If anyone out there thinks that 38-inch Widescreen Direct-view is impossible they should read this thread. For all the F38310 owners out there: If someone else produced a 38-inch Direct-view would you buy it? What improvements would a model like that need to have in your opinion?

4" thick and less than 100 lbs

Ha, ha. That seems to be the speks for a plasma. Would be nice tho.
As the quality improves on the other formats I fear the days of the big screen tube set are history unless they could find a way to reduce the weight and size. I hope mine lasts another 2 or 3 years and then maybe there will be something equal to this set.

The only hope for 38-inch Widescreen Direct-view is if some Chinese company tries it.

I've been very happy with my JX5 for 4 years, but for its eventual replacement I'll be looking for a lighter, less bulky 38-42" display with 1920 X 1080P resolution. New technologies like SED & SXRD sound promising. And four HDMI/DVI inputs would be nice.

check this out
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-nlwY321VDko/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=153650&I=610DV3750
I'm sure blacks will not be the same, but WOW

I'm not a big fan of LCD at this point, even at 1920 X 1080P, but the price, weight, and depth of that model are very impressive.

My YX5 locks up after _+ 2 hrs. Could it be power supply caps?

I am not sure if this is the right thread for this post but...

I have a big overscan problem with my component inputs. Can I adjust my settingd myself? Can it bee adjusted at all? I can't do it from my player, a Buffalo Link Theater. See some picks here BTL THREAD (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=5532332#post5532332)

I messed with some of the info I learned on Dr Joe's site, may be a little over my head. And I did create a new problem, I didn't write down V setting to get back in to the service mode.

Steven

Hey everyone. I'm glad to hear you have had such great experiences with the f38310. I'm looking at an Ad on craigslist right now that has an f38310 going for $500. They're only selling it because they're moving.

Do I buy it??

Hey everyone. I'm glad to hear you have had such great experiences with the f38310. I'm looking at an Ad on craigslist right now that has an f38310 going for $500. They're only selling it because they're moving.

Do I buy it??

If you don't, I WILL! I bought mine on April 21, 2001, and am very happy with this set. I would like a second one for my family room. Please, if you think you don't want to buy it, give me a chance to get it. Thanks!

Wow I didn't realize you were in Walnut Creek. Well, M70, there is a lot of competition for this TV. The guy emailed me back and told me there was a bunch of people who have appointments to see the TV.

He's out in the Westside, and you can check out the listing right here...


RCA 38" HDTV (wow) on Craigslist (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/ele/81266033.html)


The seller's a nice guy too

The failure:

Unfortunately, in late April 05, our F38310 failed to power up ... We purchased F38310 new at CC with 5 year extended warranty in late Nov 2001, and we had been enjoying it on average about 12 hours a day with no problems(it made no sense to turn it off except late night and early morning as someone else will usually turn it back on within 15 minutes), nor with any sign of any oncoming "failure"(even the night before) until the late april morning when it would not power up .... And no, there were no storms that night/morning nor do we seem to have problems with A/C current spikes ...

The Service call :

During the service call*, the tech found a bad diode(CR14104 - **) and blown fuse on power supply board for DM-1 module. Having known about the common problem with several caps/diodes on this board and having the related service bulletins in hand at the time of the service call, I was present, and I had the chance to inspect the caps which are often reported to be faulty. Well, even though this set(a JX4) had never been serviced -- It in fact did have the Blue+Gold "to specs" caps at C14113+C14115-- none of them showed any signs of leakage or deformity.

In any event, not having the necessary diode on hand, the Tech decided to take the DM-1 power supply with him and if possible either try to get a new one for RCA, or he said he might also try replacing the diode if necessary. He said he expected to either have a new board from RCA, or replace the diode and and have it back in our set within about 7~10 days or so.

* - Which didn't actually occur until around 3 weeks after the failure, although we called right away+also ended up calling both CC and the local repair shop several times in that period - most of the time, although they always said they would call us back when appropriate, we ended up having to call them back.

** - As stated in Thomson Service Bulletin #TV-03002 for DTV306 chassis - Which concerns shorted or leaky CR14107+CR14117 power supply diodes, when CR14107_CR14117 diodes are shorted or leaky, they also recommend Diode at CR14104 be checked. Note that in this case, the tech checked CR14107+CR14117 and they were fine ... when he was here at least, all he found was bad CR10104(and the blown fuse of course).

Post service call :

Well, after about 2-3 weeks as I recall, having not heard from them, we of course called. From what I could gather, what they(repair shop) seemed to be saying was that they found more problems with the board, and decided that they had to order a new one, which they said they did. They said a quite substantial cost was involved. It may have been this call, or during a later call that they also said the part was on "backorder" ...

Well, a couple weeks later or so, having not heard anything we called for an update .... This time, they did call us back within a day or so, saying the new board would be in from RCA "tomorrow" and that they would be coming out to put it in. Well --- they didn't show up. Upon calling them again the next day, they said they wouldn't accept the board that was sent .. They didn't elaborate as to why, I could only assume it they refused it on the grounds that it was poorly "manufactered."

With seemingly no "concrete" definable details occuring which I was privy to past this point, and, To cut a long story short :

Bye, bye F38310 :

In the end, what happened was, CC decided to honor their warranty coverage by replacing our F38310 with a new set. For various reasons, of the models they carry, we decided upon a Sony KD-34XBR960. So, They delivered a new XBR960 this afternoon, and picked up the F38310.

While I am certianly satisfied with the final "outcome" of this story, and from what I can tell so far I'm sure I'm going to like the XBR, I do feel CC has, has lived up to, their obligations concerning the extended warranty coverage :

I am also sad to see the F38310 go as it was the perfect set(38", internal ATSC receiver, 2 antenna inputs - which we used with seperate antennas aimed at different markets for OTA HD, /etc/etc/etc) for our needs ... XBR960 certianly has excellent PQ+features/etc(and again I think we'll be quite happy with it), but so did 38310 ...

I do feel CC has, has lived up to, their obligations concerning the extended warranty coverage

Sure, if you feel that a 34" set without a built-in D* HD tuner is a "comparable" set. I got CC to just credit me the original amount I paid for the RCA plus the prorated service plan. To each his own, but I think you could have got a D* HD stb out of 'em.

Elspankdog,

I also got a nice $200 stand and a new 5 year extended warranty for the sony out of the deal(Which would have come to ~2500 if I would have had to pay for it, $2499 being what I paid for the F38310), although I had to "haggle" with them for a bit.

As you say, each to his own. In my case the only other set they had which would have been acceptable for an "even trade"(espeically PQ wise, IMO) would have been a 50", ~$7000 Pioneer HD Plasma. I did bring it up, but of course they wouldn't go for that<g>.

IF I would have asked for the $ back, No matter where I would have went, unless I wanted to spend that sort of money(which I don't) there really wouldn't have been any other set I know of that would have worked for me ... But yeah, I wish they still made 38" tubes ....

BTW, I don't use D*. Never used the D* receiver in the internal DTC-100(DM-1) in 38310 Just the internal OTA/OTA DTV/HD receiver. I primarily use OTA/OTA HD+DVD, but use E* SD currently as well. Will be upgrading to E* HD at some point, but not yet.

Good, I'm glad to hear they gave you a new warranty and the stand. My local CC wanted me to take a smaller, cheaper set and be on my way. I was forced to get corporate involved. Apparently, your CC experience was leaps and bounds better.

But yeah, I wish they still made 38" tubes ....

Well, maybe RCA doesn't anymore, but I did see a Loewe 38" TV on Clearance at a nearby hi-end Home Theater store. That sucker is unbelievable... and though I've never seen the RCA unit, I can imagine that the two picture tubes are quite similar.

If I recall correctly, I believe the 38" Loewe Anaconda used the exact same tube as F38310, which I think was manufactured by RCA.

I've never seen one, but I believe the Anaconda(Which was a $5K set last time I saw an ad for one a few years ago) is probably a bit better set when it comes to some PQ related issues, even though the tube is the same ...

A month or so ago, I was curious if the Anaconda, or a newer 16x9 set using a 38 tube was available from Loewe's ... What I found was that their U.S. website had info which said they are no longer supplying any sets to the U.S. Market.

I do know RCA shut down a Picture tube plant not too far from me around the same time they discontinued F38310(not that those 2 issues were necessarily "directly" related) ... I'm not sure if that's where the 38" tube was made, but I think I do recall seeing a story in a local paper several years earlier that said either that plant or another one fairly near me was making Widescreen CRTs. When the plant closed(I can't remember if it was in IN or Ohio), there was quite a bit of news about it, as it had been in operation for a long time.

Hi:

Don't know if AVSFORUM allows this or not, but I'm looking to sell my F38310 with factory stand. TV is perfect, never needed service. Cosmetically and functionally perfect. It's jut too big for me anymore and I want to downsize. I live in the Seattle area if you're interested.

I subscribe to this thread so I should get notified of your response.

Thanks.

-Mike

My beloved RCA 38 turned off in the middle of a program a couple of weeks ago. After unplugging for a few minutes, I hit the on button and the button light comes on but no picture, just a relay clicking inside. Does this sound like the capacitor problem outlined earlier in this thread? The local repair people are clueless and want me to spend $800 on a possible repair with no guarantees. I told them to deliver it back to me. I've learned a lot from this thread already but didn't see a similar problem. Thanks

No it doesn't sound like the cap/diode problem. (Based on the symptoms I've experienced).

With that, the TV powers up and the only thing(s) affected are D* and OTA. Component, and other A/V inputs work fine.

You probably have a problem with the main power (supply) board.

Knock on wood, my JX5 purchased in December 2001 is still going strong. I have been watching a lot of HDTV with the Motorola 6412 HD DVR for the past year and not many DVD's. The PQ is so much better even when the show is upconverted (IMHO). Blue-ray and HD-DVD still seems to be a taking too long. Is anyone of you using any of the new upconverting DVD players on the beloved F38310? The only upconverting DVD players that I recall that would work through component were the Zenith 318 and the Momitsu. The newer upconverting DVD players work only through DVI. Does anyone have any ideas on how one could get these to work without regulating the F38310 to the scrap heap and buying the "newer" technology?

I tried an LG-3510A... I returned it. No improvement to justify the $$.
Also... don't get all excited about HD/BR DVD. Word has it that it will only work over DVI/HDMI so we F38310 owners are SOL (If that's a fact).

I have one of the early DVB318's that upconvert via component and I am well pleased with it. I have the 6412 too, and also an LG 3410A DVR, both set to output 1080i to my F38310. This TV does very well with 1080i input.

It looks like we'll have to buy new TV's in order to experience HD DVD's. I'm a bit interested in the Sceptre 37" 1920 x 1080 LCD coming to Costco in August, but we'll have to see how that goes. Latest word on that thread is a possible $199 shipping charge. Pretty incredible for a <60lb TV. I live 3 blocks from a Costco, but evidently the Sceptre is only available from costco.com.

Hey guys, Ive read through this whole thread but cannot seem to find the same problem that I have. About 2 hours ago the TV was working fine. Then we moved the RCA 38 inch TV into another room. It wasnt dropped or beaten on the way to the other room, but now in the other room, the sound works fine, but there is no video. The screen power up, but there are red lines that are horizontal and they move up and down randomly. The sound still comes thru the speakers though. Anyone have any ideas?

This was done thru the coax inputs as well as thru S video inputs and its the same problem.

HELP!

I have both a question and an idea. Dose anyone know if the dtc 100 that is built in connect internally with a VGA plug? If so, I believe that " digital connections" has converter connectors from VGA to DVI-D. Or an enterprising individual may try to install a firewire connection from a kit . Like many of you I have been trying to figure how to upgrade my set to the new digital reality .

DVI-D is digital. VGA is analog... no can do. But I do believe there is an 'open' VGA connector on the inside. What it does (can/could do) is beyond me.

There is a firewire upgrade available at www.169time.com But... it is quite costly IMO.

There is a picture of the video I/O board on my homepage:

http://home.austin.rr.com/doctorjoe/video%20card.pdf

While there are board locations for an additional component output and for RGB and DVI connectors, the supporting electronic components on the board are missing. I don't remember seeing any unused outputs on the DM1 module itself. There are pictures of the DM1 module, and a description of the upgrade Rats mentioned in the FAQ, also on my homepage.

I believe the firewire output has very limited value -- it only works on OTA ATSC television. It allows you to record the ATSC channel (and its sub-channels) to be recorded in a "raw" format. You either need a tuner in your recording devices, or else you need to feed it back directly to the F38310 via the firewire input. There is a seperate device you can purchase which allows you to output DirecTV HD channels. I have in my notes that the upgrade cost $1000 -- I think this is for both the DTV device and the firewire mod. Cheaper to buy an ATSC set-top receiver. These notes are several years old.

