TV help

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TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 9:57am

The thread title makes me sound totally inept.

Anyway, something happened to my TV, and I'm not sure what.

I was watching it one day, and suddenly the screen went blue. I can't get any channels; the cable connection is in securely, though. It plays videos from its built in VCR and I can play DVD's from an external player. The display on everything *but* regular channels is working.

Does anyone know what's wrong, and how I can fix it? I've pretty much resorted to hitting random buttons on the remote.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 10:00am

Two things -- try the input buttons on the remote -- or tv/video if you have that. It could be your cable is out - call your company...

Hi, Shirley Temple Pudding.

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 10:09am

Don't feel bad, Emcee...I'm pretty inept with electronics myself! I'm lucky to have an IT/gadget expert on call w/my brother-in-law. If it in fact isn't the cable, is your television set still under warranty?

As an aside, how do you like your TV/VCR combo? I've been thinking of getting a TV/DVD combo and was wondering what the advantages/disadvantages are. I would guess the only disadvantage is having to take in the whole thing if one component (i.e. the DVD player) doesn't work. I usually watch DVDs on my iMac, which is great, but I'd like the option of watching on a bigger screen.

Good luck with your TV!

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 10:27am

The TV actually isn't even mine; it's my old roommate's. She's taking it back when she comes back to school in the fall... it was one less thing for her to move if she let me keep it for the summer. I think it's pretty old. I like the combo, though; it's easy to use and saves space.

I guess the cable *could* be out. I can't even call the company because I just have it plugged into the cable jack, and use whatever channels I get. I don't have actual cable. I've tried the input button, which doubles as the TV/VCR function. It only has two inputs; line, and regular, the latter of which is normal TV.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 10:35am

Rule #1:

Never by combo machines (aka, TV/VCR/DVD all-in-ones). They suck and frequently need repairs. One or more incorporated components are usually third-rate at best. And when one breaks the whole unit has to either go in for repairs or get chucked for new equipment.

Keep your monitor, VCR and DVD player/recorder as separate beasts. You can get better quality, if you do.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 11:27am

Do you need to program the channels into your TV? I know that every time the power goes out, my grandmother needs to "reprogram' her TV. The TV should have a menu screen that you can access through the remote. See if there is something called "autoprogram". That will automatically store all the viable channels to your TV. Hit that function, and let it go.

Hope that helps!

And I agree---don't buy combo machines!

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 11:29am

Do you have it set to AV input instead of DVD or cable?

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 11:35am

B12B is correct. I learned the hard way. My 3-in-1 lasted a little more than a year. The DVD player died first, taking one of my DVDs captive and requiring me to yank it out with pliers to retrieve it. Then a tape got stuck in the VCR portion, which caused the TV to turn itself off automatically every time it turns on. I'm hoping when my dad (who has the mechanical skills I lack) comes to visit me next month that he'll be able to unstick the tape so that at least the TV will work again. But even if he does, my 3-in-1 is now, well, just a 1.

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 11:39am

I did autoprogam and that didn't work either.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

#10

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 11:41am

Can you get your basic channels in if you unhook the cable?

#11

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 11:42am

No, then I get nothing.

A work of art is an invitation to love.

#12

re: TV help

Posted: 7/31/06 at 12:13pm

Sounds like you have no cable coming into the TV. You mentioned that "you don't have cable". Are you "borrowing' off of someone else's feed? Could it be that they no longer get cable (it is the end of the month...a good time for shutting off things like cable) and therefore you don't have it anymore either?

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