27" RCA Tv Help

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New member
Username: Sharipdx

Post Number: 2
Registered: Jan-06
I just wrote to RCA again and asked them to post a reply to cover our collective complaints about the bleedin' SAP problems.

I'm personally tired of unplugging it every night and having to fool with it and the cable set up 1st thing in the morning.
 

Unregistered guest
Help my 1997 52 inch RCA Home Theater TV model P52820BL turned off for no reason and will not turn back on. Anyone know what is wrong with it or is it time for a new TV?
 

Unregistered guest
I had the audio problem with my RCA TV and this forum helped me figure out.

I just saved a bunch of money by going to ecoustics....15 mins could save you $400 or more...heheheh
 

Unregistered guest
I was in the TV repair business for 25 years so when my neighbor called with a sound problem I happily trotted on over and lo-and-behold, same SAP problem. I just saved myself time and him money. Thanks.
 

New member
Username: Sharipdx

Post Number: 3
Registered: Jan-06
So, OK....everyone's solving it, but how? Can a non-repair person fix it? I need directions, please? Also, my SAP doesn't turn on and off per se. Choosing another format "unselects" every other format.
Thanks
ShariPDx
 

Unregistered guest
I have the same problem that everyone else does (sound that goes out) I carried my set to a RCA shop to have it repaired. This was before I found this on the net. They promptly charged me $76.00 to make the repairs. From what I can find now, it don't look like they did anything except take my money. The set failed again (3 days later)after I paid to have it fixed. When I took it back they still did not tell me that they did not do anything except take my money. They then told me that there is another problem that they cannot control, and to unplug the set and then plug it back in. I am disappointed in the fact that I trusted them and they stole my money, and I still have a set that will work for only 15 to 30 minutes.
 

whackedout
Unregistered guest
January 20, 2006

What the hell is going on! Owner of RCA 27"(27664)has developed a audio problem. The sound becomes static--perfect picture, but the sound is whack! Actually thought it was a cable problem. It seemed to be triggered while watching the Spike channel. After the doing the process of elimination narrowed it down to the television. It's been an ongoing headache for over a month now. How much longer before this issue is resolved?
 

whackedout
Unregistered guest
January 20, 2006

What the hell is going on! Owner of RCA 27"(27664)has developed a audio problem. The sound becomes static--perfect picture, but the sound is whack! Actually thought it was a cable problem. It seemed to be triggered while watching the Spike channel. After the doing the process of elimination narrowed it down to the television. It's been an ongoing headache for over a month now. How much longer before this issue is resolved?
 

New member
Username: Keystone13

Blue Bell, PA USA

Post Number: 3
Registered: Jan-06
Ok, I had the static problem for days. Turning off the power/unplugging. I "turned off" the spike channel from my menu, and It has not done it since!! 2 days now with no problems. Thought I would share, it's worth a shot!
 

Delray Pat
Unregistered guest
Had the same trouble with my 27 inch T.V. found
a repair shop but just went in to talk to the guy
I explained what was happening with the sound..
he told me it sounds like SAP.told me to get a
new remote (since I don't have the original) and
reprogram it..then I found this site and try un
plugging the T.V. it worked..in the meantime I
sent for a new remote..Do I really need a new
remote? will this turning off and on work or is
it just a temporary fix? thanks..
 

JSF
Unregistered guest
I also have a 27" RCA sound problem like everyone here...but i dont or ever used the SAP on my tv and it still has sound problems that just started a week ago 1/13/06. I have cycled it through all the channels and it doesnt seem to be Spike TV either that everyone is complaining about. So....it must be every TV has it favorite situation that causes the problem. How long should I endure unplgging before I get tired of it and just buy a Sharp or Toshiba , which now are suppose to be up there as a top of the line TV ?
 

Delray Pat
Unregistered guest
I agree..If it persists I will just go out and
buy a new TV..I have never had a problem with
Samsung TV's. Don't really know why we bought an
RCA..probably because it was a good price at the
time..but I would never buy RCA again. I canceled
the order for the new remote.
 

Doc Savage
Unregistered guest
Found this explanation on the web. Sounds like a combination problem of garbage bits in the transmission that shouldn't be there and a microprocessor that can't handle slight differences.

http://www.iwaynet.net/~nesda/SilentCTC.html
 

Jerome
Unregistered guest
After posting same problem Jan 16 ....magically
started working again on the 19 th. Unplugging
wasn't the answer tho. The only way I could get
around it was to run the cable thru the Vcr with
only Rca cables to TV. Now it seems to be fine?
RcA told me last weekend to give them a week
and to call back if the problem still existed.
Maybe PROBLEM SOLVED.
 

Rickmktg
Unregistered guest
Same problem here. Spike is connected with it for us. Very disappointed in RCA's lack of responsiveness
 

Tym
Unregistered guest
I last posted on the 9th. Since then my grandma's TV hasn't had a repeat problem, until it happened twice yesterday within 15mins. Very annoying.

I never liked RCA personally, and this problem reinforces my dislike for the brand.
 

Unregistered guest
Same problem occurred for me too since the beginning of the year. Today, just before I was going to trash my RCA F27615 TV, I decided to surf the web to see if anyone else had similar problems. I was lucky to find this site and I am so grateful. I ended up running the TV today all day with sound and no problems. After reading the messages here, I switched it to SpikeTV and within 3 minutes the sound went out completely again. I unplugged the set for a total of 5 seconds, plugged it back in and the sound was back. Thanks to everyone here that offered their own experiences. Don't blame RCA in particular, I have one from 1988 (ColorTrak 2000) that I'm still using to this day and it has never been serviced for anything and it still works like the day I bought it.
 

Unregistered guest
My RCA guideplus XL100 is doing the same audio static thing that everyone else seems to be dealing with. I've noticed that it goes staticky, but after a while it goes back to normal audio for a while, then turns back to static. The tv tells me that SAP is on, and to turn it off, but the settings say that it is on Stereo... I just tried unplugging it and it seems to be fine... It makes sense that my TV stops working so often, I love CSI, and it's on Spike TV... So no one has a permanent fix yet??
 

Anonymous
 
My RCA TV is not working properly, nothing comes on it, I have Cable and all but there is no channel except the screen. Please help me! Tell me what to do? Oh yeah! I can't even find channel search on the menu.
 

Unregistered guest
I've had the same problem - unplugging the tv for awhile works. But for me it creates another problem. If I unplug it on the weekend channel search only finds 10 channels. The cable co says it's the tv, Thompson says it's the cable co!
 

Unregistered guest
i have a 32" from '99 or 2000. it just happened to me, too. i was also watching spike tv, ghostbusters 2, and after about 10 minutes of testing other tvs in the house and different settings on my vcr, i searched onlnie and found this site. i read that last post about watching spike, and i turned my tv to spike with the vcr off, and then the sound came back. i didn't unplug the tv (but i was about to).
 

Leslie Fay
Unregistered guest
Hi! I'm sorry if this problem is really easy and I'm just lost on TVs, but I received an RCA television in my dorm room. I think that it's kinda old, but I'm not sure how old. However, the problem is that I cannot get the television to switch to an input that will view my DVD player images. I have tried the DVD player on another tv and it works and I even programmed the DVD remote to work on the RCA, but I cannot find ANYTHING to make the input switch. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
 

Unregistered guest
Hi I am a cable technician, and I just wanted to let everyone know that it is not just RCA, It is RCA, Proscan, and GE. They are all Thopson Electronics equipment. And yes the only solution that I have found is to unplug the tv, doesn't have to be for any length of time, and plug it back in. Unfortunatly that may not fix it permanently, but it will give you sound back for the time being.
 

hobbes
Unregistered guest
Having the same problem as everyone else with the stuck SAP audio. Thanks for the temp fix, kind of annoying but at least I don't need to buy a new tv which I thought I had to before I found this thread.
Yay for the internet!
 

