Old Television Technology...
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passatdoc
Well-known member
Well, I remember when color tv was a luxury and most folks didn't own them due to cost. Our first color set was a 19" table top model on a cart that my parents WON in a Lions Club raffle. Dad was a semi-active member of the club and must have bought ten raffle tickets that he forgot about. He and I had gone to a hockey game when the club called the house and told my mother we had won the tv (I doubt she knew anything about the raffle until then). She drove to the donating dealer to take delivery of the set while we were still at the game. When we came home, she told us there was a new color tv in her station wagon and asked us to lug it out of the car and into the house.
At that time (late 1967) a 19" set was $500 and up. $500 for table models, more for "furniture" models. The cost of living then was about 20% of what it is today, so $500 then was about $2500 now. The first set they "bought" was a $350 Hitachi 19" set when the GE died after six years (it was never a very good set, which is probably why the merchant donated it for free to Lions Club for a raffle). The early 1970s was when color tv ownership in the USA surpassed 50%. Color tv sales began c.1954, but their $500 pricetag was like $5000 today, and sponsors didn't want to pay the added costs for a special feature that most viewers couldn't even see. Most color programs were one-time tv special programs, not weekly series. I believe Bonanza c. 1959 was the first series shown in color, and even then the first season or two was in B&W.
The cart feature was actually pretty useful. The GE set was placed in the den. The existing 19" Zenith B&W tv was shallow enough to sit on one of the built-in bookcase cabinets, but the color set was too deep to place it where the B&W sat. The cart allowed it to be placed in an optimal viewing area with some portability---limited by the length of its coaxial cable. No further furniture purchase was necessary, and the cart had a smaller footprint than any stand or table they might have purchased, because the cart was designed for the dimensions of the set. Since rabbit ears didn't work where we lived, due to terrain, the set wasn't truly portable in terms of being able to roll it into any room in the house---though had coax connections been installed in other rooms of the house, say, the living room, it would have been truly portable.
We had cable tv then (pulled in over the air channels from all of Los Angeles and San Diego) plus a rooftop antenna with a rotor, which my parents installed mainly for better FM stereo reception. The rooftop antenna signal and the cable coax were connected to the tv via an A-B switch.
There was a court case settled by the US Supreme Court in the 60s regarding cable tv. Subscribers such as ourselves, in San Diego, received signals both from San Diego and LA network affiliates. The issue was that local advertisers claimed that their ads weren't being seen if subscribers in a market received two different network affiliates showing the same program at the same time (i.e. an NBC program from Channel 4 in LA and Channel 10 in SD). The Supreme Court ruled that the non-local network affiliate (in this case, the LA station) had to be blacked out during prime time when both stations presented the same program.
In theory, this was fine, except that sometimes the black out of the LA network stations remained on OUTSIDE OF prime time, so that we couldn't see a program from LA say on Saturday afternoon which was not the same program being shown on the SD channel. By using the A-B switch and the rotor antenna, it was usually possible to pull in the LA station, though the reception was often inferior to what we got on cable when it wasn't blacked out. The independent LA stations (KTLA 5, KCOP 9, KTTV 11, and 13==can't remember its call letters) were not blacked out. The black out only applied to KNBC 4, KABC 7, and KCBS 2.
At that time (late 1967) a 19" set was $500 and up. $500 for table models, more for "furniture" models. The cost of living then was about 20% of what it is today, so $500 then was about $2500 now. The first set they "bought" was a $350 Hitachi 19" set when the GE died after six years (it was never a very good set, which is probably why the merchant donated it for free to Lions Club for a raffle). The early 1970s was when color tv ownership in the USA surpassed 50%. Color tv sales began c.1954, but their $500 pricetag was like $5000 today, and sponsors didn't want to pay the added costs for a special feature that most viewers couldn't even see. Most color programs were one-time tv special programs, not weekly series. I believe Bonanza c. 1959 was the first series shown in color, and even then the first season or two was in B&W.
