15 items from our childhood new household will never see

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LCD/Plasma Pixelation

This is largely due to the stupidly huge screen sizes being offered today. Remember, the video produced is only in (at least here in Australia) 720 x 576 for Standard Definition, I think "PAL."

If you try to stretch that across a 60" TV, you're not going to get excellent results. 

 

Then there is the cheapness in broadcasts. Its so surprising, they tout how much better picture quality you're (supposed) to get - but they uber compress their video signals, so where Full-HD (1280 x 1080?) is supposed by at a high Mbit rate (e.g. 20), it is half or even just a quarter of that, to save transmission costs and storage space. 

The result: Garbled, pixelated TV as a result of heavy MPEG compression rates and pictures being stretched to fit huge tv sizes. 

 

Given the choice, I would NEVER NEVER NEVER buy a Plasma TV again. We currently have a 2007 Panasonic Viera model, 42" size. Its generally a nice picture on properly made broadcasts (usually from SBS/ABC), but the amount of heat it generates and electricity it WASTES is horrid. Somewhere around 400-500w - during the course of the evening, there goes about $3 worth of electricity at our rates. 

Of course, the added heat causes the A/C to work harder in Summer, and being in-efficient as it is, it drives up our cooling costs even more. 
 
On the Lighter Side:

I had a look through there: I might not have an Eight-Track player, but I certainly DO have cassette tapes :-)

 

Not only do I have tapes, I have 3 (Yes three) cassette decks, plus a stereo amplifier. I formed the collection about 2 years ago, but still haven't found the time to wire in the speakers and get the decks serviced back to their factory condition. Its a bit of a work in progress, but still. 

<ul>
<li>JVC TD-V531: 3 Head, Dual-Capstan (Closed Loop) </li>
<li>Denon DR-M22: As above</li>
<li>Onkyo Integra TA-2800: As above, with auto-calibration, electronic tape counter (in minutes or "numbers"), balance controls etc. It looks absolutely marvellous in the evening if you use it. Sadly needs a belt and some mechanism work - loose belts can't drive the mechanism very well. (Any suggestions where to send it?)</li>
<li>TEAC A-9 Integrated Servo Stereo Amplifier. Pretty neat electro-mechanical device. </li>
</ul>
 
Some folks didn't like wood TV and Hi-Fi cabinets-what about the UGLY,HIDEOUS,Plastic cases they were put in during later years-HATED THOSE THINGS-When they died-a friend of mine who worked on TV's got lots of those plastic cased abominations---they sure made good TARGETS!!!!Loved how buckshot and shotgun slugs pummeled and shattered the plastic cabinets and pix tubes!!FUN!!!My fried enjoyed it too,so he went to the range more after the TV shootout!Taught him to shoot on those TV targets!What was really a bad TV case-Faux woodgrain PLASTIC!!!Makes you want to do bad things to it!!!7.62x39 and .223 made good for plastic TV "hunting",too!
 
HD TV problems-its more of the Broadcasters fault than anything else-ever since the "channel" could be divided to 4 "Lo Def" channels instead of one HD channel-the broadcasters elected to go to the subchannels-after all 3 more channels to put obnoxious ads on!And of course 3 extra channels to put crappy shows on and stupid weather channels.And of course liked those wood cabinet TVs-they were spared the "firing squad" treatment and fixed up.
 
NYC Writer-we had a couple of those 19" TV's on the roller carts-One was an older Emerson and the other a Sears-When you were sick and couldn't go to school-you had the TV in your room!!And could watch whatever you wanted!The only thing good about getting sick in those days!We also had a Zenith that could be put on a roll around cart.It was the best.You were VERY special in those days if you got the Zenith to watch!
 
OMG the Zenith ...

… my great aunt (who insisted on having nothing but the BEST of everything) got my uncle to spring for a top-of-the-line Zenith console (with remote control of course) in the nearly unheard-of size of 27 inches back in 1969.

Well into the '90s that sucker still had hands down the sharpest, truest picture that cable TV could provide. My aunt is long gone, but my parents still use that Zenith console down in their game room for the grandchildren's videos.
 
