Create a scenario where CRTs make a comeback
 

I know most of you here don't think there's a snowball's chance of new CRT televisions ever appearing again, but if they ever did what would be the circumstances and logistics of this happening? If they did come back, what company would most likely bring them back first? What would they look like? What kind of special features would they have? How much would they cost? In what way would they be marketed? Where would they be manufactured? Will we ever see the day when American consumers start fishtanking their bland and boring looking flatscreens in favor of trendy new picture tube displays? Will CRTs make a comeback with videophiles like vinyl has with audiophiles? Let the discussion begin.

I don't see it happening, for one thing it's impossible to make a 50" or larger wide screen HD CRT and if you did it would weigh 1000 pounds.

I think the future will bring thinner and lighter technology if anything.

There might be a nostalgia boom in the future where people want existing CRT sets from the 80's and 90's like they had as a kid, or possibly really shoddy knock offs by Funai, Apex and all the other crap makers, whether they have real CRTs or flat screens mounted in a "Retro style" cabinet.

I cant ever see them being made again. However if a super hot movie or artist/celebrity was to trendify an old crt set they could become desirable on a retro novelty level.

This might sound a bit sinister, but i see one scenario where tube technology could possibly be put back into short term use. I don't want to make this a political post, so lets for the sake of argument say 'Country X' decided that the United States needed to be taught a lesson, and that country has developed or otherwise obtained several medium to high yield nuclear weapons: of which three were detonated at high altitude, one over the northeast, one over the mid-west, and one over the west coast. The resulting EMP would more or less cook most every transistor & integrated circuit for a few hundred miles in all directions. The only way to gather information electronically would be by radio or perhaps analog TV, if any such installations are still in place (assuming active DTV transmitters would have suffered the same fate as all other electronics).

Tube technology was found to be much more resistant to the effect of EMP's. So as those flat-screens, iPhones and digital radios would be instantly rendered useless, that CTC-15 or old Philco radio would probably fire up as if nothing ever happened - or at the very least - be much easier to repair.... assuming of course there would be a way to power it.

A little extreme for a scenario perhaps, but outside of something dramatic like that happening, I don't realistically see CRT's coming back into vogue.

You read "Warday", too, huh ? (grin) Actually, that was discussed quite a bit on "Boatanchor" sites way back...One R-390A guru stated that unless it was melted by a fireball or otherwise rendered inoperative, an R-390A would prolly function as long as there was electric current. Another thing would be that most automobiles would be rendered inoperative, the only ones still running would be pre-1975 models that had non-electronic ignitions. We would be doubly "Fooked", as not only would all our wondrous gizmotrons not work anymore, neither would the test equipment to fix them...Nor are there THAT many servicemen around who know what they're doing anymore. Terry Dewick, Mark the Fixer, Echowars, those guys would be venerated as Gods-even more so than they are already...(grin)

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...An' I'd rather have a portable from 1970 as 99.9% of all the flatscreen trash out there...

I trust the supply of existing CRTs will decrease slower than the demand for them.
I just turned 50, and I have to admit I will probably die owning a number of
working CRT TVs that my estate will have to junk for lack of demand...

I really don't see CRT TV's ever being made again. As the years pass, the equipment to build CRT's and people with the know how to build them will no longer be available. The only possible way CRT's may come back will be if there's enough damand from a specialty market; but, I really don't see it happening like it did with tube audio and LP records. I think TV's will continue to become more technically advanced, lighter, and more disposable than they are now.

As far as tube based radio's and TV's surviving a nuclear attack, that is true; but, the majority of transmitting equipment will be useless because most of such equipment is solid state or mostly solid state by now. I think there are some small AM stations that still use 50+ year old tube transmitters; but, most of those have had their rectifiers upgraded to solid state. And, like has already been pointed out, the lack of people who know how to repair such old equipment will be an issue. Most modern day technicians are "board level" and some aren't too good at that. Let's just hope something that drastic never happens.

The only thing that I can think of right away that would work would be an All American Five running off a bunch of car batteries in series. It should get dx stations at night as all the local transmitters would be wiped out.