New member
Username: Daveedwards

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-06
Thanks RandyM and all others who have provided info on this. We also have an RCA 27" GuidePlus TV about 5 years old which has recently lost the audio (hissing on all channels). We too were considering replacing the TV but after seeing these posts we tried the temp solution of unplugging it and it worked. We're very appreciative for your advice. We'll follow the board for developments and also call into RCA to attempt to add further 'encouragement' for them to come up with a permanent solution.
 

Unregistered guest
I have a 1991 RCA TV and am trying to hook up a N64 to it and cannot get it to switch over to TV/Video.

Any help is appreciated.
 

New member
Username: Tariq25

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-06
I HAVE AN RCA 27" MODEL F36715 MADE 2002. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TV JUST TURNED OFF. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE SLEEP TIMER, BUT I CANT EVEN TURN THE TV BACK ON. I TRIED TO UNPLUG IT FOR A WHILE THEN PLUGGED IT BACK IN AFTER ABOUT A HALF HOUR. NOW IT JUST MAKES A CHIRPING NOISE AND WILL NOT EVEN TURN ON. SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME OUTHERE. I WOULD BE MUCH ABLIGED.
 

Jennifer Santora
Unregistered guest
I Have A RCA 27 Inch, Year 2002. I Was Wondering Why It Is That The Television Has Really Bad Reception (Snow) On All of The Channels If I Watch It Regular. I Have Two Components Hooked Up To The Television,A V.C.R. And A Tivo, And When I Turn On One Of These Units, The Picture On The Television Is Clear On All Of The Channels And Then I Just Use Either The V.C.R. Or The Tivo Remote To Switch The Channels, But If I Shut Off The V.C.R Or The Tivo(Depending On Which One I Turn On) The Television Goes Back To Having Really Bad Reception (Snow). Why It That? Any Suggestions Or Input? I'd Appreciate It. Thanks.
 

Jettech
Unregistered guest
I would like to add my RCA 27 Inch Model #F27665 purchased in 11/1999 to your list. My TV just went down with the famous no audio problem. Thanks to this web site, I reset the power plug and my television has worked so far, and I am ready for another audio problem.
Spike TV was watched prior to the audio problem for your information.
 

Boopy
Unregistered guest
I have no idea where you guys are from but it just started here, in Gatineau, Québec too! Unplugging doesn't always work neither! Do you guys have an other trick I could try? Or should I just go buy myself a new TV from a different brand?
 

Unregistered guest
I am also experiencing the lost of sound on my 52 inch RCA television. I had to call a service repair person to see what was wrong. He told me about all lot of persons having the same problem, and to unplug the television.
 

carguy66n
Unregistered guest
In a post somewhere in this long list someone talks about hooking your cable up through your VCR to fix the static sound problem everyone is having. Well THANK YOU, it worked. I am now able to watch my favorite shows again. Everyone should give this a try, at least untill RCA figures out the problem. Thanks again!
 

Unregistered guest
i hear popping sounds when i click up my volume button. now i have no sound whatsoever. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Delray Pat
Unregistered guest
WEll so far so good..after unplugging the T.V. I
now have my sound back..the only problem now is
when I turn the T.V. On I have a screen pop up
for Guide plus telling me to exit the menu or
continue for a "set up demo"..well since I don't
have the original Remote with the guide plus I
can't get rid of this for about 10 minutes..I
have to play with the buttons on the current
remote..like hit menu, hit the T.V. or cable
button and it finally disappears but every time
I turn the T.V. on this appears..one thing is
for certain on the 27 inch 5 year or older T.V.s
the spike channel definitely seems to have been
the culprit in all of this..Nice to know we are
not alone in this though....
 

Anonymous
 
36" (model F36645) - Same problem (stuck in SAP) with no action by me; same solution (unplug/replug). Also, haven't received guideplus update for months.
 

jkp_77
Unregistered guest
Our tv had the same problem since january 5th. Then magically one day we stopped recieving updates for the guideplus. Now every channel's sound works perfectly.

So was the problem with the guide??
And when we will be getting updates for the guide again, its very frustrating not to know whats on tv.
 

old&tired
Unregistered guest
Thanks guys! Wife was just now watching CSI on our 35" RCA when sound went to all static. I googled "RCA static", found this web site, asked her what channel she was watching and her reply........ "spike tv" Thanks again.
 

Unregistered guest
This was a letter I wrote to Spike TV so as to possibly spark a response.

You may already be aware of this problem but I feel compelled to send you a note to and give you a chance to respond. I am an avid fan of Spike TV but about a month ago my TV started having problems. I never even associated SpikeTV with my problem until I went online and found some TV forums where others are having the exact same problem. It seems there is some sort of incompatability with my GE TV which has a Gemstar product and your TV signal. It seems that randomly when Im watching TV, in this case Spike ( I havent been able to duplicate this on other stations ) my TV sound goes out and all I get is static. I initially took my TV to the repair shop but they were unable to duplicate the problem (mind you they didnt have spike TV broadcasting ). I took it back home and unfortunately the problem happened again. I finally decided to go online and see if this problem was happening to others and it seems that they are and its associated with Spike TV. I decided to perform my own test by keeping my TV on for 10 hours on another station with no problems. After switching to Spike TV the problem happened within 15 minutes. I dont think this is a coincidence. I understand there are more parties invoved here than just Spike TV. There are the TV manufacturer and the component manufacturer as well as probably others. I want to let you know I cant and wont watch Spike TV till this problem is resolved. This may sound drastic but it is very annoying to have to unplug my TV to reset it every time this occurs. Please respond to my E-mail as I am anxious to get this resolved. I really do like Spike TV and would love to start watching again. Thanx Roger Olsen

Ill let you know if I get a response and post it.
 

Indy Ann
Unregistered guest
Thanks to all of you. Our TV had the same problem couldn't get the SAP off. I googled RCA SAP control and found this site. Unplugged the TV and it now works! He was watching 007 on Spike TV. This all seems very weird and 1984ish. Maybe big brother is watching????
 

DonPeaslee
Unregistered guest
Based on the Secondary Audio Programming problem. As suggested above, I unplugged my TV for about 10 minutes and plugged it back in, went through the onscreen setup and it is now working. We have a RCA Entertainment series Guide+ from late 1999.
 

Unregistered guest
Wow, I figured it was just my television f32665. What I find weird is that I have been using my RCA VCR as my tuner and have no problems. As soon as I start using the built in television tuner the static starts. I miss the guide plus, I use to use it all the time. Hope fully there is a solution soon
 

weeha
Unregistered guest
My TV is RCA Model F36645.
It got stuck in Secondary Audio on the evening of January 29th 2006.
There seems to be no way of switching back in the TV controls.
I unplugged the unti for about 3 minutes and it came back.
 

Unregistered guest
Holy Smokes! I can't believe this many people are having the same issue at the same time. Mine started a couple of weeks ago with the static, but I didn't pay attention to what channel it was on. We unplugged it to move the TV and when I plugged it in again, it worked. Last night I was watching Spike and it would go out every 5 minutes or so. I figured the TV was just dying on me, I'm glad I thought to check it out online! I'll be monitoring this site for follow up. Till then, I guess I'll just have to watch my crappy 19 inch...grrrrr...
 

