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Originally Posted by Sandy G
Dr Ido said 4:3 CRTs are starting to "die" in Australia- isn't this a somewhat short life? I don't think the CRTs made in the last several years are anywhere as good as the ones from the Roundie/Early rectangular age...Or is it just me ?
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4:3 CRT are very much still alive around here at least for the moment. It's the 16:9 CRT sets that have almost totally disappeared. Cheap no brand 4:3 are still being sold in 34cm, 51cm, 68cm and sometimes 80cm. Prices are typically AU$89 to AU$129 for 34cm, AU$99 to AU$149 for 51cm and AU$199 for 68cm. Some brief searching on some chinese wholesaler site suggests the 34cm sets are around US$30 ea for a container load. The other day I saw a new no name 16:9 CRT set in a store at $379, but other than that it's flat panels.
As for dead sets I still pickup relatively recent 4:3 sets. Most are cheap enough repairs that it is still worth doing for now. To be worth selling they have to be grey/silver and have AV jacks, preferably on the front. Other sets aren't really worth bothering with unless it's something I want for myself, but I've found myself fixing some of the better ones anyway as I hate to see them go to waste.
I've seen a nice Sharp 51cm "miniconsole" (wooden case, stereo, with AV jacks and remote) with a great picture struggle to get $2 (I'm glad someone did buy it, I would have had to save it otherwise and I too have no room) at the junk auction. On the same night nasty ~10 year old Teac crap boxes with weak CRTs were bringing $15.
I've yet to see a bad CRT in one, but often they barely outlast their warranties. What state these CRT will be in 5 or 10 years time who knows. I have noticed that pretty much every recent (silver) 51cm set regardless of brand/chassis uses the same Hitachi CRT and every 34cm set uses the same Orinco CRT.
I've yet to work on any of 16:9 CRT set, so I have no idea what they are like.
I one comes my way for free I'll play with, but right now they are still bringing AU$20 to AU$50 dead.