The cart feature was actually pretty useful. The GE set was placed in the den. The existing 19" Zenith B&W tv was shallow enough to sit on one of the built-in bookcase cabinets, but the color set was too deep to place it where the B&W sat. The cart allowed it to be placed in an optimal viewing area with some portability---limited by the length of its coaxial cable. No further furniture purchase was necessary, and the cart had a smaller footprint than any stand or table they might have purchased, because the cart was designed for the dimensions of the set. Since rabbit ears didn't work where we lived, due to terrain, the set wasn't truly portable in terms of being able to roll it into any room in the house---though had coax connections been installed in other rooms of the house, say, the living room, it would have been truly portable.
We had cable tv then (pulled in over the air channels from all of Los Angeles and San Diego) plus a rooftop antenna with a rotor, which my parents installed mainly for better FM stereo reception. The rooftop antenna signal and the cable coax were connected to the tv via an A-B switch.
There was a court case settled by the US Supreme Court in the 60s regarding cable tv. Subscribers such as ourselves, in San Diego, received signals both from San Diego and LA network affiliates. The issue was that local advertisers claimed that their ads weren't being seen if subscribers in a market received two different network affiliates showing the same program at the same time (i.e. an NBC program from Channel 4 in LA and Channel 10 in SD). The Supreme Court ruled that the non-local network affiliate (in this case, the LA station) had to be blacked out during prime time when both stations presented the same program.
In theory, this was fine, except that sometimes the black out of the LA network stations remained on OUTSIDE OF prime time, so that we couldn't see a program from LA say on Saturday afternoon which was not the same program being shown on the SD channel. By using the A-B switch and the rotor antenna, it was usually possible to pull in the LA station, though the reception was often inferior to what we got on cable when it wasn't blacked out. The independent LA stations (KTLA 5, KCOP 9, KTTV 11, and 13==can't remember its call letters) were not blacked out. The black out only applied to KNBC 4, KABC 7, and KCBS 2.
dnastrau
Well-known member
Color TV
We didn't get our first color TV until 1975. It was a Sony Trinitron 19" set that had a great picture. It lasted until 1984 when it started popping a transistor repeatedly and the local dealer could not figure out what was causing it. I think even in '75 that set was over $400.
We didn't get our first color TV until 1975. It was a Sony Trinitron 19" set that had a great picture. It lasted until 1984 when it started popping a transistor repeatedly and the local dealer could not figure out what was causing it. I think even in '75 that set was over $400.
passatdoc
Well-known member
Agree
Hitachi was not an "off brand", but it was second tier behind Sony or Panasonic.
The Hitachi's picture tube went out in 1979 after six years of service. Too expensive to replace, so my parents put me in charge of researching and purchasing (on their dime) a replacement. I was home for the summer from grad school and had only a part-time job, so I had some free time on weekdays to research the purchase.
My parents were willing to spend more this time for a "quality brand", in the hope of it lasting more than six years. We settled on a 19" Mitsubishi, WITHOUT remote control since that added $100 to the cost in those days. The cost was $475, on sale from $525. Sonys were priced at a similar range. The Mitsubishi set lasted without any servicing until the mid-1990s. At that point, it was replaced with a 25" Phillips set.
Their tv is located in a built=in wall cabinet. The cabinet was designed in the 1970s for rectangular tv's. As a result, when tube tv's began to assume a square rather than rectangular shape in the mid-1980s, the cabinet dimensions became an issue because the height clearance was limited, and some of the taller sets did not fit. The Phillips 25" set was selected partly on the basis of its lower vertical height: yes, I took a tape measure along when we bought it!!
Now, tv's have reverted in their flat screen form to a rectangular shape. When the Phillips set dies, they will replace it with an HD tv, which won't have the same height limits because their aspect ratio matches the original design of the cabinet. It's come full circle!
Hitachi was not an "off brand", but it was second tier behind Sony or Panasonic.
The Hitachi's picture tube went out in 1979 after six years of service. Too expensive to replace, so my parents put me in charge of researching and purchasing (on their dime) a replacement. I was home for the summer from grad school and had only a part-time job, so I had some free time on weekdays to research the purchase.