Joe

Hi:

After over 3 years, my tube won't come on. The green power light on top is on, but I can't get a picture. This was intermittent for a few days. I would unplug it and let it sit for a while (an hour to 1 day or so) and I could get a picture, but now I can't get a picture at all. I plug it in, the green light comes on but the tube won't show a picture. Is there a reset procedure or something? Do I need to call in a technician? Is the tube likely shot?

Thanks.

-Mike

Thanks for the input gentlemen.

Hi:

After over 3 years, my tube won't come on. The green power light on top is on, but I can't get a picture. This was intermittent for a few days. I would unplug it and let it sit for a while (an hour to 1 day or so) and I could get a picture, but now I can't get a picture at all. I plug it in, the green light comes on but the tube won't show a picture. Is there a reset procedure or something? Do I need to call in a technician? Is the tube likely shot?

Thanks.

-Mike

Unless you have an extended warranty, take a gun out and shoot it. It isn't the tube, it is the electronics.

Call a technician if you want -- there's a slighjt chance he can fix it -- what do you think, Rats, 30%?

Joe

I agree... probably not the tube.

No picture at all? No menus, no component or A/V inputs either?

I'd find it difficult to send it "out to pasture" without someone taking a look at it.
If it's under an extended warranty, you have nothing to lose. Otherwise... it'll probably cost you at least $100 just for a checkout.

I just hope you have/find a qualified tech that has experience with the F38310.

I agree... probably not the tube.

No picture at all? No menus, no component or A/V inputs either?

I'd find it difficult to send it "out to pasture" without someone taking a look at it.
If it's under an extended warranty, you have nothing to lose. Otherwise... it'll probably cost you at least $100 just for a checkout.

I just hope you have/find a qualified tech that has experience with the F38310.
Hi:

Yes, no pic at all. I can't get menus, inputs or anything. I agree it probably isnt the tube since it did show a nice pic once a few days ago. You really think I should just throw it away? Is there anyway to dispose of it?

-Mike

Is there anyway to dispose of it?

No extended warranty?
No estimate for diagnosis?

It's a shame... if you were closer, I'd take it off your hands.

Hello:

I have a F38310, JX4, purchased about 3 1/2 years ago. Had it serviced under warranty within a couple of months to correct "geometry" issues; I think the capacitors were replaced but never have verified. The unit was ISF calibrated a few months later. Everything has been great.

A week or so ago "horizontal lines" appeared on the screen (retrace?). They are white and vary in number from 8 with standard defintion to 16 with high def material. They are most visible in dark scenes and can be hidden in bright scenes, particuarly HD. The lines also have an "hourglass" starting pattern at the right and left edges. These lines appear on all forms of input; DSS, off air - both SD & HD, component inputs, progressive directly out from the DVD and scaled through a Lumagen to 1080i.

So a few questions.

Is this scenario one of the ones reported with the DM-1-capacitor-diode issue?

Does anyone have a document aiding a DYI effort to replace the capacitors & disodes including parts type/value ?

Does anyone know of a reliable tech in the Portland, OR, area? I can't remember nor find any doc's on the original service call. It appears the a company "Sharper Video" is both a certified RCA service center and ISF certified. Anyone with any experience with them?

Thanks in advance for any help..

Jeff

It doesn't sound like the cap/diode problem.

Sure you're not picking up EMI/RFI?

No extended warranty?
No estimate for diagnosis?

It's a shame... if you were closer, I'd take it off your hands.

I have scheduled a service tech to come by next week and check it out. I'll post the relevant info next week.

-MIke

The service tech came out yesterday and spent a few hours with the set. He went thru all the service bulletins. He said I had the correct diodes (I recall an old issue with some sets with bad diodes?). He checked voltages on the electronic components. He ended up pulling out all of the electronics and taking it with him. He personally owns one of these sets (and likes it). He said he will swap out the Digital Module and see if mine works in his set. If it is the DM, he said he can get it rebuilt by a large company that does this (I forgot the name).

At any rate, the root problem is not known yet but I should know something by this weekend.

We will see.....

-Mike

Well, the service tech said they need to replace the DM (Ditital Module) unit on my F38310. They said a re-built one would be $523+shipping and a new one would be $668+shipping (but they said no new ones are in stock).

That's a pretty expensive repair. I was trying to sell the unit anyway, asking about $600 for it. So, financially there doesn't seem to be much sense in repairing it.

If anyone is interested in a busted F38310 that needs a new DM unit, let me know.

Please act quickly as I need to make a final decision in the next few days.

-Mike

I have a 38310 JX5 that is working well. I haven't had any service issues in the 3 1/2 years I have owned it.

I'm thinking that it's time to upgrade to a larger plasma or LCD.

Is anyone willing to hazard a guess as to how much I might be able to sell my 38310 for? I also have the stand that came with the TV.

Thanks

Had My RCA 38" Tube almost 3yrs now, "KNOCK ON WOOD". Have conatcted CC to re-new my warranty. And they will let me for 329.99 for 3 more years. Definitely worth it. Specs on this TV are exceptional, Have researched gettting a new HD for the Living room as this one is in the basement, hard to find anything comparable, any ideas of what would be close?

Another Question? How do I determine if my TV is a JX4, JX5 or whatever?

Thanks
DyeLooper

Mine had to be repaired twice this year. But it seems to be working well again.
I got a notice from CC this week informing me that the extended warranty will expire next month. (I've had this 3 years already?!)

I will not be renewing the extended warranty.
If it blows up again I'll either fix it myself or get one of the new HDTVs that are out right now.

Here's to us Mr. largest widescreen CRT HDTV set ever made owner!

I'm in month #51 with my JX5 (DyeLooper, look around the left side at the bottom and you should find the model ID tag), so I have 21 months left on my 2nd (and final) 3yr extended warranty. The SED sets should be available by then, although they seem to be aiming at 50" primarily, and I don't really want one that large. The new JVC 1920 x 1080P 40" LCD sounds promising, but we'll have to see how it does with black levels.

UncD2000, thank for the insight. I checked where you said and I have a F38310 YX5. Everyone else seems to have a JX?. Whats the difference between a JX and a YX? Anyone have a clue?

DyeLooper

Well, after almost 3 years on my floor-model F38310 from CC, I am now having problems.

One day everything was perfect, the next I could barely read text on menus. The program guide from my Dish receiver is really tough to read. The difference is about similar to the difference between a good-quality DVD and a poor quality VHS tape.

I played with all of the video settings after it happened, and lowering the brightness brings some clarity back to text -- at the expense of shadow detail in dark program material. The effect is not tied to any particular input -- component, s-video, and built-in OTA are all similar.

My 3-yr extended CC warranty expires in a month. So I need to call for in-home service (which will cost me a day's wages to sit home and wait around) but I am concerned about how long it might take to fix and renewing the extended warranty. I don't want to put out more money for renewal if the set can't be fixed -- but reading others' experiences, I might not know if it can be fixed until after the option to renew has run out. Especially if the tech jerks me around saying it "looks fine" to him.

Thoughts, anyone ?

Buy 1 more year warranty. $150.00 will save you $$$1000.00 easily in the long run.

"Gotta invest money to make money"

It sounds like you are having a problem with the focus.
If so it could be:
1. FBT (Flyback Transformer)
There should be a screen control and a focus control pot located on the side of the FBT.

2. CRT discharge
Sometimes the focus pin on the CRT neck can be zapped with a high voltage coil to help a CRT that is out of focus and cannot be adjusted properly with the focus control on the FBT.

3. Defective CRT - This can only be repaired by replacing the CRT.
This happened to my RCA 32" HDTV (due to a different problem) and CC decided against replacing the CRT.
The TV was field scrapped and they gave me a CC gift card with the full amount I paid for the set plus part of the extended warranty cost.
I used this card to purchase my RCA 38" HDTV.

My advice is to let them repair it under warranty now.
Go ahead and buy the extended warranty if you like.
If they do decide to scrap it you should get most of your money back on a CC gift card.

OK, this may sound strange, but the most expensive scenario would actually be if it needs to be taken to a shop, waits months for parts, but is finally repairable.

I figure a tech is going to have to come out: I lose $300 wages staying home waiting for him.

He decides it needs to go into the shop: I lose another $300 when he has to come back another day with a helper to carry this beast downstairs.

It sits in the repair shop for months waiting for parts that eventually arrive, while I have no bedroom TV.

I lose another $300 wages staying home waiting for delivery after it is repaired.

I pay $150 to renew the extended warranty just so there is no question about it being active during this whole period.

So I could be out over $1,000 and end up with a TV that several other people here have needed to have repaired multiple times.

The best-case is that the tech comes out and can repair it on the spot (lose only $300 wages), or declares it is a part that cannot be obtained (lose $300 but CC gives me full refund of $1600 I paid for it.) Then I put that amount towards a Sceptre 37" LCD or something.

Losing wages while sitting around waiting for service guys is not something I figured into the equation when buying the extended warranty. And the likelihood of it requiring multiple visits makes things much more expensive. I wonder if the warranty providers take this into account -- that people may decide the inconvenience/cost is just not worth even using the in-home warranty coverage ?

Argh !

H-m-m-m... sounds like you've already made a decision! :)

But... if you're going to forego the F38310 and get a new TV, you may as well take a chance and try to adjust the focus yourself for 'gits and shiggles'.

On the back of the set, I believe there are two access 'holes' for focus adjustment.

i agree. too much hassle for an inferior model.

I agree with Ratman.
If your not going to get the repair guy out, try to make the adjustment yourself.
What do you have to lose?
Well I guess you could lose your life if you run the screwdriver into the wrong place of the chassis.
But that's a worst case scenario!
If you weren't all the way on the left coast I could adjust it for you!

i agree. too much hassle for an inferior model.

There's some helpful info!

Inferior?
Yeah... it has it's "known" problems with the cap/diode problem which is well documented and easily diagnosed/resolved.

Also... anyone that gets three years problem free with a 'floor model' is lucky no matter the brand.

6 posts and an expert on F38310's. :rolleyes:

i agree. too much hassle for an inferior model.
What?????????? You must not own one or have owned one. Its a great TV. Wife just wishs it was bigger. Man I love her!!!!

If CC would just give up right away and refund my money, then my decision would be made. But that's not going to happen -- they obviously will want somebody to come out and confirm there is a problem.

So if I simply give up at this point, I have no money to go buy something else, and I have to dispose of the TV (including carrying it downstairs) myself.

And there's always a (minor) chance that the tech will give me a small window for the appointment so I don't have to miss a whole day of work. At least for that first visit.

I think I am going to absorb the lost wages for the initial tech visit and hope for the best.

Ratman and DlHunt,
If the focus had fallen off over time, I might think it just needed an adjustment. But the failure was pretty dramatic from one day to the next. My first thought was that the CRT had a focusing magnet fall off. In addition to the focus problem, I now also see geometry problems in the lower 1/4 of the screen. Borders on menus and station logos that should be straight are seriously wiggly !

I've been very happy with this TV for all the time I've owned it. Until this happened, it still looked better to me than any affordable plasma or LCD I've seen. But it is a very big, heavy box, and takes up some serious floorspace in my bedroom.

I think your decision to get the tech to make a service call is a good one.
If you change your mind later post a picture of what your the image looks like you are describing.
I used to manage a consumer electronics repair shop.
I've been repairing TVs since 1984.

