Does anyone make console televisions anyymore?

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dalangdon

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My mom desparately needs a new TV, and I would like to buy her one for Christmas. However, she is from the old school, and refuses to have a non-cabinet TV in her living room. (She still mourns the TV before this one that not only had "Early American" styling, but also doors that pulled out and covered the screen when not in use)

I thought about buying her an Armoire or something, but that opens up a can of aesthetic worms that I don't want to even go near.

Surely there must be a niche market for other stubborn old ladies who dislike the modern plasticy TVs, but I can't find it. Does anyone know if there is company that sells console televisions anymore?
 
I knew of

a company in Cleveland..(forget it's name, sorry), that specialised in rebuilding tv chassis. Maybe there's a similar one in Rain City.

Last new consoles I remember were from the early 80s.

Good luck-

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
If I recall that last of the consoles were more or less "special order" items. You had to go to a Ma & Pa television dealer to order one, the big boxes didn't carry them anymore.
Over the years, some beautiful consoles were made with nice speaker systems built into them. I think Zenith made some of the nicest looking of the consoles of that era. I used to like the names the companies would give to their models.
 
Thanks for the offer, Blackstone..

Actually, the TV would need to go to Council Bluffs, Iowa. That's where my mom lives, but that's still too far away.

The Early American TV was an RCA. We just threw the cabinet out a few years back. My dad had busted the guts out and they used it for storage. It was a nicely made piece of furniture, but it was also campy as hell. I wish I had a picture of it.
 
Dan, was shocked to find this...

I am digging into it to find out what the deal is with it.

Food for thought. If this is for real, your mom will LOVE it.

Loading…

www.amazon.com
 
More detail

I was able to find it using a search feature on the website.

It is a "tradional cabinet" with an "oak finish". There is a slight cheesiness to it as it appears that they took a complete TV unit and bolted it into a cabinet, but, it does look traditional.

KP

Loading…

zenith.com
 
Hi Dan,

YES! Here are the Zenith consoles, both in contemporary and traditional designs. RCA had one console model left for the longest time, but it appears they recently discontinued it as I can't find it on their website. Hope this helps...
 
Thanks, Kevin!

That would probably meet with her approval ;-) but the Amazon offer is weird. There doesn't seem to be a way to actually buy it. I tried adding it to my cart, but it didn't list a price.

I also found it on the Zenith corporate website, so I know it's legit. They don't talk about the cabinet, however. For the MSRP($950) I would hope that it's real wood.
 
The grandparents got one of these Zeniths a couple years ago, and at that time consoles had all but been abandoned by the rest of the manufacturers; looked very much like the one in the link actually. The problem with Zenith, I mean Goldstar, is that the electronics will only hold out for a couple years, tops. Biggest complaint is failure of the CRTs. Either a failure of one of the three guns, or soft focus. Some googl'ing would be a good idea before handing over cold hard cash. Too bad that the great American electronics names get slapped on offshore crap.
 
Well, it was a nice idea, but I just called Zenith, and they have been discontinued. I told the customer service rep that they were still listed on the their corporate website and on Amazon, and she said "Oh. They need to take those down"

Back to square one....
 
MY aunt

Her console TV has gone out. I was talking to her the other day. She is going to have a neighbor gut her console for her and sit her new tv inside it. <p> Makes me wonder when I am 80 what ideas I will be holding on to and refusing to give up. LOL.
 
Wow, they discontinued them? Considering how they weren't exactly cheap, it doesn't really surprise me, but it's sad to see that there are no more console TVs being produced new anymore.

Cory, I second your comment...I've heard numerous times before about the electronics going out early on the recent Zeniths. At an estate sale I went to in late '04, there were two Zenith consoles in the living room, a 1983 and a more recent one from 1996 next to it. Out of curiosity, I plugged each one in and hooked up the cable, and believe it or not, the picture of the '83 model was better than the newer one, not as washed-out or grainy! I knew of the problem at that time, but still thought about getting the '96 since it had more features. However, I took one look at the plasticky cabinet...nope! Needless to say, you can guess which one I picked up! It still works great and that Chromatic setting really makes the picture stand out; it's just that I use my computer more than my TV and hardly watch it!
 
Read somewhere (Wall Street Journal?) that electronics makers are getting out of the traditional television market. Soon it will be either LCD or plasma, with the old fashioned picture tube TVs going the way of the Dodo. Some electronics makers will contiune to supply sets, but mostly low end and they will be small, things one finds in Walmart and such.

As things stand today, one would be hard pressed to find tube sets in anything larger than 27", and even then offerings are slim. Our local Best Buy has several rows of Plasma and LCD sets, but only two or three (sets, not rows), of tube sets.
 
I recently bought a 30" tube set because I wanted HDTV but couldn't afford the plasma or LCD sets available.

They have what are called "slim fit" sets, that are thinner than the behemoths the traditional tube sets, but deeper than a CRT.

LG and Samsung each put out one model for the US and Canada. Both companies expect to sell them for quite a while in places like Oz, the Middle East, Africa, etc., where LCD sets haven't penetrated the market as they have here in North America and in Europe.

I'm pleased so far with the LG's performance. I think it was a good compromise for me.
 
dalangdon, how about getting Mom a beautiful wooden TV cabinet with a rolltop-style or French-door opening (the Amish outlets sell them affordably) and throwing in a stock TV, or maybe even a TV/DVD=type combo that can be upgraded later, as necessary?

I'm going through the same struggle with my mom (pinch-pleated draperies and full-size ice cube trays aren't much easier to find!)
 
Check with the other manufacturers

Don't give up yet. Not all that long ago, to my surprise, I saw an ad in the Collinsville, Illinois local newspaper for a television shop, and it claimed to have new console TVs. If I can remember what the name of the store was, I'll let you know. I'll ask some of the people at work who live in that town. There would be a big market for console TVs in that little town -- lots of old ladies who wear polyester clothes, have bouffant hairdos, and drive big old Ford Crown Vics.

Steve
 

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