Anonymous
 
Unreal I had the same SAP issue with my RCA. STATIC, on all channels but a few, drove me nuts!!!!! I need my TV!!!!! Found the site, wil unplug the TV and see what happens..
 

Anonymous
 
I have had similar problems with my 52" GE for the last 9 months... right after getting DishNetwork, the sound went out... then the remote wouldnt work... we have to turn the volume up or down using the controls on the tv... no remotes will work.
 

mingram69
Unregistered guest
sound just went out on my rca tv. i just read all the hints on this site and went and unplugged my tv. hopefully that is all that is wrong as i don't have the extra money right now to buy a new one. will repost to let you know how it turns out in a few.
 

mingram69
Unregistered guest
update.......plugged the tv back in and low and behold i now have sound again.tytytyty everyone for your previous posts
 

Anonymous
 
SYMPTOM: SET JUMPS TO SAP MODE FEW CHANNELS OR NO CHANNELS
HAVE AUIDO OTHERS HISS.

The problem occuring in the CTC 195,197,203 Chassis is in fact caused by the broadcasting
companies. A non standard signal originating in a particular '' XDS box " in the transmition
chain (XDS means extra digital services) and includes closed captioning,auto clock set,program
guides,VIR color levels ect, all broadcast in the vertical interval) the signal originating in this XBR
box made by the "XYZ" company (names deleted) has 2 extra bits. It causes a buffer overflow
in the micro and mutes the sound. This XBR box does not truncate the data stream and the extra bits
get broadcast there. This problem can be corrected.
Jamison Stone PORTAGE ELECTRONICS
For information call (330) 297-1491
 

Anonymous
 
SYMPTOM: SET JUMPS TO SAP MODE FEW CHANNELS OR NO CHANNELS
HAVE AUIDO OTHERS HISS.

The problem occuring in the CTC 195,197,203 Chassis is in fact caused by the broadcasting
companies. A non standard signal originating in a particular '' XDS box " in the transmition
chain (XDS means extra digital services) and includes closed captioning,auto clock set,program
guides,VIR color levels ect, all broadcast in the vertical interval) the signal originating in this XBR
box made by the "XYZ" company (names deleted) has 2 extra bits. It causes a buffer overflow
in the micro and mutes the sound. This XBR box does not truncate the data stream and the extra bits
get broadcast there. This problem can be corrected.
Jamison Stone PORTAGE ELECTRONICS
For information call (330) 297-1491
 

Anonymous
 
SYMPTOM: SET JUMPS TO SAP MODE FEW CHANNELS OR NO CHANNELS
HAVE AUIDO OTHERS HISS.

The problem occuring in the CTC 195,197,203 Chassis is in fact caused by the broadcasting
companies. A non standard signal originating in a particular '' XDS box " in the transmition
chain (XDS means extra digital services) and includes closed captioning,auto clock set,program
guides,VIR color levels ect, all broadcast in the vertical interval) the signal originating in this XBR
box made by the "XYZ" company (names deleted) has 2 extra bits. It causes a buffer overflow
in the micro and mutes the sound. This XBR box does not truncate the data stream and the extra bits
get broadcast there. This problem can be corrected.
Jamison Stone PORTAGE ELECTRONICS
For information call (330) 297-1491
 

Anonymous
 
SYMPTOM: SET JUMPS TO SAP MODE FEW CHANNELS OR NO CHANNELS
HAVE AUIDO OTHERS HISS.

The problem occuring in the CTC 195,197,203 Chassis is in fact caused by the broadcasting
companies. A non standard signal originating in a particular '' XDS box " in the transmition
chain (XDS means extra digital services) and includes closed captioning,auto clock set,program
guides,VIR color levels ect, all broadcast in the vertical interval) the signal originating in this XBR
box made by the "XYZ" company (names deleted) has 2 extra bits. It causes a buffer overflow
in the micro and mutes the sound. This XBR box does not truncate the data stream and the extra bits
get broadcast there. This problem can be corrected.
Jamison Stone PORTAGE ELECTRONICS
For information call (330) 297-1491
 

Anonymous
 
SYMPTOM: SET JUMPS TO SAP MODE FEW CHANNELS OR NO CHANNELS
HAVE AUIDO OTHERS HISS.

The problem occuring in the CTC 195,197,203 Chassis is in fact caused by the broadcasting
companies. A non standard signal originating in a particular '' XDS box " in the transmition
chain (XDS means extra digital services) and includes closed captioning,auto clock set,program
guides,VIR color levels ect, all broadcast in the vertical interval) the signal originating in this XBR
box made by the "XYZ" company (names deleted) has 2 extra bits. It causes a buffer overflow
in the micro and mutes the sound. This XBR box does not truncate the data stream and the extra bits
get broadcast there. This problem can be corrected.
Jamison Stone PORTAGE ELECTRONICS
For information call (330) 297-1491
 

Anonymous
 
SYMPTOM: SET JUMPS TO SAP MODE FEW CHANNELS OR NO CHANNELS
HAVE AUIDO OTHERS HISS.

The problem occuring in the CTC 195,197,203 Chassis is in fact caused by the broadcasting
companies. A non standard signal originating in a particular '' XDS box " in the transmition
chain (XDS means extra digital services) and includes closed captioning,auto clock set,program
guides,VIR color levels ect, all broadcast in the vertical interval) the signal originating in this XBR
box made by the "XYZ" company (names deleted) has 2 extra bits. It causes a buffer overflow
in the micro and mutes the sound. This XBR box does not truncate the data stream and the extra bits
get broadcast there. This problem can be corrected.
Jamison Stone PORTAGE ELECTRONICS
For information call (330) 297-1491
 

Anonymous
 
SYMPTOM: SET JUMPS TO SAP MODE FEW CHANNELS OR NO CHANNELS
HAVE AUIDO OTHERS HISS.

The problem occuring in the CTC 195,197,203 Chassis is in fact caused by the broadcasting
companies. A non standard signal originating in a particular '' XDS box " in the transmition
chain (XDS means extra digital services) and includes closed captioning,auto clock set,program
guides,VIR color levels ect, all broadcast in the vertical interval) the signal originating in this XBR
box made by the "XYZ" company (names deleted) has 2 extra bits. It causes a buffer overflow
in the micro and mutes the sound. This XBR box does not truncate the data stream and the extra bits
get broadcast there. This problem can be corrected.
Jamison Stone PORTAGE ELECTRONICS
For information call (330) 297-1491
 

New member
Username: Jerolson

Post Number: 2
Registered: Jan-06
Emailed Thompson over the weekend. Received a reply today to call the 1 -800 number. Thompson rep told me if unplugging the set doesn't restore the sound or fix the SAP problem to call the service center # (1 800 336 1900) for more info. She also told me they're "investigating" the issue, asked me what channel we were watching (SPIKE TV), that this is a NATIONWIDE probelm and to do nothing but wait until they can resolve it. She also advise me to hook up a sound system to the TV to bypass the audio signal. I'll try that and report if that's successful.
 

moho
Unregistered guest
Hey Jerry. My wife talked to a Thompson rep today that told her the same thing, "They were looking into it" and to "try back in a week". Maybe the more they get slammed with calls and emails, the faster they will get something done. I posted an email with RCA customer support letting them know that the word is spreading fast about this problem. It seems that this is far from an isolated problem.
 