Parameter # Parameter name Value range Notes and Comments
Instrument Parameters:
00 security code for alignment parameters must set to 76 must not advance to these parameters until
value set
01 Error Detection (1st) Value of first detected error
02 Error Detection (2nd) Value of second detected error
03 Error Detection (last) Value of last detected error
04 Horizontal Phase 00 .. 53 Write to HorizontalPhase TDA9151 reg, and EEPROM
05 Width Align 00 .. 63 Write to WidthAlign TDA8444 reg, and EEPROM
06 Width 9151 Ref 00 .. 63 Write to Width9151 TDA9151 reg, and EEPROM
07 E/W Parabola 00 .. 63 Write to E/WParabola TDA9151 reg, and EEPROM
08 E/W Trap 00 .. 07 Write to E/WTrap TDA9151 Reg, and EEPROM
09 E/W Corner 00 .. 63 Write to E/WCorner TDA9151 Reg, and EEPROM
10 Vertical Offset 00 .. 07 Write to VerticalCenter TDA9151 Reg, and EEPROM
11 Vertical Amp Aligned 00 .. 53 Write to VerticalAmp TDA9151 reg, and EEPROM
12 Vertical Amp Delta 00 .. 15
13 Vertical Center 00 .. 63 Write to VerticalCenter TDA9151 reg, and EEPROM
14 Vertical Movie Mode 00 .. 02 0=Normal; 1=Movie1; 2=Movie2
15 Vertical Slope MSB 00 .. 255 Write to SlopeMSB TDA9151 reg, and EEPROM
16 Vertical Slope LSB 00 .. 255 Write to SlopeLSB TDA9151 reg, and EEPROM
17 Vertical Start Scan 00 .. 59 Write to STSC TDA9151 reg, and EEPROM
18 Red Cutoff 00 .. 255 Write to EEPROM Address depending on the source
19 Green Cutoff 00 .. 255 Write to EEPROM Address depending on the source
20 Blue Cutoff 00 .. 255 Write to EEPROM Address depending on the source
21 Video Mode Cutoff (Brightness Align) 00 .. 255 Write to EEPROM Address depending on the source
22 Red Drive 00 .. 127 Write to EEPROM Address depending on the source
23 Blue Drive 00 .. 127 Write to EEPROM Address depending on the source
24 Video Mode Light Output 00 .. 117 Write to EEPROM Address depending on the source
25 Text Mode Cutoff (Brightness Align) 00 .. 255 DO NOT USE.
26 Text Mode Light Output 00 .. 107 DO NOT USE
27 AKB Mode 00 .. 01 Note: 00 = Off; 01 = On
28 Red Cutoff (override) 00 .. 255 Update TA1276 register and writes to EEPROM
29 Green Cutoff (override) 00 .. 255 Update TA1276 register and writes to EEPROM
30 Blue Cutoff (override) 00 .. 255 Update TA1276 register and writes to EEPROM
31 Cutoff (override) 00 .. 255 Update TA1276 register and writes to EEPROM
32 Comb D/A (Composite) 00 .. 127
33 FPIP Contrast (Composite) 00 .. 127
34 FPIP Fine Tint (Composite) 00 .. 255
35 FPIP Saturation (Composite) 00 .. 127
36 Comb D/A (SVideo) 00 .. 127
37 FPIP Contrast (SVideo) 00 .. 127
38 FPIP Fine Tint (SVideo) 00 .. 255
39 FPIP Saturation (SVideo) 00 .. 127
40 Digicon Bus Control 00 .. 01 Note:00 = Enables communication between the
convergence micro & the digital convergence
IC.
01 = Disables communication between the
convergence micro & the digital convergence
IC. This allows the ATE to communicate
directly on the Digicon Bus.
41 RGB Output Mode 00 .. 03 0=Normal; 1=Red Only; 2=Green Only; 3=Blue Only

These were copied from the service manual.

-mk

.... or go to www.manitoupark.com/public/f38310.asp

Well, this last week CC sent a tech to look at my set.

On Monday night, we had a lightning and thunder storm here in so-Cal. It knocked out power for about 45 minutes in my area. I had laughed when I called CC for service and they suggested I unplug the set for a few minutes. A few minutes didn't make any difference, but that 45 minute power outage seems to have had an effect.

Tuesday night when I turned on my F38310, it looked oddly better than it had the day before. Not as good as I remember from 3 weeks ago, but better than it had. The geometry problem on menus was completely gone. Text on the F38310's built-in menus was no longer blurry. The S-video feed from my Dish receiver still looked a little fuzzy and the component input from my DVD-player still shows fuzzy text on the DVD's (Minority Report) menus.

But it looked much better. And the CC guy was scheduled for Wednesday morning. I pretty much knew what he was going to say, but I didn't cancel.

He looked at the text on the F38310's menus and said they looked great to him. He fiddled with the focus pots on the back just to humor me. I had to insist he hook up his component test-pattern generator or he wouldn't even have done that. He put up a cross-hatch that looked OK -- sharper than my Toshiba DVD player looked. It made my DVD player look like it had a really bad case of edge-enhancement on white-on-black transitions.

I suggested that maybe there was a problem with how the set was processing the input from S-Vid and component, but he told me if there was any problem there it would just not show anything at all.

In short, I don't think he was very knowledgeable about this set. But it looked better when he left than it did, and the power failure had already made it much better than it looked a week ago.

I still think there is something wrong, but I'll have to wait and see. Time to renew that extended warranty.

hey- any of you guys ever have your f38310 professionally calibrated??

Hello all, new here. My F38310, which is nearing the end of it's CC 3 year service plan has been so so as far as problems go. Had my first issue about 8 months after owning, where scenes of bright flashes would cause the screen to "scramble" for a quick second. Supposedly the "DM1" board was replaced, also the complete board that contains the inputs. That occured twice. Then about 4 months ago began the random shut offs, and I just had the tech out again. I told him about this and the fact that the OTA tuner is getting progressively worse, it has never been good, but it is even worse as of late, I NEVER have had a signal over 52 regardles of size type or location of antenna, and I live close to towers, in Indianapolis. So he is now going to replace the DTC-100 and another "main DM1 board". He did look and was shocked to find new upgraded caps (he did it).
So what could be causing the power shut downs? And are these parts I described still available. I would assume at this close to service plan end, they will do everything they can to not refund me towards a new tv. Has anyone ever heard of them (CC) ever doing this ? Antone else also have horrible reception? Also my wacky odometer says it has 25k hours which is mathmatically impossible, as well as errors in 1970 and 1994.

Hey,
What is DTV gonna do for us when they come out with MPEG-4? Is there gonna be a compatibility problem? I hear this is coming out soon. Any input?

DyeLooper

All,
Would love a ISF calibration, but the $$ is not there right now, anyone got some good internal picture adjustments I could try out.? Picture is very nice and has been, just looking for alittle better if possible. I can try al the different settings, but if someone has them, would be greatly appreciated.

DyeLooper

HD subscribers who opt for the MPEG4 dish upgrade ($49.99 + $14.99 S&H + tax) will receive the H20 MPEG4/2 STB as a free exchange for all active HD receivers. Since the DTC100 built into our F38310 sets can't be surrendered to them, I am expecting to get the H20 with no tradein. I would get this noted on my account when ordering the upgrade.
This offer should be available in the 12 top DMAs next month.

There is supposed to be a 26-minute instructional film on the new system playing all day tomorrow (Oct. 13) on Ch. 592.

UNcD2000-
You the man!!! Thanks for the heads up. Since there will not be an exchange for our unit, will they charge us more, any idea. Also, I need another HD receiver box right now for another tv do I spend 200.00 on a HD box now and then spend the 50.00 +S/H for the MPEG 4 box or what will the new MPEG box cost us if I dont have a trade in, any clues?

DyeLooper

Hello Gang. My F38310 has bit the dust, conveniently six months after the extended warranty expiration. Apparently my main power board is trashed, and my service tech quoted me $525 for repair. I'm leaning toward moving forward rather than repair. Any advice on disposition of the non-working set? Thanks, Dave

wow - this really makes me nervous- i've had my tv for nearly 3 years now and was not going to renew = until these recent posts. my warranty is up 10/25 and i'm seriously considering reupping-- now the question is how long???
what's the consensus on that??

I'm in my 53rd month of ownership, so I guess I have 19 more months on my 2nd 3-year EW. Hopefully the SED sets will be viable by then. I am always looking, but haven't really seen anything that much better than the F38310 for my purposes. I like the 1920 x 1080 LCD's that are appearing, but their black levels are unacceptable.

Assuming I get my free H20 MPEG4/2 STB from DirecTV, I'm going to have problems because my 4-input component switcher has been maxed out for a long time. I guess my upconverting DVD player will have to be connected only as needed because it's used the least.

"wow - this really makes me nervous- i've had my tv for nearly 3 years now and was not going to renew = until these recent posts. my warranty is up 10/25 and i'm seriously considering reupping-- now the question is how long???
what's the consensus on that?? "

CC where I just re-upped my warranty prorates for what you do not use. I got 2 yrs for 229.99, if it goes after 1 year, they will give me back a yrs worth of payment. Wherever you get yours, ask if they prorate after failure what was not used.

DyeLooper

thanks- they replaced the tv and gave you a prorated refund??

[/QUOTE]thanks- they replaced the tv and gave you a prorated refund?? [QUOTE]

Yes & No
They will prorate what is not used, I have not had mine replaced, still running strong.

DyeLooper

There is supposed to be a 26-minute instructional film on the new system playing all day tomorrow (Oct. 13) on Ch. 592.Unfortunately it appears to be PPV encoded so that only authorized dealers can view it.

Hello Gang. My F38310 has bit the dust, conveniently six months after the extended warranty expiration. Apparently my main power board is trashed, and my service tech quoted me $525 for repair. I'm leaning toward moving forward rather than repair. Any advice on disposition of the non-working set? Thanks, Dave

I would list it here or on ebay as a non working HDTV.
Someone who works on TVs (like me) might be interested.
Or someone who owns a F38310 (me again) might be interested in getting it for a parts back up unit.

Since shipping would be costly someone who lives in your general area (not me) would be your target customer.

Hey there. Could someone please take a look at my post and questions. 25,000 hours? 1970? Just got a message from CC service saying that RCA "wants" them to send the board in for repair and the teck will be here on the 21st to remove it and send it in. Um, no! It has been almost 2 weeks since he was here last and said he was going to replace tuner and board, now I have to wait 8 more days for him to remove, then be w/o a tv while "RCA" works on it? Plus my service is up on December 3rd. What do you guys think? Has anyone ever heard of CC actually crediting for a lemon TV towards a new?

Could someone please take a look at my post and questions. 25,000 hours?

The hours are calcualted by the amount of time the set is connected to power, not the amount of time it's actually "on".

So 25,000 hours = 2.85 years

Makes sense then about the hours. The other stuff still doesn't as well as the wasy CC is jerkin me around.

Since the fan runs 24x7 the hour meter could be a fan on hour meter! :)

Check the date of my last big post. Guess what, I am still dicking around with CC. Still getting the run-around, told to call 5 different people and places, and NEVER recieving the calls back like they say within 24-48 hours. What a crock!

Call Corporate CC or E-mail them?

Has anyone considered hooking up an DVDO iScan HD to the RCA F38310? Just wondering if this might be an option for us to be able to use the new hd and blue ray DVD players coming onto the market soon.

A few have use external scalers with the F38310 (old posts) from what I remember, with positive results.

Will one work for HD-DVD or Blu-ray? That depends if the scaler is HDCP compliant and converts HDMI/DVI to component.

From what I have been reading on DVDO's website, it does not appear that the Iscan HD, HD+ or their brand new unit the VP30 will convert HDMI/DVI to component. I was hoping maybe someone on this forum with more knowledge of these scalers could elaborate. It does appear that we F38310 owners are out of luck on using the new DVD players coming our way. Guess I will just stay with my Motorola 6412 DVR and watch the premium HD channels for now.

I have used a first generation Lumagen processor for two years with my F38310. It's primary use has been processing of 480i DVD signals from an older Cal Audio DVD player to 540p/1080i imput into the F38310 component inputs.

This has worked great. Using the Lumagen I have switched resolutions back and forth and compared the differences. I have found the F38310 will accept 480i, 480p, 540p and 1080i resolutions on it's component inputs. The 540p/1080i looks significantly better than 480p. I think 540p may look slightly better than 1080i but that could be my imagination.

The Lumagen provides a variety of additional options for adjusting picture parameters that also can of use.

Caveat: The founder of Lumagen's daughter and my son went to school together.

I have had mine for 3 years and everyrthing is fine, I have one question, I want to hook up a Home thatre 5.1 sacd system to it ,is it possible without HDMI? Thanks I am looking at a Yamaha HTIB.

There is an optical digital audio output on the back of the set. Your other components (DVD player, HD DVR, etc.) will have their own optical or coaxial digital audio outputs. You must connect each of these individually to your 5.1 receiver. With HDMI all the digital audio would be routed through the TV and you wouldn't have to select the audio source with your receiver's remote. Nice thing about the old system is that you can view one source while listening to the audio from another if you want to.

I have had mine for three years and it is working fine, great Tv. Only problem is waiting for our local CBS station to go HD.

