Do I need to replace bulb?
 

We have a Philips 55" HDTV and even though it's 5 years old, we've never had a problem with it....

...until this morning. I turned on the TV and immediately the picture was "off". There was distortion and the colors and picture were blurred and seperated so to speak. For example I could see 2 logo's, onre above the other but 1 red and 1 green.

Is this a problem that can be fixed by myself, or should I call someone? Or would it really just be too expensive to fix and not worth it?

I know it's not a lot to go on, but I'd appreciate any help. If needs be I can post pictures.

The model number if it helps is 55PP9401

It sounds like the blue gun has failed. You could try for a repair or simply move to a flat panel tv and be done with it.

Don't suppose you have any idea how much repairs run?

No I don't but given that I saw a 42" 1080p Panasonic plasma at Costco for $1199, I am not sure that repairing it would even be worth it

This is from Phillips website

55" Digital Projection Television
55PP9401 Picture/display/screen/video
Question
How do I adjust convergence (align colors)?

Answer
Note: For best results, the Projection TV needs to be turned on for 15 minutes or longer before adjusting the picture tubes (convergence).

Press the INTELLISENSE button on the remote (under the flap). During the convergence process DO NOT press the INTELLISENSE button again and DO NOT move the Projection TV.

When it happens all of the sudden, it means that the convergence amps are bad. No amount of menu tweaking is going to fix it. I have a Samsung that goes through a pair of amps about every 3-4 years.

I think the blue tube is still working, but the red and green halos are more visible. If you see any white areas, then the blue tube is ok.

The repair requires about $20-$30 worth of parts (his cost, not what you see on the bill) and about 1-3 hours of labor depending on how much tweaking must be performed after the part is replaced. The typical charge is $200-$350 including parts and labor.

The repair is not terribly difficult, but you do need to know how to desolder a large multi-pin amp, replace it with a good one, and also check for open fusible resistors on the power rails. There is also a slight chance that one of the convergence coils is bad/shorted. Or a resistor or capacitor in that section has shorted. Most likely it is just the amp and the fusible resistor.

I would buy a replacement TV if I were you.

Thanks for that. When we had the TV under warranty we needed it checking out and the tech showed me how to adjust the picture tubes manually without having to use the Intellisense. I can't remember the reason he gave, but I remembered that this morning.

So, after popping off the front panel where the speakers are I was able to readjust the picture tubes, and while they are by no means perfect, at least I have a TV that is watchable.

We just don't have the $$ to buy a new one just yet.