Cleveland Classics Big Screen TV Repair

So What’s Your Problem ?

What information to have when seeking tv repair advice.

It always amazes me when customers call for repair, and they don’t know who the tv is made by. …or when it was made… or the model number. By law, all TVs and bigscreens have to list on a label on the back of the product, these 3 things.

Why this is Important

After servicing electronics for close to 30 years now, ALL manufactures have various common problems. Those problems varied from manufacture and year of manufacturing. Believe it or not, I can usually ( 90% of the time ) tell you what your problem is and a pretty exact price on how much your repair will cost. I will be able to assess if your unit can be repaired inhome or if it needs to go to the ship..

As a servicer committed to helping resolve your problems. Be kind and do due diligence and check for these essential numbers and dates. The more efficient we can be in resolving your problem, the LOWER your cost will be.

Whats Wrong With the TV ?

You will want to also make sure you can answer some additional questions, for they will help keep cost down

1) Is the set dead ?

2) How long does it take for the problem to appear ?

3) Has the set ever been worked on before ? If so, is this the same problem ?

4) Has the set ever been professionally cleaned ?

One of the most FAQ is, is it worth the repair ?  Providing information like age and model will give us a good idea, rather we can comfortably and securely repair your tv without fear of future problems. Some units are just too old and problematic to restore, however, some of the best big screen TVs were manufactured between 1995 and 2004, therefore depending on make and model, they will be a viable option for big screen repair and restoration.

Our Friends at Shop Jimmy wrote a good article on LCD technologies

I thought I would share with you all ,for Even I, Craig the TV Dude, actually learn from it

http://www.shopjimmy.com/blog/?p=1600

Hubby ?? Why is our LCD taking longer and longer to turn on ??

We have experienced a rash of Samsung, Philip/Magnavox, Polaroid, and Akia LCD televisions with power supply problems that cause the tvs to turn on slowly and eventually—not all all.

We have seen the problem with Plasmas too. Recently I repaired a Philips with the Ambi-Light, a Toshiba and an LG…..all with swollen power caps.

There are charging capacitors which should be replaced by certified technicians and you should be looking at a repair bill of $150 plus service fees of $50-$100 depending on your location.

Yes! We can repair these problems in-home and on-site. Don’t go hauling that fragile screen into a car to save $20 bucks.Instead, give us a call at (216) 252-1672. We’ll be happy to help. And you can save your back

Beware of Purchasing Close Outs at Circuit City

MIAMISBURG — Dana and Patricia Finch said they didn’t expect to find any deals when they visited the Circuit City at 2700 Miamisburg-Centerville Road on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Despite their pessimism, the Waynesville couple made the 20-minute trip to the store, which is being liquidated. Store personnel said the location is to close on or by Monday, Feb. 16.

Unfortunately, the selection of merchandise in the store did not prove them wrong.

“I think they just have floor models left. That’s all they seem to have,” Patricia Finch said after leaving.

“They don’t have anything in a box or anything,” Dana Finch said.

There’s no instructions,” Patricia Finch said. “Most of the stuff doesn’t have any remote controls to it, so you are buying at your own risk.”

What could be found there Tuesday afternoon included large flat screen TVs — one of the cheapest marked down to $1,329.89 from $1,899.99; High definition DVD players; a mini digital camera for $90.97 (but no accessories); a vacuum cleaner for $249.99; a printer for a computer at $41.99 and a dashboard-mount global positioning system for $139.99.

Joyce Beard of Trotwood said she came in search of computers, but found none.

“They are pretty much sold out of what I came for,” Patti Smith of Indiana said about her search for a laptop. “If you go in there and look it’s pretty empty.”

“I can buy almost the same TV at Wal-Mart for less,” said Mary Shotwell, 23, of Franklin. “We got a 42-inch for $700 and they got them in here for over a $1,000.”

Frank Clapsaddle of Franklin said he came in to find a good deal on a big screen television, but didn’t find what he was looking for. “The markdowns are pretty much priced at what other retailers are or a little higher, truthfully,” he said.

Donyale Harris, 41, of West Carrollton and her son Malik Mayo left empty-handed because she thought the televisions were “priced too high.”

When asked if he had found any deals, Arwa Sheewi of Centerville said, “No. not really… I just came to look around and found this stereo.” He was able to get a stereo system for $70, marked down from $130.

Finch had a word of warning for Circuit City shoppers looking for those last minute deals: “You better know what you are buying or else it’s going to be just junk to you.”

