Well, in case you haven't seen my other post, http://videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=253270, my Emerson ECR1350 is having some issues. The folks here have been helpful, but until I can find time to look deeper into it I would like to have another tube to watch.

So I went to my local thrift stores and took note of the models that interested me:

RCA EJR3305
JVC C-13110
GE 13GP244
Sharp 13F-M100 (Linytron)
Sylvania CBE1525L01
MGM/Mitsubishi CS-1342R

Can anyone comment if any of these have a good track record, good picture quality, or if any are to be avoided? In particular, I like the Sharp, Slyvania, and MGM, because I love the retro look of the MGM and Sylvania (see photos below, Sylvania on left), and the Linytron is a clone of the fabulous Trinitron sets. Thanks!

The Mitsubishi MGA will have a nice picture and are pretty reliable in my opinion, I have one from '75 still going strong. I've had it 13 years and never had to repair it.

I don't think I've seen a Sylvania like that. I wonder if it's from the NAP or GTE era? It probably uses an E31 chassis and they produce good pictures. They do have issues with bad solder connections and bad electrolytic caps in the power supply.

The GE sounds like a "BC" chassis set; which, used a Panasonic built chassis. The flyback transformers are bad about blowing up in these.

I also had a lot of flyback problems with Sharp TV's.

The Mitsubishi, RCA, JVC, or Sylvania would be what I'd look at. The only thing that would hold me back on the Mitsubishi would be if it was made after the mid '80's. It was sometime in the late '80's when they started using bad electrolytic caps that would leak, literally, all over the chassis.

That Sharp model number sounds very much like the kitchen TV that's a mid '90's set. It's starting to show it's age; but, it's good enough to watch the evening news while eating supper. It's certainly not a set I'd buy today.

Looking up the JVC, it looks like a more recent set that probably uses a Chinese chassis. I can't find anything on the RCA; but, if it's one of those TX82 chassis sets, you'd better leave it alone. That's a screwball chassis and the main filter cap will hold a charge that will knock you on your butt. The best RCA's were the CTC135 and lower chassis number sets. Come to think of it, that GE may be a TX82 chassis set.

The more I think about it, the MGA or Sylvania may be your best options; but, for no more than they want for them, you probably couldn't go wrong with any of them. If one dies, you aren't out much.

Ill put in a vote for the MGM.

I don't know where you are, but around here, sets are selling for $0.99 to $6.99 all the time. Some you'd swear were just taken out of the carton.
The G/W is asking $3.99 for those el-cheapo B/W sets without A/C adaptor, while remote color sets are selling for $0.99. Go figure!
P.S. They all work, most work perfectly.

I don't know where you are, but around here, sets are selling for $0.99 to $6.99 all the time. Some you'd swear were just taken out of the carton.
The G/W is asking $3.99 for those el-cheapo B/W sets without A/C adaptor, while remote color sets are selling for $0.99. Go figure!
P.S. They all work, most work perfectly.

I wish the thrift stores here would get that message. They still think a beat up 19" set from the '80's or '90's is worth $25-$50.

The store I was at was having a "closeout" sale on all of their TVs; they even had an '80s Magnavox console for only 25 bucks. The most expensive TV I looked at was $10, because I didn't feel like putting more into an unknown set.

I'm glad to hear about the Sylvania and MGM because those were my two favorite sets. I know its crazy for a young guy like me to want a tube, but believe it or not a 19" widescreen would not fit as well as a 13" tube set in the space that I have.

That, and I love the look of "proper" TVs! :D

Thanks for your suggestions; I'll probably grab the Sylvania or MGM (or both!), but if you have any other recommendations that I didn't list, I'd be more than happy to hear them!

Looking up the JVC, it looks like a more recent set that probably uses a Chinese chassis. I can't find anything on the RCA; but, if it's one of those TX82 chassis sets, you'd better leave it alone. That's a screwball chassis and the main filter cap will hold a charge that will knock you on your butt. The best RCA's were the CTC135 and lower chassis number sets. Come to think of it, that GE may be a TX82 chassis set.

The more I think about it, the MGA or Sylvania may be your best options; but, for no more than they want for them, you probably couldn't go wrong with any of them. If one dies, you aren't out much.

