Pimp your Projection TV with a Proper Lens Cleaning

Robert Jones, owner, Image Perfection. Home Theater and Big Screen TV authority. Level 2 ISF calibration and convergence realignment expert. Specializing in CRT front and rear projection TVs.
Thanks for joining me. Today we're going to talk about CRT rear projection TVs and how to keep them young and vibrant looking. Why? We've got new TVs we could buy out there.
First of all, you spent thousands of dollars on your set. Why buy new? That's another couple thousand out the door.
Second, they last and last and last. I know of one owner who has a 20 year old set and he won't part with it. It looks fabulous. They also can give you the best HD out there. A finely tuned and finely dial CRT rear projection TV is the rival of anything else out there.
How do we we keep our projection TVs young and vibrant looking? The one thing people don't know is that there is a 28 surface optical pattern there that gets dirty. It's that simple. These optics have to be cleaned every year, and the deeper optics every couple of years. Why? 30 thousand volts, that's what it takes to use our CRTs. That causes everything to be statically charged, the air included, everything in the air no matter how big or how small, if its airborne, gets drawn onto those lenses, those lenses and there on the optical surfaces. Then you have a bright object against a black background, it's not a crystal clear background. It's got all this haze to it. In an afternoon it can all be cleaned up.
You have to be very careful about what you use, you don't want to use ammonia, you don't want to use anything that's going to scratch the surface, and you have to have something with a high absorbency content too, and not just move things around and leave residue.
Take a look here ... from the look of these lenses, full frontal, hmm, not much seems amiss. But let's change a few things. Look at them at an angle and let's add some light. Now one of these lenses is clean, the other two are dirty. What do you think?
You only get one shot at cleaning your optics each time, don't blow it, do it right.
Bob Jones, thanks for listening.
Check out my blog at www.ProjectionTvTroubleshootingAdvice.com

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Projection
• TV
• Troubleshooting
• lens
• optics
• cleaning

[MrBobBigScreen]

Yup. Lots of guys are doing it, these babies are available for pennies on the dollar these days. And a fully fine-tweaked, fully dialed in CRT RPTV is a wonder to behold! I get flown all over the country cleaning and calibrating these "older" sets. Little do the ones throwing them away know, these are 20 year sets! They are only midway thru their service life. Unlike most new offerings of today...

[MrBobBigScreen]

I forgot to add that these lens surfaces are plastic, and as such are incredibly vulnerable and way too easily scratched! Any scratches or scuffs (thousands of tiny scratches at once) are PERMANENT DAMAGE. It takes special practices and materials to do it safely. Don't just go anywhere for this information. Get it from one who has been there and done that dozens and dozens of times over the years.

SAFELY!

Mr Bob

[MrBobBigScreen]

@MrBobBigScreen 510-278-4247

[goqwertygo]

perfect way to score a free big screen from craigslist from someone thats getting rid of it because the picture is "dirty"

[MrBobBigScreen]

@eacole1 That was fun on Mother's Day, Liz! Can't wait to get in and do the deeper optics for her!

If you liked this video, contact me. I will keep CRT RPTVs alive and well indefinitely, as they are ageless, permanent sets.

Thanks for watching. Call me for how to get it done right. And safely!

Mr Bob

Image Perfection

510-278-4247

[MrBobBigScreen]

@Brionkendo

Replace the convergence ICs. If you want me to do that, contact me directly. If you're a DIYer, there are tutorials out there on how to do it, the best one being from my buddy Len Caillo at Home Theater Shack.com.

[Brionkendo]

@MrBobBigScreen first of all, thanks for your quick response. second: how would I go about a convergence repair on the blue? I have some bright whites, but mostly the blue is bright and hazy. Also I had no idea you should not clean the screen. very interesting. This applies for the mirror as well? not safe to clean the mirror? thanks again.

[MrBobBigScreen]

@Brionkendo The green is not changeable via user settings, only the red and blue are. If the green needs to be changed, that has to be done in the service menu.

If the blue won't move at your command against the green, it sounds like the blue could need a convergence repair. A full image being stuck is a sure sign of that.

It's good that you didn't clean the screen faces, they are magnets for residue, even just water is not good for them. Ideally they should always be left alone.

[Brionkendo]

Hey great video. Question: I just recieved a 60" Panasonic rear projecton TV. I cleaned the lenses, but i still have an issue with blue convergence. when i try to converge the green target will not line up with the blue target. resulting in a somewhat hazy blue picture. I did not clean the back or front of the actual screen or mirror, only the lenses. anything else I can do to fix this blue issue? Thanks!

[jmacmedia]

Bob cleaned the optics on my Pioneer 710 and I couldn't BELIEVE the difference it made! Thanks Bob!