I believe all the other stuff has a least one detector diode.

...As DREADFUL as a lot of the latter-day CRTs have turned out, makes you wonder sometimes if they weren't made that way on purpose to "soften up" the market for the "Superior" flatscreens...

Outside of Forums like this I don't think the general public finds HD Flatscreens boring at all, if anything it's high on their list of must have items.

For most it's not about keeping up with the Jones' either, it's about getting a display device that can do justice to a movie and show it the way it was meant to be seen.

They had 60" Projection sets back in the 70's and lots of people wanted one, but they were really expensive back then and frankly they looked like crap for the most part.

A good 50" Plasma can be had today for about what a 27" TOTL Trinitron cost back in the 70's and 80's (adjusted for inflation much less) and the 1080p picture will put them to shame.

Now if they would make them quality enough to last longer than 3 years...

That is the only thing bad about the progression of television. Unfortunately, that is the problem with most consumer products. Of course, that is also why they are cheaper. If you wanted a 50" plasma screen that lasted as long as a 40s-50s CRT you would have to pay $5000+

Even plasma TV's are starting to phase out. People have been switching from plasma to LCD because of the clearer picture quality (for the most part) and longer lifespan. Of course, their longevity doesn't compare to that of a CRT TV. If someone can create a CRT TV with a digital tuner, it could legally be sold. Keep in mind, the FCC required that all TV's manufactured after March 1, 2007 had to have an ATSC tuner. Is it even possible to create a digital cathode-ray tube TV? We have a nice 2005 Sony Trinitron CRT TV upstairs that, while rather bulky, has that ideal flat-screen HD quality that many American longs for in this materialistic world.

Still CRT TV's, especially those from the 1970's and earlier, have that "look" that no LCD TV could replicate.

Also, believe it or not, a vast majority have at least one flat-panel TV in their homes nowadays. People think I'm a hypocrite for using a laptop and watching TV on an LCD TV. I'm really not. While I do have an Apple laptop (which I have to admit isn't nearly as good as my "old" HP) and a 2006 Samsung LCD TV, I also have a Remington Quiet-Riter Eleven Manual Typewriter from around 1970, a rotary Model 500 telephone, a 1972 Zenith, and a 1974 RCA. It's all about accepting the future of technology, but at the same time embracing and learning about the past.

Heh im with you Sandy!!

Complete garbage in the world now!

I love my CRT set and all the movies i have IN ANALOGUE!!

CRT produces a MUCH BETTER picture (Nice colours,etc)


It would be amazing if people WOKE UP and realised they wanted the GOOD QUALITY they remember!

I dont have a flat screen, but the pic from my mid 70's 25" delta gun sylvania looks DARN good to me. Frankly I think its a case of the emperor's new clothes....

If you gotta have a new CRT set with digital tuner, there is at least one model still for sale:

http://www.amazon.com/Sansui-DTV1300...876716&sr=8-12

not affiliated,
jr

Wow. I had no idea that they have made CRT's with digital tuners. That's good to know.

Beginning in March, 2007 all new TV's were required to have digital tuners built in. Any CRT set made between that point and now will have a DTV tuner. I've worked on several RCA's, as well as sets built by Orion and Funai that had DTV tuners. I have not looked lately; but, as of a few months ago, my local china-mart was still selling 27" Sansui (Orion) CRT sets with a built in DTV tuner. I think they were in the $179 range. I suspect when they are gone, that will be the end of the road for CRT's.

There's also this little guy from LG. http://retrorenovation.com/2010/01/2...a-only-so-far/
Only available in Korea, but I have seen some on ebay.

http://retrorenovation.com/wp-conten...-tv-orange.jpg

Even though those Orion built sets are cheaply built, they are still better than RCA or Funai. The main trouble I have with the Orion sets are vertical and power supply problems. The RCA sets always need a flyback and HOT and the Funai sets are just BOTL junk that exhibits all sorts of problems.

At one time (in 2007 or so), RCA's TruFlat sets were built with ATSC tuners. I have one of their 14" models downstairs that I carry along with me. Served me well when I last used it in NYC with nothing more than a set top antenna.

