32" Toshiba question for service techs (1 Viewer)

[TonyG]

I have a 2+ year old Toshiba 32" TV which has operated flawlessly--until our recent move. Now after being turned on for a few minutes, a vertical line 1.5 inches over from the left side of the screen appears. This line runs the entire height of the screen and is about .25 inches wide. It "pulsates" and distorts the picture "behind" it, but it is essentially fixed in location. This band does shift color as the signal changes color. In addition, at times additional (aalthough much less distinct) vertical lines will rapidly "roll" in sync together
What is this problem likely caused by? How much should I expect the parts and labor to be for a repair? Could rough handling cause this problem?
Thanks for your help!

 

[ThomasL]

Tony, I am not a service tech but sometimes what you describe can be caused by simple interference. Have you disconnected everything from the tv and turned it on and still seen the line? Also, does the line occur on all sources/inputs and on all cable channels? i.e. is it there regardless of what you're watching (a dvd movie, a baseball game, the weather channel, etc.).
good luck,
--tom

 

[TonyG]

ThomasL,
Thanks very much for your post. It appears to be some sort of cabling problem with the cable box because when I disconnect and reconnect the wire, the problem disappears.
I don't usually panic this easily, but we had many items damaged in our recent move. It's a good thing we moved our few family heirlooms with us in the minivan
------------------

 

[ThomasL]

Tony, that sounds like the usual culprit. The other thing to make sure is that the line is there on all cable channels. I get interference lines on some channels and since I have multiple tvs, I've verified that the line is there on all of them (how easily it is detectable sometimes depends on the lighting and the tv's settings). For me, this has verified that it's either my cable splitter in the basement or just the quality of the signal from our cable company. If it is on all channels, then the first thing to try is another coax cable from the cable box to the tv. The other thing I've experienced is cross talk between two cables resting on each other (showed up as wavy interference lines on some channels). Cabling is always a nightmare behind any entertainment center and the best way to reduce crosstalk is to buy better shielded cables and/or to make sure cables are tied properly, etc just to avoid contact between them. And more expensive cables don't necessarily mean better shielding. With my problem above, it turns out that a more expensive 6 foot coax cable was the cause of my problems and replacing it with a 6 foot radio shack cable that I had in my misc. cable box did the trick.
cheers,
--tom