TV Placement And Preventive Maintenance

General TV placement considerations

Proper care of a TV does not require much. Following the recommendations below will
assure long life and minimize repairs:
 Subdued lighting is preferred for best viewing conditions but I will not attempt to
tell you how to arrange your room!
 Locate the TV away from extremes of hot and cold. Avoid damp or dusty
locations if possible. (Right you say, keep dreaming!)
 Allow adequate ventilation - TVs use more power than any of your other A/V
components. Heat buildup takes its toll on electronic components. Leave at least 3
inches on top and sides for air circulation if the entertainment center does not
have a wide open back panel. Do not pile other components like VCRs on top of
the TV if possible (seebelow).
 Do not put anything on top of the TV that might block the ventilation grill in the
rear or top of the cover. This is the major avenue for the convection needed to
cool internal components.
 If possible, locate the VCR away from the TV. Some VCRs are particularly
sensitive to interference from the TV's circuitry and while this won't usually
damage anything, it may make for less than optimal performance due to RF
interference. The reverse is sometimes true as well.

In addition, modern VCRs are NOT built like the Brooklyn Bridge! The weight of
a TV or stereo components could affect the VCR mechanically, messing up tape
path alignment or worse.

 If possible, locate your computer monitor away from the TV. Interaction of the
electromagnetic fields of the deflection systems may result in one or both displays
jiggling, wiggling, or vibrating.
 Locate loudspeakers and other sources of magnetic fields at least a couple of feet
from the TV. This will minimize the possibility of color purity or geometry
problems.
 Make sure all input-output video and audio connections are tight and secure to
minimize intermittent or noisy pictures and sound. Use proper high quality cable
only long enough to make connections conveniently.
 Finally, store video cassettes well away from all electronic equipment including
and especially loudspeakers. Heat and magnetic fields will rapidly turn your
priceless video collection into so much trash. The operation of the TV depends on
magnetic fields for beam deflection. Enough said.

Preventive maintenance

Preventive maintenance for a TV is pretty simple - just keep the case clean and free of
obstructions. Clean the screen with a soft cloth just dampened with water and at most,
mild detergent. DO NOT use anything so wet that liquid may seep inside of the set
around the edge of the picture tube - you could end up with a very expensive repair bill
when the liquid shorts out the main circuit board lurking just below. If the set has a
protective flat glass faceplate, there is usually an easy way (on newer sets with this type
of protection) of removing it to get at the inner face of the CRT. Clean both the CRT and
the protective glass with a soft damp cloth and dry thoroughly. If you have not cleaned
the screen for quite a while, you will be amazed at the amount of black grime that collects
due to the static buildup from the high voltage CRT supply.

In really dusty situations, periodically vacuuming inside the case and the use of contact
cleaner for the controls might be a good idea but realistically, you will not do this so don't
worry about it.

Warning about using a TV as a computer or video game display

"I remember a while back (about 10 years) most home computers used to hook up to
televisions. I seem to remember them having some effect on the TV though. I think they
made the TV go blurry after a while. I was just wondering what these computers used to
do to the televisions to mess them up like that. I thought a TV signal was a TV signal."
The problem was screen burn. Since computers of that era were mostly text and video
games tended to use fixed patterns for scenery, patterns tended to be burned into the
phosphor such that they were noticeably darker and less sensitive in those areas. This was
exacerbated by the tendency to run those devices at very high brightness levels.

Modern computers and video games should not be nearly as much of a risk since the
displays are so much more varied and dynamic. Nevertheless, setting the brightness at a
moderate level would be prudent.

However, projection sets with their much higher intensity CRTs may still be susceptible
to screen burn and the manufacturer will likely NOT cover the cost of repairs. There is
probably a disclaimer to this effect in the warranty.