In about 1000 years or so, archaeologists will stumble across CRT TVs & wonder what kind of advanced civilizasion made such things, & what on earth were they FOR ?

I know you guys are talking CRT sets for use or sale here........ But around the world they are still making crt sets, some with NTSC and NTSC2 receiving capabilities. The ones I see are all 4:3, I have not seen one for sale that is wide screen. The technology is not dead, and in some ads the sets have 10 year warrantees. Check this company:
http://pisonic.en.alibaba.com/ there are more, and I bet many more..... We are the only ones that will not see future CRT's

http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/zjxyhj

http://www.pisonic.com/en/about.asp

http://www.pisonic.com/en/products.asp?class=95

http://www.pisonic.com/en/products.asp?class=64

I kinda would like to see one. I guess they are all pretty much Sanyo, Philips, and Toshiba's

Now I have seen NTSC, NTSC-2, NTSC-3, and NTSC-M listed along with PAL and other systems for sets around the world... Anyone know about these other broadcast formats?
I bet they are on Wikipedia.............

Nite all............

Several months ago, I ran up on a website that still showed current production 12" B&W sets that looked very similar to the cheap imported sets that were sold in the USA during the late '70's and '80's. Obviously, these newer B&W sets were meant for other companies besides the USA. I'll see if I can find that website.

Here's that website that still shows a portable B&W TV:

http://www.alibaba.com/product/rihsi...777/H3509.html

There's actually a plausible scenario. If China decides to stop all exports of rare earth metals (they hold 97% of the world's supply from the last statistic I saw) then it could cause some serious upheaval in the electronics industry.

I believe you are right Sandy :):)



This guy agrees with us :)

http://www.youtube.com/v/Ss68YWoihqs

If anything, there would be a market for replacement CRTs. As certain items such as arcade video games get older, and more collectible, their intrinsic value would dictate having them work as they did in the 80's and hopefully with a CRT raster display. To put a LCD in these would be like gutting a 1948 Wurlitzer jukebox and installing an iPod. Some games using X-Y displays will only work with tubes.

The question here is how few can a company make and still remain viable?

I think the scenario where CRT sets make a comeback so to speak would likely be in a shift in home decore. I don't know about you all, but in the homes I have been in that have a flat large screen tv, you know it its on the wall..... I saw one on the wall 5 feet above the ground attached to the stone chimney above the fireplace. In each wall setting I find it quite uncomfortable to look more than 4 feet above the ground watching tv. I am use to looking lower, like the level of my floor model zenith, what are those screens only about 12" off the floor. Who knows maybe one day Dr. Oz or some other tv entertainment doctor will have an "in Depth" story about the new neck pain wall mounted HDTV is giving people.... But I can see a retro-living room style being one real scenario that at least brings back a small demand for the latest 20" to 30" crt's, like the Black Plastic Crafted sets now popular on CL. Get yours this week in all sizes for only $10 - $30! Be ahead of the coming trend! When I finish restoring a few of my older tv's and one 1937 floor model radio I plan on setting up a little corner of a room with 1937 decore for the radio, and a little period stuff around my CTC5. I think some of that thinking is what drives the prices of some rabbit ears on ebay....

I can't see any practical reason for a comeback. They are still used for photo editing/television production, medical and research work. Until the inherent issues with LCD and plasma (which are getting better all the time) are worked out, and OLED looming on the horizon, these professional CRT's will continue to exist for those markets.

Sony made a 32 inch prototype Index Beam tube in 1981 and was know to be working on large screen, flat, hang on the wall Indextrons in the late 80's early 90's. They abandoned research with knowledge of the coming plasmas and LCD's. I would have loved to see what they came up with if R&D on these continued.

Suppose a particular "doctor" with a syndicated TV talk show, who makes simplistic arguments for lifestyle changes by stacking the deck during "experiments" and "demonstrations" that impress people with an I.Q. of 80, were to tell his followers that they could get AIDS from the donated plasma in plasma TV sets?

