Possible 42H81 problem with wavy lines? (1 Viewer)

[Alan_Horner]

Hey, folks:
I just spent the last of my hard-earned savings making the final upgrade purchase of my HT, the new Toshiba 42H81 RPTV. It's a whole new ballgame after all the direct view tubes I've used, but I'm learning (slowly).
There is one potential problem I'd like to bring up for comment, mostly because I don't know how to proceed:
I've had the new set for just about one week now, and on three separate occasions a horizontal pattern of wavy lines has appeared to fill and distort the image. I've taken steps to ensure that this is not related to interference (unplugged all other components, changed the source of power, etc.) and the problem occurs even when there is no source signal. The wavy lines are very noticeable and even cause text display (like from the set's menu) to distort in a jiggly sort-of motion. I've also noticed that some aspects of the set's geometry go nuts (severe bending of lines, for instance) during this, which is not a problem otherwise. Perhaps in keeping with this, the Touch Focus produces an error message when the wavy lines are present.
The only "regularity" associated with this problem seems to be when I plug something in or turn on the center speaker switch on the back panel. In two of the three times this has happened, I've been able to eliminate the problem by simply turning the set off and on again; the third time, nothing seemed to work, so I turned it off for several hours and the problem went away.
Because I'm so unfamiliar with RPTVs, I thought I'd ask for your opinions. Could there be something loose because of transit? Could it be a defective board somewhere? Because the problem seems to be so intermittent, I don't feel that placing a service call would be worthwhile (unless this is a known problem). You just know that the problem would disappear when the guy came to fix it!
Any help would be appreciated...

 

[Eric Samonte]

The new Toshibas seem to have a quirk in having things like power shutting off, pic distortions, happening in the first few weeks. This is what may be happening here.

Just hang tight and see if it goes away. In the meantime, keep a record of when it happens, how long, etc. And if it persists, be ready to call on the service or...maybe get a replacement from your dealer.

 

[Henry Carmona]

You may want to wait and see what happens, but i wouldnt go past my 30 days, if thats what the store offers.
If it keeps up, either get another one, or your money back and save up for another model.
BTW, i have the 50H81, no problems.

 

[Alan_Horner]

Guys,
The responses are much appreciated. It's more than a little intimidating to come across a potential problem when you don't know that much about RPTV. A lack of knowledge is definitely a handicap, since the imagination can run wild. As mine did.
I like the new set in all other aspects, and I'm watching closely to see if the problem goes away over the next two weeks. I've already been surprised at how quickly the focus issues have stablized; from reading posts online, I was expecting it to be a more severe problem. My only real complaint is that color values can switch so dramatically from one cable channel to the next -- but that's a cable problem, I know. One unexpected bonus is the ability to keep sound levels virtually the same when switching from one channel to the next or when a commercial comes on.
Thanks again. If anyone knows of any specifics to this "problem," I'd still appreciate hearing from you.