WOW! You guys weren't BSing. One of the best tweaks I have ever implemented. (1 Viewer)

[Jerry Gracia]

What do you use to clean the lenses and mirror inside? What do I need to be careful of?

Not speaking for Chuck, but I use the $5 camera cleaning kit Best Buy sells.
It's perfect.
I clean my RPTV every 2-3 months, now.
I used to wait until every 6-months, but after seeing how much dust accumulated in just that time period, I cut the maintenance period in half. I also didn't expect the same type of picture clarity after the 6-month period as I had when cleaned the set the first time which had 18-months of dust build up...just goes to show, the slow picture deterioration due to dust build-up is just about undetectable in RPTVs, even after 6 months in my case!
You have to clean it to see the difference.
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LuvLBX
HateP&S!

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

You freakin' guys! As if I didn't have enough crap to do this weekend without building these fargin' mattes!

David
I'm very dissappointed. You've been around here long enough to know better than to have waited this long!

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--Jay
My Home Theatre Pictures & Pronto CCF...
"Holy crap! The vultures are eating my head!

 

[Scott McGillivray]

Speaking of cleaning, I am still trying to find something to clean off the friggen Gaviscon (heartburn medicine) that I stupidly sneezed onto my RPTV. The darn stuff is entrenched into some of the grooves like a WWI soldier! After the disaster of the sneeze, I put the protector screen on, but up close, I can still see a bit of the blasted Gaviscon! Great on heartburn, brutal on RPTV!
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Scott A. McGillivray
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
"There is nothing wrong with you that I can't fix...with my hands." - Batman
Link Removed

 

[Chad Anson]

Greg,
How and where is flexible foam sold? I'm having a hard time finding something the will easily fit on my 55" mits. My screen is also recessed relative to the frame.
Thanks!
-Chad

 

[Gregory Wilson]

Tim and Chad,
I called all of the packaging/shipping companies that I could find out of the yellow pages. A lot of companies use it to wrap products for shipping. Most companies use white foam (I'm sure you've seen HT components wrapped in it before), so I had to make numerous calls. I found a guy who had been sent a 300' x 4' roll of the stuff to try for free. He never found a use for it, so he was willing to send it to me to get rid of it - free.
Since the stuff I found isn't flimsy, I have used it to make 18" wide sections of film stock. I put it on my framed movie poster wall (behind the posters, along the entire length of the wall) to give it more of a movie theater look.
Good luck and let us know if you find a place,
Greg

 

[chris larralde]

After reading this post, I went to work and grabbed some scrap 1/8" black foam core (available at any art supply store). Easy to cut, cheap, and pitch black in a darkened room.
BTW I love the tweak.
chris

 

[Chad Anson]

I ended up going with black on black 3/16" foamboard available at any art store. I bought 48"x96" sheet for $20. Yes, I do plan on screwing up many times, so I figured I'd get extra.
-Chad

 

[PhilS]

I used a stiffer foam-like product that is used for insulation. I got it at Lowe's, a big hardware chain store (similar to Home Depot, etc). It comes in 4' by 8' sheets, and in various thicknesses, and a whole sheet cost around $3.50. I used 1/4' inch or 3/8" think. When you use it, you pull off the outer skin layer, and you're left with a white foam board that's somewhat stiff, kind of like styrofoam. It cuts with a knife or even scissors, and it's very, very light, so much so that you can attach it with very small pieces of velcro. It only takes one coat of black paint to make it black. Just one idea.

 

[Bill Buklis]

If you need proof that the "black" borders aren't really black, just check out any TV that has a built-in vertical squeeze like the Sony Wegas. When you watch a 2.35 movie in the 16X9 mode you get a dual black border effect. There's a true black border (deep black) at the top and bottom where there is no image (outside of the 16X9 area). It's the same color as the tube when the TV is off. Then you see the "black" borders that are part of the image. These look like gray in comparison.
I believe they deliberately use a color that's brighter than black for the "black" borders to prevent burn in problems on your TV.
I've been thinking about doing the mattes myself just for this very reason, but just haven't gotten off my lazy butt yet to do it.
Even still, the "annoying" black borders aren't that bad and once you get into the movie you forget all about them. But, this sounds like it would be a nice improvement. And if it brings out the image rather than simply hides the black bars, then I definitely will have to try this.

 

[Jerry Gracia]

the "annoying" black borders aren't that bad and once you get into the movie you forget all about them. But, this sounds like it would be a nice improvement. And if it brings out the image rather than simply hides the black bars, then I definitely will have to try this.

Bill,
Not only does this tweak bring the picture out, it also fools your eyes into thinking your TV's screen is actually that shape in a room with controlled lighting, it's very cool! Using mattes, the experience of watching a "letterboxed" movie is no more! You are now watching WIDESCREEN!
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LuvLBX
HateP&S!

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

...it also fools your eyes into thinking your TV's screen is actually that shape in a room with controlled lighting

It eliminates the TV entirely.
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--Jay
My Home Theatre Pictures & Pronto CCF...
"Holy crap! The vultures are eating my head!