My parents were willing to spend more this time for a "quality brand", in the hope of it lasting more than six years. We settled on a 19" Mitsubishi, WITHOUT remote control since that added $100 to the cost in those days. The cost was $475, on sale from $525. Sonys were priced at a similar range. The Mitsubishi set lasted without any servicing until the mid-1990s. At that point, it was replaced with a 25" Phillips set.
Their tv is located in a built=in wall cabinet. The cabinet was designed in the 1970s for rectangular tv's. As a result, when tube tv's began to assume a square rather than rectangular shape in the mid-1980s, the cabinet dimensions became an issue because the height clearance was limited, and some of the taller sets did not fit. The Phillips 25" set was selected partly on the basis of its lower vertical height: yes, I took a tape measure along when we bought it!!
Now, tv's have reverted in their flat screen form to a rectangular shape. When the Phillips set dies, they will replace it with an HD tv, which won't have the same height limits because their aspect ratio matches the original design of the cabinet. It's come full circle!
Channel 13 in L.A. has been KCOP as long as I can remember. It was once owned by pleasure boat builder Chris Craft.
Westinghouse really did overbuild their sets at a time when others were looking to cut costs (Admiral, RCA). Compared to Zenith they were a little clunky but could sure give 'em a run for their money for owners buying sets by the pound. -Cory
twintubdexter
Well-known member
another one of my childhood stories...
We got out first color set in the early 60's, and no my parents were far from being wealthy. My dad worked at and was very good friends with the owner of Western Appliance in San Jose (some of you may remember my other "Tales of the Big Appliance Store" posts on here.) My dad got the first color set for very little money, don't remember the year but it was an RCA round tube console (no rectangulars back then) and it had these tacky screw-on legs and glass over the picture tube. We had to wait up until 8:30 to watch a color show, The Price Is Right, and of course only NBC had color. I remember my mom spending the entire 30 minutes of the show adjusting the tint control while Bill Cullen changed from purple to green and back again.
Back then all of the color sets Western sold were tested before being delivered...every one. The man that uncrated them and did the "testing" was named Percy Spencer, one of those most-unforgettable people that comes into your life. He was a pretty old guy way back then and had a wonderful history. In his younger days he was the chauffeur for the Spreckles family (Spreckles Sugar) in old San Francisco. He drove their Pierce-Arrow limousine. He had a distinctive "quality" way of speaking and talked about socializing with the other drivers for SF's upper-crust society at the local garage. He said there was talk about sending pictures through the air like radio but no one believed it. Percy lost his chauffeur's license when one day, while he was driving Mrs. Spreckles and her good friend Mary Ives-Crocker (Crocker Bank) he had an accident resulting in Mrs. Crocker's death. He eventually moved to San Jose to be near his daughter. I can still see the 1952, 2-tone Lincoln Cosmopolitan he drove to work sitting out back at Western Appliance. I'm sure if you stopped by and ran into the owner David he'd remember Percy fondly too.
...and for those of you so very very fortunate to still have your Mothers...tomorrow's the big day so make sure you do something nice...I sure wish I could watch The Price Is Right again with mine...
We got out first color set in the early 60's, and no my parents were far from being wealthy. My dad worked at and was very good friends with the owner of Western Appliance in San Jose (some of you may remember my other "Tales of the Big Appliance Store" posts on here.) My dad got the first color set for very little money, don't remember the year but it was an RCA round tube console (no rectangulars back then) and it had these tacky screw-on legs and glass over the picture tube. We had to wait up until 8:30 to watch a color show, The Price Is Right, and of course only NBC had color. I remember my mom spending the entire 30 minutes of the show adjusting the tint control while Bill Cullen changed from purple to green and back again.
Back then all of the color sets Western sold were tested before being delivered...every one. The man that uncrated them and did the "testing" was named Percy Spencer, one of those most-unforgettable people that comes into your life. He was a pretty old guy way back then and had a wonderful history. In his younger days he was the chauffeur for the Spreckles family (Spreckles Sugar) in old San Francisco. He drove their Pierce-Arrow limousine. He had a distinctive "quality" way of speaking and talked about socializing with the other drivers for SF's upper-crust society at the local garage. He said there was talk about sending pictures through the air like radio but no one believed it. Percy lost his chauffeur's license when one day, while he was driving Mrs. Spreckles and her good friend Mary Ives-Crocker (Crocker Bank) he had an accident resulting in Mrs. Crocker's death. He eventually moved to San Jose to be near his daughter. I can still see the 1952, 2-tone Lincoln Cosmopolitan he drove to work sitting out back at Western Appliance. I'm sure if you stopped by and ran into the owner David he'd remember Percy fondly too.
