Argh! Image still soft after mechanical and electronic focus. (1 Viewer)

[chris larralde]

Sorry for all the posts lately, but I've got another nagging question.
Yesterday I performed a mechanical and electronic focus on my new 56H80. While the image sharpened up a little, the 64pt. convergence grid lines still looks soft. As a direct comparison, my 50X81 has very sharp red and green. I can see this when I pull up the convergence grid in the service menu. The 56H80 displays more of a "blooming" effect. I think I lowered the contrast of the 50X81 grid lines in the design menu -- could this be what I'm seeing?
So my question is this: Does "breaking-in" the set, have any effect on the focus of the CRTs? Will the set improve as it settles in? And is there something else that can be adjusted with the CRTs to improve clarity? Lastly, is this just the nature of a 16:9 set?

thanks,
chris

 

[chris larralde]

I have another thought -- I accidentaly adjusted one of the VR trimpots on my 5X81. After reading about all the potential disasters, I thought "I've got nothing to lose" so I went ahead and played around with all of them. Luckily, I work in photoshop all day long, so I have a pretty good eye for RGB color adjustments and flesh tones. Well, adjusting the VR pots wasn't that big of a deal (for me) -- in fact, I think I got it looking better than before.
Since this obviously adjusts the greyscale, would this have any bearing on the image looking sharper? My colors definitely pop more on the older set.
chris

 

[Sean M]

Do you have access to the astigmatic focus controls on your set? These adjustments control the beam spot shape and the amount of "halo" around them. If they are not adjusted correctly, then that would cause the picture to look soft, due to the soft beam spot. I have no knowledge of your particular set, just a knowledge of CRT projection devices in general (I own a Sony VPH-1271Q front projector), so I cannot tell you how you might access the controls specifically, whether they are mechanical or electrical in nature. On my projector they are controlled by a pair of deflection rings on the neck of the tube. On other projectors, these adjustments can be made by remote from the service menu (NEC XG135LC comes immediately to mind). You should probably have a service manual for your tv before attempting this adjustment.
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"Experience is the one thing you can't get for nothing." - Oscar Wilde

 

[Jeff D.]

Chris:
What is the value for BRTC in the service menu of your 56H80?
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Jeff
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"You're a walking stick! It's funny! Now GO!"

 

[chris larralde]

Thanks for the comments guys,
I did a little more research and found out that the VR trimpots DO indeed effect focus (as well as screw up colors). Well, I did Michael TLVs manuver for reducing the width of the grid lines, and after 2 nights and 11 hours of tweaking, I now have a FABULOUS image. Sharp, 3-D, and very punchy! This is not a subtle adjustment as it produces a VERY noticeable improvement!
Of course everything has a potential downside, right? After I got the set dialed in to what I consider perfect, I find another thread that said you MAY decrease the lifespan of the phosphores or CRTs. Does anyone know if this has been verified (the thread was over a year old). I really don't want to ruin my set. But if it makes the set last only 10 years instead of 13, I say what the hell ... I'll probably have a new one by then anyway.
Jeff -- after making my adjustments, the BRTC value was in the low "B"s. My grid lines measure 5-7mm and I'm wondering if I'm getting too greedy with the improved detail. I'm not sure if I should bring them back up to the 8-9mm range (especially if premature posphore burn is a real potential). I'm going to double check my RGB CUTS and BDRV and RDRV values tonight and post the numbers.
chris