Early 1970s-early 1980s Zenith sets had probably the best-quality color picture that there ever has been, and likely ever will be. Let me hear your thoughts.

I confirm, it's hard to beat a Chromacolor or a CC2

I like the pastel RCA look of the XL2000 monitors. One came in this week for repair.

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I think the Sony Trinitron color TVs from the late 70's to mid 80's were far above anything else sold to consumers in that time period. I saw a lot of Zenith sets that had less-than-stellar high voltage regulation (video that shifted position with changing content) or overdriven/out-of-focus white highlights. Maybe it was simply that Sony sets didn't have the control range to be adjusted out of linearity and other sets did. Sony sets also seemed to be much better controlling edge overshoot than others.

IMHO, a properly working and adjusted Zenith color set from the '70's will blow the doors off of most CRT sets that are currently in production. About all I see in the way of new CRT sets are those cheap Chinese jobs that are geared towards people that can't afford several hundred $ and up for a flat panel set.

I think the best Zenith's were the horizontal solid state chassis sets (25DC56, 25EC58, etc), the 4-tube hybrid's, and the early ('74-'75) vertical chassis CCII sets. I'll agree that Zenith made the best CRT's during the '70's. Many were still strong despite being subject to "instant on" for 25 years!

Of course, RCA, Sylvania, Magnavox, and GE (yeah, GE did "mess up" and actually make a few color sets that produced a good picture) all made sets during the '70's that produced good pictures. The picture tubes used in the above mentioned sets usually didn't hold up as well as the Zenith tubes.

I don't really like Trinitron CRTs... their colors just don't look good to me and they tend to have a short lifetime...

Also, Sony TVs tend to be excessively complex, service access to some parts of the chassis is often poor, and they usually have lots of expensive (and now often unobtanium) custom parts...

I think the Sony Trinitron color TVs from the late 70's to mid 80's were far above anything else sold to consumers in that time period. I saw a lot of Zenith sets that had less-than-stellar high voltage regulation (video that shifted position with changing content) or overdriven/out-of-focus white highlights. Maybe it was simply that Sony sets didn't have the control range to be adjusted out of linearity and other sets did. Sony sets also seemed to be much better controlling edge overshoot than others.

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I recently picked up a 19" Trinitron from about 1982 and a Zenith CCII console (vertical chassis) from about 1974 and the Zenith has the better picture (sharper and warmer colors to my taste), but the Sony picture is also exceptional, IMO.

Question, the CCII was replaced by the System 3 in the late 70's ? So any Zenith from the 80's has the inferior picture tube compared to the older CCI or CCII. Correct ??

nothing beats the zeniths.any hybrid,flat or early stand up chassis.sylvania gt matics with the black matrix tubes are great also,just the crt didn t last.
the rca xl100 and colortraks are very close to the zeniths.i have an early 80s sony and it has a sharp picture,but all in all-zeniths takes it,hands down.

I recently picked up a 19" Trinitron from about 1982 and a Zenith CCII console (vertical chassis) from about 1974 and the Zenith has the better picture (sharper and warmer colors to my taste), but the Sony picture is also exceptional, IMO.

Question, the CCII was replaced by the System 3 in the late 70's ? So any Zenith from the 80's has the inferior picture tube compared to the older CCI or CCII. Correct ??

I'd say that the inline tubes beginning with the System 3 were inferior to the older delta gun tubes. This is especially true of the 23V and 25V inline tubes. I rarely find a Zenith delta gun tube that is bad. Most of the inline tubes from the late '70's through the early '80's are weak to dead by now. Of course, we all know what happened to Zenith tubes in the '90's.

I've never been a Sony fan; I've only had one and it had more problems than I could fix at the time. I have seen a number of Zenith sets that put out a picture that was almost mesmerizing, it was so good. Just something about it. The newest Zenith that really impressed me was a System 3 from about the time stereo came out.

I also agree that delta will beat inline. I think it has to do with the phosphor dots being finer. There is just a more pleasing quality to them. Might be interesting to do a real "blind" test using different sets, including, say, a GE 25v inline with dot-triad phosphors. (how common was that design-did anyone else use it? well, I guess about a gazillion computer monitors did...)

Hi,

Agree with Zenith CC and CC II sets being one of the best ever made. Many are still with us in use. Well made, superb picture, service friendly, and reliable. I like 1970's Sony Trinitrons for some of the best SD TV there has been. Just remember that in the USA until 1978, they didn't come bigger than 17". They are also more complex to service when it's needed, but are superbly reliable in practical use! Older Sonys unreliable, my 1971 Trinitron is still going strong. The only service was 3 diodes, and 2 transistors when it was hit by lightning in 1973. I was given it and obtained the schematics and repaired it. Yes, there are more hard to find custom parts in a Sony. I like Zenith best pre-system 3 for reliable operation, fine pictures, and easy servicing. Sonys are a PITA to repair, good thing they rarely ever needed it until recent years.

IMHO, a properly working and adjusted Zenith color set from the '70's will blow the doors off of most CRT sets that are currently in production.

This is the year 2008, no CRT's are in production in the USA and most other countries. The Chinese are resourceful at marketing older inventory products. That is why you see Chinese made CRT tube TV's at WalMart. That will end very soon.

We still have a System 3 from 1982 that still has a great picture.

Early 1970s-early 1980s Zenith sets had probably the best-quality color picture that there ever has been, and likely ever will be. Let me hear your thoughts.

CONFIRMED, but with a caveat: I say the cutoff would be the end of the delta gun tube. So that was about 1978 (switchover from Chromacolor II to System III). I'd say the best, BEST picture was the Zenith 19" set with the 19VDZP22 tube. It ran in the 4-tube hybrid, and also in the 19EC45-ish chassis.

Charles

This is the year 2008, no CRT's are in production in the USA and most other countries. The Chinese are resourceful at marketing older inventory products. That is why you see Chinese made CRT tube TV's at WalMart. That will end very soon.

Here in Europe we're being flooded with super-junk CRT sets from Turkey and India... from cheap 14 inch portables to large 32 inch flat screen stereo sets... some of them may appear to be nice, stylish sets but the cabinet structure and chassis are PURE JUNK, and, of course, the unreliable flybacks, ICs and transistors in those sets have cryptic codes on them and are absolutely unobtanium

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Well, trinitron sets are good as long as they work... but when they fail they are a pain to fix, also, trinitron CRTs tended to be short lived and you can't rejuv them.

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