Hi;

I have been approached by an ex-employer about this. Now we all know
that RCA is working with the TV stations etc., about this, but have no
real answer.

From what I have read there is apparently a problem with the stop bit
in the guide plus data. It is not only a sftware problem on the sending
side, it can also happen when the customer changes channels. This data
problem or something similar has caused issues in other sets from what
I hear as well.

I am ready to throw this baby out with the bathwater, that is not the
whole TV, just guide plus. It should be possible to just interrupt the
data period. This is of course optional to the customer, would you
rather have an onscreen TV guide and no sound, or buy a newspaper. If I
were the customer I would take nothing, just see what's on.

Any insight on exactly how the data gets in would help, or perhaps I
might find it in an RCA training manual. It might be as simple as
cutting one jumper, actually it probably is.

Another question I would pose is what percentage of people will opt to
disable guide plus ? The ex-employer who contacted me has a large
percentage of older customers some of whom would have a hard time
reaching down to unplug things. There are also situations where people
channel surf alot, this could also become a nuisance to say the least.

Anyway, IIRC all this data is in the VIR, and I don't remember right
now if raw video is sent to the micro or what to accomplish this. If it
needs the raw video then a clamping circuit driven off vertical
blanking might be necessary.

Hah ! I just had a thought, there is a slight possibility that
something like this might eliminate the closed captions as well, hehe,
I doubt many deaf people are calling us about this problem ! lol. Nice
little joke, but realistically deaf people have friends and family who
can hear, and indeed they payed for picture, color and sound. That is
still the definition of a television. While the word doesn't literally
mean that sound is included, it is generally assumed. Don't want sound
? Buy a monitor.

I'm going to familiarize myself more with the guide plus system, at
least in the CTC195. Any tips would be welcome.

By the way, about CTC195s, if you get an aftermarket flyback that
produces black vertical lines in the left side of the picture, the fix
is a 10K resistor to ground at the H pulse input pin of the jungle IC.
I don't remember the pin # right now but it's findable. It's the pulse
resistively divided from the HOT collector. Done three of them so far
and no callbacks, HOT runs cool, geometry is good. ( might be pin 12,
but look first )

In some cases we techs need to remember the basics; picture, color and
sound. This is no worse than jumping out a Mits PIP module or replacing
a Hitachi 3DY COMB filter with the single line version when it is in
too bad of shape to fix. (there is a certain mod you need to get
vertical sync, but I have done it).

One day I'd like to get a database together of all the modifications,
and I don't mean the factory ones. For example one of these days the
STK4274 will be discontinued. Therefore, we need to know how to use the
STK391-0X0 in it's place. If the STK is clamped in place this is a
piece of cake, but if they use the screw holes there are issues.

Any other neat mods out there ? I am always interested, can't get this
part eh ? HEH.

JURB

On 5 Feb 2006 12:45:45 -0800, wrote:

Hi;

I have been approached by an ex-employer about this. Now we all know
that RCA is working with the TV stations etc., about this, but have no
real answer.

From what I have read there is apparently a problem with the stop bit
in the guide plus data. It is not only a sftware problem on the sending
side, it can also happen when the customer changes channels. This data
problem or something similar has caused issues in other sets from what
I hear as well.


Jurb,

CTC19x gemstar module is disable-able, unplug 4 plugs and be done with
it.
CTC203 if the chassis have ONE RIBBON gemstar module, unplug, done.
CTC203 if the chassis have TWO RIBBONS, SOL! The Gemstar 4 module
have both MICRO for the chassis & guide plus in one giant chip.

The guide plus data comes on line 21 where CC data comes through as
well.

And note that: if one do the cap mod to disable gemstar, the CC is
disabled, ask the owner first about CC.

Reason Gemstar is still around is that it has the backing by microsoft
while ago. JVC had Guide as well but not now.

Cheers, Wizard

Hi. If I understand correctly, you are talking about the 195 having sound
only on channel 5 and maybe a few others. So disconnecting the GEM box will
solve this, with the loss of the 'Guide' crap?

I have a lady with this problem. For her ball game the other day, I bypassed
the tv tuner with vcr and AV cables. Said I was checking into the problem,
which I am. If disconnecting the GEM box will fix the sound, I think she
would go for it. Guide is no loss anyway.

Seems something wasn't thought out well on that.

Cheers, Danny

Thomson has been experiencing this particular problem for way too long. The
cap bypass is a work-around for very poor engineering. IMHO! APEX, Funai,
Daewoo, etc do not experience these problems at all and we consider them
junk?? Of course, at this point, Thomson will not re-engineer a fix
retroactive for all the products they have dumped on the consumers. Check
the other posts regarding the RCA Audio Drop Out problems and the fix others
are doing as a work-around. Cheers.
wrote in message
news
Hi. If I understand correctly, you are talking about the 195 having sound
only on channel 5 and maybe a few others. So disconnecting the GEM box
will
solve this, with the loss of the 'Guide' crap?

I have a lady with this problem. For her ball game the other day, I
bypassed
the tv tuner with vcr and AV cables. Said I was checking into the problem,
which I am. If disconnecting the GEM box will fix the sound, I think she
would go for it. Guide is no loss anyway.

Seems something wasn't thought out well on that.

Cheers, Danny

Okay, did 2 of them just this week. A 195 4-wire and a 203 single cable.
Works like a champ.

Horse ****..
Explain ta self

wrote in message ...
Okay, did 2 of them just this week. A 195 4-wire and a 203 single cable.
Works like a champ.

On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 20:12:16 -0500, "kip" wrote:

Horse ****..
Explain ta self

wrote in message ...
Okay, did 2 of them just this week. A 195 4-wire and a 203 single cable.
Works like a champ.



I have done that as well.

Not a believer yet? I have seen both types that had module and ones
that have without. Certain items are automatically probed via I2C bus
at every plug in.

This is in training documents on CTC19x and CTC203.

I have to consult them and give list of items that is "optional" items
that can be omitted and have normal operation and other items like
tuner, etc are under 3 strikes and out fault (true for CTC203 and
ATC113).

By the way, I converted a CTC203 25" chassis to work on 19" CRT by
many component and major parts change with and added 5 jack module
where chassis had just small jumper circuit board. Had 1 ribbon
gemstar module, long since gone.

Oh yes, didn't have to adjust width and vertical size.

Cheers, Wizard