Hitachi MODEL 51SWX20B

I THINK I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CONVERGENCE, BUT HAVE NO PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE FIXING ELECTRONICS. THE TELEVISION WAS MANUFACTURED IN OCTOBER 2002, AND I THINK I PURCHASED IT SOMETIME ABOUT THAT TIME.

THE PICTURE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN AND UP THE LEFT SIDE IS LIKE LOOKING THRU A WINDOW WITH BLINDS. THE DISTORTION APPEARS TO BLURR THE PICTURE AS IF YOU WERE LOOOKING THRU BLURRY GLASS.

I TRIED TO GO TO THE CONVERGENCE GRID THAT THE TV A
ALLOWS YOU TO TRY TO MANUALLY CORRECT, BUT I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE TV ALSO HAS A "MAGIC FOCUS" FEATURE, BUT THIS DID NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE HAD A TECHNICIAN OUT TO LOOK AT IT, AND HE WAS NICE ENOUGH TO TELL US TO "GENTLY TAP" THE LOWER OUTSIDE RIGHT SECTION OF THE TV CABINET. THIS WOULD CORRECT THE DISTORTION FOR A SHORT TIME. WE CONTINUED TO HIT THE CABINET WHEN THE DISTORTION OCCURRED AND THIS CONTINUED TO FIX THE PICTURE UNTIL RECENTLY.

THAT TYPE OF FIX IS NO LONGER WORKING.

I WAS CURIOUS WHAT THIS TYPE OF FIX DID, AND IF YOU THINK A NEW CONVERGENCE CHIP WOULD CORRECT THE WHOLE PROBLEM.

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A NOVICE TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR DO YOU THINK $400.00 IS WORTH THE FIX(AS WE WERE QUOTED LAST YEAR)?

I TRIED TO DOWNLOAD A SERVICE MANUAL, BUT THE INTERNET WANTED $20. IS THERE ANOTHER WEBSITE YOU MIGHT SUGGEST TO ACCESS A "FREE" SERVICE MANUAL??

I'M JUST TRYING TO SAVE SOME MONEY AT THIS TIME BY COMING TO YOU FOR ANSWERS.

THANKS,

JOHN, FROM MICHIGAN