A Dayton Daily News reporter placed a phone call to the +!@#$creek store, 2720 Towne Drive, on Tuesday, and was greeted by a recording that announced, “We are currently closed.”

Consumers will also most likely get recorded prompts instead of a person, when calling Circuit City’s hotline, 1-800-the-city.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2414 or kwynn@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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Another Great Source for Bigscreen Info

Displaysearch.com

You Tried to Buy a DLP Lamp From Where ? The Light Depot !!

I have actually had customers bring their DLP lamps to me in their bare hands.

After they had told me they had travelled to various Home Improvement and Lighting Companies.

Dlp and LCD lamps have Mercury content. They should only be handle with gloves and even then, very carefully. There are a lot of do it yourself websites and self help money saving blow-hearts that offer quick fix, easy solutions ( for a price ! ) and they will never divulge the whole truth.

The truth is, once your lamp blows, it is a toxic element, that should be handled and disposed by qualified technicians. This is such a key element of our business, that we will insist on having the failed core back to complete the sale. No core, no new lamp. That’s our policy.

In addition, LCD and DLP projection systems using these lamps, MUST be cleaned when lamps replaced.  Most manufactures suggest this effort and as a business and service supplier, I can only suggest what is needed.  But if you find yourself in need of lamp replacement, please consider the previous points made.

#1  Wear Gloves when Handling the Lamp !  Both removing and installing. Do not touch glass with hand. Oils, dirt, contaminants will ruin the high powered ,high heat optics

#2 Test the market for qualified servicers and see how and what they think about these details. If they don’t know, don’t hire !

#3 Negotiate with servicer/part supplier to also clean/vacuum chassis to keep fans from blocking , thus eliminating heat build up and optical block/light engine failure ( these failures are catastrophic ).

#4 What type of warranty covers the new lamp?  There are guys selling lamps that they removed from broken units and may have 10k hours on them. Yes they wil work initially but for how long ? Standard warranty should be at least 90 days. We have 6-12 month warranty, depending on program chosen.

For more info or questions, feel free to link to our,  ” So What’s Your Problem page and leave a comment and we will provide additional info if possible.

Remember…….Now That You Know….You Cannot ,Not Know (-:<<

Honey ? When did cable switch to 3-D ?

Why Does My TV Look Like a 3-D Movie ?

One of the most common problems and repair issues of traditional crt projection systems is the failure of Geometry Correction or Convergence. To converge is to bring things together. The purpose of this circuit is to align the Red, Green and Blue guns to uniformity.  This is achieved by 2 or 3 ICs that run so hot, you cannot hold your hand on them for long. They are hard working semiconductors prone to failure.

How do I determine if this is my problem ?

Common symptoms will be a separation of colors. You may be watching ESPN od CNN and notice the words at the bottom or Logos at the top, with a 3-D effect or separation of one of the 3 colors from the others. Or you may see a bowing on the sides or bottom/top or both and that is complete failure of both ICs or the supply to them.

Well what does this mean for my bigscreen ?

First off, it can be repaired economically. The repair should be done inhome ( no need for servicer to remove your tv from your home and 1 hour of labor to complete ). Cost should be about $200 plus service fee of $50-$100 ( depending on travel time).

Failure of this circuit is beginning to drive our business and some manufactures, whose units where manufactured between 1995 and 2005 are just beginning to fail for the first time. We have LCD and Plasmas inshop that are only 18 months old. Although there are great improvements and price reductions in these technologies. CRT/Projection systems have been manufactured since the early 1980s and the units produced between 1995 and 2005 are some of the most well designed and reliable and performance was King.

Where do I go from Here?

You will want to check search engines for you model number, manufacturer, Bigscreen repair in your town and negotiate for pricing, inhome service, scheduling, etc.

Cleveland Classic TV is commited to restoring and keeping cherished, invested bigscreens alive and well. We welcome questions and would love to support and guide our clients thru the maze of bigscreen and HD transitional information

What happened to my audio ??

I got a call from my Aunt Eva, my mother’s youngest sister, and she was like

“the Moving people hooked up the BigScreen and there is no Sound “

” Don’t Panic “  I told her. Some bigscreens and tvs have speaker on / off switches in the back, near the cable inputs. I have had Grandparents call me and and say ” My grandchildren were over and I know it was the video games and now no audio “     Many times it was the grands that hit the speaker on / off switch while playing hide and seek.

