Removing the protective screen on my RPTV

**Kevin P** · 15 March 2002, 08:42 Friday

Removing the screen will eliminate glare/reflections and will also improve contrast, meaning you can turn contrast down a few clicks and get another year or two out of your CRTs.

If you have young'uns or pets you might want to leave the screen on, as the lenticular screen (that's the one with the little vertical ribs) can be easily scratched or damaged, and isn't as easy to clean as the glare screen.

If you watch mainly in a darkened room, you probably won't notice a big difference when you remove the screen. But if you watch during the day or with lights on in the room, you'll get more enjoyment out of your TV if you take the screen off.

As for me, I left my screen on. I normally watch movies with the room totally dark except for a backlight I installed behind the TV, so I get no glare. Plus I have cats and I don't want one of them sticking a claw into my expensive screen.

KJP

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**Andrew Pratt** · 15 March 2002, 10:09 Friday

Sonnie I have asked my TV calibration wizzard friend to stop by and post some details for you on removing the screen. In the mean time try reading this site about removing the glare screen

**George Bellefontaine** · 15 March 2002, 11:54 Friday

My old Panasonic 40 incher didn't have a protective screen and one time while cleaning I marked the fresnel/lenticular, or whatever you call it, but it wasn't in a key viewing area. I have seen today's RPTVs and I don't like the protective screens. If I had one, I'd remove it, but I'd be more careful in cleaning. Stick to a feather duster.

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**Jeff Kowerchuk** · 15 March 2002, 12:06 Friday

I always recommend removing the glare screen unless it is needed for protection. Consider this only if you have small children or pets that could be hazardous to the screens of the TV.

To answer your other question - yes, the screens are expensive. The two screens under the protective screen (lenticular and then fresnel) will run you about $300 each. So $600 to replace both - a hefty investment and worth protecting if necessary.

Removal of the screen requires you to disassemble the TV so that you can get at the back of the front screen assy. This is a royal pain in the ass on Sony TVs.

Once you get there, you need to remove four brackets which hold the screen stack together. When you remove those, I think you'll find that Sony simply tapes all three screens together. You must very carefully remove the tape, then remove the protective screen. Don't seperate all the screens - there is a certain way the lenticular and fresnel fit together and you don't want to mess that up. Also, don't get dust in between the two. Through all this, be VERY careful not to scratch either of these screens as you work.

Once the protective is removed, put the other two back in. You will have to create some sort of shims to make up for the loss in thickness that removing the protective created. Then, you simply reassemble.

Is it worth it? Well, on my Toshiba it was, but Toshiba's are much easier to work with than Sony's. If you feel there is any danger of the screens being damaged, then don't bother.

/Jeff

**Sonnie Parker** · 15 March 2002, 12:30 Friday

Geeze guys, didn't realize there could be this much info about screen removal. 8O

Sounds like it would be worth it to me though, even if the Sony is a pain in the booty.

I believe I'll undertake the task when I clean my CRT's again, which will be very soon.

Thanks for all the great info!

SONNIE

Cedar Creek Cinema

DVD Collection

BFD Comprehensive Setup Guide

**Andrew Pratt** · 15 March 2002, 14:45 Friday

no problem sonnie just ask and you shall recieve

**brucek** · 16 March 2002, 19:13 Saturday

Sonnie,

This is a very timely thread because I've been thinking lately about modifying the way that I eliminated my protective screen a few years ago.

Removing this screen is probably one of the best things I did to improve my RPTV. Apart from the fact that you don't have to look at yourself all the time on the screen, the greatest improvement is in the contrast, with the blacks seeming much darker. I guess light reflection on the screen saver must mask the very black areas giving a washed out look to them. Much better now.
My HT is in my living room so I have poor light control. This solved the problem. I highly recommend it.

I used the shuffle method which involves moving the shiny front screen to the rear of the three lenses. You end up with the lenticular at the front and then the fresnel and then the plastic saver at the rear inside. This eliminates the need to use spacers to make up the difference of size when the shiny screen is removed as others have mentioned. It also gives you a convenient place to store the darn thing. And finally, it makes the resultant screen sandwich a little stiffer in case curious little ones decide to push on it.

If you've cleaned your CRT's, then you already know how to take the front bezel off, so I suspect the Sony lens removal is not much different than my Toshiba. One thing that is important, is to be sure you support the screen pack when re-tightening the clamps back up, so that you don't get what is called lenticular sag. This can happen now that there isn't a stiff plastic screen to support the outer lenticular lens.

Anyway, the only negative about using the shuffle method as opposed to the removal method is that with the protective screen on the inside of the RPTV you get a small increase in halloing. It isn't significant, but once in a while when credits are running down the screen you'll see it. Since my RPTV is on a stage now with my equipment in front of it on low shelves, I don't have the possibility of anyone ever touching my screen, so I was considering removing the screen saver from inside the pack completely.

brucek

**Andrew Pratt** · 16 March 2002, 21:02 Saturday

Bruce have you lined the inside of your TV with duventyne? If not that can really help cut down on those halo's. Also making a lense hood for the lenses helps as well

**brucek** · 16 March 2002, 23:25 Saturday

Hey Andrew,

No, I haven't done the Duventyne thing. When I initially opened my RPTV I painted flat black the inside in the areas that I thought were poorly done, and after that didn't have any halo effect that I ever noticed. Then when I did the lens re-shuffle I started to see it now and then, but no real problem.

I just figured now that there is no chance that anyone can get near my screen I might remove the inside plastic screen and see if it goes away. I have read that both the duventyne and the lens box is very effective though.

brucek

**Andrew Pratt** · 17 March 2002, 08:58 Sunday

I have read that both the duventyne and the lens box is very effective though.

It does wonders for my set.

**Sonnie Parker** · 18 March 2002, 15:57 Monday

Thanks Ken! That's a good idea to store that screen saver. I'll try that and see what happens with the halo effect.

I may call you fellows up when I do this. You can run down to Bama and help me for the day. hee hee lol

SONNIE

Cedar Creek Cinema

DVD Collection

BFD Comprehensive Setup Guide

**brucek** · 18 March 2002, 17:02 Monday

Hey Sonnie,

Sounds good, I guess you'll be supplying all the beer and food?

Anyway, here's a fairly good web site that I had bookmarked with respect to the lenticular sag problem I mentioned. It has pictures and a good explaination.

http://hometheater.home.att.net/lenssag.htm

Actually, I think the "wallpaper hang" method is a little better than the one shown on the above web site. This involved carrying out the process shown in the web site except you only tighten the top clamp completely and leave the sides and bottom clamps loose.

Then you stand the entire bezel assembly staight up, and allow the force of gravity to straighten the lenses out. In this vertical position, you now finish tightening the side and bottom clamps. Hard to explain this....but I hope you get my drift.

brucek

Removing the protective screen on my RPTV

Removing the protective screen on my RPTV

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