (high voltage problem). I know we are all "into" vintage sets, but if any of you are looking to get one new, you'd better do your research first (unlike me) before choosing a Sony. Also the Toshiba was $75.00 cheaper.

[Jeffhs]

My RCA XL-100 19" set, which I purchased new over four years ago, can go from no picture to one so bright it could damage the CRT (if not buckle or otherwise distort the shadow mask), or blow a fuse, if not ruin the power supply. The set has the CTC-185 chassis. Have had no problems whatsoever with the circuitry. Picture is absolutely beautiful on cable, and the sound isn't bad either. Someone said in this forum, or perhaps it was in a post to one of the Google repair forums, that the CTC185 may have been the last chassis RCA manufactured in this country, when RCA's main plant was in Indianapolis, Indiana. If this is true (and even if it isn't), I will keep my set indefinitely, as long as it works as well as it does now.

I am very sorry to read of all the problems some of you have been having with Sony Wega sets. To read the advertising pitches being made for these sets, one would think Wega was one of the best CRT-based TV sets on the market. After reading some of the complaints being lodged against Wegas here, however, I am inclined to disagree. If I should get another TV (after the extended warranty on my RCA expires), believe me, it won't be a Sony Wega, at least not until the problems with these sets are identified and resolved. I don't want a TV with a picture I cannot watch and with poor sound (as at least one of you said you had).

I was all but amazed to read in one of the posts to this thread that some recent Sony TVs have Gold Star CRTs. I thought "Zenith" was the only company (?) whose TVs, which are made by GS these days, had GS CRTs in them! What next? Which of the remaining Japanese TV makers will be the next one to put off-brand CRTs in their sets?

One poster here said he had a Sony XBR, the CRT in which was "slowly dying" after 14 years. I'd say that was a very long life for a modern CRT. Many of today's sets go only a few years before the tube goes West (Gold Star-built "Zeniths" are notorious for this; the CRTs in these sets will short or otherwise become defective after only a year or two). Moreover, I recently heard of one RCA 27" set, purchased new in the late '90s, that blew a CRT after only two years. Given these examples, I'd say, again, that any CRT made in the last 15 years that is just now starting to go bad has had a very long life. The tube in that XBR must be really well-made, like the CRTs in older B&W and color sets. Time was when it wasn't at all uncommon to hear of a CRT (b&w or color) going strong after 20 years. Unfortunately, however, we may never see those days again.