Antique TV?!

[radiotvnut]

I've had 3 or 4 '80's era Hitachi consoles over the years and they all had bad flybacks. Also, how many of you have seen a Sharp console? Those were also fairly common around here. Yes, the cabinets were about as cheap and basic as they came.

[Arkay]

Originally Posted by Trance88

Dang man! 50's and 60's?? Did you find those in a mummy tomb??? That stuff is ancient history!

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would call any CRT TV antique.

It is sobering to think that any young kid today will probably have never seen a CRT in a store, and if his parents have already switched to flat screen (not unusual these days), he/she may never see one at home, either. The television, as we grew up thinking of it (boxy, etc...) will not be a part of his experience of the world, except as a kind of curiosity he'll run into from time to time, like the old dial telephones. I've met a number of young people, right up into their teens, who (until recently) had never heard of or seen vinyl records or cassettes, either. Once technology passes the "tipping point" and is no longer sold and bought, it tends to disappear pretty quickly from the average person's experience and memory. Now that the U.S. doesn't broadcast in analog (and as over time, the rest of the world follows), that disappearing process will be faster than ever. CRT televisions are in the process of becoming "antiques", all right, even if technically that isn't the appropriate word!

All the more reason why it is good that some people around here are saving some of the old sets!

[colortrakker]

Originally Posted by Arkay

I
All the more reason why it is good that some people around here are saving some of the old sets!

And further incentive to hang on to my 1964 Space Command...which would really throw the kiddles for a loop since it's not even color.

[HiFiCanada]

Arkay mentioned the rotary phone,it was more the ten years ago that a lady had to use my phone, showed her were the phone was, she had no idea how to use it, it was the dial rotary phone, I had to show her,stick your finger in the dial hole of the number then turn. There are still some rotary phones around, thank goodness, call a company with there automated machine, it will say if you have a rotary phone please stay on the line while a customer service rep will help you, try this, keep pushing the zero button,thanks to the rotary you ewill get the rep.

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by HiFiCanada

...call a company with there automated machine, it will say if you have a rotary phone please stay on the line while a customer service rep will help you, try this, keep pushing the zero button,thanks to the rotary you ewill get the rep.

Many utility companies and government agencies around me have discontinued forwarding your call if you do not or can not push a touch-tone button. While it takes no money and the slightest effort to enable a phone system to accommodate callers with rotary or pulse-dial phones, the number of people who have standard home telephone service has decreased, and will continue to do so through attrition - do you think these younger people who have been using cell phones most or all of their lives now are going to bother with a regular old phone from Ma Bell?

[radiotvnut]

I can't remember when the last time I was given an option to stay on the line to be connected to a CSR; but, it's been a long time. In fact, there are some local businesses that have that automated BS. I, for one, don't care for it. It seems like I stay on the line forever pushing buttons before I'm finally connected with someone in India that can barely speak English. I just want to be able to place the call, have someone (who can speak good English) answer my call, and either take care of the problem or transfer me to someone who can.

As far as young folks and cell phones go, I'd say 95% of the people that are my age and younger that I associate with do not have a land line and it would be like cutting off their right arm if they had to do without their cell phone for over a minute. I have a cell phone; but, it's for emergency use and only one other person has the number.

[zenith2134]

I have no cell phone anymore. I had one for 4 years. A landline is an essential fallback in an emergency.

By the way i can think of about 5 people who have babies in their house who will never see a CRT set in use. We're gonna be kicking ourselves for not saving the 80s sets one day, IMO.

[67Zenith]

"Big Antique TV". LOL

And it's kind of an ugly looking cabinet, like 1980s technology meets the Victorian era.

[67Zenith]

Originally Posted by zenith2134

I have no cell phone anymore. I had one for 4 years. A landline is an essential fallback in an emergency.

By the way i can think of about 5 people who have babies in their house who will never see a CRT set in use. We're gonna be kicking ourselves for not saving the 80s sets one day, IMO.

No cell phone here anymore either. I had one for 2 years, thought it would make my business run smoother. I never got one business call on it no matter how many times I gave out the cell number, my customers would still call my old landline number. When I got calls on the cell phone from family I could never hear them as well as on my Western Electric landline phones and I'd always find myself saying "let me call you back from the old Western Electric". I have a W/E red rotary in the master bedroom and a 70's olive green W/E touch tone in the den/office. W/E made great telephones, they were (and are) sturdy and dependable and the sound is a thousand times more clear than any cell phone.

It amazes me that people today settle for bad sound on cell phones just so they can call from the lobby or from around the corner saying "I'll be there in a minute" and numerous other assorted idiotic mini conversations that are not really necessary (LOL).

Years ago, we went home, walked in the door and sat down to make a phone call. My 12 year old nephew falls on the floor laughing whenever I mention something like that.

[suede]

Its an old wood console, its at least pre '90.

its vintage, but not antique.

[wilkes85]

You know, on the other hand, my experience tells me that Hitatchi TVs are of good quality. I used to have a 30 year old Hitatchi 19 incher, and despite the ratty cabinet (scratched all up, fake woodgrain peeling off from the corners, looks like it had sat out in the rain at some point), the picture was fucking beautiful.
I brought it out to the ice fishing shack where someone kicked in the control panel and speaker because the TV wouldn't come on (the plug was hanging out of the socket half way), and due to the inconsistency of the generator, the picture would have sort of a wavy effect (totally perfect when plugged into a house outlet though).
Even though the control panel and speaker are kicked in, it still works great.

So if I had room for a console, I'd probabally buy it, but depending on what "this and thats" it has. Who knows, maybe it overheats and shuts on and off by itself, maybe the CRT is almost dead, or maybe the tuner is stuck on CBC (out of those 3, I can't decide which is worse LOL).

[zenith2134]

I had a 1979 Hitachi 19" color (heavy sob) that made a great pic. It was a knob tuned inline gun design IIRC.