"Art" wrote in message
. ..
Smear going away with diminished contrast and brightness tells the
experienced technician that the emission of the picture tube (CRT) has
diminished to the point that it can now longer produce a quality picture.
Find out what the CRT will cost to be replaced then decide if the 11 year
old set is worth it or if you may be wiser to invest in something newer,
love the old relic or not!!


No way, yes those symptoms are characteristic of a worn CRT but he stated
clearly that the problem occurred suddenly. Weak CRTs wear out over a long
period of time, they don't go from bright and beautiful to smeared and dim
in a day. There are many other problems that can mimic a worn CRT, since the
set took a whack I'd bet money it's nothing but a fracture in one of the
boards.

If only I had a dollar for every TV I've fixed that someone had diagnosed as
a bad tube that was actually something else.