Hi folks,
I'm kind of at my wits end here. I don't want to call a repairman yet. So I'm just hoping for some good feedback.

I have a Toshiba 57H81 and one day,(after almost two years), a tiny black dot just appeared on my screen. It's about a 16th of an inch by a 16th of an inch and it falls squarely between the horizontal lines.

Kinda like this |x|
Actually, that x is about the same size as the dot on my screen.

Anyway, it is on the inside of the screen where I can't wipe it off. - It's starting to drive me crazy. Everytime I watch a film it's RIGHT THERE. - LOL!!

So my question is this. What could it be and how can I get rid of it? Is it possible to get inside the TV and "wipe it off" or is this what a burn looks like?

Thanks in advance,
~Mike~

It sounds like your describing a dead pixil in one of you CRT's. This can stay at one dead pixil or a lot of times it's the start of a line that will travel either up or down (or both up & down). There is nothing you can do unfortunatly except live with it or replace the CRT which is costly (usually around $800 per CRT plus labor).

This is why I always insist people put up something that is all white on the screen when they first buy a TV just for this very reason and if they see a single dead pixil to return it because it will get progressively worse.

Now saying all this in may in fact just be a piece of dirt on either the inner screen or the mirrors inside (more likely) . Let's hope it is just that. One word of caution DO NOT TRY TO CLEAN THE MIRRORS YOURSELF because the mirrors are most likely "first surface" mirrors that will scratch if you use just about anything to clean it. If you MUST try cleaning it you can try compressed air but be sure you keep the can level or it will blow out cold liquid and further dirty up the mirrors!

If you have a copy of Avia there are solid color screens for each of the red, green and blue colors. Call up each of these and see if it's on all of the colors or just one. If it's just one then it's most likely a dead pixel but it could also be something like a spider on top of the lens. If it's in the same place on all 3 colors it's most likely on the back of the screen. I'm sure there must be a way to take off the screen to clean the back side and the lenses so if you're lucky you might be able to fix it yourself if it's on the lenses or the screen.

Thanks guys for the great responses. I really appreciate the input.

I'm a little more than concerned that the problem is a dead pixel.
Rather than opening the set myself, I think I'll just call a repair guy. There's no sense in screwing around with something I don't completely understand.

Thank you again,
~Mike~

Well you can go the route you've decided on but in many cases the repair tech will tell you that it's in spec or that it's normal. Do you have a copy of Avia? At least if you run the tests I mentioned you'll have an idea of what the problem is before calling a tech so he can't BS you. If all it is is dirt on the lenses or screen you can fix it yourself. If you find it is a CRT problem then the repair guy will have to fix it and you can show him the proof in the tests.

So if the set is out of warranty and we've got what looks to be an interior black spot as described by HighSpeedOnIce, want to try cleaning it if possible, how do we get safely into the cabinet to check out the possible causes? Just open up the back with a screwdriver? My troublemaker is a Panasonic PT-53WX42, if that helps with an answer. Thanks.

I'm not sure what this means, but I can also see the spot when the television is off, looks slightly lighter, stays lighter when I shine a flashlight on it. Does that sound like a dead pixel, or is it a stain/dirt/something else?

Sounds like something physical on the screen. Like a bug.

Thanks. Hmmmm, now how to get rid of the little...bugger?

I hate that spot.

AAAAAAAAARGH!

DING DING DING!!!! We have a winner!

After almost a year of living in fear of the black dot, I finally screwed up the courage to take out the 10 screws holding the front frame to the rear cabinet, pulled them apart at the top just enough to have a look inside at the back of the screen, and there it was, the dark spot of death, staring me down.... so I reached in a trembling hand and.... the tip of my fingernail popped whatever it was right off! I'm guessing it was some remnant from a bug -- we briefly had a spider hanging around ( ) at one point several months ago (post-dot-appearance), but it or one of its friends could have been previously responsible. Anybody heard of spider poo? Ewwwwwwww!

Anyway, I put everything back together and the operation seems to have had no ill effects on the picture quality, which is what I was most afraid of. So, hands throughly scrubbed, I've been enjoying some spot-free HDTV

Whew!

You, sir, have far more patience than I. I would have had that bad boy apart last August. Also be proud in that you saved yourself a $150 service call.

Well, thanks for the patience thing, but I was thinking more like "lazy" or "chicken."

I am glad it didn't take a service call to correct the problem, although I'm also worried that I may have screwed up the picture quality somehow by moving the front part of the set, with the screen attached, to get my hand in there, may not have screwed it back together *exactly* the same way/angle the screen was before. Is that a valid concern, or does the screen/bezel just fit or not?

It is pretty much idiot-proof. I can't imagine anything that could go worng that would not be immediately apparent (crack, scratch, etc).