I don't know what happened to the Zenith that was in our family-bought by my Dad in the late fifties or early 60'sMom and Dad divorced-the TV went with Mom.Worked on it once.She then bouhgt an RCA XL-100 color set-the Zenith was a backup.Still worked-well into the 70's.
The Emerson was from my Stepmom.Had to fix it a few times.Don't remember what happened to that set either-just remember they were working last I saw of them.Update-the Emerson and the Sears sort of lookalike went with the Rapid City flood of 1972.Buried out there somewhere.Our house got the full brunt of the floodwaters when the Canyon Lake dam blew.The area where our house was is now a park.Still can find the Elm tree that was in our backyard and the little stream that flowed thru the yard.
 
We had the big Zenith console that was in the Bewitched living room for a few seasons. It was colonial style withe the louvered speakers on each side. Had a motorized channel selection, one button went up one went down, clunk a clunk a clunk. I had my own tv in my room, a Zenith too, though it was a smaller potable, it's still in the attic somewhere.

I honestly can't imagine anyone thinking that an old 480 SD CRT is in any way better than a 1080p model used today. If you do then you saw a very badly adjusted display - there are a lot of those out there, and lots of folks who think "I paid for that big screen and I want all of it used!" And stretch everything to fill that screen. Nice gray bars look fine and people are not all distorted and fat...

Rant off.
 
480 SD CRT

It probably helps that our SD tvs are 625 line PAL.

Comparing SD on an LCD/Plasma tv to a CRT I say the CRT will always win. If only it were possible to get an HD CRT!
 
The screens on european CRT televisions always looked a bit more large and a little more curvy than the CRTs used over here. I always thought it was because of PAL vs NTSC the broadcast formats used. PAL does have more lines per screen than NTSC did.

Those 1960's color televisions were something else. I think that's when the manufacturers still cared about quality. We were always a Zenith family. We had the console televisions, but separate stereo units. We had the "danish modern" 25" square tube when it first came out and then my parents last set was a 27" set. Both were tube sets. Our first set was a Zenith System 3 19" table model set with a real wood cabinet. It also had the "Space phone" feature in it. Unfortunately, it was not as reliable as my parents earlier sets were.
 
This has certainly turned into a very cool & interesting thread. It's great hearing about all these televisions and stereos that members recall from years ago. The photos posted of current collection pieces like the Magnavox "Oriental" B&W combo and the Philco swivel set with the "Acoustic Lens" front are nice pieces.

The first year I had my real job opening all those jars of caustic Easy Off and cleaning all those stoves for resale at the appliance store (I was 13) I saved my money to buy a tape recorder. I remember my dad taking me to White Front to buy it, all the while trying to talk me out of it..."you should take that $220 and put it in the bank." Over the years I've seen a few of these recorders for sale, all of them were trashed. They weren't that great to begin with but I always wanted one again. Last week I found one on ebay that looks great cosmetically so I bought it. $70 wasn't too bad and $5.80 to send a 35 pound item all the way from Florida seemed like a bargain. I should receive it in a few days. What I'm going to do with it is another story, one more "why'd I buy that?" purchase.

twintubdexter++3-4-2014-13-30-28.jpg
 
1897

My house was built in 1897. The only thing that I have on the list is a phone niche, actually it is more of a phone booth. Originally, the phone was a huge wall model. The booth is created where 3 sets of pocket doors converge creating a sort of "room"like space where the phone once hung on the wall. Now, there is a desk sort of thing where the phone is now. I have a huge leaded window by the front stairs.
No laundry shoot or mail slot. Gary
 
i miss & love.....

the console televisions and shag carpeting!!!

i remember as a kid, throwing myself on the carpet with a pillow and being sprawled out on the shag carpet watching the t.v.! the best way to fall asleep!!!
ha ha ha....

:o)

the mail slot in the front door:
i remember i moved into a little backhouse, when i moved out on my own. and being that it was a "studio/single" backhouse, i had a sofa hide-a-bed positioned in the "frontroom" part of the house, which was facing the frontdoor. and for some reason, everytime i laid down to go to sleep, i always felt like someone was going to flip the mail slot door open and watch me sleeping. it made me feel very uncomfortable. so, i finally nailed a blanket over the door so that it hung over the mail slot in the door.

:o/
 

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