...and for those of you so very very fortunate to still have your Mothers...tomorrow's the big day so make sure you do something nice...I sure wish I could watch The Price Is Right again with mine...
chaskelljr2
Well-known member
Hmmmm Color TV's???
I agree wholeheartedly with "PassatDoc".
Color TV's were expensive in the 1950's and the 1960's. But we did have a Philco Console back in the mid/late 1960's (can't remember if it was color or not, I was too young back then), and that gave way to a Quasar (anyone here remember Quasar??? they were made by Motorola back then) stand mounted Color TV back in 1971.
After moving twice back in the 1970's (from D. C. to South Carolina in 1974...... and then from South Carolina back to D. C. in 1977), the Quasar gave out, and then thanks to my mother working at Sears at the time, she was able to get us a fancy 19" set with electronic tuning back in 1978 (because of her employee discount). And that set held up BIG TIME. I believe that set was still working when I left home back in 1987.
I was starting out on my own back at that time, I did rely on a Samsung Portable that I got for Christmas back in 1984 as a Christmas Present. And because that set lasted so long, I didn't have the need to go out and get a TV of my own then. That set lasted every much of 16 years or so. Then I finally bought my first TV back in 2000, which I still have today. And then I have also went out and bought me a Panasonic Plasma TV back in 2007. The TV I bought in 2000 is also a Panasonic.
The Panasonic I bought in 2000 was a CT-27SF37 (which was the TOL 27" Set that year, and was fully loaded with Two Antenna In puts and Component Video Inputs (the thing to have at the time) and Two Tuner Picture-In-Picture.... keep in mind now, that this is a Tube Set), and the one I bought in 2007 was a Panasonic TH-42PZ77U (which is a Plasma TV, and if memory serves me correct, this was the first 42" set with 1080p resolution).
It's amazing how far TV technology has come over the last 55 to 60 years. From the bulky B&W Sets from World War II, all the way to the high-tech flat screens of today (as well as the progression from Black & White...... to Color TV..... to HDTV..... and now (and I don't know how long this is going to hang on, or if it's going to catch on at all) 3D TV).
Quite amazing when you stop and think about it really hard for a minute.
--Charles--
I agree wholeheartedly with "PassatDoc".
Color TV's were expensive in the 1950's and the 1960's. But we did have a Philco Console back in the mid/late 1960's (can't remember if it was color or not, I was too young back then), and that gave way to a Quasar (anyone here remember Quasar??? they were made by Motorola back then) stand mounted Color TV back in 1971.
After moving twice back in the 1970's (from D. C. to South Carolina in 1974...... and then from South Carolina back to D. C. in 1977), the Quasar gave out, and then thanks to my mother working at Sears at the time, she was able to get us a fancy 19" set with electronic tuning back in 1978 (because of her employee discount). And that set held up BIG TIME. I believe that set was still working when I left home back in 1987.
I was starting out on my own back at that time, I did rely on a Samsung Portable that I got for Christmas back in 1984 as a Christmas Present. And because that set lasted so long, I didn't have the need to go out and get a TV of my own then. That set lasted every much of 16 years or so. Then I finally bought my first TV back in 2000, which I still have today. And then I have also went out and bought me a Panasonic Plasma TV back in 2007. The TV I bought in 2000 is also a Panasonic.
The Panasonic I bought in 2000 was a CT-27SF37 (which was the TOL 27" Set that year, and was fully loaded with Two Antenna In puts and Component Video Inputs (the thing to have at the time) and Two Tuner Picture-In-Picture.... keep in mind now, that this is a Tube Set), and the one I bought in 2007 was a Panasonic TH-42PZ77U (which is a Plasma TV, and if memory serves me correct, this was the first 42" set with 1080p resolution).
