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Help me help an elderly relative out


Monty

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Need some advice on TV technology. I have an elderly relative who still has a CRT TV.  The majority of the time it still has a decent picture and sound, but there are things (Power lines? Neighbors using power tools?  Weather?) that cause the picture to deteriorate, and the sound becomes mostly static.  

Can these issues be overcome by getting him a new (non-CRT, assuming they're even made anymore) TV?  If so, let me know the "science" behind the answer so I can make a more compelling argument to switch.   I don't have a TV of my own, so I don't know this stuff.   

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Does he have cable or satellite? If so, his problems could be with the cable company or satellite reception. I have cable and have occasional problems not unlike those you're describing, and they're the cable co's fault, not my TVs. 

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38 minutes ago, Monty said:

He has cable, which I assumed was more or less immune to outside interference.

It's immune to outside problems, but they can have their own, especially in their reception from the satellites or wherever they get their signal from. Seen it many times. Yes, contact the cable company. 

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My Mom still has an old CRT TV in her bedroom, and a newish flat-screen in her den.  She has Direct-TV, delivered via a satellite dish. She sometimes has the problems you described on both TVs, especially during heavy rainstorms, snow, etc.

I have ATT U-Verse, delivered via cable, no dish.  My cable comes from a local distribution box, then underground to my house. Sometimes the picture suddenly pixillates and the sound goes in and out.  Other times I suddenly lose pic and sound, and get a screen full of "snow." These are always temporary problems with the cable signal, not the TV.

So as everybody else says, the culprit is most likely the cable company, not the TV itself.  The cable company should have instructions for doing a "soft re-boot" of the cable box on its website, and that may help too, if the problem persists. 

Edited by Mike999
goof
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On 6/1/2019 at 1:50 AM, slusher said:

It wouldn't hurt to get a newer television. Some of those old television do seem to be sensitive to power tools and storms. I would contact the cable company to see what they say....

Modern TVs are sooo cheap today.  They could even get a larger TV for little money. It would be worth it for them just for the improvement in the picture!  

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9 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

Modern TVs are sooo cheap today.  They could even get a larger TV for little money. It would be worth it for them just for the improvement in the picture!  

True, but if the person is elderly (and not technically inclined), the new-fangled TV remote control might be a bit much for them to learn.  They like things simple, they are used to their current setup, and the new TV might be a bit much for them.  Speaking from experience here. Many of today's TVs are more like frickin' computers than just a TV set.

Edited by peteski
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