Magnetic fields and radiators

Hello everybody, sorry if this has been discussed before, I did do a search and have read a few articles and visited the KV TWEAK site but I could still do with some more info.

I purchased a Sony KV 32FX65 and have recently noticed some purity problems on the set. Just the normal type, yellow/brown darker than white patches on a pure white screen down most of the right hand side and in the left hand corners. I always power off the set at night and don’t use standby, there are only magnetically shielded speakers around the set.

The TV is sat very close to a radiator and I have read and been told that the magnetic field from this is what’s causing the said problems. Unfortunately I cannot move the set away from the radiator (small house and we’re not really willing to arrange the whole house just around the tv). Does this mean that I must live with this problem for good and do you think that it will gradually get worse and/or cause any permanent damage? Do radiators really make that much difference or is it an easy get out for unwilling dealers to admit problems? Do you think there is any point in getting a Sony technician to degauss the set with his magic wand? With the radiator still in the way I’m not sure a proper degauss would help, what do you think?

I have tried other tv sets in the house and these all suffer from the same problem (to varying extents) when near a radiator or not. Is this just the Earth’s magnetic field mucking up my picture? Any help would be highly appreciated.

Thanks
Billy

 

to have a magnetic field you need a magnet or an electric current, neither of which should be provided by your radiator (I presume you mean a normal hot water radiator and not some sort of an electric device).

It is much more likely to be that your speaker is not properly shielded. I would try moving the speakers well away, degaussing the TV and seeing if the problem recurrs.

 

I don’t know if it will help but try either switching the set of at the mains or unplugging it.
Also I have even heard that iron structures in walls can affect the TV.

 

Thanks for the help it’s highly appreciated. Anyway I rang the dealer before posting the original thread and they informed me to unplug everything from the tv and move everything away from the set, speakers included for 48 hours. I was sceptical but did what I was told. All to no avail, I’ve just turned the set back on and I still have the problem. So this kind of rules out the speakers. The dealer also told me that despite the warranty, if I require a Sony technician and they think the radiator is the problem, then because I am unwilling to move the set they wouldn’t actually do anything other than charge me for the call out. So I just wondered whether anyone thought it was worth taking this chance and trying to get the Sony guy to degauss the set properly with his wand? Remember that my other sets also have this problem irrespective of radiators and speakers etc pretty much all over the house (or is this because they have been next to a radiator previously and have been stained for good?). Should I just try and forget about it, what do you think?

Thanks Again
Billy

 

I think your radiator could well be the problem - any large metallic object can cause interference and create a magnetic field.

I know you don't want to disrupt your room, but it would be worth trying the TV somewhere else for a few days after unplugging it for a few minutes and trying again.

Don't forget you can get magnetic fields from adjoining rooms - sideways and up and down - is there a washing machine nearby?

Also the bigger the TV, the worse it looks - sad but true.

Remember too that the purity problems show up on the opposite side from the source, so a floor mounted speaker can cause distortion on the top corner of a picture.

Keep trying for a solution and good luck.