It's amazing how far TV technology has come over the last 55 to 60 years. From the bulky B&W Sets from World War II, all the way to the high-tech flat screens of today (as well as the progression from Black & White...... to Color TV..... to HDTV..... and now (and I don't know how long this is going to hang on, or if it's going to catch on at all) 3D TV).
Quite amazing when you stop and think about it really hard for a minute.
--Charles--
passatdoc
Well-known member
"Quasar...the only tv with the works in a drawer"
Quasars were supposedly all solid-state and the electronics slid out from a drawer in the front, which lent itself to simpler, in-home servicing, rather than having to cart the set to the shop and bring it back to the house. Never owned one so can't comment on whether the ads were true re: simpler servicing.
@joeekaitis: oops, my bad.
Channel 9 = KHJ
Channel 13 = KCOP
(5 = KTLA, 11 = KTTV)
KTLA was the home of such memorable after-school cartoon shows as "Engineer Bill", "Skipper Frank", and "Popeye" (not animated, it was hosted by Tom Hatton who played a living Popeye). KTTV was home of the even longer running "Sheriff John's Lunch Brigade".
Quasars were supposedly all solid-state and the electronics slid out from a drawer in the front, which lent itself to simpler, in-home servicing, rather than having to cart the set to the shop and bring it back to the house. Never owned one so can't comment on whether the ads were true re: simpler servicing.
@joeekaitis: oops, my bad.
Channel 9 = KHJ
Channel 13 = KCOP
(5 = KTLA, 11 = KTTV)
KTLA was the home of such memorable after-school cartoon shows as "Engineer Bill", "Skipper Frank", and "Popeye" (not animated, it was hosted by Tom Hatton who played a living Popeye). KTTV was home of the even longer running "Sheriff John's Lunch Brigade".
whirlcool
Well-known member
I still have the Zenith 13 inch B&W set my parents gave me for high school graduation. And it still works, however the picture is getting a little dim. About 5 years ago I replaced all the tubes in it. The exterior is mint.
Our sets had a tendency to last a long time. My parents first color TV, a Zenith tube set lasted until 1976. Then they bought a Zenith solid state set that lasted until 1989. They then bought a Zenith System 3 which they had until the end.
I bought a Zenith System 3 with telephone around 1985. It lasted until 1991. We had a large power surge and the set kept blowing power supplies annually after that. I then purchased one of the first Zeniths after Samsung bought the brand name. I kept that until 2001 when it caught on fire one night. Our lab Brandy saved us by waking us up. The room the television was in had a cathedral ceiling, so the smoke detectors didn't go off. They were mounted half way down the wall.
Our current set is a 36" Sony Wega. We really like it and have had no problems with it since we bought it in 2002.
Our neighbors across the street have a Sony, I think it's a 21" model, that is 20 years old and the picture still looks great.
Our sets had a tendency to last a long time. My parents first color TV, a Zenith tube set lasted until 1976. Then they bought a Zenith solid state set that lasted until 1989. They then bought a Zenith System 3 which they had until the end.
I bought a Zenith System 3 with telephone around 1985. It lasted until 1991. We had a large power surge and the set kept blowing power supplies annually after that. I then purchased one of the first Zeniths after Samsung bought the brand name. I kept that until 2001 when it caught on fire one night. Our lab Brandy saved us by waking us up. The room the television was in had a cathedral ceiling, so the smoke detectors didn't go off. They were mounted half way down the wall.
Our current set is a 36" Sony Wega. We really like it and have had no problems with it since we bought it in 2002.
Our neighbors across the street have a Sony, I think it's a 21" model, that is 20 years old and the picture still looks great.
passatdoc
Well-known member
my "garage tv"
My first color TV was a 17" Sony color set purchased for the 1984 Summer Olympics. After purchasing a larger color set (27" Mitsubishi) in the early 1990s, the Sony went to my bedroom, since with excellent color. It was a very early "cable ready" set, but only for a 36 channel system!! When I bought it, our local cable company had only 36 channels, and premium channels were added at the street box, so it was quite a novelty to just connect the coax and access all channels with the remote...and no cable box to use.
