I have an rca rear projection tv that has a warped picture. Any suggestions?

Your symptom sounds like a damaged convergence IC.

There are two and large IC’s that control the convergence in a big screen set. They are secured to a very large aluminum heat sink.

Along with the convergence IC’s there will also be some associated components that will need to be replaced as well. There are some resistors that are part of the convergence circuit that will be open and need to be replaced. Most likely these will appear charred in the center. If you have an Ohm Meter or a DVM, check all the resistors that are close to the IC’s and you should be looking for either ones that have opened or have changed values.

You will also want to replace the white heat sink compound that is on the heat sink, just scrape it off, then clean the surface with alcohol. Then apply a thin coating of fresh heat sink compound, if you do not do this important step the new IC's will not last long as the old compound will act as an insulator to the heat transfer.

I would suggest that you contact a service center in your area for a complete diagnosis and repair, as this type of repair can get a little tricky. But if you want to repair the set yourself, just remember to be careful. The capacitors and CRT’s can hold a charge and may shock you.


If one of the convergence IC’s are found to be bad, I would replace them both, if one has gone bad the other may go soon. I usually order my parts from Andrews Electronics in California, they will have the OEM components that you will need.
Their site is http://www.andrewselectronics.com/welcome.aspx
And their phone number is a 24-Hour Order Desk: (800) 274-4666
I recommend the phone order so you can talk to the person about the different types of IC’s that are available.

I would also advise that the convergence IC’s be OEM or better, just because they are cheap does not mean that they are a good deal. I have seen the cheap IC’s fail after a short time, even though they look exactly like the OEM IC’s. I think that the bottom line is that you will get what you pay for when it comes to the parts.

You can also try http://www.tvrepairkits.com/ , I have not tried them yet, but they do carry OEM or better parts.

I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue.
If I have helped you, please help me, and rate this suggestion the highest FixYa rating. (Two Thumbs Up)
Please Note: If you cannot rate this post with the highest rating, then please do not leave any rating. I am doing this for free and I do not think that any rating other that the best is needed.
If you need further assistance please comment to this post and I will try to help you further.