BILLEW
Unregistered guest
I have a RCA 27 inch tv about 7 years old and have the same cclose captioning problems which range from automaticlly switching to SAP mode ,
lack of sound, static and sometimes switching to Spanish language . It generally occurs after watching spike TV . The spanish language thing effects the basic channels only (2,4,7,9,11 and sometimes 13.Sometimes the TV switches to a audio narration during the broadcast. This appears to be related to the SAP problem and probably is for blind viewers. I read an article in Newsday on 2/1/06 regarding this problem. The article indicates that the problem is related to Spike TV but according to David Schwarz of Spike TV it is not a problem that is limited to their prgramming. Somewhere between Spike TV and RCA manufacturing ther is a solution to this problem.
Perhaps we should e-mail the corporate offices for these companies and insist they give this problem their full attention. It is so annoying that I am considering not using RCA or spike tv until they fix this.Perhaps the FCC can help.
 

Crae
Unregistered guest
I'm a recently retired TV tech. Have had the audio drop out problem with the CTC195/CTC197/CTC203 for the past several years.
A problem like this must be fixed at the source.
All other fixs are simply bypassing the real problem. My experiance with Thomson is that they have been very quiet about this. Prolem signal enters television via tuner input. Hopefully the powers that be will figure out how to get data signal back in a range where this won't happen again but in the meantime...Picture is much better in the video and audio inputs. (with the tuner not being used) Use your Sat receiver vid/aud outs or VCR vid/aud outs and
the end result is that not only will your picture be better but you will not have the audio problem. Even after they finally figure it out, you may find that you like the performance of your TV better with this hook up.
 

slantfin
Unregistered guest
Bob or Randy, Ive read here the "fix" for sound going to static when watching certain channels is to solder in a cap from U13101 pin 15 to chassis ground. Will this work? Does it render closed captioning useless? If it works, can u please tell me where to find a wiring diagram for my RCA so that I might attach this cap. Unplugging the set 5 times a day is ridiculous! I see others here that are overjoyed by just unplugging their set and having the prob go away. But it doesnt go away. Wait till you have to do that 5-10 times a day. I need a permanent fix and it doesnt look like its gonna come from Thompson. I need a good service person to tell me what to do. I wotk on electronics everyday just not TV's , so I'd like to do the cap soldering myself if it works. Where can I find U13101 pin 15??
 

New member
Username: Gsollie

Baton Rouge, LA USA

Post Number: 1
Registered: Feb-06
Spent $50 on a TV tech to unplug my RCA tv that had no sound for 3 weeks. As he umplugged the tv, he mentioned the problem he has seen latley with SPIKE TV and RCA TVs. Wish I had found this site earlier. I tried all different sound configurations...unplugging wasn't a thought. Cost me 50 bucks.
Who do I send the bill to??
 

Unregistered guest
All I can say is unfricken believable!! I have a big screen RCA, only a year old, and got cable installed yesterday. We only watched TV for about 2 hrs before the static occured.

We spend all day on the day with the phone company and they couldn't help. I plugged in an old TV and it's fine. So, I assumed this 'new' TV was busted. I went to RCA website and others stated, it didn't mention this.

I had planned to take this to the TV shop tomorrow for an estimate. I'm so glad I found this site! I just unplugged it and tried again, and it's fine! Now, what are these people doing to correct this?? Just keep it a secret?!?
 

NOMORESAP
Unregistered guest
To all: I am a Customer Support Rep. at Thomson. (RCA & GE Electronics) We still do not have a resolution to the problem, and this forum actually has some more info. than we have. I can ASSURE you this, Thomson is working very hard on correcting this problem, but I must repeat what RandyM states - It IS NOT a problem created by RCA. He is correct in saying there is a dataproblem produced by the host station that
downloads guide plus to certain models of tv sets. We have also heard MANY other theories, most of which are completely insane. To those of you who cannot resolve your problem by unplug/replug, or, if the tv does respond to this "fix" - but only last a short while - NOTE: THE PROBLEM IS STILL BEING WORKED ON. UNPLUGGING AND REPLUGGING WILL NOT FIX YOUR SET!!! IT IS ONLY A TEMPORARY SOLUTION. From what we have been told, they are getting closer to reaching a resolution, but it will get worse before it gets better. WE at Thomson are all aware of the problem but unfortunately have not been given the "actual" source of the issue. Until the real source is located, and a resolution has been found, We will not be made aware of it due to the chance of wrong information being told to consumers. Yes, it seems to be with cable customers with older model TV's, and Spike TV is mentioned the most, with guide plus as a feature to the tv. This problem is also occuring with other brands of tv's. As soon as a fix is found, I will post one here. Be patient, as we are trying to be too!
 

JSF
Unregistered guest
I first posted here about 3-4 weeks ago and said i dont even use the SAP on my TV and cycled through the channels and no problem with a certain channel. But after reading here about Spike...I went to that channel and about 10 min. the sound went out ! So I went in and deleted the channel from my TV, and VCR's. About a week and a half went by with no problems and then i was watching the HISTORY channel for awhile and it went out again ! So....to me it doesnt matter what channel...it could go out at anytime with any channel. But it has gotten better. It goes longer before the sound goes out.
 

irishbird
Unregistered guest
Have RCA 27 inch that has sound but no picture; is a trip to the repair shop in order?
 

JSF
Unregistered guest
At one point i hooked my stereo up and ran the sound through that. That was good, and also if your speakers are in good places it actually can give you a cheap surround sound ...i guess. But bypassing it with a stereo hook up will work.
 

JSF
Unregistered guest
irishbird,
That does sound like a trip to the shop to me... No picture sounds like a whole different problem than what we all here are experiecing. How old is the TV? That could be a factor. They make todays world a "disposable" world. Cheap China parts to make every electronic product. The next time your in Wal-Mart , just look on the back of all your electrionic's...no matter what brand, Sony, RCA, JVC, .....they all say "made in China" ! Even Japan that made the great quality Sony Walkman, is being made in China.
 

New member
Username: Nilesnugget

Cleveland, Ohio USA

Post Number: 1
Registered: Feb-06
I am trying to find out information for an insurance claim on a court case. Does anyone know what the retail value of the RCA 27" Entertainment Series television Model F27440, made in April 2003 when it was brand new and what it would be worth today if in excellent condition? I have tried RCA.com and Ebay as well to try to compare the value but keep running into dead-ends. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Anonymous
 
i have an rca xl100 25" television.bought it in 2000.yup same sap problem,for a month now,it took me about 2hrs to figure out that the tv was the culprit.as i have a dvd&vcr&moudlator along with signal splitter.what a mess.thought i had to buy another tv.and as a last ditch attempt i unplugged the tv for 5min.works fine.thanks for the info.
 

Unregistered guest
Problem with my 32" approx 7 yr old RCA, is the sound always goes out on the top of the hour, i.e 8AM, 10PM, etc. Have unplugged for 5-10 minutes and works fine for several days, or hours, then BINGO.. NO particular channel being used, however, today (8AM) was on SPEED channel. My local cable ADELPHIA sending tech tomm for the problem. This forum is great, only hope and pray something can be done to finally fix this mess. First noticed this problem in early Jan, '06..
 

New member
Username: Stereo_steve

Post Number: 1
Registered: Feb-06
RCA & GE has been the most unreliable TVs since 1992. Due to the fact that they have week boards that can not handle heat.
 

Unregistered guest
RCA 32in TURNS IT SELF ON AND OFF NONE STOP!!