However, we have also had many cases whereby, the internal micro of the tv, has got a glitch.  Sometimes it only takes the unplugging of the tv for 10 minutes, and all is well. Sometimes, it is actually the cable or satellite box not providing audio-always check a second source. Sometimes there is a speaker on / off option in the audio menu of the tv set. Worst case senerio, the audio circuit did fail.

I caution all who own a tv or bigscreen with additional speaker outputs, to….never use this option. Your better choice would be to take the audio out of the cable box or the tv ( red and white RCA connectors-all tvs don’t have this ) and feed this line level output to a boombox with aux or video inputs, surround sound, or stereo system. Let the Stereo power the sound. Do not work the 2.5 to 10 watt audio amps in the tv or bigscreen with additional speakers. In a lot of tvs and bigscreens, if you blow the audio circuit, the whole TV will fail,,,,,Dead Dog! You will be looking at a repair bill of around 200-400.00 or more and the sound from a tv cannot compare to the amplification of a stereo or surround sound system.

Just thinking about my Aunt Eva and our upcomming family reunion and thought I would share these audio tips with you.  and by the way, I walked her thru the audio menu and her problem was solved in one 5 minute phone call.   Priceless !!

Peace and Love

Craig

OK, the secret of the HD date is out !

For years I have been telling my customers to, do not worry, your 5-10 year old TV or Bigscreen will still be a viable medium for veiwing tv and videos after the 2009 cutoff date. Back in 2000, while working with bigbox firms, their salesman and the general advertising media pushed the threat of loosing TV !!

TVs and Bigscreens are the center of most households. For many of my elderly customers, this is their only contact to the world, other than their trips to the doctor and hospitals. We make them priority ONE !! Having walked my parents to the end for a period of 5 years, I saw in the last 18 months, their ability to leave their home diminish. Their biggest joy was Food and TV. I cooked healthy and tasteful meals for them almost everyday, Cooking is a passion of mine.

I also see the effects of young families, when the main Bigscreen goes down and everyone has to share smaller tvs or they fragment and migrate to their own rooms and the 1960s, TV dinner, Group senerio dissolves. I have actually seen Kids Jump in Joy, Dogs Bark and Husband and Wife Kiss and Hug due to the Restoration of the family Bigscreen. Yes, I did feel like a god !!

What’s even more amazing is to repair a 2-5 year old Bigscreen and see that it is HD compatible, but was never hooked up properly by the cable or satellite technician and the pix looked crappy. In addition the Bigscreen had a fully functional Stereo or Surround Sound system sitting rite next to it, but not attached or utilized.

I just want to say ” Do Not Believe the Hype ! ” With convertor boxes ( cable, satellite and stand alone ) all tvs and bigscreens will still work when the 2009 cutoff date for HD occurs ( the jury is still out as to whether that is a viable date ). I have customers with HD units who think they will not work after 2009 because they were purchased 4-5 years ago. YES THEY WILL !!

Check with local suppliers and support firms to find out what you need to maximize your Audio , Video and Computer and Gaming technologies. Search the web for info on questions you have about what you are using and where you want to go with what you have or how you should proceed with upgrades and new purchases. Do Not Trust the Salesman, Even if they are Not on Commission, Most will still tell you ,what ever you want to hear to close the sale. Most in-home Audio/Video experts will demand a fee of around 35-75.00 to visit and consult and it is well deserved. The time put into keeping up with technology trends is enormous. For me, it is a passion as I write this at 1 am on a Sunday night.

Check your Better Biz BrL and other community watchdogs to make sure you are working with and hiring a reputable firm. Be diligent in your quest for great home entertainment and support of the systems that make up your home entertainment pleasure systems.

I can’t tell you how many people, who call me , after they have been ripped off or purchased the worst product at the highest price.

Now that you know, You cannot, Not…Know…………Peace

Buy DLP and LCD Lamps with Proper Warranty.

I have been recieving more and more calls from customers who have brought 3rd party replacement lamps with no warranty.

Rarely and in my experience, will the DLP or LCD projector cause the lamp to go bad upon initial install. One must check owners manaul on how to clean filters on your unit. Dirty filters will cause the unit to overheat and will send the unit into thermal/temperature shutdown. Repeated attemps to power the unit up, then, may possibly ruin the lamp again.

Check for suppliers with one year warranties on lamps and stay away from cheap knockoffs. You’ll only pay more in the end.

Thoughtfully
Craig the TV Man