19" Zenith System 3 (NOT?) from 1980-1982 - Videokarma.org TV - Video

MightyFrame · #1 08-09-2022, 03:05 AM

Hi, trying to identify as close as possible the model of TV pictured here:

MightyFrame · #2 08-09-2022, 03:11 AM

From searching the web for way too many hours, I found 2 examples of a "System 3" that were very close, nearly identical.

BUT, looking closely at my TV, where the others say

ZENITH
System3

I believe that mine just says

ZENITH - followed by the classic Zenith shield.

Are there any Zenith experts here from this vintage who could help identify a more specific model of TV?

When I search the internet for Zenith System 3, I get a WIDE range of Zenith models from that era, from console to retro-modern, all of which are cool, but I'm hoping to narrow my search a bit to zero in on what differentiates this model.

Thanks so much!

AlanInSitges · #3 08-09-2022, 12:29 PM

System 3 denotes their System 3 chassis, which was their best one in that era. It's entirely possible to have a similar cabinet with a different chassis. As I recall they made that cabinet style for ages. Yours may be older or newer (though probably not newer) than the other photos you found.

Lain94 · #4 08-09-2022, 01:08 PM

Yeah your tv is deinitely a Zenith System 3. I have no idea which year though. Zenith System 3 tvs all seemed to have good pictures in my opinion.

zeno · #5 08-09-2022, 02:58 PM

System 3 was a chassis & feature name. You can have the same basic chassis & its NOT a System 3
It looks like it may be a CC2 with EFL CRT. I dont remember the chrome door so it may be an institution model.
Take a pix of the BACK or open it & find the model & chassis numbers.
Look on the DGS shield.

73 Zeno

LFOD !

MightyFrame · #6 08-09-2022, 11:22 PM

Thank you so much, AlanInSitges, Lain94 & zeno for your kind & insightful replies! You all have excellent points.

This TV was in the basement of my childhood home, and I remember when we bought it, (and I still have the B&W Zenith TV that we bought this to replace when it quit working. It was the next day that my dad went to our local smaller town electronics store (but I can't remember which one, there were a handful) and bought this Zenith. I'm quite certain about the timeframe being between 1980-1982, so that narrows the timeframe down, as it would have had to be in a retail store, and sold as new during that period. For this reason, I'm skeptical that it was an institutional model, only because we bought it new in a retail store, but of course, anything is possible.

Unfortunately, that TV went away sometime after I left home, but before my father passed and I inherited this house. I now live in this house, and was wondering if I could find a similar model to put right back there. Such good memories of the shows I watched as a kid on that TV.

So, Zeno, your suggestion to take pics of the back I would certainly have done, but unfortunately, we have only my memory and these somewhat fuzzy front-on pictures to go on. If any of you can suggest any addtional better internet search criteria to use to narrow down my hunt based on what we have here, that would be SO appreciated!

Regarding taking pics of the inside, a 2019 sale website shows this System 3 model with woodgrain front that shows the front door open, and this matches identically to my memory of what was inside the door, if that helps.

Neither 2019 listing shows the back of the TV unfortunately, so there is no model number to search for to find one similar to these.

Zeno The CC2 will be helpful, and I will refine my internet and ebay search with this, and hope for the best.

It's really the cabinet style that I'm really after, if we can't really pin down the TV. I would have gladly tried to buy either TV I show in the 2019 examples had they been available when I found them.

Thank you all again!

Best,
AJ

MightyFrame · #7 08-09-2022, 11:55 PM

Zenith CC2 TV searches don't quite yield the specificity on the internet that I was hoping for, so maybe my question boils down to this:

Does anyone here have a 19" Zenith TV with this cabinet style, that could share the model number on the back? Then I can set long-term searches for that model number, or even variations thereof.

Thank you all again!

zeno · #8 08-10-2022, 08:36 AM

This is probably the model BUT I am missing the 1978 & 1979
line folders.

1980 model year.
Model L1924W
Has chromed door, yellow auto color button, not marked system 3,
same cabinet.
Will have S-3 style chassis & EFL CRT but it lacks digital random access tuning &
probably comb filter so missing S-3 features to name it that.

73 Zeno

LFOD !

Electronic M · #9 08-10-2022, 12:56 PM

CC2 is TV repairman slang for Chromacolor II. Chromacolor was Zenith's trade name for a CRT with the black matrix technology, CC2 was Zenith's marketing term for fully solid state TVs with that CRT.

A good portion of collectors here don't really collect Solid State TVs...The only reason I have CCIIs (none are similar to yours) is because the CRTs in them interchange with the older tube and tube/SS hybrid sets. The system 3 CRTs don't so I wouldn't take one for free (unless it had space phone).

comish4 · #10 08-10-2022, 02:52 PM

Chroma color tv had an orange or red button for for preset color system 3’s had a yellow button when pushed. Most system 3 had a photo sensor in the yellow button. Take the back off and tell us what module it has in it.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

MightyFrame · #11 08-11-2022, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeno

1980 model year.
Model L1924W
Has chromed door, yellow auto color button, not marked system 3,
same cabinet.
Will have S-3 style chassis & EFL CRT but it lacks digital random access tuning &
probably comb filter so missing S-3 features to name it that.

Zeno, THANK YOU SO MUCH for this...this is what I was hoping for. I've set saved searches for this model. Do you have pictures or a pamphlet scan you could share? Or a link to such?

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeno

This is probably the model BUT I am missing the 1978 & 1979
line folders.

So, does this mean you have files from sales brochures or documents from Zenith, and you are just missing the 78 & 79 sections in your files?

If so...COOL...that means I'm asking in the right place! (Well, I already know I am, but even more so...)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electronic M

CC2 is TV repairman slang for Chromacolor II. Chromacolor was Zenith's trade name for a CRT with the black matrix technology, CC2 was Zenith's marketing term for fully solid state TVs with that CRT.

Electronic M, and THANK YOU for explaining this nomenclature. It was lost on me, but now I have been brought up to speed, thanks to you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by comish4

Chroma color tv had an orange or red button for for preset color system 3’s had a yellow button when pushed. Most system 3 had a photo sensor in the yellow button.

comish4, thank YOU for this further insight! I remember distinctly, the button to the left of the on/off button turned RED when pushed.

There was NO photo sensor in that button to the left of the ON/OFF button. I remember playing with it and studying it very closely when I was ten, fascinated at how the little doors inside the button pushed open to reveal a RED background through the clear plastic face of the rectangular button.

Quote:

Originally Posted by comish4

Take the back off and tell us what module it has in it.

Again, wish I could, but, it's the whole reason I've made this thread here on videokarma. As I stated above, the TV is long gone, tossed out by my dear dad sometime in the 90s, but now that I live in the house where we had this TV in the basement, I'd like to find a very similar model to put right back there in the basement where it was when I was a kid.

Again, thanks to all for your help! This is exactly the technical insights I was hoping to learn here, and you guys certainly DO NOT disappoint!

Best always,
AJ