On Fri, 13 Dec 2002 18:27:14 -0600, Lon Ponschock wrote:
>On Fri, 13 Dec 2002 11:37:09 -0800, "Mike Rehmus" wrote:

>>Try turning the TV 90 degrees. If the letterbox straightens out, the cause
>>is the earth's magnetic field.

> Seriously?

Yes - this is true for CRT computer monitors, also - but
these often have fine adjusts for rotation. My Sony has
a menu rotation adjust, but it is too gross to work
well. My 27" has a slight rotation when facing west, but
facing north, it is perfectly aligned. BTW, in addition
to rotation, there are other potential geometric
problems that can make rectangles have non-parallel
and/or non-straight sides... (also affected by "bloom").

>Expensive systems have an electronic
>>correction setup called, Beam Rotation or some such name.
>>
>>Some other methods are to rotate the coils around the neck of the CRT.
>>Unless you know what you are doing and I don't detect you do, I suggest you
>>not do this as lethal voltages are present in this area.

> I don't intend to tinker with the yoke.

Good plan! You would knock out convergence and focus
adjustments if you did...

>But thought ther emight be some other adjustments.
>Apparently this is not a common problem.

It is a VERY common problem (along with other
geometric and focus problems) - it is hard to find
a stock TV that is really well adjusted. I buy
ONLY demo TVs, with good adjustments I can check,
since "new in box" is an unknown, and unlikely
very good, regardless of brand... BTW, at least with
flat-panel TVs, geometric and focus problems are
gone (but, where is the "no-picture black"...?).