About five years ago, I added a DVD recorder to the bedroom to record movies on DVD (it still works). Although I could have used a coax to connect the recorder to the tv, the best picture was obtained by using component color cable inputs, which of course the Sony lacked. In addition, if I wanted to watch a live program while recording another program, I was limited to channels up to 36.
So I bought a flat screen tube tv (Phillips, 20" stereo, $159 at K-Mart) which had component inputs and a digital tuner (i.e. still works) for the bedroom, and moved the Sony into the garage, paired with an old VCR as its "tuner" for channels over 36. I also moved an old DVD player to the garage, so I can watch videotapes or DVDs in the garage while working in there. The cable company spliced in another outlet for me in the garage so the tv would have a cable signal (using the VCR as "tuner").
In 2008, the color began to fail on the Sony. I bought a small flat screen HDTV for the bedroom and moved the 20" Phillips set (with digital tuner) to the garage. The Sony was taken to a thrift store where someone with a digital converter box could use it. The store manager said that with the price of HDTVs so much higher than the tube models they replaced, there was a viable second hand market for analog tv's that someone could pair with a digital converter box.
I had the Sony for 24 years. Now there are two HDTVs that are less than two years old, plus a five year old Phillips flat tube set in the garage.
My first color TV was a 17" Sony color set purchased for the 1984 Summer Olympics. After purchasing a larger color set (27" Mitsubishi) in the early 1990s, the Sony went to my bedroom, since with excellent color. It was a very early "cable ready" set, but only for a 36 channel system!! When I bought it, our local cable company had only 36 channels, and premium channels were added at the street box, so it was quite a novelty to just connect the coax and access all channels with the remote...and no cable box to use.
About five years ago, I added a DVD recorder to the bedroom to record movies on DVD (it still works). Although I could have used a coax to connect the recorder to the tv, the best picture was obtained by using component color cable inputs, which of course the Sony lacked. In addition, if I wanted to watch a live program while recording another program, I was limited to channels up to 36.
So I bought a flat screen tube tv (Phillips, 20" stereo, $159 at K-Mart) which had component inputs and a digital tuner (i.e. still works) for the bedroom, and moved the Sony into the garage, paired with an old VCR as its "tuner" for channels over 36. I also moved an old DVD player to the garage, so I can watch videotapes or DVDs in the garage while working in there. The cable company spliced in another outlet for me in the garage so the tv would have a cable signal (using the VCR as "tuner").
In 2008, the color began to fail on the Sony. I bought a small flat screen HDTV for the bedroom and moved the 20" Phillips set (with digital tuner) to the garage. The Sony was taken to a thrift store where someone with a digital converter box could use it. The store manager said that with the price of HDTVs so much higher than the tube models they replaced, there was a viable second hand market for analog tv's that someone could pair with a digital converter box.
I had the Sony for 24 years. Now there are two HDTVs that are less than two years old, plus a five year old Phillips flat tube set in the garage.
lordkenmore
Well-known member
Growing up, we never had color. The first TV my parents bought was a small black and white GE portable. The family story was that it was bought only because my father wanted to watch the moon landing.
I remember that set--it was in service until I was well into elementary school. I can even remember us taking it in for repairs--what a contrast to today when if it breaks, it almost automatically gets tossed!
This GE broke down past the point of economical repair when I was in about fourth grade. My mother and I went to Fred Meyer and bought the Spiritual Heir--a similar sized black and white set. About the only technological evolution was that the new set was solid state! Logically, one would think we'd have upgraded to color since this was our only set, but no. I suppose black and white was tempting because of price--the replacement occurred during my Christmas vacation. Then, we watched little TV compared to most normal people. Weeknight watching was a seldom thing--something special, or educational. Weekends we'd watch more--but a lot of what we watched was older material. Old movies and TV show reruns--I swear, I knew NOTHING about Bill Cosby's show when it was on, but I did know who Jack Benny and Burns and Allen were! This material was already black and white, so I guess a color set wouldn't really add much.
