MIRACLE

I was reminded it's been a while since I have blogged.  True.  So here goes.  I am going to tell the story of a miracle.

At first I thought maybe I had a cataract, or a stroke, but darn if the big 60 inch Hi Def TV was actually dimming from time to time.  It'd drop down a noticeable notch and was still viewable, but something clearly was happening. Quality suffered.  I blamed the local cable provider, because they suck so badly.  Or maybe the actual TV station because they suck technically so badly.  Example: cloudiness or blur to pictures.  Bad audio.  Gee, even the Grammys were pretty screechy.  Of course I could blame my beloved TiVo too, as everything routes through it.  Or the Denon receiver, a major, MAJOR hassle and most user unfriendly device made to date.

I investigated.  Turns out nobody I could find online complained about this brightness issue.

Our set is a fairly thin rear screen projector.  At the time, maybe 5 years ago, it was state of the art, almost.  Now they are thin, THIN, but when it works the picture is pretty good.  I had it professionally calibrated too.

Last night I turned all on with my iPhone app, yet the screen didn't come on.  Usually there's a little delay.  No, this is no little delay.  Then, a red light I've never seen before flashed on the bezel: under it in tiny letters it said "Change bulb."

Happily I had ordered one a few weeks back.  Superbowl lighting wasn't only dim in NOLA.

Here's the deal: I, Bob Wood, unhandy with some things, would take apart the TV and change the bulb: sitcom and fireworks fodder.  The bulb came with zero instructions.  Bravely, I soldiered on.  I put on cotton gloves, lest some finger oil get onto the bulb, which will blow it up.  I could tell where the bulb went because that's the side of the set where it looks like that scene in ET where the light is shining around the door edges.  Panel, off.  And ooooh, another hidden panel under the first one.  Off with it.

Now, how to remove the old dead bulb assembly?  Yes, as I found when I opened the box,  the light is within an assembly.  I pulled, then wiggled and wobbled it... all the while believing that alignment must be perfect or you don't get a good picture.  Boldly, I yanked with more pressure.  And out it came like an abscessed tooth!  Here it is.

12 billion candlepower  (I imagine.)

And just for fun, it sits at an angle.

But here's the miracle:  I got the new unit installed, forgot then remembered the inner (secret) panel, fired it up... and...

Old guy on the news.