Could you give me an time frame for that RCA chassis? The set I looked at was from the late 70s or early 80s, since it had turret tuners. I may have read the number wrong too. The RCA was in a different shop with bad lighting.

Well, I bought two TVs today: the MGA/Mitsu and the RCA. The Sylvania was already gone (bummer). The Mitsubishi has a beautiful picture that's only marred by slightly crooked edges, but otherwise is an awesome set for $10. Color uniformity, convergence, sound all check out great. It was made in 1986, so it may be part of the leaky capacitor group, but there is no sign of that so far.

The RCA has a surprisingly good picture for age its age, though I am having one issue with it. The picture has good uniformity and convergence, but there is a lot of snow from the RF feed. I know its not my equipment because the same feed shows up perfectly on the Mitsubishi. So my guess is that either my 75 ohm to 300 ohm converter is bad or the tuner needs cleaning, but I'm still happy with both. Also, the RCA has some interesting adjustment controls on the back; if anyone knows about these or the RF snow issue, do let me know! Also, do you know what chassis number it is? Thanks for your input!

That RCA is probably something like a CTC117 or 18. You might try adjusting the peak picture (sharpness) knob on the back of the set. You may also need to clean this control with contact cleaner.

The store I was at was having a "closeout" sale on all of their TVs; they even had an '80s Magnavox console for only 25 bucks. The most expensive TV I looked at was $10, because I didn't feel like putting more into an unknown set.

I'm glad to hear about the Sylvania and MGM because those were my two favorite sets. I know its crazy for a young guy like me to want a tube, but believe it or not a 19" widescreen would not fit as well as a 13" tube set in the space that I have.

That, and I love the look of "proper" TVs! :D

Thanks for your suggestions; I'll probably grab the Sylvania or MGM (or both!), but if you have any other recommendations that I didn't list, I'd be more than happy to hear them!

I don't think that's crazy. I'm 35 and most males my age would not have nothing less than a big flatscreen TV. I was raised on CRT TV's in the 13" to 25" range, both color and B&W. Those types of TV's are what I've become used to and those thin, wide flatscreen TV's don't look right to me. To this day, I have no problem watching a 12" B&W TV.

I'd say that RCA is a keeper; in years to come there is going to be a gradually increasing demand for them among collectors. Why? Because they are among the last "real" RCA's, they were made in the USA, decent enough performers, and this one is small enough that someone who can't handle a console can own it.

You are indeed in good company. I'm 20 and not a fan of non-crt sets either. I not one to watch color shows on monochrome sets though. I rarely watch monochrome programs which leaves little use for my monochrome sets. I favor using delta gun color sets as my earliest memories of watching TV were watching one(one of the last Motorola/Quasar WID sets) and there is something about the picture of delta sets(imperfections and all) that some how feels more 'real' to me than other types of sets.

...

I'm 46.....and can appreciate ALL sets really. I do have a 55" Samsung LED set in the front room, and a smaller 23" Sammy in the bedroom for "watching TV"....or firing up the Home Theater PC (HTPC). The picture on the 55" is phenomenal if you GIVE it a good source (BluRay....and NOT cox cable's compressed, pixelled mess).

I still deffinately appreciate the little 1" Panasonic's 1.5" picture as well....and LOVE the B/W picture from the little "trashpicked" Quasar I rescued. THAT set actually sits in the front room and I do turn it on often INSTEAD of the whole front room "system". Sometimes completely happy to just watch the news or not have to be watching LOUSY material in HD.

If I had the room (which I do NOT).... I would have one of those REALLY big long consoles, like a Curtis Mathis or something. One with the big huge speakers, 27" set, record player and a radio that wasn't just an afterthought in a beautiful long cabinet. It would be real presentable with the covers open showing the old LPs playing. WOW!...I'd REALLY love that! I'd LAY ON THE FLOOR on my elbows watching something on this like so many kids of the 60-70s. I just don't have the room for such a thing in a little 2 bedroom flat.

I am in my mid-50s and also, like radiotvnut, grew up with CRT TVs. However, when I realized that new CRT sets would no longer be available after 2008 or so, I decided I would get a flat screen set -- as soon as the prices dropped below $500. That day came for me last August, when I found, in a Best Buy ad in my Sunday newspaper, an Insignia 19" flat panel for a very reasonable price, so I jumped on it. Two days later, it arrived at my door via UPS. I hooked it up in 15 minutes, turned it on, and was very impressed with the picture quality; much better than that of the CRT sets I'd had up to that point. Soon after that, I replaced my CRT computer monitor with a flat display slightly larger than the former (partially because the CRT monitor had developed a problem with raster bending), and again was not disappointed.