In the middle of the night the TV started to turn on and off. If I turned it on it would shut off then come back on. Called RCA they said unplug it. I did several times for different amounts of time. Still turning on and off. I unplugged it and bought a new TV NOT RCA. 3 months later I wanted to through out the Tv. Husband had a fit. We bought the RCA in 2004. So to humor him I set it up. IT WORKED!! That is for 3 weeks. Now it's turning on and off again. 3 months for 3 weeks seems hardly worth it.
 

dj__13@hotmail.com
Unregistered guest
I just got off the phone with the RCA call center and they concured with my TV doods assessment aboyut the SAP problem. It started sometime in mid to early january and is dominated by the TV switching to SAP and accompanied by a hissing, foreign language, or any combination of the two. They told me they are aware of the problem, it is continent wide (US and canada) and suggested unplugging the set for 30 seconds to two minutes to reset the whatever needs resetting. None of my other sets (2 others) have this problem (none are RCA) If you would like to contact their "call center" the number is 1-877-794-7977 you should have your model and serial number ready......... good luck..... 2-10-06....
 

slantfin
Unregistered guest
This is unacceptable. i will not, ever, ever, buy another thompson product nor would I ever recommend it to anyone! Thompson claims its not a prob with their sets but regardless of who's to blaim they better figure it out quick. They have millions of TV's out there that are doing this and theyre about to loose millions of future buyer's real soon. I cant watch spike or speed for over 20 mins without my sound going to static. I need a lawyer!
 

Jess212121
Unregistered guest
I have an older RCA TV dont know what size or year, dont care..anyways, some of the channels, the sound is static but the picture is fine, other channels tell me that im on the secondary audio setting, ive tried to change it but nothings working PLEASE HELP! TheVixensLounge@aol.com
 

Stevek1954
Unregistered guest
I have a 1999 RCA Premier Series, w/Guide Plus. My set has a switch on the rear for internal and external speakers. I recently bought a Surround Sound System. In order to play the audio through the SS, I must switch to external speakers. This is the only time I have the sound problem. It may happen soon or take a week. I have connected the SS per instructions, is it the SS or the TV? There is no mention of the internal/external speaker selection in the connection instructions supplied by the SS. Could it be this TV is unable to be connected to a SS system?
 

JSF
Unregistered guest
You all wont believe what i just dicovered this morning. I recorded something from SEED tv and then i put the tape back in to watch it, and what i recorded from Speed channel screwed up my sound also. So whatever the problem is also sets it off when its on a tape recording too. Im a NASCAR fan and this peoblem with speed channel is going to drive me nuts!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Unregistered guest
I have a 32" RCA model FX32645, mftrd in Jan 2000. It worked great until shortly after we moved. We didn't even have cable connected yet, boys were just using it to play PS2, and suddenly the picture and sound quit working on it (showed only a blue screen). I brought out an older tv and hooked it up in same spot and it worked fine. I just tried reconnecting the RCA to see if it would work now that we have cable, and instead of blue screen, it now gives black static screen. The strange thing is that the picture (both color and clarity) is still perfect when i go into the guideplus menu. I have tried every type of setting adjustment possible to no avail. I did get a message telling me I had unusable signal, yet how could the same cable that works perfectly on the other tv, not work on this one. I also took the back off, looked around inside but could spot no loose connections or anything that appeared to be amiss. I'm hoping Randy M or one of you others who sound far wiser than me...could give me some insight. Thanks so much for any help you can give me!
 

Unregistered guest
My 27" RCA Gemstar CTC203 problem is not at all audio-related, as most people's seem to be: my set lost all color in the picture. The color works just fine in the menu but any signal, be it broadcast, cable, VCR, or VCR tuner produces only a black & white picture. Any ideas?
 

jerome
Unregistered guest

Guess what... after watching Speed channel for
10 minutes today, RCA tv that had reset itself
after 3 days on Jan21 went right back to static
agin on all channels. Ready to throw TV thru
nearest RCA outlets window. Don't they know that
Daytona is this weekend...AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!
 

cw2cw4u
Unregistered guest
So happy that I found this site. TV had no sound and was in SAP mode for 3 hours. We played with the remote all this time till we were pulling our hair out> I sat down and found this site, turned tv off for 15 minutes, and I'm now relaxing watching a movie....
 

boilingmad
Unregistered guest
I have a 2000 27" RCA with Gemstar GuidePlus and have the same SAP problem as all of you. My audio problem started in January. I had no clue what the problem was. I thought it was my cable acting up and I was just about to set up cable tech appointment when I found this website.

So far I have determined that my trigger channels are both SPIKE TV and the Discovery Channel. If I tune into those channels, I get static and my audio goes out. On some channels, I will get a recorded message saying to turn off my SAP on my TV. My SAP is off!! I experience problems even if I am watching a taped version of a SPIKE or Discovery program.

Unplugging the TV will correct the problem until I watch one of the trigger channels and then out the audio will go again. This is the first time I have heard of this problem but I will never buy another RCA TV again. And I have alerted all of my family and friends not to buy one as well. Who needs this RCA crap when my Sanyo and Sharp TVs are working fine! If RCA is supposedly working on this problem, they'd better hurry it up. This is ridiculous!!!

 

New member
Username: Thomson_tech

Durant, OK USA

Post Number: 1
Registered: Feb-06
To: Michael D

Make sure the TV is off. Simultaneously press and hold the VOL - (minus) button on the TV's front panel and the CLEAR button on the remote for approximately 5 seconds. Enter a new password next time you access the PARENTAL CONTROL menu.
 

New member
Username: Thomson_tech

Durant, OK USA

Post Number: 2
Registered: Feb-06
TO ALL WITH THE SAP ISSUE...

I am a Customer Support Rep. at Thomson. (RCA & GE Electronics) We still do not have a resolution to the problem. I can ASSURE you this, Thomson is working very hard on correcting this problem. To those of you who cannot resolve your problem by unplug/replug, or, if the TV does respond to this "fix" - but only last a short while - NOTE: THE PROBLEM IS STILL BEING WORKED ON. UNPLUGGING AND REPLUGGING WILL NOT FIX YOUR SET!!! IT IS ONLY A TEMPORARY SOLUTION. WE at Thomson are all aware of the problem but unfortunately have not been given the "actual" source of the issue, as we DO NOT KNOW what casued the issue. We are working diligently to find out what caused the issue and how to resolve it. Until the real source is located, and a resolution has been found, all we can say is be patient. Yes, it seems to be with cable customers with older model TV's, and Spike TV is mentioned the most, with Guide Plus as a feature to the TV. As soon as a fix is found, I will post one here. Be patient, as we are trying to be AS WELL!
 

New member
Username: Thomson_tech

Durant, OK USA

Post Number: 3
Registered: Feb-06
https://www.ecoustics.com/cgi-bin/bbs/show.pl?tpc=2&post=561646#POST561646
-------
Your picture tube is going out...
 

Anonymous
 
I have a same problem with my 27" RCA TV. I had this tv for 5 years. No picture but have sound. I had my tv repaired first time. Repair tech told me that the wire, that connect to the tube, is loose and need to weld together. About year later, the picture went off again. I believe RCA televisions are not very good products. I am going to buy different tv from the different company. My suggestion is look at Consumer Guide and see which tv have the better rate. If the RCA company can't figure out, buy the tv from different company.
 

