Television receiver with spot burn protection and after-glow suppression

A television receiver comprising a kinescope, a driver amplifier for driving said kinescope, a high voltage supply, a deflection circuit, a control circuit for generating a turn-off command signal to cause said television receiver to change from a "run" operating mode to a "stand-by" operating mode during a transition interval;

• and circuit means responsive to said turn-off command for disabling said high voltage supply and for initiating turn-off of said deflection circuit at a controlled rate during said transition interval:
• characterized in that:
• said driver amplifier comprises a high voltage amplifier and a low voltage amplifier;
• said high voltage amplifier includes a signal input for receiving a picture representative video signal, a control input for receiving a control signal and an output coupled to an electron gun of said kinescope;
• said high voltage amplifier responding to a given level of said control signal applied to said control input for over-riding any value of said picture representative video signal applied to said signal input such that said high voltage driver amplifier causes said electron gun to produce a maximum output electron beam level;
• said low voltage amplifier having a first input for receiving an on-screen display character signal, having a second input coupled to receive said turn-off command signal and having an output coupled to said control input of said high voltage amplifier;
• said low voltage amplifier being responsive to said turn-off command during said transition interval for over-riding any value of said character signal to cause said control signal to exhibit said given level, thereby over-riding said said picture representative signal in said high voltage amplifier during said transition interval so as to produce said maximum output electron beam level for discharging high voltage from said kinescope and for producing a display on said kinescope of uniform brightness across the display raster to as to prevent amplitude characteristics of either said picture representative signal or said on-screen display character signal from causing spot burn damage to said kinescope during said transition interval.