Why did my TV suddenly switch to B&W?
So Saturday morning I turned on my tv -- a flat screen AKAI -- and everything on every channel is in black & white. Still happening. Any ideas, internets?
posted by Blogs t r e t c h @ Monday, July 09, 2007
2 Comments:
Is it a CRT? I mean, not an LCD or plasma or anything like that?
If so, here's the technical answer. The shorter version: the circuitry that nudges the electron beam so that it hits the red, green and blue phosphors independently isn't working, probably because the circuitry has aged and a connection has become flaky. This can frequently be corrected yourself, and can almost always be repaired. I had this happen intermittently with my TV, although it's behaved itself for several years now.
Things to try:
- Give the set a good thwack on its side while it's on. Start small and gradually increase the violence. If the color flickers on and off, it's a good sign. You may be able to nudge it into compliance -- this is what worked for me.
- Unplug the TV for a few hours. This seemed to help when the thwacking didn't, in my case.
- Blow some canned air (available at Staples or your office supply cabinet) through the vents, toward the center of the back of the TV (where the color circuitry sits). Be prepared for huge amounts of dust to erupt out at you.
- Turn the color setting all the way up then all the way down a few times. This might unstick a flaky potentiometer, according to the internet.
And of course, check your input connections before you start abusing your TV. Make sure that it isn't just a single type of input (cable, DVD, etc) that's failed.
Good luck!
You might have just gone back in time. Maybe???
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