Today, I do have a color Magnavox. It's not a particularly good set, but it was a free cast off. I like free--it's my very favorite price! I haven't watched broadcast TV in about a year--analog reception where I am was poor, and digital non-existent without a huge fight. Even before, most of my watching was DVDs from the library.
I remember that set--it was in service until I was well into elementary school. I can even remember us taking it in for repairs--what a contrast to today when if it breaks, it almost automatically gets tossed!
This GE broke down past the point of economical repair when I was in about fourth grade. My mother and I went to Fred Meyer and bought the Spiritual Heir--a similar sized black and white set. About the only technological evolution was that the new set was solid state! Logically, one would think we'd have upgraded to color since this was our only set, but no. I suppose black and white was tempting because of price--the replacement occurred during my Christmas vacation. Then, we watched little TV compared to most normal people. Weeknight watching was a seldom thing--something special, or educational. Weekends we'd watch more--but a lot of what we watched was older material. Old movies and TV show reruns--I swear, I knew NOTHING about Bill Cosby's show when it was on, but I did know who Jack Benny and Burns and Allen were! This material was already black and white, so I guess a color set wouldn't really add much.
Today, I do have a color Magnavox. It's not a particularly good set, but it was a free cast off. I like free--it's my very favorite price! I haven't watched broadcast TV in about a year--analog reception where I am was poor, and digital non-existent without a huge fight. Even before, most of my watching was DVDs from the library.
lordkenmore
Well-known member
"Although I could have used a coax to connect the recorder to the tv, the best picture was obtained by using component color cable inputs, which of course the Sony lacked."
For those using older TV sets with only an RF connector, it's worth getting one of those adapter boxes they make for connecting DVD players to older TV sets. Obviously, this is the ONLY way to connect things like most DVD players. But these boxes can make a HUGE difference even with devices that have RF outputs (like VCRs, and--I suspect--HDTV boxes).
I had one of these convertors long before I had a DVD player. (Cheap thrift shop find--got it because I figured I'd buy a DVD player sooner or later.) I had a decent VCR, and, on whim, connected the convertor box. I was stunned at how much better the picture was--the VCR RF output was darker, murkier, and with less detail.
For those using older TV sets with only an RF connector, it's worth getting one of those adapter boxes they make for connecting DVD players to older TV sets. Obviously, this is the ONLY way to connect things like most DVD players. But these boxes can make a HUGE difference even with devices that have RF outputs (like VCRs, and--I suspect--HDTV boxes).
I had one of these convertors long before I had a DVD player. (Cheap thrift shop find--got it because I figured I'd buy a DVD player sooner or later.) I had a decent VCR, and, on whim, connected the convertor box. I was stunned at how much better the picture was--the VCR RF output was darker, murkier, and with less detail.
cfz2882
Well-known member
my first color tv was a big RCA console from 1968,parents
bought it in 1977 at a thrift store-it had a round picture
tube behind the surround and a 6x9 speaker on either side,
as i remember the performance was quite good.It started to
go on the blink and need repairs around 1979,after about the
4th repair was sidelined and replaced with a cheapie 19"
taiwanese "bohsei".A few mo.later,stripped and junked the rca
-and found a couple bad connections and a burnt-out resistor
in the process,parts ended up in projects,the two 6x9s under
the rear deck of my dads '68 chrysler.
TVs currently in use are an'02 panasonic 27"'83 RCA 19"and an
'81 rca 19"out in the garage-have several other 1950s-mid 80s
tvs
bought it in 1977 at a thrift store-it had a round picture
tube behind the surround and a 6x9 speaker on either side,
as i remember the performance was quite good.It started to
go on the blink and need repairs around 1979,after about the
4th repair was sidelined and replaced with a cheapie 19"
taiwanese "bohsei".A few mo.later,stripped and junked the rca
-and found a couple bad connections and a burnt-out resistor
in the process,parts ended up in projects,the two 6x9s under
the rear deck of my dads '68 chrysler.
TVs currently in use are an'02 panasonic 27"'83 RCA 19"and an
'81 rca 19"out in the garage-have several other 1950s-mid 80s
tvs
