Toshiba 27AF41 Geometry Problems (1 Viewer)

[NickSchmidt]

I looked at the customer ratings at amazon for the Toshiba 27AF41 Flat CRT and noticed that a lot of people were complaining that it has bad geometry and skewed lines. My questions are: Is this widespread with the model and can it be fixed? And if there are geometry problems, are they that noticeable? Thanks!

 

[Martin Rendall]

Generally, direct view crt's will have varying geometry accuracy. Some will have minor to not noticeable flaws, while others will be more noticeable. The larger the screen, the greater the likelihood of noticeable problems. Generally, they are not correctable. A technician could crack the case and start moving the magnets around, and may even fix the particular geometry issue, but could cause any number of resulting new problems, such as convergence problems or discolouration.

I'd say that any reputable repair center would try to discourage you from the attempt.

As to whether Toshiba suffers more than other manufacturers... I doubt it.

It may be that every set leaves the factory with perfect geometry (doubtful), but they are only perfect in that part of the world. The planet's electromagnetic field affects geometry and everything else mentioned above. So unless you happen to be lucky enough to live down the road from the plant, I doubt it makes much difference to you.

If you really want to guarantee good geometry, you'll be paying much more (for an RPTV or a LCD, plasma, or DLP).

IMHO.

Good luck,

Martin.

 

[NickSchmidt]

Thanks.

 

[ThomasL]

Nick,

these first few generations of flat tube direct view tvs seem to have their share of geometry problems and I think it's a crapshoot across manufacturers based on the reviews I've read. I have a Toshiba 20AF41 and it had noticeable problems when I first hooked it up. Most of these tvs do have a service level menu with geometry related parameters that are similar to what a computer monitor allows one to do. These won't always fix the problem but they can often mitigate the the problem to make it much less noticeable. These worked for my 20AF41. I must qualify these remarks with the fact that entering the service mode can be dangerous if you're not careful and/or know what you're doing. You can mess up your tv with the wrong button press not to mention officially voiding the warranty.

hope this helps,

--tom