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I noticed a lot of members here really dont like flatscreens, (and it shouldnt be surprising since this is a vintage tv forum) however I dont understand the arguements against flatscreens besides the issues regarding longevity. I mean, a lot of folks have said that crts are much clearer better colors etc etc...and frankly I dont see it (pun intended). I know this is a subjective issue but I've tried both types of tv's and it seems clear (at least to me) that flatscreens have the advantge in producing a better picture.

Dont get me wrong, I love crts and the technology behind it and I really wish crts would still be produced. In fact the only tv I currently own is a 1968 Maganvox Stereo Theatre combo... all tube color chassis. However, about a year ago, my brother gave me a 50 inch lcd flatscreen as a wedding gift- it was totl with a 1080p picture. At first I told him I didnt want it, but I relented and used it about a year before I finally gave it back... and I must say I was really impressed. The picture was so good, especially from blueray or hd movies that I didnt have much reason to go out to the cinema any more. The same could be said for the hd cable I was receiving- it looked great. I also hooked the tv up to use as a giant computer monitor. Plus I didnt think the tv looked all that bad in the living room, even when it was off (and I like wood console tvs with concealing doors).

When my brother bought a new home, I gave the flatscreen back since I figured he would have better use for it. Now I am back to the Magnavox crt. With a digital converter, I must say the Magnavox does look really sharp and I've impressed most of my guests- who initially didn't believe such an old tv can produce such a great picture. However, beyond the initial wow factor- I can't honestly say that the crt produces a better picture than a flatscreen, simply due to the capabilities of the resolution and size of the picture. Perhaps to some people it is the lack of sharpness that makes the picture seem more realistic? I dunno, and I couldnt figure it out- unless people are biased for sentimental reasons?

Maybe the other members here can tell me what I am missing, since after trying the best of both worlds- a totl crt tv from 1968, and a totl flatscreen tv circa 2009- I'd have to say the 2009 has a better picture hands down. But in terms of styling, longevity and pride of ownership- nothing can beat the Magnavox!

Yes thats quite sad......

I get a headache looking @ one of those flat screen POC monitors!!

CRT has always been better!

rcanewvista does have a valid point, the clarity and sharpness of LCD's are very good. My wife and I got newer imacs to replace our Windows 98 boxes this year. The wife had what I believe to be the best color tube ever made as a monitor screen. She had a 17" Samsung Dynaflat monitor. It was very sharp, clear with itsy itsy bitsy little dots and perfect convergence all the way into the corners. Except for the fact that the imac LCD screen brightness decreases as you move away from dead center, the picture is at least as good as the Dynaflat, maybe better. But the imac has no contrast knob, only brightness. and the resolution is set higher than the card on the win 98 box would allow, so direct comparison was not possible. I would imagine that the possibilities of LED technology producing a better picture than crt's is there, in every respect. I think plasma was a step backwards because I saw several at the recycling center with really bad screen burn from displaying CNN or some other channel with a stripe across the bottom all day, and the fact that those plasma sets used 300 or more watts. Remember Caliefornia was going to slap them with a coal gobbling tax a few years ago. Well while the wife needed a new computer for her work, I still mostly use my windows boxes with crt screens and we don't have any flat screens that are not crt's. I know eventually our stock of crt's may run out, and maybe when we are in our 70's maybe than we'll have a small 117" LED-Plasma-Super-tron outside the picture window. Assuming they make one that small in the future. PS our current big screen/flat screen is a Panasonic CT34WX54J 34" 16:9 currently on a dolly in the living room waiting on me to replace the IC that makes the 6.3V for the picture tube. And that's really big for our living room. Our set for daily use there now is a Sanyo 25" that I got temporarily from my sister that had a bad cap. I wrote about it on here somewhere.

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I like them for their technology. I like them for the same reason I like a 40 Ford Coupe or a 57 Chevy, nostalgia. :-)

Who thinks you are a hypocrite, and why? I do not understand.


Quite a few digital-tuner CRT TVs were made. The higher-priced ones were widescreen HD sets such as the Sony KD-34XBR960 that have HDMI inputs. There were also low-priced 4:3 non-HD sets sold up until a year or two ago, at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and other stores. 13-inch digital TVs were available for less than US$100 at these stores.