New member
Username: Jewels

Post Number: 1
Registered: Feb-06
I have a 27" RCA, trying to hook up a TiVo. For some reason, nothing changes the channels on the tv. The remote does not work, nor the buttons on the TV. Have to be able to change channels to get full use of TiVo. Any ideas. About to take TiVo back
 

Unregistered guest
My son was messing with picture adjust and adjusted black level so far that you can see nothing, not even the menu to adjust it back. If I could remember how the menu you goes, I could do it, cant find a picture of the menu order, left right down ect would be helpful to get to picture adjusts, or anything other options
 

genamack
Unregistered guest
My son was messing with picture adjust and adjusted black level so far that you can see nothing, not even the menu to adjust it back. If I could remember how the menu goes, I could do it, cant find a picture of the menu order, left right down ect would be helpful to get to picture adjusts, or anything other options
 

New member
Username: Thomson_tech

Durant, OK USA

Post Number: 4
Registered: Feb-06
Mock, go to www.thomsonservice.com, click on the "Instruction Book" link on the leftside of the screen. In the "Keyword or Model Number:" box, enter the model number from the back of the television, unless you have it written down somewhere else. Click on "Search" and a list of owner's manuals will populate. Find yours and click on it. It will download, and you can print it, or save it to your desktop. Please note: YOU WILL NEED ADOBE ACROBAT READER...
 

New member
Username: Snowcountry

Polaris, Montana Usa

Post Number: 1
Registered: Mar-06
I'm joining a growing number of people here who are having problems with RCA TV's although what's happening with my set seems alittle different. Its an Entertainment Series, 16 inch screen, bought it in 2003, Model #F27440. Haven't used all the bells and whistles that come with many TV sets because I don't subscribe to any kind of satellite service. (still get a couple of channels for free from the transformer on top of a nearby mountain and that suits me just fine!)
About a year ago the TV started "half screening" but it would clear up after a few seconds. Over the last few days it now comes on with half a screen, switching channels would help before but now, can't lose the half screen. I've tried unplugging it and that seemed to help the first time I tried it but now, no such luck. Emailed RCA this morning and explained the problem but didn't hear back from them. Anyone else having this problem? Got rid of a 20 year old Zennith Console for this 3 year old pain in the "butt" TV!
 

New member
Username: Thomson_tech

Durant, OK USA

Post Number: 5
Registered: Feb-06
Nancy, it sounds like your Picture Tube is going out. Unplug the Tv for 1 hour. This will reset everything back to factory settings and remove any temporairy defect. If you plug it back in, and still have the same problem, contact a service center.
 

New member
Username: Snowcountry

Polaris, Montana Usa

Post Number: 2
Registered: Mar-06
Thank you JB! I'll give that a try, if it is the picture tube its probably not worth fixing since there's no such thing as a service center around here! Found my warranty infomation and even if this had happened right after I bought the set it appears that the TV was a Canadian product sold in this country and the warranty did NOT cover service or repairs ouside of Canada.
 

New member
Username: Glammy33

Post Number: 1
Registered: Mar-06
hope you can help! I have an RCA Colortrak Plus 26 1/2 inches purchased in approx 1995. Can someone please tell me how to adjust the picture, it's not on the menu. Basically the picture is stretched too far vertically so that when I turn on close captioning half of it disappears of the screen (my mom has hearing imparement and requires this feature) please help! thanks!
 

New member
Username: Melvinblast

Bloomington, Indiana USA

Post Number: 1
Registered: Mar-06
I have a 2-3 year old RCA TV that operates beautifully with one exception. It has always had a faint, occasional 'hum' or 'buzz' that usually only appeared if the volume was set very low (under '3'). Lately, it has become more prominent and intrusive and appears when set at more normal volume.

It is not a continuous buzz, but comes in and out. At moments it is fine, then will appear faint, then very loud...then disappear again. I wonder if others have had this problem and if anyone has any ideas/suggestions for correcting this.

Thanks for your help.
 

New member
Username: Thomson_tech

Durant, OK USA

Post Number: 6
Registered: Feb-06
This is for Lori & Kevin... Unplug the set for 1 hour. This will reset the TV back to factory settings and remove any temprorairy defect. If after the hour, you are still having the same problem, you will need to contact a service center, as the problem is something more permanent. Hope this helps.
 

New member
Username: Nickchavarria

Del Rio, Texas USA

Post Number: 1
Registered: Mar-06
Has anyone had any problems with the horizontal picture. On my RCA 27" trueflat it goes off the sides and i cant read the channels on the guide. Is there something I can do to fix this. Are there any internal Horizontal and verticval controls on the tv itself? I need help!

Nick
 

New member
Username: Jerolson

Post Number: 3
Registered: Jan-06
While we're all waiting for Thompson to do something about our TVs with no sound, we can read this article from canada.com: http://www.canada.com/globaltv/calgary/consumerbeat/story.html?id=d9b56900-e4ba- 4246-a67a-f9cdea4fe68a
 

Bronze Member
Username: Bowlingdad

Post Number: 13
Registered: Mar-06
thanks jerry
 

New member
Username: Chemicalguy1

Post Number: 1
Registered: Mar-06
i have had problems with spike, but i do not lose sound, just a big black square in the middle of the screen. i can see the picture on the sides, top and bottom, but not the middle. sound is fine though. mine is a brand new truflat 24" tv/dvd. it is a pos. channels don't change half of the time then they will go up two channels instead of one. ticks me off so bad. would return it if i could.
 

New member
Username: Snowcountry

Polaris, Montana Usa

Post Number: 3
Registered: Mar-06
Hi Steve! I posted about a week ago with picture problems and JB suggested unplugging it for an hour. That didn't work so I did contact RCA about the problem. They suggested the same thing but also recommended you unplug any attachments from the set also (cable, DVD etc.) Unfortunately it didn't solve my problem and my option is a 3 hour drive to the closest service center. By the time I pay for gas and a new picture tube (plus labor) I could buy a new set. I won't be telling 10 people in the future about how great RCA products are thats for sure!! I've got $2 dollar kitchen utensils that have lasted longer than this TV set.......
 

New member
Username: Rlopez

NEW YORK, NEW YORK USA

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-06
I BOUGHT MY RCA TV FOUR TO FIVE YEARS AGO.
THE PICTURE IS GONE, BUT I COULD HEAR THE SOUND PERFECTLY. DOES ANYONE HAS A TIP ON HOW TO FIX IT.
THANKS
 

New member
Username: Jarvis161

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-06
Do I have to have a cable provider to get guidepost to work on my rca tv
 

New member
Username: Jeninnc

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-06
A great board here!
In the past few months we have been having the awful SOUND problem. Or should I say, lack of. Unplugging it and turning it back on fixed it, but recently it had gotten really bad. (having to unplug over and over again 5-6 times within 10 minutes). Finally, after reading here on the website we tested some things.

First of all, we're running on digital cable box, with sound hooked through stereo system and hooked through DVD/VCR. When the sound went, we didn't even get sound coming from the stereo. This got frustrating!!

I never would have believed that a particular Channel like SPike TV could be causing this problem, but that DOES seem to be the case. I set parental controls on the cable box, blocking Spike TV and *crossing fingers* so far.... WE HAVE SOUND and able to keep it!!

Initially I was thinking it was the cable box. They were to come out Tuesday. We discovered it wasn't the cable box after hooking the cable wire DIRECTLY to the TV, instead of running through the cable box. THe sound went right out.

I have seen other posters state that the Discovery Channel and the History channel also triggers their problem. I certainly hope this doesn't happen for us. I can live without Spike, but not History and Discovery. :-)

I hope things remain smooth. It can be a pain. Just thought I would offer my two cents worth!