I like my flat screen Insignia TV for at least three other reasons as well: one, it has a perfectly rectangular display, and I've always wanted a TV with such a display but could not afford one till now. Two, the Insignia has MTS stereo sound, with inputs for an external stereo system, which no TV I've ever owned prior to it ever had (though a Zenith console I had when I was 13 in the late '60s came close, as ir had a darn good audio system; I patched an old FM tuner into it by way of the volume control and made myself a nice little mono audio system).

Three, the Insignia is digital -- capable of 720p full HD. Not home theater by any means, but then again, living in a small apartment I don't feel I need a 32"+ flat screen. If I were still living in the three-bedroom house in which I grew up (left there 12 years ago), I could probably use and enjoy a large flat panel in the living room (I know someone who has a very large FP in his living room -- I'm told that when you walk into his house, you get the feeling you just entered a movie theater), but my apartment being as small as it is, the 19" Insignia is all I need as far as TV goes. Once I get an HDMI cable for the BR player (I'm currently using the AV connections on the back of the TV), the picture should be even better than it is now, although again, with a 19" screen, I doubt if I will even notice the difference since I sit some ten feet away from the set.

Last, but certainly not least, I like new technology but, living on a fixed income, I can't always afford the latest and greatest as soon as it appears on the market -- I usually wait until whatever it is has been around awhile. By the time I'm able to afford it, the prices have dropped substantially (as is the case with all new tech; whenever anything first appears in stores, the price is always very high, but when it's been on the market awhile and becomes mainstream, the prices drop to much more reasonable levels). I did the same thing with Blu-ray disc. I had heard a lot about Blu-ray over the years but, again for a long time, could not afford a player -- yup, you guessed it, because of the high prices of the machines. I again found one for under $100 a few months ago in my local Best Buy ads in the paper, and again I jumped on it. Several days later, UPS showed up at my door with the new one, I immediately hooked it up, tried it out, and, well, all I can say is I'll never go back to standard DVD players, although all of my discs are standard (no Blu-rays yet). My BR player has connections for HDMI (I'll get a cable soon) and also for streaming video via the Internet; haven't tried the latter yet since I do not yet have a router. That's next on my list of technology upgrades; for now, I'm watching physical DVDs from Netflix and my own collection.

The GE sounds like a "BC" chassis set; which, used a Panasonic built chassis. The flyback transformers are bad about blowing up in these.

I also had a lot of flyback problems with Sharp TV's.
If there was a Toshiba TV made from the 1980s in a thrift shop, how would you rate its reliability? What problems did you see? Did you find Toshiba more reliable than Panasonic and Sharp?
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If there was a Toshiba TV made from the 1980s in a thrift shop, how would you rate its reliability? What problems did you see? Did you find Toshiba more reliable than Panasonic and Sharp?
.

I got a early 90's Toshiba 19" table model as a freebee. The set was assembled in USA, with an RCA CRT and a Goldstar chassis. The later Toshibas were built by Orion.
When buying TV sets for a few bucks, used, It doesn't make any difference whose name is on it, as long as it works properly.:thmbsp:

The Mitsubishi MGA will have a nice picture and are pretty reliable in my opinion, I have one from '75 still going strong. I've had it 13 years and never had to repair it.

I have a MGA CS1939, 20" color set dated 1985. The lady I got it from bought it new from Macy's on Queens blvd in Forest Hills NY, said she never needed a repair. I keep it as an example of the 80's with a Colortrak and a System 3 motel set.

I worked a bench in the mid-80's during college, in the rare event I saw an MGA, it had a failing CRT after 10 years of hard use.

I am resisting buying an HD set until I am over-ruled, probably real soon.

In 13" tube TV sets I like Zenith Chromacolor and Chromacolor II and elderly Sony Trinitrons and better RCA Colortraks.

In 13" tube TV sets I like Zenith Chromacolor and Chromacolor II and elderly Sony Trinitrons and better RCA Colortraks.