Nice thing about the old system is that you can view one source while listening to the audio from another if you want to.

i'm sure this could be done- but i'm confused as to how to set it up -
i have the F38310
an a/v receiver
and dual tuner hd tivo/ direct tv
i also have a replay tv configured in the set up (never know when two tuners will be busy recording!)

can i watch a feed for one channel (HDNET) while listening to the audio of a second (MSG) ? i want the ny rangers in HD, but rather listen to their announcers...
thanks!

i'm sure this could be done- but i'm confused as to how to set it up -
i have the F38310
an a/v receiver
and dual tuner hd tivo/ direct tv
i also have a replay tv configured in the set up (never know when two tuners will be busy recording!)

can i watch a feed for one channel (HDNET) while listening to the audio of a second (MSG) ? i want the ny rangers in HD, but rather listen to their announcers...
thanks!If you connect an audio output of each component (TV set, HD Tivo, Replay TV) to an available input on your a/v receiver, you can select any of them and hear its audio through your speaker system, no matter what video source you are watching. You would turn your TV set speaker volume to zero (unless you want to hear 2 different soundtracks at the same time). If you are watching Ch. 79 on either your built-in tuner or the HD Tivo, you could tune the Replay TV to MSG and listen to the audio from there rather than from HDNet.

please don't mind me. i'm trying to post a link, so i need to make some generic posts to build topic cred. thanks.

//zombor

yeah, same thing

yeah, thanks for your patience with this.

sorry about all of this.

last one, i swear. thanks so much.

I recently noticed my f38 component video (dvd) input displays very dark. Picture is unviewable. I hooked the rca plugs into normal input and the picture is fine just not progressive. I changed my component video cable and even bought a new dvd player. Same thing. I have 25000 hours on odometer and have no warranty. I did replace the d* tuner under warranty. Has anyone had the same issues? Thanks!!!

bigbertg,

How is the picture on your f38 for TV form the othe inputs? Are they also dark? I beleive that the all the settings are by input, so you may have "darkened" you adjustments for the component input.

Maybe this will help

Don

All other inputs look fine. How do I adjust the component input settings? Thanks for the reply.

Set the TV to component input.
Go to "picture settings" in the user menu and crank up the brightness and/or contrast.

Thanks Ratman.

Tried it and I can see the dvd menu better but it is still too dark to be normal. I called RCA and they had me unplug everything and unplug the power for an hour. No luck. I'm assuming there is something wrong with the component input that a service tech will have to check out. $200 just to get them here. I guess I'll just live with it until it dies and I'll get a better brand and an extended warranty. :mad:

Are they 'cranked up' to the max?

If so... then your only option is to adjust via the 'service menus'.

Check this FAQ/archive:
http://home.austin.rr.com/doctorjoe/

Thanks Ratman.

Tried it and I can see the dvd menu better but it is still too dark to be normal. I called RCA and they had me unplug everything and unplug the power for an hour. No luck. I'm assuming there is something wrong with the component input that a service tech will have to check out. $200 just to get them here. I guess I'll just live with it until it dies and I'll get a better brand and an extended warranty. :mad:


If you can't get it adjusted even after using the service menu you may have a defective component causing the trouble.

I have seen a couple of these TVs for sale here and on ebay for around $200-$250.

Even though they weren't perfect sets you could get one and swap the A/V boards.

I have a RCA F38310 38" HDTV with built in Direct TV (I am using Time Warner cable, not Direct TV). I bought it brand new in 2001. Over the last couple of months it has developed the following glich:

1. The TV can be on for anywhere from 1-2 minutes to about 10 minutes and for no reason what so ever, the sound will cut off, leaving only video. When in this mode, you cannot change the channels, control the volume (there is no volume, but you can't manually turn it up) and the power light on top of the TV is sometimes off, even though the video is on (again, without sound).

2, After a brief stent with video only, the TV cuts itself off for about 10 seconds, then cuts itself back on, working normal (with audio and video).

3. After about 2-5 minutes, it repeats the above action, but instead of powering back on, it actually cuts itself off permanently. I have to then get up and manually turn the TV back on, and for some reason it resets itself back to the factory settings, iwhich includes erasing all the channel memory, etc. (fun stuff)

RCA/Thompson's customer service will not touch it with a ten foot pole. I've done all of their suggestions to no avail. Most of the people I speak with thinks it's the DM1 Module, which costs about $1200.00 to repair...Great.

Does anyone have any suggestions or even heard of this?

My JX4 (purchased December 2001, with new DM1 board in June 2002) is still running fine. Odometer must have been reset with new DM1 as it starts in June with 14,500 hours.

Question, did I have my caps and diodes replaced when the DM1 was replaced? The shop said it was a remanufactured board.

JKSTORER - Why did you have to have your DM1 board replaced? I am having a lot of trouble with my set and I have been told that I need to replace the DM1 Module ($1200 fix)
I have a RCA F38310 38" HDTV with built in Direct TV (I am using Time Warner cable, not Direct TV). I bought it brand new in 2001. Over the last couple of months it has developed the following glich:

1. The TV can be on for anywhere from 1-2 minutes to about 10 minutes and for no reason what so ever, the sound will cut off, leaving only video. When in this mode, you cannot change the channels, control the volume (there is no volume, but you can't manually turn it up) and the power light on top of the TV is sometimes off, even though the video is on (again, without sound).

2, After a brief stent with video only, the TV cuts itself off for about 10 seconds, then cuts itself back on, working normal (with audio and video).

3. After about 2-5 minutes, it repeats the above action, but instead of powering back on, it actually cuts itself off permanently. I have to then get up and manually turn the TV back on, and for some reason it resets itself back to the factory settings, iwhich includes erasing all the channel memory, etc. (fun stuff)

RCA/Thompson's customer service will not touch it with a ten foot pole. I've done all of their suggestions to no avail. Most of the people I speak with thinks it's the DM1 Module, which costs about $1200.00 to repair...Great.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Well the Circuit City extended warranty is about to expire next month on my YX5 that I purchased in Dec 02 and I am wondering if it would be worth paying to extend it. I have had the circuit board replaced with the new caps and diodes but it is still the same DM1 module. The sound over the televisions speaker has only worked on one side since shortly after I purchased it but I never used them anyway. Works fine out of the optical output. Never wanted to have it fixed since the local RCA repair shop would have to haul it in and if they drop it or therwise break the set then there is no other sweeter set up for the money.

Do these sets seem to be failing at a certain age?

FWIW... I just extended mine. Purchased Jan '02. Caps and diodes replaced.
What happens, happens. It's worth peace of mind (if you have the $$).

Mine's still great. (crossed fingers). :)

My YX-5 still going strong. 5 year warranty through CC runs out in 2007. I've finally found a worthy replacement for this set - the Sony SXRD RPTV. The RCA will be going to the bedroom for the next year or so, then probably get replaced through CC.
Love extended warranties!

My set has been doing well but it's time to retire it. I just purchased a 45-GD7U Sharp LCD TV to replace it. I had numerous problems with the 38310 when I initially purchased and this is actually the 3rd set overall since the first two had to be fully replaced by Good Guys and RCA respectively. Even this 3rd set had a color purity problem that I could not fully remove with degaussing (lower right hand corner). Didn't notice it too much unless the set was displaying red in that corner and then it would show some purple discoloration there.

By the way, what would this set be worth now? I am going to sell it to my brother who hasn't made the move to HD yet so am curious as to the resale value.

Thanks,

Paul

Well I just hooked up my new HR10-250 HD Tivo yesterday and have been exploring the world of Tivo and getting use to the new GUI. While watching a show about Great White sharks on Discovery HD channel (lots of blue water shots) I noticed that the bottom left corner of the screen is discolored. When I switch channels on the HR10-250 the screen is grey while in between channels and you can see that the left bottom corner and a little up the left side has sort of a shadow that slightly flickers or pulses. When the scenes of the blue ocean underwater shots come on the screen it looks purple in the corner. What is happening here? I do have a speaker next to the set and I have for 3 years. When I move it there is no change. My A/V receiver is in a cabinet just under the left side, as it has been for 3 years and when I switch it off there is no change. Anyone have any ideas???

My F38310 has 30200 hours on it (This seems like a lot of hours). Had it around four years after purchasing it at Circuit City as a returned item. Never had one problem with it, except picking it up and putting it on it's stand. Just now beginning to look for a larger set. Will probably go with a Samsung HLR5078W as this is the biggest size that will fit into my built in entertainment center and I think they have a great picture. Not sure if I will keep the F38310 for the bedroom or try to sell it. Any idea what this set is worth?

After checking a second time for the odometer reading, my reading was correct. There is no way that I could have 30200 hours of use after four years, that's over 20 hours each and every day. I'm good for five to six hours during the week and it may be on all day Saturday and Sunday depending if we are fishing or not. Any known glitches with the odometer?

The odometer tells you the number of hours the set has been plugged in to the power outlet.

It can be worth $400-800 depending on if you can find a buyer.

Joe

Thanks for the info DRJoe

My 38310 is still working perfectly, but I'm looking to move up to a 50" plasma.

I live in NYC and am open to offers on my 38310. I have the RCA stand as well.

I live in NYC and am open to offers on my 38310. I have the RCA stand as well.

$300

CC fixed mine. It took about a month. They replaced the whole board. Strangely, the usual suspect capacitors look fine. The surge broke something else, but he replaced the entire thing, including the capacitors. While it was down, I bought a 42" ED panny plasma. Now they are both up and running. I must say there are times when the ED looks better -- over 12' viewing distance
I have just experienced the same problem after power surge. Has the set been satisfactory since the repair? I have scheduled repair with Circuit City (my cost) for Thursday, but may not continue if you've had subsequent problems.

no problems since

This may very well be my last post in the Direct View Display forum. My old reliable F38310 has left the building--sold to a gentleman in the area who is putting it in a hunting lodge. I had just renewed the Best Buy service contract in October. It now runs through October 2008. I say "reliable" with a grain of salt, for the old beast had its share of problems. The most severe was back in June 2002 when a power surge took out a couple of circuit boards. Once that was replaced I just had a couple of minor shorts that some soldering on the tech's part cured. The last of my repairs was about a year and a half ago and the set has been great since. I suffered with off-and-on satellite signal problems since D* introduced their HD Package back in the summer of '03 that were eventually traced to an old RG59 cable run. Once the cable was replaced the dropouts and D* reception problems disappeared. That was not before I had the technician--with whom I had struck up a working relationship--replace the DM-1 module, unnecessarily. I was spooked because reading all the owners' posts on replacing their DM-1 modules convinced me that mine was bad. I even had the set ISF'd not long after the last repair--with somewhat mixed results. I had no problem with the calibration and the guy got the gray scale properly adjusted but it really didn't improve the picture that much over what it had been. With a good HD source signal it still looks great. All in all, not bad for an open box special I bought just a couple of weeks after 9/11. Farewell, old friend. ;)
I did want to single out Ratman, Dr. Joe and Captain Nemo in particular who with their posts helped me keep the faith through the years, along with so many other posters here. Thanks.

Fairwell billodom! You have to tell us though...what did you replace it with?

Fairwell billodom! You have to tell us though...what did you replace it with?

Samsung 46-INCH (HD3 chip). All digital, baybe! :D. 70 pounds versus 215.

Mine has been running since Jan. 2001 without a problem. My wife is home days and it is on for at least 10hrs. each day. This has been the best tv I have ever owned. Too bad they don't make them anymore as the picture is great. I recommended it to several of my friends and they bought one too. They have not had any problem with theirs either.
I hope it lasts another 5yrs. and by that time maybe the smoke will clear and there will be a definite winner between the plasma, dlp, lcd and the new sets just announced at the Las Vegas show. $300 bucks for that RCA was a great deal if it is still working with no problems.

I've had excellent luck with mine as well for almost 5 years. I recently moved my viewing position a few inches closer to 46" to widen my viewing width from 36 degrees to 40. Unlike the fixed pixel displays, the F38310 stands up very well to close viewing. At 46" I experience the same effective image size as a 100" display at 10 feet. With a recliner this is about as close as you can get. Like you I hope it lasts until something really better (perhaps SED) comes along.

Problems with power board; tech has one that he is willing to try--will bring it tomorrow (Friday) to see if it solves the problem. He says he saves parts of some sets that he thinks may solve future problems--certainly entrepreneurial!

I paid the $99 diagnostic fee today. What's a reasonable amount to pay if the board cures the set? If it doesn't, is there hope? No extended warranty in place, and tech says other boards are not available.

Thanks for any input you can offer!

I've had excellent luck with mine as well for almost 5 years. I recently moved my viewing position a few inches closer to 46" to widen my viewing width from 36 degrees to 40. Unlike the fixed pixel displays, the F38310 stands up very well to close viewing. At 46" I experience the same effective image size as a 100" display at 10 feet. With a recliner this is about as close as you can get. Like you I hope it lasts until something really better (perhaps SED) comes along.

Interestingly enough, when you move up that close, the geometric issues go away (for the most part).... it's sorta like the engineers at RCA designed it to be viewed really close... :)

PS: I'll be resurrecting mine out of storage in a few months. After living with a Sharp 37" LCD for a year, I'm convinced there's no comparison overall.

