Centering of 38310 image

[ghola]

Sometimes I see logos for certain stations (FoxWNYW, Discovery HD from Dish) shifted too much to the right, making "FOX" and "Discovery HD"look more like "FO" and "Discov H". It's much worse with Fox, and they arent true HD anyway, and it's only sometimes on Discovery. I try to look for it whenever I can, and it's not noticeable any other times, on any other stations. However, in 4:3 mode, the image is definitely not centered. Grey bars are bigger on the left side. Is this a common problem with these TVs? I looked in the service menu by pressing some combination of buttons on the top, but there was no way that I could see to change it. The closest I saw was the "tilt" adjustment. Any suggestions?

[57U]

ghola: Welcome to the forum.

The Fox showing only "FO" is not an insult of any kind, it's that way on everybody's TV. Fox, out of the goodness of their hearts (he, he) have moved the logo right over to the edge of the screen. Most TVs have a little bit of "overscan". On some TVs it's as much as 10%. If you can see the FO it's probably only about 4-5% on your TV. Everything is normal.

Some TVs allow you to do minor shifts up, down sideways, either in the user menu or in the service menu. Be careful though because some channels are not perfect, so make sure you average them all out before you do any shifting.

Since you are new to the forum, check our our FAQ section (6th one down on the home page), especially the post "what to do to my new HDTV".

Remember the "FO" is normal and they are not telling you where to go.. :rolleyes:

[ghola]

Thanks, 57U. I'll try and fiddle a bit with the centering.

[Ratman]

Sorry... double posted. See next post.

[Ratman]

You can adjust centering and other geometry settings in the service menu.

NOTE: PLEASE READ THIS DISCLAIMER!
This menu is intended for use by ‘Authorized RCA Technicians’ only! Access to these menus could void your warranty. Also, you may be vulnerable to errors that could make your picture worse.
I take NO responsibility whatsoever and will not be held liable for any damage done to your set and do not guarantee positive results. It is my recommendation that all problems should be reported to RCA and resolved by an ‘Authorized RCA Technician’.)




Service Manual

A portion of the service manual can be accessed from:
http://www.manitoupark.com/public/f38310.asp

This portion of the manual will outline the parameters (P: ) and values (V: ) that are required for various adjustments.

Entering Service Mode

Have the TV powered on for at least 10 minutes prior to making any adjustments.

Be aware that each input (Antenna A, B, component, S-video, VID1) are independent and must be adjusted individually! The adjustments will only affect the current input selection.

On the front panel (FPA) of the F38310, simultaneously and quickly press the "CH-Down and DirecTV” buttons. If successful, you should have displayed on the bottom of the screen:

Version Number: XX.XX P:0 V:0

(Note: Modifications to the parameters and values can be performed using the remote at this point. The remote must be in “TV” mode. To be sure, cover the IR bulb on the remote and depress the “TV” button, then you can use the remote for adjustments.)

Before adjustments can be performed, you must enter the password code to enable the FPA (or remote) for access. Use the “Volume Up” button to change V:0 to V:76. Once this is done, you can now change the parameter setting for the desired function

The "Channel Up/Down" will change the parameter values. Using the manual pages as a referece, set the parameter value of the option you want to adjust, then use the "Volume up/down" to change the value.

Before you change any values, BE SURE to write down the values of each parameter PRIOR to the change in the event you need to revert to original settings! Good luck... and be careful!

[57U]

I just tuned in to Boston Public (Detroit) and Fox have moved their logo "inboard". It's now positioned "inside" of where a 4:3 image would be on a widescreen set. I preferred the old position - out of the way.

By the way ghola, I hope you didn't fool with the centering, I don't think there's anything wrong with your set, as I indicated in my earlier post. Be very careful if you go into the service menu.

My Hitachi allows me to move up and down a few pixels, but not sideways in the regular "consumer menu".

[Ratman]

Originally posted by 57U
By the way ghola, I hope you didn't fool with the centering, I don't think there's anything wrong with your set, as I indicated in my earlier post.
I don't think that there a single F38310 that has the geometry set properly 'out of the box'. Not only are they usually 'off center' with 4:3 stuff, but they usually also suffer from 'pincushioning'. Kinda looks like this: )--(
These can only be tweaked out in the service menus.
Be very careful if you go into the service menu.
I agree. But, if you have some savvy and patience, adjustments are very easy to make.

[ghola]

I havent done anything yet, I'm kind of afraid to. I did notice that every input has its own problems with centering! None of them are perfect. It's not really that big a deal, if everyone sees the logos slightly cut off. (and, again, it's only noticeable on FOX and Discovery HD, and only in the bottom right corner.) I was just wondering if I'm not set up properly, but it seems to be the way it is.

[Ratman]

If you are uncomfortable peforming the adjustments, then why not contact RCA and get a tech to come to your home. Just explain that the geometry settings need adjustment, the set is new and your are very unhappy.

If you bought your set at a "mortar and brick" store like CC or BB, contact them also. Maybe they will get someone out if your bought an extended warranty from them.

Either way... after spending your hard earned cash, don't you want the set to be as close to perfect a possible?

If you lived close by, I'd offer to do it for you!