radiotvnut
09-25-2008, 07:04 PM
As some may know, I have an old 19" RCA (CTC97) with rotary tuning. This is the living room TV and I use a VCR to receive the high cable channels. In other words, the channels can be changed via remote and the volume and power must be done at the TV. I don't watch that TV, my Mother does. She's been complaining that the only thing she has against that TV was that she had to get up to adjust the volume.
Today, while I was at the dollar store, I picked up a few $5 universal remotes. I've got this Panasonic cable box with volume control; but, the original remote was ruined by leaking batteries and no previous universal remote would even turn it on. So, I tried the new made in China GE remote and it turned it on and changed the channels! My Mother is now excited that she can adjust the volume with the remote. So, I connect the box to the RCA and guess what? The stupid ass remote controls everything EXCEPT the volume! I tried a current RCA universal remote, no change.
By that time, my Mother was ticked and told me to take that old set out and to get the 19" (modern black box Sharp) set out of her bedroom and put it in the living room. So, I did as she asked. Then, she really got ticked. The black cube Sharp was physically smaller and too much of the wall behind the set (set is inside a wall unit) was showing. At one time, there was a 27" set in the wall unit so the back panel of the wall unit had to be cut out for the rear of the set to fit through. The wall behind there is still painted green while the other walls are another color. Then, I turned it on and she said the picture on the newer Sharp was not near as good as the old RCA and she also said that the Sharp looked to have a smaller screen (they both measure 19 inches).
Then, she had me put the Sharp back in her room and replace the old RCA in it's original location and then she pouted because she didn't have a remote control volume control!
After I was done juggling TV's, I laughed my butt off. It looks like I get to keep my old RCA and we can continue to get funny looks by people who come over that can't believe we are watching a 28 year old TV. I guess I can thank the green wall and the lacking of picture quality by the Sharp!
Whatever happens, I'm not getting rid of the RCA. It has a brighter, sharper picture than anything I've seen in a long time.
Today, while I was at the dollar store, I picked up a few $5 universal remotes. I've got this Panasonic cable box with volume control; but, the original remote was ruined by leaking batteries and no previous universal remote would even turn it on. So, I tried the new made in China GE remote and it turned it on and changed the channels! My Mother is now excited that she can adjust the volume with the remote. So, I connect the box to the RCA and guess what? The stupid ass remote controls everything EXCEPT the volume! I tried a current RCA universal remote, no change.
By that time, my Mother was ticked and told me to take that old set out and to get the 19" (modern black box Sharp) set out of her bedroom and put it in the living room. So, I did as she asked. Then, she really got ticked. The black cube Sharp was physically smaller and too much of the wall behind the set (set is inside a wall unit) was showing. At one time, there was a 27" set in the wall unit so the back panel of the wall unit had to be cut out for the rear of the set to fit through. The wall behind there is still painted green while the other walls are another color. Then, I turned it on and she said the picture on the newer Sharp was not near as good as the old RCA and she also said that the Sharp looked to have a smaller screen (they both measure 19 inches).
Then, she had me put the Sharp back in her room and replace the old RCA in it's original location and then she pouted because she didn't have a remote control volume control!
After I was done juggling TV's, I laughed my butt off. It looks like I get to keep my old RCA and we can continue to get funny looks by people who come over that can't believe we are watching a 28 year old TV. I guess I can thank the green wall and the lacking of picture quality by the Sharp!
Whatever happens, I'm not getting rid of the RCA. It has a brighter, sharper picture than anything I've seen in a long time.