I picked a Sony Trinitron. A 12" 1973 model. It needs the small 'lytics in the power supply regulator circuit.
The later RCA's were fairly good sets, as well as the Zeniths

Got some happy news about the RCA: I got rid of the snow in the picture! It basically was powerline interference; when I moved the plug from the powerstrip that has all my gear to another socket the snow went away. I must say for a cheaper 80s set it sure has a good picture! By the way, it is indeed a CTC117 chassis. I took the back off to see if I could find the number. I found it, as well as a capacitor the size of my fist :yikes:. Now all I have to choose which one stays in my bedroom and which one gets stored until I find my own place....

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who likes the old tubes. As much as I like the new LED and Plasma sets, I don't quite have the finances to buy a good-quality one at the moment, so its all tubes for me. I love my family's 22 year old Trinitron set. It has a stunning picture for its age, especially with the DVD recorder feeding through the S-Video port.

Another of my gripes with modern TVs is the sound quality. They are so thin that the speakers generally sound like c**p. I played a CD on my DVD player through the RCA tube set last night and it sounded almost as good as a nice radio!

Don't get me wrong though, I certainly would love a new LED or plasma set in our living room! I would, however, definitely keep the tubes for smaller applications.

One of the best 12" TVs I ever owned was a Zenith J121Y solid-state b&w set, which I purchased new in 1978. It was all solid state and lasted me 22 years, until the year after I moved into my apartment. I'd have held on to that set, but at the time I had no room for three TVs (I bought a new RCA CTC185 just before moving here and brought my Zenith Sentry 2 table set with me from my previous residence), so I put the set out back for the trash. Hope someone picked it up and got some more use out of it, as it was still working and displaying a wonderful picture (CRT was very strong as well) when I got rid of it -- typical Zenith. I used that set a lot when I had it at the other house, which is one reason I am amazed the CRT was still almost as bright when I got rid of the set as when the TV was new.

BTW, I like flat screen TVs; they are the next step after analog (the only kind of TV one can buy new anymore, as it is now illegal to sell analog knob-tuned televisions in this country except as used sets), and I like to keep up with technology advances as much as my finances will allow me to. I have a DTV flat screen (19" Insignia 19e720a12) that replaces my RCA CTC185. The Insignia set works just great on cable and even with an antenna (although I do not receive channels 8 or 19, which in this area are FOX/Antenna TV and CBS/MeTV respectively, when using the indoor antenna). I guess it's a matter of personal preference. I grew up with analog NTSC TV and was (still am) pleased with the improved picture quality of DTV over the old standard. The only reason I did not jump on the DTV bandwagon a lot sooner than I did was that the sets were extremely expensive and well out of my price range in the beginning, but by the time I bought my Insignia FP (flat panel) TV last August the prices had come down considerably -- and they continue to fall. I've seen off-brand DTVs as low as $99 in such unlikely places as CVS pharmacies and other places one would not expect to find TVs. However, the sets available at these stores are often (more often than not) off brands no one ever heard of, or brands such as Craig, which was a manufacturer of cheap audio gear 40+ years ago.

I would not recommend any off-brand DTV flat screen (with the possible exception of LG, Lucky GoldStar, which owns what little, and I do mean little, is left of the former Zenith Electronics Corp.), however, for the simple reason that they do not last long; many of these sets develop serious problems shortly after the warranty expires, which makes them instant junk since repairing any off-brand FP is almost certainly going to cost more than the price of a brand-new set. The prices of flat screens are dropping all the time these days, so it isn't cost-effective to repair one that's more than about three years old.

Sad, :no: but that's the way of it.

I remember when all the stores were selling off their remaining analog-only TV's and they were required by law to have a notice by such TV's that clearly explained that the TV in question would not receive digital broadcast and would require a digital converter box after 6/12/09, etc.

All new TV's made as of 3/07 for sale in the USA where required to have a built-in digital tuner. This includes the "last gasp" CRT sets.

The GE sounds like a "BC" chassis set; which, used a Panasonic built chassis. The flyback transformers are bad about blowing up in these.

I also had a lot of flyback problems with Sharp TV's.
If there was a Toshiba TV made from the 1980s in a thrift shop, how would you rate its reliability? What problems did you see? Did you find Toshiba more reliable than Panasonic and Sharp?