Sharp sure looks good for sports though... :)

I agree with your comments. Even though I have my overscan adjusted to the minimum, which tends to increase the 'edge compression," it is seldom noticeable to me.

I had a Westy 32" LCD right next to, and even in front of the RCA for about 10 days, and the LCD was amazing on bright and evenly-lighted stuff like sports. It was pretty awful on black levels and shadow detail in dimly-lit scenes. The RCA got a Good rating across the board, whereas the Westy ranged from barely fair to spectacular.

I've read DrJoes F38310 FAQ and tracked down a bunch of threads but I cant get one answer 100% clear:

Does the F38310 accept 540P over the component input?

The reason I ask is that the latest AACS rumors for HD-DVD say that analog will be outputted at a resolution of 960x540P. I assume that means HD-DVD players will output at 540P ( hopefulyl not down it more to 480P)

I'm not happy with this, but consider that the native horizontal resolution of the F38310 is only 1280 not 1920 I guess I could live with it....

I've had my F38310 since 2001. Early last year it went out while I was watching it. No smoke, no fire, just like I hit the off switch. The local repair guys were clueless, so I purchased a repair manual and took a whack at it. It had a shorted diode in the standby power supply. Fired it up two weeks ago and the same beautiful picture came back on. With the integrated Directv and OTA tuners, it is truly a unique set (especially when you have to move it).

Sounds like the local repair guys need to find another profession. If you need a job, call them up and see if they need a good rca hd teck, hehe.

My 38F310's Service Plan purchased through Goodguys(now defunct) is
about to expire.

Anybody (PMA ?) know how to renew the G.E Service Plan since GoodGuys
is now gone?
TIA
-Chas

This TV would never play a VCR tape clearly. The picture is jumpy and the is a line at the top of the screen. I tried several VCRs and they all produce below acceptable results. Would anyone have a suggestion. Using audio video cables.

My 3810 cannot playback vcr tapes very well. The picture is jumpy sometimes. I am using audio video cables.

vcr tapes have always been jumpy.

Try a different video input.

I think the source of your problem is that video tapes and VCR's blow. :p

Hi, newbie here. Is anybody parting out one of these? I just got one and it needs the board that goes in the back of the tube.
Thanks for the help!
Fer.

hello again!

two things for my fellow F38310ers,

first -- no -- i’ve never had much luck with watching VHS on the big screen either. No amount of changing VHS machines or inputs has helped -- although some tapes play better than others. As someone else has already said -- a lot of this is simply because VHS just blows.

second -- lately, my gently aging set (now in its 5th year) is taking a few minutes to "warm-up" after being turned on. The picture is soft and out of focus for about 4-5 minutes after turn-on. Pictures look hazed and menus are hard to read. After warm up -- it's the same old beautiful set it's always been, but i anticipate this problem accelerating over time. The extended warrantee expires in March 2008 so i have some time just in case it things get critical. Has anyone else noticed this on their sets??

ted carey
nashua NH

No issues with mine warming up. I'd check the odometer in the service menu but my kid is watching Baby Einstein right now.

My 38310 is entering it's 5th year of service---no warm-up (or any other) issues yet.

I'm in the process of selling my set because I'm finally getting a 50" plasma.

I was given a F38310 last week. I was told the crt was bad but I don't think thats the problem. When I turn it on I hear a relay click the high voltage hits around 32kv and the relay clicks again and it turns off. In about 2 or 3 seconds it turns itself back on and this process starts over. I was told it was bought new a few years ago, used a little over a year and it quit. I have been out of the TV business for many years but would like to give this set a new chance at life.
Has anyone run into this problem before? Thanks for any help!

My 5 year old model is starting to emit a high-pitched whine when an HD program is on. It is intermittent , sometimes it happens and sometimes not. Sometimes it goes away after a while and sometimes I have to turn it off. It happens with cable (component input) and OTA inputs. Any ideas?

IT may be a high voltage transformer (flyback?) starting to go.
Try reducing brightness and/or contrast. It may help for awhile.
Just a guess...

Does anyone have aliasing issues with their set? Im not sure if its me or its getting worse but while viewing some content i get quite a bit of aliasing and some times rainbow effect in images with lines. Thanks for any info...Jeff

Is anyone using a external HD DirectTv Receiver with their RCA F38310. I'm wondering if a new MPEG 4 box from DTV will work?

DyeLooper

Im using the HR10-250 HD Tivo with mine though it is Mpeg 2. As long as you have component out of the Directv box it will work. And set to 1080i.

Im using the HR10-250 HD Tivo with mine though it is Mpeg 2. As long as you have component out of the Directv box it will work. And set to 1080i.


Sounds great, so you have the DTV line coming into the receiver, then out of the receiver via Component to the tv? I dont think MPEG 2 going to 4 will be a problem. Was just wondering if this setup would work around the internal DTV receiver.

DyeLooper

I have the H20 connected via component through a cheap 4-way RCA switcher. Also have a Moto 6415 cable DVR, an LG LST-3410A DVR, and a Zenith DVB318 upconverting DVD player connected to the same switcher. These 4 devices work very well with the F38310. The H20 has its faults, but it's a big improvement over the built-in DCT-100, especially regarding the program guide.

AFAIK, anything with component outputs will work...unless it only outputs 720p.

Once I got my HR10-250, I deactivated the tuner in the F38310. It seemed a bit redundant. It's rare that I catch one show live, let alone the three at one time it would take to need the internal tuner as well as the two in the TiVo.

I also use a cheap RCA switcher (HR10-250, XBOX, XBOX 360) and just leave the TV on DVD (component) all the time. I run sound through the stereo so I just put the RCA remote away. It sucked anyway.

Sounds great, so you have the DTV line coming into the receiver, then out of the receiver via Component to the tv? I dont think MPEG 2 going to 4 will be a problem. Was just wondering if this setup would work around the internal DTV receiver.

DyeLooper

Not sure I'm following you here. The difference between Mpeg2 and 4 has to do with what Direct is sending to your dish and what receiver you have to receive that signal. Mpeg4 is the compression scheme that Directv is moving to for HDTV and is currently only used for you local channels depending upon your market and whether or not it's available yet to you.

Regardless of Mpeg2 or 4 you would need the appropriate dish and receiver to receive the HD signal from Directv. You then just hook up that receiver via component to your F38310 bypassing the internal Directv tuner. I also have an antenna to receive my local channels over the air and that is hooked up to my HR10-250 as well.

I too am using a cheap component switcher. Its a Philips that I purchased at Walmart for$20 and seems to work fine. I have an xbox and dvd player as well as the HR10-250 running through this.

Correct, I will be getting the new dish with the boxes. Just wasnt sure about the compatibility of not using the internal receiver. Thanks everyone else for their input. I looked at the back of the tv, did not know that their was only 1 component, will get the switcher also.

Thanks again to everyone

DyeLooper

Hello - new board member here - out of necessity. My JX4 will no longer respond to power on from either the remote or set top buttons. I can hear that fan still whirring so I know there is power. I left it unplugged overnight, then reconnected and still no go. The set is 5 yrs old, floor model from CC. I am in the Austin TX area, and you may have heard the past couple days have seen some *major* tstorm activity with lots of power flickering - so I have a suspicion as to the root cause. I found this forum via a google search and it looks to me like I may not be the first person to have this happen. Any obvious words of advice before I "take it out back and shoot it" ?

Thanks - Ron

Hello - new board member here - out of necessity. My JX4 will no longer respond to power on from either the remote or set top buttons. I can hear that fan still whirring so I know there is power. I left it unplugged overnight, then reconnected and still no go. The set is 5 yrs old, floor model from CC. I am in the Austin TX area, and you may have heard the past couple days have seen some *major* tstorm activity with lots of power flickering - so I have a suspicion as to the root cause. I found this forum via a google search and it looks to me like I may not be the first person to have this happen. Any obvious words of advice before I "take it out back and shoot it" ?

Thanks - Ron


Theres someone out there who will buy it for parts, not me though. Tuff Break, sorry.

DyeLooper

Theres someone out there who will buy it for parts

Right now, I'd be happy if it just disappeared from my front hall - I promise I won't call the cops. It IS trash day today - was thinking about putting it out there to see if anyone would haul it off for me .... any takers ?

If you are in South Jersey... I'll pick it up.

I certainly wouldnt trash the thing until you had an RCA tech have a look. Didnt DR Joe live in Austin?




Right now, I'd be happy if it just disappeared from my front hall - I promise I won't call the cops. It IS trash day today - was thinking about putting it out there to see if anyone would haul it off for me .... any takers ?

I am hoping my 5-year-old JX5 lasts until the SED sets are available. Toshiba/Canon had a 36" prototype at CES, but I would like something in the 40-42" range to replace my F38310. If it becomes unrepairable before that, I would probably use my CC extended warranty to trade up to the Sony 50" SXRD.

I am hoping my 5-year-old JX5 lasts until the SED sets are available. Toshiba/Canon had a 36" prototype at CES, but I would like something in the 40-42" range to replace my F38310. If it becomes unrepairable before that, I would probably use my CC extended warranty to trade up to the Sony 50" SXRD.


How did the 36" SED look?

DyeLooper

I didn't attend CES 2006, but one reporter who was quoted in this forum said that after seeing the SED display the other TV's there all seemed lacking by comparison. It will be
interesting to see if they can sustain this performance level in mass production of the larger displays.

I have just gotten a Motorola digital cable box and I'm trying to program my remotes to control it.

I clear the AUX controls correctly and check that they are cleared. Then when I plug the correct Motorola Cable box code into it, the TV goes back into DirectTV mode. At this time the TV cannot be controlled.

Does anyone know how to either:
- Keep the TV from going into DirectTV mode?
- Possilbly control the Motorola CableBox without using a cablebox control sequence(this seems weird however). Something like a TV control sequence that would also control the cablebox.

????

With respect to the main question of this thread, I've had this model at least 5 years now, got it to watch DVDs only and have been very happy with it.

My only issues have been it's weight and the reflective nature of the tube.

Hello. I purchased my F38310 back in Jun02 and it worked great until two days ago. When I press the power button the green light comes on... but no picture. I took the back off to investigate and both fans (one to the tube... one on the bottom right, facing from behind) are trying and failing to move. There is a component in the middle of the board toward the bottom that makes a wind up noise and stops... I've read many things on other sites about bad power supplies and bad dm1 pic tubes. I purchased the TV w/stand for 2k... and I've read that the dm1 costs ~$1350... I thought I'd ask you who know. Thanx in advance!!! --- Bueler.

Have you ever had the original capacitors and diodes replaced? If not I would call an RCA tech out to do the fix first before worrying about the DM1 module. The cap and diode problem is a pretty straight forward fix and shouldnt cost that much.

The cap/diode problem shouldn't produce the symptoms that are presented in this case.

It sounds more like a power board issue...

I've never repaired or replaced anything on the TV... But after reading multiple blogs on the problems that are associated with the model... I don't want to attempt the process... know anyone that is in colorado and wants the beast for parts? Otherwise I'm going to give it to the local repair guy for the pleasure of never having to worry about it again... *g*... Unless you advise that it isn't that bad of a fix... And w/out being here I'm sure that is an implausible guess.

I've never repaired or replaced anything on the TV... But after reading multiple blogs on the problems that are associated with the model... I don't want to attempt the process... know anyone that is in colorado and wants the beast for parts? Otherwise I'm going to give it to the local repair guy for the pleasure of never having to worry about it again... *g*... Unless you advise that it isn't that bad of a fix... And w/out being here I'm sure that is an implausible guess.

Where in CO r ya? I would have a tech have a look and tell you how much it would cost before you just toss it unless you itchin to get something new and bigger and better.

Dude 1394

I switched to HD cable a few months ago. I used the component inputs to the TV which use to be where my DVD player was plugged into. I relearned the on/off button on my universal remote from the DVD button on the RCA remote. Not sure how you have your cable box hooked to your TV.

Try that, good luck.

Don

ODO reads 32920. Only problem is dark bar (about 2 inches wide) between center and right (not too noticable). Was using built in DirectTV receiver. Now using HD DirectTivo bought from co-worker for $250. Great combo!

When it finally dies I guess I'll be looking at a plasma, LCD, DLP or whatever. In the meantime, the RCA is doing just fine!

My 5-year old F38310 JX5 has recently started exuding a slightly "sweet" odor when it has been running 1/2-hour or more. This spreads around the house and even causes clothing to pick up this smell. Anyone else run into this? I was wondering if it might be the start of leakage problems with the caps or diodes that have failed on some F38310's. Thanks.

No... but if it starts to exude a "smell" after it's warmed up, then there's probably something starting to fry.

Time to get it checked out.

