[Jeffhs]

Your "new" Admiral TV looks an awful lot like the Philco "Briefcase 19"--at least the cabinet and control layout seem similar. I noticed this almost immediately after looking at your pictures of the set, since I once had a Briefcase 19 Philco. Long gone by now, of course (after a move about 40 years ago), but when mine was working, it made an excellent picture.

I agree with the poster who mentioned that your TV may have a very weak CRT, although I'm sure the part about your new digital camera "not liking" taking pictures from CRTs was a joke. (The reason your photos are so dim might be because the flash, if you were using one, was washing out the TV's picture; that or else there was too much ambient light in the room, which can also play heck with photographing a TV screen.) However, any TV as old as your Admiral is bound to have a weak tube, as that set probably dates to the late '50s-early '60s. I'd try a brightener on it if you can find one, although in this age of flat screens, CRT brighteners may be very difficult to find, even used.