How to repair TV color bleed?
Repairing television color bleed is not an easy task. It usually only affects older models which, which still use the Cathode Ray Tube, or CRT for short. Which, coincidentally is why it is sometimes called the "tube."
The picture tube has three small electric guns in the back of the set. They are sealed in the tube, and remain there throughout the life of the set. That is how you get a picture on these televisions, with tubes that scan lines very fast on the screen to form the picture that we see. However, these tubes can wear themselves out after years of use, or from a jarring of some kind. This is known as Cathode drift. Basically, your tubes just need to be replaced, that is what is most likely causing the color bleed.
If you find a good technician, they usually have what’s called a CRT Tester/Rejuvenator. With this, they can test to see which ones are going out, and "overdrive" the cathodes to try and get more life out of them. However most shops don’t like to do this process anymore, because it can damage the CRT and make it worse than before and unusable.
Unless you are on a strict budget, buying a brand new set sounds like the best course of action. Finding someone who can actually do these repairs can be a hassle. Not to mention, most of these repairs are quite costly. LCD flat panel or televisions are quite reasonable these days and you won’t have to worry about tubes, knobs, or antennas any longer.
There is no simple fix, and having it repaired will end up costing more than the tv is worth, if the repairman can even find replacement parts for your 25 year old tv. It has far outlived its expected lifespan, and the cost of digital tv’s has dropped drastically in the past few years. It may be time to bite the bullet and buy a new one. Edit: I will give you this, you are experiencing cathode drift, and although the white point can often be readjusted, it will not resolve the overall issue. Additionally, the cathodes oxidize and wear out over time, as well as the tube experiencing burn in. Basically the tube is worn out and needs to be replaced, a costly venture if one even exists on for your television. Here is a FAQ that will list some the causes, and some possible things you can try. Maybe you will have some luck, since you mentioned you have an engineering degree, you may be successful in your attempts. Just be careful, the capacitors for a CRT hold quite a bit of reserve power. B
