Need help with service menu for 31' rca tv (1 Viewer)

[Benson R]

I recently figured out how to get into the service menu for my rca tv, model # f31317. I was able to change p11 to 53 to do the anamorphic squeeze trick and also changed p6 and p7 to correct the fishbowl effect that occured when I squeezed the image. I was wondering if someone with knowledge of the service menu could give me some hints as to how to fix a picture problem I am unable to solve with the television's regular picture adjustments.

I believe the problem is what others here have referred to as being unable to hold black. The problem is most easily seen when watching letterbox movies. The letterbox bars shift color from dark black during bright scenes to dark grey during dark or nightime scenes. Daylight scenes in movies produce deep eye pleasing blacks while during night scenes blacks are all varying shades of dark grey. If someone could point me too some settings I could try tweaking I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Bill Will]

I don't know the answer to your questions but could you please tell me the sequence to get into the service menu. A friend of mine has an old 31" GE that he's been wanting to get into the service menu on. He also wanted to do the Squeeze Trick on it so can you also please tell me exactly how & what to change once inside the Service Menu & that way I can print your answer out & hand it to him. Thanks & I hope someone can answer your question.

 

[Benson R]

To enter the service mode, which I believe is the same for almost all RCA/GE tvs, just hold menu, and while holding menu press power then press volume +. This all must be done from the buttons on the actual tv, not the remote. You will then see P 0 and V 0 on the screen. From there you can now use the remote to change values.

You have to change V 0 to V 76 by pressing volume +. Then hit channel +. You will have entered the password and now be allowed to make changes to the parameters.

Now that you are in you use the channel + and - to change the P value which are the various display parameters. You then use volume + and - to change the V value for each parameter. Also at any time press power to exit the service menu.

On my set to do the squeeze I changed the parameter P to 11. That was the vertical image size. It was set at 98 and I changed it to 53. That set the proportion right for widescreen images but I got a fishbowl effect. I then changed both P 6 and P 7 from 7 to 1 and that seems to produce the proper image.

I am very happy with the results and feel I was able to get a very good image from a rather cheap tv. I hope this helps, let me know if my instructions are unclear. Also once in the service menu, tread carefully. Make sure you have a firm grip on the fact that channel up and down brings you to each image setting and that volume changes the setting. So before you change anything use the channel buttom to go through and then write down each P and corresponding V value.

 

[Benson R]

Anyone? Perhaps if no one has any model or brand specific information, they might still be able to give me some hints as to what the settings I need to tweak should do, so that I might find them on my own in the service menu. I found 3 settings, each seem to change a different color. IE one turns the screen completely green, another blue and another red. I wonder if I need to balance each color or something like that using one of the patterns on the calibration disc.