Jen
 

New member
Username: Lokal

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-06
Hi. I have a problem with a Thomson TX807C TV. It's an old tv and i just got it from my parents, but I have som problems with it. First i have to type a pinnumber everytime I want to turn on the TV. I have the pinnumber but is there anyway to turn it off? The second problem is that everytime i try flick trough the channels with the "pr+/pr-" (Ch+/Ch-)button on the remote the TV goes directly to AV. If i want to change the channel i have to use the number buttons. How do i fix this? I know it has worked before, but after i rearanged the channels it did not work. The manual for the TV is long gone...
 

New member
Username: Buickcj

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-06
Hi Everyone! Interesting site. Maybe you can solve this problem. I have an RCA XL100 17" TV that works with the cable. The problem is that it is stuck on channel 51, which is the TBS old movie channel. I would like to use it as a dummy monitor on CH 3 for VCR use as I train students in the AARP 55-Alive Driver Safety Program. What can I do to step the channels back to "03"?? I have tried to work with the "store" and "erase" programming function, and this does not seem to affect anything. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance for your kind assistance.
 

New member
Username: Tedmac

Post Number: 4
Registered: Apr-06
No help here
 

New member
Username: Bott

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-06
I have a 27 inch rca. First the picture started getting extremly bright for a couple of months. Even with the brightness turned all the way down, all the whites looked radioactive. Then it finally just gave out. The screen doesnt turn on and it emits a high pitched squealing sound.

Any ideas of whats wrong and how to fix it?
 

New member
Username: Mandoist

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-06
Mid-90's RCA Model F27700 MG....In the past month the settings kept arbitrarily reverting back to the factory default settings. For several years now the "power" button was faulty so we only turned on & off using the remote(s).

As of today I cannot power it up. No sign of it turning on...no click, no green light, nothing.

It's plugged directly into an AC wall outlet. I do have a DVD, VCR and digital cable connected.

Any guesses? Thanks in advance.
 

New member
Username: Thomson_tech

Durant, OK USA

Post Number: 7
Registered: Feb-06
To all,

I personally apologize to anyone with the SAP issue for the delay in posting a resolution. Unfortunately, there is none as of yet. I can honestly tell you, and this i snothing against loyal RCA consumer's, but I really could care less if there ever is a resolution. I hope Thomson/RCA goes under, and becomes no more. They have decided to move their call center operations overseas, where they can pay $2-$3/hr. for inferior customer service. As long as they save money, which I can personally tell you, they are losing millions in product buybacks & exchanges, they don't care about the quality of customer service. Again, I apologize to any and everyone of you, but there is no resolution, and we may never know if there ever will be one.
 

New member
Username: Snowcountry

Polaris, Montana Usa

Post Number: 4
Registered: Mar-06
JB - Thanks for your very sincere take on what's going on with Thomson/RCA.
It's sad, and unfortunately it's happening with many other companies in this country. Kind of makes you wonder what the employment outlook will be in the US in another 10 to 20 years. Small businesses trying to make a go of it here, struggle with mountains of rules, regulations and fees while to many big businesses (with tons of tax breaks) are outsourcing production to foreign countries. My RCA TV (sitting idle now with a bad picture tube, was purchased less than 3 years ago) built in Mexico and sold into this country from Canada. I bought it because RCA has always stood for quality. Obviously not the case if you've been following this message board!
 

New member
Username: Buickcj

Post Number: 2
Registered: Apr-06
Hi All - -
Based on reading all of the postings here, I propose that we should have an annual event called "Burn Your Bad RCA TV Day!!" Someone here could suggest what would be the best day. Perhaps an anniversary of the founding of TV in this country. Unfortunately, we will probably be posting all future messages from jail as we will most likely be arrested for unlicensed burning and polluting what is left of our precious little clean air. Maybe this will send a message to potential RCA TV buyers so they can vote their dollars to a better TV manufacturer!
 

New member
Username: Snowcountry

Polaris, Montana Usa

Post Number: 5
Registered: Mar-06
Charles, your call for a "Burn Your Bad RCA TV Day" brings to mind an old favorite, in reruns now on some channels, and on some TV's other than my RCA set, dead in the corner... Called Northern Exposure, where in more than one episode, the town folk took all sorts of items and sent them flying across a meadow via catapult. Wouldn't have to burn or pollute just clean up what's left and maybe, SHIP IT OFF TO RCA!! I can think of atleast a dozen meadows here that would do nicely for such an event.
Can you imagine the satisfaction it would bring to alot of frustrated RCA customers out there not to mention the message it would send to RCA/Thomson and other companies who think its okay to put a product on the market they have no intention of standing behind. We could revive the "Lemon Law" on a really grand scale!!
 

New member
Username: K7aab

Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-06
I have a new RCA 27" True flat 27f520t bought a week ago , the first one I received had a bad picture out of the box that was green all around except for 3 " in the center that had a color picture. The second one worked great until today, the picture has gone dim and reds colors really stand out ... strange thing was picture settings were all maxed out at the factory .. you thing they would have adjusted this as well at the factory. Goes to show how good Thomsans Quality Control is .... They are really the rats of manufacturing. I cant beleive they can actually sell this stuff to America and show their face in public at the same time.
 

New member
Username: Buickcj

Post Number: 3
Registered: Apr-06
Hi Nancy - -
Sorry I did not get to respond yesterday, but I was piled up with chores. As for your observations, I fear that I see too many parallels between RCA and the oil cartel. The name of the game is GOTCHA. If they can get your money once, so be it. The oil cartel knows you are stuck having to come back to them. RCA wants to get you once and is not concerned with befriending you as a lifetime customer. As for the "lemon law", I am aware that it has legal implications for consumer protection in the automobile arena, but I am not sure that it extends to small consumer goods. If it does, then the courts would be clogged with litigation. I am afraid that we consumers are stuck with shoddy merchandise in some quarters. We have to be vigilant and make informed choices with what the oil cartel has left us of our hard earned dollars. Fortunately, I did not purchase the set I have. A neighbor gave it to me to see if I could repair it before casting it out on the heap. I tend to buy a lot of "reconditioned" items from Big Lots because I know each one has been individually tested even though it had previous problems. Have had no difficulties with any of these varied products!
 

New member
Username: Snowcountry

Polaris, Montana Usa

Post Number: 6
Registered: Mar-06
Charles, taking into consideration the multitude of people on this message board that are swearing now because they invested in a RCA/Thomson TV and are suffering because this company refuses to stand by their product, I feel a responsibility to point out where the business of RCA/Thomson is headed next, a press realease from their website (pull RCA up and you can find the following info):
Thomson has made a strategic commitment to focus on IP technologies and solutions across many product groups," stated Ghislain Lescuyer, Senior Executive Vice President, Systems & Equipment, Thomson. "Our efforts in this area will increase significantly in 2006 as we expand our product and solutions portfolios to meet the needs of the ever-changing broadband services market", he added.
As you can see from this press release, there's no mention of actual people who could be effected (just a another market) who will invest & waste their hard earned money meeting the needs of.............RCA/Thomson????
And Charles I have to say, are we REALLY in a gas crisis in this country because of the oil cartel's desire to have their "way" with us? I drive a conservative 55 mph highway, 45 (when I'm not faced with potential road rage) yet most drivers pass me like I'm standing still, if we really cared about conserving fuel in this country don't you think we'd of gotten a clue by now ( boycotting oil companies, like hurling bad products via catapults, don't work, because most people don't really care enough to put one to good use) The stats have been out there for a long time! AMERICA, SLOW DOWN!
 