Did anyone accidentally spill something into the set? Or an angry cat evacuate it's bladder? :)

Could possibly be a resistor cooking off...smell comes from the Shellac "cooking"..it will
fail at some point, sooner or later.

Did anyone accidentally spill something into the set? Or an angry cat evacuate it's bladder? :)Everything looks normal, and actually quite clean when I look in through the vent openings. The odor source is very hard to localize. At one time or another, I have suspected 6 different video or audio components in my system. Yesterday, the problem seemed to stop when I moved my Moto 6412 Comcast DVR into another room. Its diagnostic menu shows an internal temp of 118 which seems a little suspicious since it used to be 108. I think I will request a replacement and see what happens.

I bought mine at NOBODY BEATS THE WIZ (remember them? YUCK!) way back in 2002?. It was a thing of beauty then, and still is, mostly. Slightly annoying vertical "ghost" line that scrolls from the bottom to the top, and the semi occaisional hi pitched whine when the screen image is very bright. Other than that, I love it. Gorgeous pq. It even survived me taking the back cover off to replace a fuse, and a voyage from NY to Maine and then to FL!

I have a CRT RCA bought in 1993!!!!! lol

I wanna use it to improve my knowledge of fixing TVs (not as a professional).
Any1 knows how to get SM?

Thank you

Hey, I guess I'll revive this thread. My trusty 38310 is acting up for the first time. I bought it new in Feb of 2001 and it's been great ever since. No service, no new caps. Umm, that is until last night.

I powered it up and found the interactive setup screen for some reason. I canceled it and all was well - I thought. I went to watch Stargate Atlantis and went to switch to 480i mode and the screen was dark, went to 480p same thing. I flipped back to 1080 and all was fine. I shrugged and watched TV for the evening. I tried to turn it off but it would not power down. I tried the power button several times and the remote , no go. Finally pulled the plug.

Since I did that it will not power up. Fans are running, but no power light, no high voltage.

Any suggestions - besides junk it -? I might call Sears where I bought it and see if they offer me a service contract and buy it.

Update: I pulled the back off and the only fan running is in the tuner, the two chassis fans are dead. Both spin freely so I doubt it's a bad bearing.

Mine went dead yesterday. Has sound, and a small pic band in the lower part of the screen which fades withing secs of powerup, to complete blackness with sound. Never smelled anything funny, fan sounds normal. Oh well. 6-7 years of use, very poor.

Odd, had something similar to this happen a couple months ago, 2-3 times, and didn't recur till now, now totally gone.

Any ideas?

Well after four plus years as our main tv our 38310 has been moved into the bedroom. I finally broke down and purchased a Samsung HLS5687W. The RCA still has a wonderful picture and has never given me any problems, I simply wanted a larger set. We had to take the bedroom door off and turn the set sideways to get it to fit. I almost forgot how massive this set is. I'm now looking for a stand that will hold the 38310 high enough so we can view it while laying down (approximately 33").

I have one I will gladly sell cheap. In need of repair, repairman says the parts will be cheap cheap. Phoenix pickup only. email masterp2@cox.net

Well, my 38310 is back up and running. I bought a service contract from Sears and had it repaired. It was a bad power supply board, the caps problem, and they replaced the whole board. I think the cost of the board was $150 or so.

So at this point I'm a happy 39310 owner again.

how much was the contract?

San Diego.

F38310-YX5- mfg May2002 for sale by original owner... buyer pick up only (no shipping).

Purchased in July 2002, San Diego, Ca... 5 year warranty still in effect.

No trouble ever... we always disconnect power when not being operated.

email SpamEx@san.rr.com

Ditto in Phoenix

how much was the contract?


If I recall correctly it was $250 for 1 year. they offered other options 2, 3, and 4 years that ranged up to $1100! At that price I'd buy a Plasma. Anyway, I looked at the price on the power supply board and it was $109.

Right now I'm happy with the set, it's replacement, hopefully in a few years will be at minimum a 50" Plasma.

Mine is still running great but little things annoy me about it.

I'm now trying to connect my laptop up to it and run audio through it. But it seems there must be a video input or it will not play the audio. This may be a standard deal but it's a pain.

My RCA F38310 YX5 mfg 3/02 has died after 3 trips to the Service Center. The first trip was Diode Caps problem May 2003 still under extended warranty. The second trip was for a couple of parts(TV kept cycling on and off) $400 May 2005. The third and last trip they told me the tube was shot $1800 estimate Aug 2006. Last year I was offered a buyout of around $1400 because they couldn't get the parts. After 8 weeks they found them so they fixed it. This time I pushed them hard (wrote emails to Thompson and many phone calls to Consumer Relations/Exchange Team) and they offered me $1000 plus the $75 pickup and $75 estimate. I took the money and ran to Costco and picked up the 42" Vizio LCD for 1599.00. The picture is outstanding and I don't need a warranty (Costco).

Good luck to the rest

Thanks Dr Joe and Ratman over the years for your help with this set.

I actually loved the set when it worked.

42" Vizio LCD for 1599.00. The picture is outstanding and I don't need a warranty (Costco).


Sorry about your loss. I love mine and so far it has been problem free.

How would you compare picture quality between the two. It is hard to beet the F38310.

Steven

Your right it is hard to beat the 38310. The blacks were better on the 38310. The Vizio has a damn good picture though. For sports the LCD has a better picture. For movies the 38310 was better. The Xbox 360 experience is much better on the LCD. Its like nite and day.

alright guys im going to wake up this thread lol , i own a f38310 38'' hdtv 1080i widescreen , im sure u guys know it , but i was wondering if should i upgrade tv or not , this one is a daily user ever since day one!!! so i dont even want to do that service count lol ! :p sometimes i see the red burn in when ever theirs a colorful situation , but it disapears and no evdince is left behind ! :D now reasons why i want to upgrade

*full 1080p*

*50''+size*

*pc connections*


i was looking at the JVC HD-ILA 56fn97 , its a 56'' full 1080p but it kinda looks dark from angles....


and fianly i want to get it from costco or its website .... price is not a factor but PICTURE QUALITY is!!!! :rolleyes: and this applies to some crappy tvs look from side viewing angles that it looks dark/dim!!! :( so thats why i ask so that i dont make mistake....

this is the link >>> if i need to remove it let me know cuz i dont wanna get in trouble lol http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BC&Ne=4000000&N=4001374&pos=0&ViewAll=50&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=2341&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&ec=&topnav=

PS: where is the 'general" fourm/ correct place to make a thread of what tv to get tha is better then f38310" ....

my question is, i'm up for renewal again on the extended warranty - sets about 3 years old and has worked as a charm, no probs at all. but it seems it can crap out at any time. i've been doing one year at a time on the warranty. what do you guys think? am i safe at this point - or is one never safe with this set??? :confused:

my question is, i'm up for renewal again on the extended warranty - sets about 3 years old and has worked as a charm, no probs at all. but it seems it can crap out at any time. i've been doing one year at a time on the warranty. what do you guys think? am i safe at this point - or is one never safe with this set??? :confused:

why not extend the warranty to the max its cheaper ( yes i know higher price) but insted of dooing 2 yrs plus 2 or 3 plus 3 , .... is the warranty from circuit city?

i love my set but i want bigger size 1080p ( i have 1080i) hdmi ports and pc connectable.... but this set never given me problems right out of the box , no service calls have been done and i had this set over 5 yrs ago

Just had my first service call today (CC extended warranty) at 5 years & 4 months. Although the F38310 is still operating well, it is exuding an annoying odor. Looks
like it will need a new DM-1 module. Anyone know if these modules are still available?

I added the D* HR20 DVR to my setup recently. It has a few quirks, but overall it is my
favorite of the 5 different DVR's I have tried with the F38310.

Just had my first service call today (CC extended warranty) at 5 years & 4 months. Although the F38310 is still operating well, it is exuding an annoying odor. Looks
like it will need a new DM-1 module. Anyone know if these modules are still available?

I added the D* HR20 DVR to my setup recently. It has a few quirks, but overall it is my
favorite of the 5 different DVR's I have tried with the F38310.

if you still have warranty have them service it lol , they would come 2 ur house as i too bought it in circuit city , did you get any color burn in ? even if it disapers???

a dm1 modle is the brain i belive , dont worry if they have parts or not , they should but being kinda old they might not , chances i woud say 75 % yes ,

"if it anit broekn dont fix it " in this case its broken so have it service since u ahve warranty ... where r u located ? staTE?

UncD2000,
Is the OTA/Satellite tuner still operating "normally"? If so, I'd be hestitant to have them fooling with the DM-1 module too quickly. (The DM-1 itself is essentially the "built-in" DTC-100 receiver).

Is the supposed problem the actual DM-1 or the DM-1 power supply? Perhaps one of the caps is leaking from the power supply... thus the smell. Also, check that the fan on the DM-1 is still operating and "clean". I've read previous posts where the fan(s) were covered with lots of dust/dirt.

Good luck finding a DM-1. I would make sure that they (CC) have a replacement before they start messing around. I hope they are sure and not just "guessing" that the DM-1 is from where the odor is eminating.

Thanks, Ratman. It is the technician's idea that replacing the DM-1 might solve the problem. The tuner is still operating normally, except that it occasionally will not lock onto 2-1 (WBBM CBS) and just freezes on a blank screen. I will suggest that a cap in the power supply may be leaking. The fans looked OK, but I'll have to take another look to be sure.

The odor is initially slightly "sweet", but has a secondary component that is very offensive and worsens as the ontime increases. This has caused me no end of grief as the TV must have the window behind it open to be tolerable. We are having a cold wave at the moment and I had to move my viewing to another TV last night.
Had to move my HR20 and LG 3410A DVRs as well as the cold weather is expected to
last several days.

ok so i missleaded or had missed information sorry , but if theirs a problems i would have it service since it has warranty

gus738,
Did you mean to say...

"Okay, so I was misinformed or perhaps provided misleading information. But, if there's a problem with the TV and the warranty is still in force, I would have it serviced."

Good suggestion. That's why we purchase extended warranties. ;)

U gotz ta brush up on ur forum skillz bruddah.

Well, today I found out that after several years of service, my RCA HDTV is a goner. :( I have had all the 'normal' repairs done over the years...plus an extra one or two. Even had the whole unit replaced with a brand new 'in the box' one. But now the repair shop tells me that the DM-1 module is dead. The new part is $1200. Does anyone have any suggestions? Where can I find a used DM-1? Maybe someone wants it for parts. I even have an extra set of new caps & diodes.

this seems the liveliest thread concerning this monser set so i figured i'd ask questions here.

my set has been going strong since 2002--no service calls as of yet and i recently bought a new warranty. i dread the day when it goes--it's going to be heck getting this thing out of here.

currently hooked up to component switcher (Comcast HD receiver, Xbox 360, DVD).

do we have a definitive answer yet regarding HD-DVD and the 38310? since it only has component inputs and 1080i, are HD-DVD players worth looking into?

my first foray might be a minor one, getting the HD-DVD attachment for my Xbox 360--and purchasing from some place with a good return policy. but for the regular HD-DVD players, will there be a visual difference? i'm not even sure if the component hookups will be supported at this point. (not a techie--speak "down" to me for clarity)

thanks!

this seems the liveliest thread concerning this monser set so i figured i'd ask questions here.

my set has been going strong since 2002--no service calls as of yet and i recently bought a new warranty. i dread the day when it goes--it's going to be heck getting this thing out of here.

currently hooked up to component switcher (Comcast HD receiver, Xbox 360, DVD).

do we have a definitive answer yet regarding HD-DVD and the 38310? since it only has component inputs and 1080i, are HD-DVD players worth looking into?

my first foray might be a minor one, getting the HD-DVD attachment for my Xbox 360--and purchasing from some place with a good return policy. but for the regular HD-DVD players, will there be a visual difference? i'm not even sure if the component hookups will be supported at this point. (not a techie--speak "down" to me for clarity)

thanks!


well im on a similir boat , hd n blue ray both are now 1080p our tv rated 1080i and they are hdmi ports our tvs dont have that , the closes is oviously componet which is super analog but not yet hd now i was told that when ppl use hd from 360 the only ones that will be able to enjoy "true hd " are the ones using vga cable why? iduuno im guessing thats closet to hdmi

theirs a componet to hdmi converter i belive but it anit cheap and more likely you will get a loss so i dont know the outcome , my tv has no service calls ever sine it came out on stores 4 sale ( day 1 ) and im hoping it can live long enought for SED Tv as thats the only thing that is better then crt tube

Well, today I found out that after several years of service, my RCA HDTV is a goner. :( I have had all the 'normal' repairs done over the years...plus an extra one or two. Even had the whole unit replaced with a brand new 'in the box' one. But now the repair shop tells me that the DM-1 module is dead. The new part is $1200. Does anyone have any suggestions? Where can I find a used DM-1? Maybe someone wants it for parts. I even have an extra set of new caps & diodes.

