Article about General Electric 15CL100

[David Roper]

It's come up in conversation before among the early color guys with pretty much unanimous consensus that it was never more than an artist's rendering. I know John Folsom is certain the set never existed. It depicts a fantasy upgrade of Admiral's 15" set to sort of their version of the 21-CT55.

[Kamakiri]

Closest I came was this '56 that I picked up for Nick about a year ago....

http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=265219

[etype2]

I stumbled on this article while researching the 15 inch Admiral color set.

http://www.visions4.net/journal/wp-c...s/image31.jpeg

I found a second article saying basically the same thing, but did not save it. I saved the above article because it mentioned the 15 inch color set. Had no reason not to believe it. I have no photos.

[Steve D.]

Originally Posted by David Roper

It's come up in conversation before among the early color guys with pretty much unanimous consensus that it was never more than an artist's rendering. I know John Folsom is certain the set never existed. It depicts a fantasy upgrade of Admiral's 15" set to sort of their version of the 21-CT55.

David, I also believe that to be correct. Again, I could never find an ad or any documentation that would validate that the early 21" Admiral existed. More hype by the Admiral Corp. The actual '56-'57 Admiral color receivers were manufactured starting in late 1956 for the 1957 model year. They were produced to directly compete with the RCA Victor CTC-5 models. They used an Admiral designed chassis. Admiral, like RCA, offered a model under $500.00.

-Steve D.

[reeferman]

[QUOTE=dtvmcdonald;3172641]Seventy would not have been too many.

I would like to see the names of 35 of the possible 70 manufacturers.

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by reeferman

I would like to see the names of 35 of the possible 70 manufacturers.

I was doubtful about the 70 also, but I found a list of over 100 manufacturers that were active in the 50s. From the tv history site:

http://www.tvhistory.tv/1950-59-ALL-USA.htm

jr

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

I was doubtful about the 70 also, but I found a list of over 100 manufacturers that were active in the 50s. From the tv history site:

http://www.tvhistory.tv/1950-59-ALL-USA.htm

jr

Many of the names listed are brand names, not manufacturers. The private label sets were made by several different firms.

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

Many of the names listed are brand names, not manufacturers. The private label sets were made by several different firms.

Good point! Looking through the list do you think that 70 manufacturers is too high? how about 35 then?

jr

[baursam]

This from Wikipedia

^ "Television in Review: N.B.C. Color," New York Times, Jan. 5, 1954, p. 28. Two days earlier Admiral demonstrated to their distributors the prototype of Admiral's first color television set planned for consumer sale using the NTSC standards, priced at $1,175 (equivalent to $10,371 in 2015). It is not known when the later commercial version of this receiver was first sold. Production was extremely limited, and no advertisements for it were published in New York or Washington newspapers. "First Admiral Color TV," New York Times, Dec 31, 1953, p. 22. "Admiral's First Color TV Set," Wall Street Journal, Dec. 31, 1953, p. 5.

Prototype only?

This page goes into great detail, http://www.visions4.net/journal/chromatron/

[etype2]

I believe the 15 inch Admiral set went into production but in small numbers. Admirals set were in pilot production in December, 1953. Admiral announced the set was going to distributors on December 30, 1953 and would be sold for $1175.

The photo of the Admiral color set in the Pittsburgh store on February 24, 1954 was an appliance store, not a distributor. There is evidence that at least one service center was available to service the Admiral 15 inch color set. There is evidence showing that Admiral was selling the set for 4 months or more. They announced "a second series of color sets" were being shipped in May, 1954 with a price reduction of $175., from the previous price announced in December, 1953.

It has been said in this thread that because there were no advertisements of the set found, we should conclude the set never sold. First, there was a spec sheet/dealer handout for the set. Second, there are other examples of televisions with no advertisements, yet they existed and could be purchased. I could give you three examples that come to mind.

[benman94]

If your only criteria is that a) the set existed, b) the set could have been sold, and c) the company advertised the set or claimed to sell the set, then the Admiral would not have been the first set offered. Zenith claimed to have sold one of their 15 inch sets in December of 1953 to WGN-TV in Chicago. They also claimed to have started production of their 15 inch receiver on November 19, 1953.
In any case, the claims of both Zenith and Admiral are starting to look (to me anyway) more and more like hyperbolic marketing drivel.

I agree with Steve: the Westinghouse should be considered the first production NTSC color television set.

[etype2]

To further extend this debate and hopefully not controversy, in this February 26, 2013 thread: http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=257478

John Folsom asked this question:

"I am not sure when Admiral actually had set in dealer showrooms for sale, so I am not sure if they can really claim to be "first". Anyone know?"

To answer John's question, there was an Admiral 15 color set in a dealer showroom in Pittsburg, Beacon TV, on or prior to February 24, 1954. It is not known if they were taking orders only or if they had the set in stock. If the public could place a purchase order in that store at that time, it would constitute a "sale".

In the same forum Steve D. commented "Taking Pete Deksnis' argument that RCA produced several thousand CT-100's starting in March, 1954 and were available to distributors & dealers by late April,'54 does not trump the fact that the public could could go into a Westinghouse dealer and purchase a color tv in Feb. 1954."

Using this criteria, we have a photo shown earlier in this tread of the Admiral color set in a dealers store and presumably for sale prior to or on February 24, 1954.

[benman94]

All of that is fine and well, but Zenith sold a 15 inch set in 1953. The argument that Admiral "could have" sold a set becomes moot, as Zenith had already actually sold one of theirs to WGN.

[etype2]

Ben,

I believe the Zenith set was previously discounted as being first if you read Tom's website, History of Television the First 75 Years and the above quoted thread. The owner of that Zenith himself said it was a prototype.

Edit: This is the thread with the Zenith discussion.

http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=22010

2nd edit: Further documentation here: http://www.visions4.net/journal/chromatron/

[benman94]

For all intents and purposes, BOTH the Admiral and the Zenith are prototypes. The Westy was the first set produced in quantity. The Admiral and Zenith were built in vanishingly small numbers. They survive in similar numbers. One of them, the Zenith, was *actually sold* to third party, WGN, before any other manufacturer sold a set. With all due respect, your argument for the Admiral is specious at best. CBS sold a field sequential set first, Zenith sold what was probably the first all-electronic set. I don't see how you can still argue for the Admiral.