Secrets of the Toshiba 24AF45 CRT TV

The Toshiba 24AF45 is a Standard Definition Flat Screen CRT Television produced in the mid 2000’s.  This TV set has a unique set of features and secrets that have been hidden from hungry retro gamers until now.  Here are 3 of the most important features you need to know about this CRT:

  1. Accessing the Service Menu – This requires a remote control.  Hold down the “Volume Down” button on the TV set itself.  As you are holding down the “Volume Down” button, also hold down the “9” button on the Remote Control.  After a few seconds, the service menu will open.
  2. Accessing the CRT Hours Counter – This requires a remote control.  Hold down the “Volume Down” button on the TV set itself.  As you are holding down the “Volume Down” button, also hold down the “6” button on the Remote Control.  After a few seconds, the hours counter will appear and tell you how many hours the CRT has been turned on.
  3. Velocity Modulation Mode – Also known as VM mode, this is a feature that uses variable voltage along the edge of the CRT picture to increase sharpness along the edges of the picture area.  The VM mode can result in geometry problems along the edges of the picture.  It is possible to disable the feature by disconnecting the VM cable from the CRT Neck Board inside the TV Set.

 

Retro Tech’s video on the Toshiba 24AF45 gives step by step instructions on each of these features.  There is a wonderful comparison of how the TV looks with VM mode engaged and with it disabled.  Please note that this television can be extremely dangerous to work on internally, so do not attempt to fully service one of these sets without extensive knowledge on CRTs.  The “Secret Features”, including disabling the VM mode, can be done without discharging the TV’s CRT anode.  An OEM remote control is not required to access the service menu and hours counter.  This can be done with a universal remote.

The Toshiba 24AF45 comes equipped with a healthy loadout of analog video input options.  It supports RF, Composite, S-Video and Component analog video (NTSC Formats).  There are many other positive and negative features of this TV.  The video provides a balanced review for you to digest and decide if the Toshiba 24AF45 is right for all your retro needs.  Please see the video for more details on this television.

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