h a l f b a k e r yWe have a low common denominator: 2
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One night I was watching a movie on my rear projection TV, and I noticed a spider, a bit larger than a quarter (the type of coin, that is) on the screen. So, I grabbed some kleenex and went up to the screen to get the spider off the screen by sliding the kleenex under the spider (i didn't want to make
a mess on the screen). But when I came up to the screen, I noticed that what I was seeing appeared to be the shadow of a spider blocking the image (???). The spider then went off the edge of the image.
The movie was still playing when it walked off the edge, and I had never seen the movie before, so I thought that a spider had gotten on the camera lens during the scene when they were filming the movie. So, I rewound it, and the spider did not show up again! That's when I finally realized-the spider was INSIDE the television! (EEEEEEEK!)
Needless to say, that was pretty spooky. I had no idea at that point what I was going to do about it. I was debating on whether to try and take the TV apart to get rid of the spider, or call someone to do it for me. But should I call a repair person or an exterminator? Unfortunately, there was no seperate panel that would allow someone to access only the optics- it appears that the entire back cover would have to be removed. Thankfully, the spider never made an appearance again. Hopefully, the spider either flew the coop or died somewhere out of sight inside the TV. I don't know if it was really as big as it appeared, or if it was on one of the lenses or mirrors making it APPEAR bigger than it really was. It's been several months since any uninvited guests have made an appearance (but I still call it the SpiderTron)
I am surprised that they would design a projection TV where the optics and rear of the screen would be so exposed to the outside that any bugs (literally) could get in there. If a spider that big can get in there, imagine how much dust and stuff would accumulate in areas that would affect the picture after, say, 5 years. We really don't have that many problems with bugs in our house, but the TV has not been moved in years, so it wasn't a "stowaway" situation. Heaven forbid that some insect or spider lays eggs in there and they hatch inside the TV! *shivers*
I think that all new rear-projection TVs should simply have several cloth "filters" that are stapled or glued over the vents in the TV (from inside during manufacturing) and any other openings that would allow dust (or worse, bugs) to get on the optics or the rear of the screen. Whenever a service person gets a call that involves "debugging" a TV, they should install the filters in the TV after finishing.
Computer Air Filter
Computer_20Air_20Filter
[xaviergisz, Nov 05 2010]
Giant Spider
http://scienceblogs...nch_aids_poster.php
What do they get up to when no-one is watching? [infidel, Nov 05 2010]
A quarter
http://www.history....s/pieceseightLg.jpg
For [Ian Tindale] [mouseposture, Nov 06 2010]
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I'll vote against this but only because I love the idea of giant spiders suddenly appearing on screen at inappropriate moments during random films. |
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[Dick] Consider this: spiders are predators, catching
and eating other insects. Since you don't report
seeing any other insect shadows on your screen, I
would surmise that your spider has starved to death
or moved on to greener pastures (in your house). |
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Also, you own a TV from the last generation. Flat
screens do no allow for shadows. |
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Get some lizards, they should sort out the spider problem. |
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The outfit I work with builds ruggedized displays for the military, and we've worked through some dust/other foreign objects in the display issues. My extremely basic cell phone collects FOD in the display window as well. |
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I'm not surprised a spider could go in your TV - I'm with the "he's keeping flies out" crowd. |
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"I'll vote against this but only because I love the idea of giant spiders suddenly appearing on screen at inappropriate moments during random films." |
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But do you like the idea of taking a TV apart, or paying big bucks just to have someone come and get rid of the bugs, or clean the dust off of the insides of the TV? |
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Also, Mitsubishi still makes those rear-projection TVs. |
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"Flat screens do no allow for shadows."
I have a viewsonic flatscreen (it's like a 30-inch TV) and there appears to be some little square piece of rubber or something like that that has come away from it's intended place, and is now apparently between the LCD display and the back light at the very top of the screen. Furthermore, if you google "bug in monitor" you'll find that occasionally small insects (the size of an ant) can get in the gap between the actual LCD display and the back light, so you can see them. |
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What if the filters were not on the vents in the housing, but simply covering any space through which a bug could get in an area that would affect the picture. Ventilation is needed or else the TV would overheat and die. But, a piece of mesh would make a negligible price difference, and has no effect on the longevity of the television. In fact, it could indirectly increase the life of the TV, because if a bug got inside and refused to leave, some people might be inclined to take it apart themselves to remove the invader and possibly wind up ruining the television in the process. The mesh should last a very long time because it is inside the TV, so no one ever touches it unless the TV is opened. |
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But did the spider enjoy the film? |
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Mr. [6] has a point there - I've seen an ant inside a display on two occasions. A very confused and lost ant. |
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"But did the spider enjoy the film?" |
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I don't believe he liked it, because he left the screen before the movie was over! |
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Oh, OK. Have a bun [+]. At least half-baked. |
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Maybe the spider has been feeding on some radioactive shit in your TV? Perhaps she'll get a lot bigger than a quarter of your TV and take you out during the night. Beware of dreams where you are being blown by a giant spider, OK? |
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Important note: in some species, the female consumes the male entirely after mating. |
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At least it's healthier than a shared cigarette (for the female). |
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"That’s one fucking huge spider if it was as big as a quarter of the telly." |
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I meant the type of coin, not a "quarter of the screen". :) |
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That would be a pretty bad design to have an opening that large in the TV-if you had cats in the house you would end up with a broken TV pretty quick! |
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If a bug was not on the rear of the screen, but on one of the mirrors or lenses in the TV, it may appear bigger than it actually is. This paints a funny image of having a sticker right below the screen saying "bugs inside television may be smaller than they appear" |
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The TV is in a finished basement, but there is a seperate "utility" area which has the furnace and that sort of stuff, and also some storage space. I have seen spider webs in there before (but oddly have not seen a live spider in that room-but they could be living behind shelves and in other closed spaces.) there are vents that lead right into that back area on the walls in the basement, so if there are in fact bugs in that utility area (which I have little doubt) it's conceivable that a few wayward creepy crawlers may wander behind the machines unnoticed and then find a way into one of the machines. I don't know why a spider would ever go into a television unless there were already other bugs in there. Wouldn't it get pretty darn hot in there? (more-so than the spider would like) |
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A quarter of a coin would have pretty small, unless it was an old "Cartwheel" Penny. They were pretty big. I wonder if there were any larger coins?
Edit: Penny Farthing? Now w'ere talking. |
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//A quarter of a coin// Common in the days when the value
of a coin was determined by the metal in it. <link> |
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