New member
Username: Buickcj

Post Number: 4
Registered: Apr-06
Nancy, Nancy, Nancy. I have no idea where highway 45 is, but it sounds like you may have spent your life in an area smaller than a large metropolitan city. That is good. But the downfall is, you tend to believe those in power who will lie to you in a NY minute. I don't believe the oil cartel, politicians, most people who have any power, see where I am going. They all lie to cover what they are really doing - - stealing. It is a cruel world out there. Heck, you would not have to pedal at 55 if the auto industry were not in cahoots with the oil cartel. Evidence of that fact is that the car is virtually unchanged in its basic technological design in over 100 years. Such devices as two speed rear ends were available on trucks in the 1930's. This "overdrive" device could cut your fuel use in half or better if employed on cars. Same with efficient carburetors designed in the 1950's and silently bought out and discarded by the oil cartel so it would not see the light of day. So when RCA/Thomson issues a press release with the usual mumbojumbo, I tend to cast a jaundiced eye. It is all designed to catch the attention of the, unfortunately, misled public so you will think you are getting something special.

I teach the AARP 55-Alive course for seniors. I know we were told to obey our elders and mind our manners, but in today's world, stressed out road ragers and cell phone abusers rule. I purposely moved to a small town to reduce my risk of confronting these issues. But, alas, it is all catching up.
As for RCA and their lemons, I would recommend moving on. They have, obviously, are not concerned with making good on their blunders. My best suggestion is to do what AARP recommends in the road rage section of their text - - FIDO - -Forget It, Drive On. I would move on here also. Don't let it overtake you. If the repair techies are stumped, then it tells me that RCA has painted itself into a corner that is not tenable. When I am driving my antique Buick I do not go fast either. I enjoy taking back roads that remind me of how much simpler life was back in that era. Sadly, as things speed up and get exceedingly more complex, it will only reduce the quality of life to the point where the young people will become less able to cope with it all. I sometimes think we are there now.

Regards,

CJ
 

New member
Username: Buickcj

Post Number: 5
Registered: Apr-06
Hi Nancy - -
I decided to go back and re-read some of your earlier entries. I see where you are located, and can understand and sympathize with your situation. I firmly agree that making two trips to a service center that far away would be irritating at best, and expensive! From my limited knowledge of older TV problems, I would think that your problem is not so much with the picture tube as it would be with the high voltage components that drive the tube. They would generally start having similar problems with similar results. I would not be surprised that some SCR or other component that furnishes high voltage to your tube has gone south. Unplugging and re-plugging would have no impact on such a probelm. Sounds like RCA bought a lot of inferior components and now the chickens are coming home to roost. Instead of being good Americans and admitting their error, they hiding behind a veil of corporate secrecy and avoiding their responsibilities. I am sure, with all the engineers they employ, they know EXACTLY what the problem is. What they want you to do is get soaked aain at a repair place. I have no idea what they charge for repairs now, but probably around $100/hour plus parts, etc. I know someone will say the hourly rate is less, but with the gas cartel charging the moon, everyone else will cash in on the same game soon.

I also tend to buy a lot of things on the "secondary" market. I gave up on "NEW" products years ago for the same reason you are experiencing. Like racing cars, if something can run half the race, it will run the whole race. That is why used, and working items are sometimes a better investment, given the price differential.

A book appeared in the 1930's, I have it somewhere, called "A Million Guinea Pigs." It basically revealed the same thing that people are complaining of here. That products are released before they are adequately "debugged."
Then the unwary public is relieved of their hard earned dollars under almost fraudulent conditions. Many appliances and other items of the day did not last very long because engineers were just learning how to deal with components. Today, with 70+ more years of knowhow, one would think that more reliable service could be obtained. But today, items are "value engineered" and have been for several decades. That means they are designed with a certain life expectancy so you have to go out and buy another one when that one wears out or dies. Some items do better than others, like your $2 kitchen tools. They are less complex and do not wear out as quickly.

Enough reading for now. Don't want to wear your eyes out too quickly.

Regards,

CJ
 

New member
Username: Jessicatormel

Post Number: 1
Registered: May-06
I just went to a website that had this response for the TV with no picture. I'd thought I'd share it with ya'll.
-------------------------------------------------

Gene,
I do not know for sure what has caused the picture to go out. There are many possibilities.

So, let's try a few things.

ONE: Do a hard reset first. That is always a good thing to do when things go wrong with any home electronic products. What that does is clear out any soft codes that have built up in the memories, erase them out and restor the factory settings. Reset is done by merely unplugging the power cord for at least 4 hours or overnight. It may or may not clear up any of the problem.

TWO: Look at the picture carefully after turning up the brightness or brilliance to maximum. Do, you see a white raster with the lines (but no video)? If so, that means you have high voltage and the deflection system is working, but you have lost the video amplifier or signal processing chip.

THREE: If there is no raster, it is likely that the horizontal deflection system has failed and the high voltage is gone. The trouble may be caused by a bad horizontal output or a bad flyback transformer in the high voltage tank circuit.

Either of the indications will require a tech to fix it. The replacement of the video processing ic or circuits associated with it should not be too much; maybe $100.

If it is the horizontal section and/or the high voltage genarator, the cost will be more; maybe $150 plus.

Is the set worth this kind of investment?
In my opinion, it is not. You can purchase a new 27 inch set for about $159 at the value end and $250 for a really good one. Mostly, if a set is over 3 or 4 years of age withh a serious problem it is a candidate for replacement!

So, go to Walmart and check out the Sanyo models. I really like them and they are reliable, give good picture and will last a long time.

Thanks for your question,
Cleggsan
 

New member
Username: Hokeybutt

Post Number: 1
Registered: May-06
I have noticed that when playing back certain Widescreen DVDs on my RCA F27442 27" TV that the playback is not in widescreen at all... but plain old Full Screen mode. Is there something I need to adjust on the TV so that all Widescreen DVDs will actually appear with the black cars at top and bottom? This is only a problem with certain DVDs... most of them play in the appropriate aspect ratio.
 

New member
Username: Thomson_tech

Durant, OK USA

Post Number: 8
Registered: Feb-06
Daniel,

No, there is nothing you can adjust on the TV. The DVD's are formatted for Widescreen, whereas the television is not. With the newer televisions today, you have the option os purchasing a widescreen TV.
 

New member
Username: Lga

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jun-06
have new 27" RCA TV
I have No sound and No menu funtion
can someone help
 

New member
Username: Piper

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jun-06
i have a 36" rca pro scan. all of a sudden when i plug it in to the wall outlet, it just starts giving a beep sound from inside and the tv won't turn on. any ideas please?
 

New member
Username: Russells

Post Number: 3
Registered: Jun-06
I have a RCA F25645 - the television turns on everyday at 5:00AM on a certain channel, then turns off 10 minutes later. I can't find an auto timer anywhere. I had the same sound problem - unplugged it and it's working fine (1 hour into this).

Any ideas?
 

New member
Username: Bogieman

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jun-06
I have a 32" RCA ColorTrak Plus that I bought at an estate sale. The picture is O.K. except that there doesn't seem to be any "blue". The image is dominated by "red" and "green". I went to the menu and tried to adjust it with the tint and color adjustments. Nothing worked. Is there something I can do to make the color more realistic? Thanks in advance. - Rich
 

New member
Username: Gobrad

Lakewood, Co Jefferson

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jul-06
i have a RCA model # f27664 serial # 928611103 chassas # ctc203ax well i had a powersherge and now i cant get a picture to come on my tv but i still get the sound and tv guide to come on what should i do?
 

New member
Username: Chris37599

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jul-06
I have an RCA tv, and I forgot the parental password I set. Is there a way to reset it?
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