You should be able to find a DM-1 for less than $1200. I've had 5 of them this year. Lightning got 2 of them and two of the last 3 replacements were bad. 20 khz switching signal for the LNB's was missing on all. Evidently the repair shop doesn't check for that. Without the 20 kz it is stuck on one satellite. To get around it until I got a good module I bought an inline 20 khz signal injector from solid signal for 14.99. Worked like a charml.

At any rate they are around $800 exchange. Thank god for BB service contract. I bought the set in Nov 2001 and BB gave me a 4 year policy. I renewed it in Nov 2006 for $345 for 3 more years. :)

UncD2000,
Is the OTA/Satellite tuner still operating "normally"? If so, I'd be hestitant to have them fooling with the DM-1 module too quickly. (The DM-1 itself is essentially the "built-in" DTC-100 receiver).

Is the supposed problem the actual DM-1 or the DM-1 power supply? Perhaps one of the caps is leaking from the power supply... thus the smell. Also, check that the fan on the DM-1 is still operating and "clean". I've read previous posts where the fan(s) were covered with lots of dust/dirt.

Good luck finding a DM-1. I would make sure that they (CC) have a replacement before they start messing around. I hope they are sure and not just "guessing" that the DM-1 is from where the odor is eminating.

The DM-1 cooling fan is located under the DM-1 module which has to be removed to see it. You can tell if it's working though as it stays on all the time where the other 2 fans only come on when the set is turned on.

I've been think of getting one of these used but does anyone know if the component inputs on the back take a 1080i signal?

yes.... 480i, 480p and 1080i. No 720p

I have a Spring 2001 F38310 for sale. I am the original owner. Only reason I am selling is because we are moving soon, and my wife wants a wall-mounted LCD. :confused: I'm sad to give up this picture! It's been great for its 5+ years. Only repair was to replace the fan which starting whining.

Contact me at jdaniel1@san.rr.com if interested.

Just got my check in the mail for $1,330.00. Thank you very much Thompson Consumer Electronics (RCA)

Just got my check in the mail for $1,330.00. Thank you very much Thompson Consumer Electronics (RCA)

Please explain.

Please explain.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8530064&&#post8530064

My RCA F38310 YX5 mfg 3/02 has died after 3 trips to the Service Center. The first trip was Diode Caps problem May 2003 still under extended warranty. The second trip was for a couple of parts(TV kept cycling on and off) $400 May 2005. The third and last trip they told me the tube was shot $1800 estimate Aug 2006. Last year I was offered a buyout of around $1400 because they couldn't get the parts. After 8 weeks they found them so they fixed it. This time I pushed them hard (wrote emails to Thompson and many phone calls to Consumer Relations/Exchange Team) and they offered me $1000 plus the $75 pickup and $75 estimate. I took the money and ran to Costco and picked up the 42" Vizio LCD for 1599.00. The picture is outstanding and I don't need a warranty (Costco).

Good luck to the rest

Thanks Dr Joe and Ratman over the years for your help with this set.

I actually loved the set when it worked.
Mine just started cycling on and off the other day! What was the problem with yours? Waiting to hear from the TV guy up the street.

Mine just started cycling on and off the other day! What was the problem with yours? Waiting to hear from the TV guy up the street.


Have you previously had the caps and diodes fix?

My F38310 is gone. Last Saturday (11/18) Circuit City replaced it under the Extended Warranty/Protection Plan. They allowed my full original (June 2001) purchase price as credit toward any new TV in stock. I was able to get the Sony 40" Bravia LCD (KDL-40XBR2) for just $12.86 cash difference (the current price on the Sony is $2500). This is a 1080P model with 3 HDMI & 2 component inputs, ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuner, and an impressive variety of parameter adjustments in the menu. The black levels are not quite as good as the F38310, but are better than I expected thanks to Sony's various enhancements. I will miss my RCA, but not its 215 lbs (the Sony weighs 77).

As I posted earlier, my F38310 began to emit an offensive odor last summer. I promptly reported this to CC service, but a number of delays took place, and finally a sympathetic representative said he would request a replacement since several months had elapsed. I almost never purchase extended warranties, but this one worked out very well in the end. I was planning to keep the F38310 until SED arrived, but I think the XBR2 will do a good job.

Wow! You're quite fortunate. Congrats!

Sorry to see another one bite the dust. Despite the problems, this is one set that will be sorely missed (when mine finally craps out). Enjoy your new HDTV!

So are we thinking that all these sets will meet an early demise? I wonder if I should take CC up on their offer to renew my warranty since mine is out. I have had the board replaced and haven't had any problems but it seems like there is a set dropping now every couple of months or so.

My F38310 is gone. Last Saturday (11/18) Circuit City replaced it under the Extended Warranty/Protection Plan. They allowed my full original (June 2001) purchase price as credit toward any new TV in stock. I was able to get the Sony 40" Bravia LCD (KDL-40XBR2) for just $12.86 cash difference (the current price on the Sony was $2790). This is a 1080P model with 3 HDMI & 2 component inputs, ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuner, and an impressive variety of parameter adjustments in the menu. The black levels are not quite as good as the F38310, but are better than I expected thanks to Sony's various enhancements. I will miss my RCA, but not its 215 lbs (the Sony weighs 77).

As I posted earlier, my F38310 began to emit an offensive odor last summer. I promptly reported this to CC service, but a number of delays took place, and finally a sympathetic representative said he would request a replacement since several months had elapsed. I almost never purchase extended warranties, but this one worked out very well in the end. I was planning to keep the F38310 until SED arrived, but I think the XBR2 will do a good job.

me too i was plahining on keeping this one til sed arrives , i havnt seen the xbr edition but i have seen the bravia kdl 46v25 or sometin like that , and anyone woudl be a fool not to buy a warranty lol its a must ,

however your money would of been best spent on costco 46'' bravia cuz its lifetime warranty for your cash back no reapirs no sending the unit

cc is pos compared to it and we used to be one of the best buyers from my local cc .. blacks were incrediable on the non xbr and for what i heard xbr sopose to be better so maybe it needs a little touch of tweeking ...

Unfortunately, when CC offers a replacement TV under the extended warranty, a CC credit is issued. Otherwise, I would have gone straight to Costco (3 blocks away from my residence) rather than CC (10 miles away).

The XBR2 has automatic programs that adjust contrast to the scene displayed as well as to the ambient illumination level in the room. These do a fine job, but blacks and shadow detail still fall a bit short of what a good CRT can produce.

Unfortunately, when CC offers a replacement TV under the extended warranty, a CC credit is issued. Otherwise, I would have gone straight to Costco (3 blocks away from my residence) rather than CC (10 miles away).

The XBR2 has automatic programs that adjust contrast to the scene displayed as well as to the ambient illumination level in the room. These do a fine job, but blacks and shadow detail still fall a bit short of what a good CRT can produce.

thats right they offer only credit only, but you could of sold it to someone else or use it up on other stuff?? but yea its soo true about noting comparing to crt tube techology and yet sed tv countdown keeps on going on

My choices to replace the F38310 finally narrowed down to 2 models, and Costco doesn't carry either one. Extended return privileges are nice, but not if you have to compromise on your selection. If my Sony LCD develops any problems, hopefully they can be remedied during the 12-month manufacturers' warranty period.

Have you previously had the caps and diodes fix?


When it was new out of the box they replaced the caps, etc. Now the TV guys tell me too bad, call them a beast and suggest repairers stay away from them. too bad!

I ordered a Toshiba 42HL196 yesterday.

Gonna miss this F38, if anyone want parts I am on the space coast of florida. Let me know fast as the dumpster awaits if it does not heal itself this week.

I am builing a garage and would like to had this as a drive-in theater set up.

My choices to replace the F38310 finally narrowed down to 2 models, and Costco doesn't carry either one. Extended return privileges are nice, but not if you have to compromise on your selection. If my Sony LCD develops any problems, hopefully they can be remedied during the 12-month manufacturers' warranty period.

theirs no better tv thats affortable to the non "elite primeir price" whic is that 46'' lcd no motion blurr and 100% true about its black levels and full 1080p .... and fianly the biggest thats afforable

unless of course you go with rear projection then viewing angles are dark and dimmed..

trust me theirs no better unit then that sony bravia 46'' kdl 46v from costco ,

and well bottom line if you buy that tv from cc or bb in the end you are stuck with re purchase/ only invest in that store thing if you buy warranty as were from costco you return it when sed tv hits stores and you basicly borred the tv for free just loaned your money for exchange of tv ...

look at the tv atlest dude im sure u'll like it mb this is the only close unit that can compare to our rca f38310

theirs no better tv thats affortable to the non "elite primeir price" whic is that 46'' lcd no motion blurr and 100% true about its black levels and full 1080p .... and fianly the biggest thats afforable

unless of course you go with rear projection then viewing angles are dark and dimmed..

trust me theirs no better unit then that sony bravia 46'' kdl 46v from costco ,

and well bottom line if you buy that tv from cc or bb in the end you are stuck with re purchase/ only invest in that store thing if you buy warranty as were from costco you return it when sed tv hits stores and you basicly borred the tv for free just loaned your money for exchange of tv ...

look at the tv atlest dude im sure u'll like it mb this is the only close unit that can compare to our rca f38310


To my eyes plasmas come the closest to CRT like image on a set. Especially that new Pioneer 50" 1080p plasma. but of course its $8k. I even thought that the 1080i plasmas looked great and certainly better than LCD or DLP rear projection sets.

To my eyes plasmas come the closest to CRT like image on a set. Especially that new Pioneer 50" 1080p plasma. but of course its $8k. I even thought that the 1080i plasmas looked great and certainly better than LCD or DLP rear projection sets.

i hated lcd but once i looked that this kdl46v2500 or sometin like that it is the biggest 1080p tv anyone can afford it has very strong blacks , no motion blurr and its native resolution not upscaled so this tv is the only one of its kind ( lcd type) to be a low cost compareable to crt tube or the high end pioneer elite.....

watch just go look at it in your local store and u know what i mean....

Well I am very happy to report that my F38310 is still in service and I have not experienced any issues to date.

Need to get it recalibrated as the picture has softened some what, but otherwise all is well. My original purchase date was 7/03.

Will be looking to retire the old iron horse sometime next year and purchase a flat panel for my main home theater.

Well I am very happy to report that my F38310 is still in service and I have not experienced any issues to date.

Need to get it recalibrated as the picture has softened some what, but otherwise all is well. My original purchase date was 7/03.

Will be looking to retire the old iron horse sometime next year and purchase a flat panel for my main home theater.
u know once u replace that crt tube ur asking for less quality and more style on design? despite of that you gotta look for the winner on the tv and i personaly think that the costco's 3g tv is as close as you can get in terms of quality and size

u know once u replace that crt tube ur asking for less quality and more style on design? Maybe... I have a 32" Flat panel in my bed room and love it (tho the F 38310 has better picture attributes). There are a couple of flat panel displays that I have seen that come close (they are pricey) and they don’t take up nearly as much space.

Besides I didn’t say I was getting rid of it all together just moving it to the basement (smaller home theater). :)

well this tv is as close as i can see on crt tube quality wise very very close and yes its true 100% of what they said about its blacks level

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11174195&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&N=4001382&Mo=26&pos=1&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=3316&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&Sp=C&ec=&topnav=
no other best way to buy a tv not atlest til sed tv hits stores lol this is going to be mine then after that only sed tv

theirs no better tv thats affortable to the non "elite primeir price" whic is that 46'' lcd no motion blurr and 100% true about its black levels and full 1080p .... and fianly the biggest thats afforable

unless of course you go with rear projection then viewing angles are dark and dimmed..

trust me theirs no better unit then that sony bravia 46'' kdl 46v from costco ,

and well bottom line if you buy that tv from cc or bb in the end you are stuck with re purchase/ only invest in that store thing if you buy warranty as were from costco you return it when sed tv hits stores and you basicly borred the tv for free just loaned your money for exchange of tv ...

look at the tv atlest dude im sure u'll like it mb this is the only close unit that can compare to our rca f38310For my purposes the KDL-40XBR2 (the 40" version of the 46" that Costco carries) is a better replacement for my F38310.
I'll explain this later, but first, drawing on my experiences with the CC Advantage Protection Plan over the last few months, I'll try to explain how their replacement protocol works.

