RCA TV just - won't - die. Pic as good as it was 20 years ago

[docmirror]

The week after the superbowl in 1995 I went to Sears outlet and bought one of the TVs that some douche bought for the game, then returned. I paid about $1800 plus tax back then for a 61" rear proj with S-vid(woohoo, I know).

The picture has always been good. I clean the guns once in a while, and keep it in a fairly dark room cuz it doesn't like direct light. Been through three different TV remotes, and it's had various heavy stereo gear on it for years but it still looks great. I have a new Samsung in another house, and while I like the picture on that maybe slightly better, the pic on my old analog is still very fine.

Only in the past year have I noticed that the various networks have gone more to a 16:9 format that I'm missing some edge image material. Kind of annoying. Also, on action shots like hockey, I can see some small sawtooth from the digitization then conversion to analog, but I can't blame that on the TV. When I watch old movies on AMC they are nice and smooth.

I went to CL, and started searching "TV" and I see about 20 or more big screens like mine in the 'free' classification'. hahahaaa! Well, 20 years of good entertainment for < $2000 initial buy-in is ok. I watch a fair amount of sports, I admit. Guess I'm doing something wrong.

 

[EppyGA]

Now is the time since there would have been a lot of nice flat screens returned this week after the Super Bowl.

 

[docmirror]

Now is the time since there would have been a lot of nice flat screens returned this week after the Super Bowl.

That's what got me thinking I should go be a good materialist. Was gonna sell my RCA for a bunch of money and replace with newer Dig TV. Mine is basically - worthless. Might as well still enjoy it.

 

[flyingron]

I had one of the early 1080i CRT (30") TVs. It weighed a ton. When I replaced it with a flat screen I donated it to my cleaning woman. I'm sure her husband was glad to have it.

I bought an HD projector for my instructional classes, but it gets used a lot to project movies on the back wall of the hangar.

 

[NJP_MAN]

Why do people call Flat panel TVs flat screen TVs? Are they not aware that flat screen meant the glass didn't have the curvature of a traditional CRT? I had a CRT flat screen before flat panel TVs were even relevant.

I'm willing to bet OPs screen is flat.

 

[mikea]

Check Craigslist for Mitsubishi DLP HD TVs. They go for $200-$400 and will get you 1080p HD. You can get up 93" size! (but don't unless you have it in a darkened room)

In a spell of brain shower I bought 4 of them because I was able to fix mine.

If you were nearby I'd have one for you.

Even the HD rear projection CRT TVs are still great but they weigh 200 pounds. Got one of those, too. When your techy Best Buy buying buddy asks you if it's 120Hz or 240Hz tell him that that's irrelevant (it's not LCD,) show him some football on it and laugh as his head explodes.

 

[docmirror]

Hey, found a 52" DLP for $200. Hmmm, interesting. I get 16:9 resolution. May have to make room for the RCA on the curb. Geeeee, I hate to do that. It's like a well-worn old shoe that is so comfy.

 

[mikea]

Hey, found a 52" DLP for $200. Hmmm, interesting. I get 16:9 resolution. May have to make room for the RCA on the curb. Geeeee, I hate to do that. It's like a well-worn old shoe that is so comfy.

Just keep the old warhorse to the side. Watch in stereo.

I can put live TV on three (HD) screens by mine right now.

 

[flyingron]

Do yourself a favor and don't buy anything 4K or 3D. The tech isn't there right now to truly enjoy it, so count on bringing home a basic 60" 1080P HDTV for about $600. Best bang for the buck.


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Believe me, 3D was certainly a waste of effort on my part. My wife insisted on it but there is near zero content (except for video games). We had ESPN 3D for a while but even that has gone.

I looked into 4D and think that has more promise, but it's not there yet and I could have an 80" 1080p panel for the price of a 48" 4K.

 

[N5922S]

My bedroom TV is an old Magnavox that weighs about 900 pounds (more or less). Couple problems:

1. Has a great pic and just won't die -- I can't put it out of its misery.

2. It's sitting on a tall chest of drawers. When it was new, I could lift it up there; now, AGHHHHH no way.

 

[denverpilot]

My bedroom TV is an old Magnavox that weighs about 900 pounds (more or less). Couple problems:

1. Has a great pic and just won't die -- I can't put it out of its misery.

2. It's sitting on a tall chest of drawers. When it was new, I could lift it up there; now, AGHHHHH no way.

Don't worry, getting it down will be easier than getting I up there. Just put down a huge pile of movers blankets and push. Especially if you don't care if it works again. LOL

 

[docmirror]

Timmmmmmmm-beeeeeerrrrrrrr!

Watching golf right now and the greens are vivid, and the blue sky is natural, bunkers are sandy and textured and the fleshtones are just right. Damn RCA for making such a great TV I cant get rid of it!

 

[LoneAspen]

Do yourself a favor and don't buy anything 4K or 3D. The tech isn't there right now to truly enjoy it, so count on bringing home a basic 60" 1080P HDTV for about $600. Best bang for the buck.

3D was such a bust. The only 3D version of a movie that I thought was worth a damn, and wasn't a gimmick, was Avatar. I was hoping it would spearhead more immersive 3D versions of movies, but all the rest just relied on it as an "in your face" gimmick. I'm glad it died out.

I think 4K is worth it, IF you have the content for it, which today pretty much means a limited selection of content via broadband Internet streaming.

I believe the Blu-ray people just finalized the specs for 4K Blu-ray, and when 4K Blu-rays start becoming available, I'll probably swap out my 1080p front projector for a 4K one.

I held off on 1080p HD until either Blu-ray or HD-DVD won the HD format war. When Blu-ray won, I immediately went out and got my HD projector, and have been very happy. I'll do the same with 4K once 4K Blu-rays become available.

 

[denverpilot]

Karen saw her first 4K TV demo at a store this weekend. Not kidding she did this...

"Wow, that's impressive."

She looks at price tag...

"Not THAT impressive!"

I busted out laughing in the store.

 

[Unbeliever]

Also, on action shots like hockey, I can see some small sawtooth from the digitization then conversion to analog, but I can't blame that on the TV.

That's not a digitization artifact. That's an interlacing artifact. They've been there since the start of TV, as it's in the nature of the display being 60 fields per second of every-other-line instead of 30 whole frames per second.

I never really noticed it until I started owning progressive displays of high enough resolution with proper de-interlacing. Once I was used to de-interlaced displays, the interlacing artifacts were a matter of "oh, that's what that is."

--Carlos V.

 

[docmirror]

That's not a digitization artifact. That's an interlacing artifact. They've been there since the start of TV, as it's in the nature of the display being 60 fields per second of every-other-line instead of 30 whole frames per second.

I never really noticed it until I started owning progressive displays of high enough resolution with proper de-interlacing. Once I was used to de-interlaced displays, the interlacing artifacts were a matter of "oh, that's what that is."

--Carlos V.

No, it's not interlacing. It's A to D using low res converters that leave interpolation. Movies shot on actual film, and pushed right to the feed are fine. It's clearly digitization, I've seen it plenty of times.