In a previous post, sranger3 reported that he received a $1330 check from Thomson Consumer Electronics for his F38310 that they decided not to repair. He was then able to go to Costco and purchase a Vizio LCD. In my case, after several frustrating months of trying to get CC to repair my F38310, a very considerate rep offered to initiate their replacement procedure. They don't do buyouts, nor do they credit you with the original cost (as I first believed). Instead, you are given a Ticket Number and a Claim Number which you submit to a salesman at any CC location. He confers with the floor manager to determine a suitable replacement for your TV. I could very well have received something like a Polaroid 37", and would have had no recourse because my beloved F38310 was 5-1/2 years old and worth maybe $200. I was fortunate to get the attention of a very helpful salesman who made it possible for me to get exactly what I wanted, the Sony 40" LCD KDL-40XBR2, a 1080P model with 3 HDMI and 2 component inputs.

gus738, I appreciate your effort to help, but there isn't any way that the CC replacement procedure could make a Costco purchase possible. I know that the 46" Sony they carry is a great TV, but my needs for my HT are served best by something in the 37"-40" range. This is why I purchased the F38310 in June 2001. It was exactly the right size display, although I was never happy about the 215 lbs. The 40XBR2 weighs in at 77#, which is a bit more than I would like, but acceptable. The 46" version weighs over 90#. Its 31.4" height would also be a major problem as I like to have my eye level at screen center. The 40" is over 3" shorter, in fact it's just 2-1/2" taller than the F38310, and this is working out well.

Another consideration is pixel density. I like to sit at 1.3X the diagonal. This yields a field of view 37 degrees wide and a very nice feeling of involvement. To sit this close to a fixed pixel display (52" from a 40" screen), I find it best to have at least 3000 pixels/sq.in. A 40" 1080 x 1920 display has 3033 pixels/sq.in., but at 46" diagonal this drops to 2294 pixels. A person with good visual acuity might see individual pixels at this distance (5 feet) from a 46" 1080P display. BTW, I had no problem sitting about 50" from the F38310. Its fine pitch design was very nice for close viewing.

I love my f38 and don't want to replace it. But. I am thinking about dumping directv for cable. I am worried that the picture quality through the component input won't be too good.

I have also heard that directv is changing the way they transmit their HD signal that will make our built-in directv tuner useless.

Anyone getting an HD signal from cable and how does it look?

Thanks!

I love my f38 and don't want to replace it. But. I am thinking about dumping directv for cable. I am worried that the picture quality through the component input won't be too good.

I have also heard that directv is changing the way they transmit their HD signal that will make our built-in directv tuner useless.

Anyone getting an HD signal from cable and how does it look?

Thanks!

HAHAHA LMAFO sorry for the insult but CABLE IS **** !!! if you want true hd stick with the best company directv!!! and componet is the best you can deliver from f38 why? cuz hdmi is best then its componet (super analog ) then s video. but seriously cable is crap and directv is best i'd rather have noting then cable .... heck even f38 gives you free hd channels ova as where cable charges you alot.... seriously stay with directv you and me as customers know its the best AND ITS CHEAPER!!! whats not to like or why even bother about cable . its ANALOG and will NEVER be digital despite the boxes and what not .

BY THE WAY WHEN YOU SAID "IM WORRIED ABOUT THE PICTURE QUALITY THORO COMPONET " well then what other best way do you expect ? thats 1 and 2 how would cable inprove it ?

UncD2000 : yeah the xbr is a nice set its soposed be a higher end model then the v2500 series . and i was just letting ppl know about costco...

DirecTV's HD signal is reduced from 1920x1080i to 1280x1088i and transmitted with a very low bit rate. Most consider its picture quality substandard. Even though the F38310 can only resolve 1280 h, the filtering, encoding and re-encoding degrades the picture. The low bit rate results in macroblocking and other artifects. Its called HD-Lite and I think looks worse than regular DVD's. Some cable companies might be doing the same thing, but generally, the cable companies do not seem to be as bandwidth starved as DirecTV.

The F38310 only handles MPEG-2 and DirecTV is in the slow process of changing to MPEG-4. So eventually, the DirecTV tuner in the F38310 will be useless.

HD looks fine through the component connection on the back of the F38310, but it only accepts 1080i, not 720p. Your decoder box with have to convert all channels to 1080i, which most can do. I have an HD-Tivo hooked up to the back of mine outputing 1080i and it looks fine. (I'm stuck with DirecTV due to their monopoly on the NFL)

i dont know why you guys dont like directv , oviously cable is no where near the quality NEVER and dish claims to have more channels BUT they NEVER clain 100% audio or video WHICH IS important.... i never decide to use the f38's built in receiver...

INSTED i bought the NEW HR20 http://gear.ign.com/articles/679/679224p1.html from costco under $300 bucks , and its ova recording as well so its 3 tunners

and its no longer "tivo" its directv digital video recorder its 200 sd hrs or 50 hd hrs its the newest thing..... ( cost site doesnt have it only local stores)

BY THE WAY WHEN YOU SAID "IM WORRIED ABOUT THE PICTURE QUALITY THORO COMPONET " well then what other best way do you expect ? thats 1 and 2 how would cable inprove it ?



Man, you sure are abrasive. I just wanted to know if people are happy with the PQ over the component. May be some day I'll be an expert like you :rolleyes:

Thank you Tommy, that helped me feel better about the component input... Go Bears!!

Man, you sure are abrasive. I just wanted to know if people are happy with the PQ over the component. May be some day I'll be an expert like you :rolleyes:


I think that might be Hob by another name. He goes way back with the F38310.

LOL! Hob... what a character.
"What's your odometer reading?"

I think that might be Hob by another name. He goes way back with the F38310.That same thought crossed my mind.

I thought about Hob's "Foolscreen" rants a couple of years ago when I bought a 32" Sony 4x3 HD as a gift when CC closed out the 500 series. It has turned out fine so far. The 167lbs. has been the only criticism.

i love this unit so far if thats what you guys mean but i wonder if will survive when sed tv hits or until i decide to get that tv from costco...

Hey guys...

My JX4 is still going strong... Knock on wood!!! Only problem i ever had was when we had a power surge... I lost the audio... I just unplugged it, plugged it back in, and it was good to go again... No problems since. I do have a few questions though.. Maybe you guys can help out..

(1) Is the latest DTC-100 firmware still the 5.10?

(2) Have any good modifications come out... Video out etc,.

(3) How will it handle the new PS3 (Playstation-3) games that are 720P. At the moment the PS3 cannot output 1080I, it does 1080P though for Blue Ray Movies..

1) Yes
2) No
3) The F38310 only accepts 480i, 480p or 1080i via the component inputs.

Thanks....

So playing a 720P signal would be down converted to 480P by the F38310... Mmmm... I thought the F38310 also upconverted to 540P?

No... you are confused.

One more time:
the component inputs will ONLY accept a 480i, 480p or 1080i signal input. The component inputs will NOT accept a 720p signal NOR a 1080p signal.

Via the "internal tuner" (ota, analog cable, satellite)... 480i is upscaled to 540p, 720p upscaled to 1080i, 1080i remains 1080i.

so ps3 playback is still poor on this tv thast why im waiting for the ps3 waves to calm down then get a new tv , the only one that seems matched in quality in and affortable is the sony bravia 46'' kdl-46v2500 series which does everyting including 1080p and its hdmi true blacks ( yea rumores were right) and no motion blurr or any other disadvatages that lcds have are arleady fixed on this unit

I love my f38 and don't want to replace it. But. I am thinking about dumping directv for cable. I am worried that the picture quality through the component input won't be too good.

I have also heard that directv is changing the way they transmit their HD signal that will make our built-in directv tuner useless.

Anyone getting an HD signal from cable and how does it look?

Thanks!
Stevenage,

My F38310 tuner could not pick up the first day of NFL games this year due to a problem that only affected RCA DTC-100 recievers (which in built-in to the F38310). I called DTV about it and they gave me an HR-200 and a 5 LNB dish at no cost. It's connected via component and looks GREAT. Now I get all my local TV in HD as well. Give DTV a call, I'm sure they'll give you a deal to keep you from leaving. Just ask for customer retention.

I hope to hang on to my F38310 as long as possible. It's still got the best HDTV picture I've ever seen :)

Stevenage,

My F38310 tuner could not pick up the first day of NFL games this year due to a problem that only affected RCA DTC-100 recievers (which in built-in to the F38310). I called DTV about it and they gave me an HR-200 and a 5 LNB dish at no cost. It's connected via component and looks GREAT. Now I get all my local TV in HD as well. Give DTV a call, I'm sure they'll give you a deal to keep you from leaving. Just ask for customer retention.

I hope to hang on to my F38310 as long as possible. It's still got the best HDTV picture I've ever seen :)
you mean a hr20 .... did you re contract?

Oops, yep I meant the HR20. Yes, I had to do the 2 year deal, but a free HD-DVR, new dish/ 8 port multiswitch and installation is a pretty sweet deal :D

yeah i agree its a nice thing i mean the moment you actiave or swtich cards you ahe to activate a new agreement so a 5lnb eqipment for free plus a 300 dollar machine its nice... what pakage do you hav?

All the normal channels, extra discoveries, locals, etc. Plus HDTV, HBO, and Sunday Ticket. Nothing spectacular, but I'm happy.

I think that might be Hob by another name. He goes way back with the F38310.


Lmao...thats exactly what I was going to say. Sure sounds like old Hob, grammar and all! By the way I switched from D* to Verizon FIOS and I think word is it's currently the leader in PQ since its fiber and unrestrained bandwidth. Cheaper too but the DVR sucks compared to the HR10-250. It is quicker responding. I did a quicky PQ comparison while I still had both services through a component switch and I couldnt tell any difference in PQ on HD although SD frequently looks better, but also some SD channels look like scheisse some times.

I had a look at that new Pioneer Elite 50" 1080p plasma and boy howdy! Me likes. I just have to hit Hob up for a loan though!

hey look our tv how much it retails i just put the model number and it brought this page up

http://shop.homeappliances.com/hadealercart/ProductSpecDisplayDirect.do?PRODUCT_SKU=F38310&INPUT_JSP=DealerStoreDisplay.jsp&DEALER=BetterLiving&STORE=ERailroad&DEALERNUM=484&STORENUM=770

oh and im selling it make an offer

I thought Loewe was the only mfr that ever priced the 38" Performax over 4K. Maybe I let my F38310 go too cheap when CC swapped it out for the Sony KDL-40XBR2 LCD.

im trying to sell mine im asking 1 g atlest oviously perfect conditions

im trying to sell mine im asking 1 g atlest oviously perfect conditions

I think you better ease off the meds Hob if you think your gonna get a grand for that set, also so you can type coherently :p

I paid $1200.00 for mine in 2002. Heck you can get 50" plasmas for under a grand now. How many hours do you have on that thing now?

I think you better ease off the meds Hob if you think your gonna get a grand for that set, also so you can type coherently :p

I paid $1200.00 for mine in 2002. Heck you can get 50" plasmas for under a grand now. How many hours do you have on that thing now? no i think its actually pretty cheap , a few months ago i was offerd almsot 3 gs yes over what i paid and 2 weeks ago 1,800 and of course cash. i dont know how many hrs i have runnig on this tv how do i do it ? is it dangrous ? and i think i have alot of hrs
i think it cost me around 2 gs with warranty from circuit city

I think you better ease off the meds Hob ..

He's ba-a-a-ack! :D

no i think its actually pretty cheap , a few months ago i was offerd almsot 3 gs yes over what i paid and 2 weeks ago 1,800 and of course cash. i dont know how many hrs i have runnig on this tv how do i do it ? is it dangrous ? and i think i have alot of hrs
i think it cost me around 2 gs with warranty from circuit city

If you can get it then great but I think you may be dreaming. How do you check the hours??? is it dangerous???? LMAO... your a funny guy Hob!

...a few months ago i was offerd almsot 3 gs yes over what i paid and 2 weeks ago 1,800 and of course cash. i think it cost me around 2 gs with warranty from circuit city

So someone offered to buy your "old" TV for $5000 and you refused?
Then someone offered $3800 and you refused?

Even if I misinterpreted your jibberish... someone offered you $1800 and you refused?

I call..... BS or sheer "over medication".

Send them to me! I'll sell my set.... :rolleyes:

well i dont know the menu system maybe complex and if you tamper with some options it might damge it or something....

no i was offerd around 3 gs or so a few back then recently 1,800 but i didnt make the jump because i dont know what tv of today looks decent enough to compare in terms of picture quality so i decide not to sell the tv , the only intresting from costco store is the sony bravia 46'' lcd kdl-46v2500 series

John,
Just perform a seach using "F38310 odometer". You'll find all your old posts to refresh your memory. :)