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I wan't to buy a CRT television, but crap, I can't find anybody who manufactures or sells them anymore hardly. Wal-Mart is the only place left online where I can find CRT televisions for sale, and the selection is awful. I wan't one because of the price. I can get a 27" for around 200 bucks. I hate what this mandatory digital switchover is doing to the television market. Crutchfield, Newegg, and practically all retailers only offer HD solutions. Expensive as crap. Dangit, don't phase out the good ol' reliable tube-type television. Not everyone want's an HD set.

Watch Craigslist...you can probably pick up a nice Sony CRT set for $100. People are practically giving them away.

My Sony CRT TV weighs 200 lbs and uses 270 watts. An LCD TV weighs less and uses less power. You might save $20/year in electricity.

I don't know what part of Idaho your in but I was in Wal Mart in pocatello yesterday and they have a bunch of crt tv's on the shelf.

There's an RCA 27" at wal-mart. Not sure how RCA is. Back in the 80's my parents had one that would still be top-o-the-line by today's standards. I mean it had everything. It was an RCA, and the picture quality was amazing. It even had S-Video. I think they bought it in 1987 or 1988. It had 6x9 speakers built in I believe. Excellent sound! I just wonder if RCA still makes a good tv. If so, I'm getting the RCA from wally world. Oh yeah, I have an aunt and uncle in pocatello. Maybe they can look and bring one up.

Not sure on the RCA but I have a 32 inch sanyo CRT tv that I got at wally world probably 7 years ago and it still works like the day I bought it. If they happen to have a sanyo you can't go wrong with one of them.

Just a rant, it really chaps my butt that crt televisions are being phased out. Is it a government conspiracy? Or just market demand?

dustyjamessutton wrote:

Just a rant, it really chaps my butt that crt televisions are being phased out. Is it a government conspiracy? Or just market demand?

lots of trains running around powered by coal?

Lol! I still burn coal in my stove to heat my living room.

I thought the whole idea of the digital switchover is that you just need to get those converter boxes and you can keep using the old TV sets? It is only if you want to watch the HD channels then you will need a new set? And if you are using cable/satellite this does not affect you at all?

Market demand has dropped quite a bit for CRTs over the last 3-4 years. All of the major players got out of it, so what you got now are crappy brands that aren't worth wasting money on unless you want something that is very cheap.

Get a Plasma. They have gotten so good that they are very close in PQ of a CRT that you probably won't notice.

NeXus 6 wrote:

Get a Plasma. They have gotten so good that they are very close in PQ of a CRT that you probably won't notice.

He doesn't want CRT PQ, he wants CRT price.

I forgot to mention I'm using the CRT mainly for my nintendo wii so I can play Zelda games. That's pretty much all I got the Wii for. Other than that, I'm wanting to build a really good gaming system. I wan't a CRT cause it's cheap because I'm trying to save $5,000 for a decent gaming computer I wan't to build.

FWIW, it's want, not wan't.

In that case, what you do is, you go to Goodwill, and you find the oldest (yes, oldest - we're going for most durable, here) TV you can with AV jacks.

dustyjamessutton wrote:

...because I'm trying to save $5,000 for a decent gaming computer I wan't to build.

lolwut? A "decent gaming computer" can be had for $500.

Seriously though, if you really want a CRT just pick one up used. You might even be able to snag one for free.

Hmmm, I've donated to Goodwill before. I had some old 3rd Generation Bose 901's I donated after I got the Series 6 Bose 901's. By the way, I swear by the Bose 901's. They sound AMAZING! Provided you have a compatible amp with preamp out/in jacks. Oops, off topic. Well, I think I'm going to go with the RCA 27" from wally world. It's cheap, and brand new, and sometimes I like to watch a movie or two maybe a few times a year.

You don't need anywhere close to 5,000 to build a gaming computer. I have my Wii hooked up to a 57 inch HDTV with component cables and it looks quite a bit better than a regular def TV.

Hance wrote:

Not sure on the RCA but I have a 32 inch sanyo CRT tv that I got at wally world probably 7 years ago and it still works like the day I bought it. If they happen to have a sanyo you can't go wrong with one of them.

There's Sanyos of various sizes in my family far, far older than that still going. For a cheaper brand, they do seem to hold up pretty well.


re: RCA

I think the RCA "name" (I don't think it really exists as a company anymore, not in the way GenXers and older remember it, but as a brand) has been bought and sold numerous times the last 20 years or so, so you can't really go by prior experience one way or the other.

I was looking for a 27" 4 x 3 television to replace a pair of blown CRTs in a pair of custom cabinets in our station. Turns out that you can't find a 4 x 3 format television at any of the local electronics stores...except CRT. All the LCDs are widescreen, unless in the really small end of the size spectrum. Let me tell you, I had a heck of a time finding a 27" CRT as well. They are really cheap, damn heavy, extremely rare.

I can just imagine in 5-10 years, when these cheap CRTs are dead, we'll be SOL and have to commission new cabinets etc...I guess we all have to evolve at some point eh?

For the people who still want to hang onto their analog tv's, you can get two $40 coupons for use towards the purchase of digital converter boxes.

https://www.dtv2009.gov/

My father just got a plasma tv to replace his 46" crt, which weighs a ton.. I know because I, along with three other people, moved that monstrosity and had a heck of a time doing it. Good riddance to crt's, that's all I have to say.

P.S. Does anyone want a 46" Mitsubishi crt tv that can also double as a boat anchor?

You can have my 27in CRT Mitsubishi free of charge in a couple of weeks as I'm finally buying an HDTV. It does have some distortions while warming up (recent development) but works perfectly fine when warms up. Free pickup in MA. I'll probably throw it away otherwise.

bhtooefr wrote:

NeXus 6 wrote:

Get a Plasma. They have gotten so good that they are very close in PQ of a CRT that you probably won't notice.

He doesn't want CRT PQ, he wants CRT price.

Oops. Well, he's stuck with getting either a cheaply made CRT from Wally World or a used one. I'd check out any local pawn shops or try the newspaper "for sale" ads. I'd only look on Craiglist or Ebay if you have no luck locally. There you can find some good brand name CRTs for rather cheap.

dustyjamessutton wrote:

I wan't a CRT cause it's cheap because I'm trying to save $5,000 for a decent gaming computer I wan't to build.

Order is wrong here, you should spend the 5K on a really good TV and the CRT price for a gaming computer. Actually a decent 46" plasma TV is about 2000-2500, you should have plenty left for a good gaming machine, a Bluray player (if you don't want the PS3), a stack of games, and a few packs of beer.

By the way...

flybywire wrote:

For the people who still want to hang onto their analog tv's, you can get two $40 coupons for use towards the purchase of digital converter boxes.

https://www.dtv2009.gov/

If you didn't see my post above, take a note at this. You don't have to get a new TV for the digital switchover. And if you are using cable/satellites, you don't even have to do anything at all.

Flying Fox wrote:

I thought the whole idea of the digital switchover is that you just need to get those converter boxes and you can keep using the old TV sets? It is only if you want to watch the HD channels then you will need a new set? And if you are using cable/satellite this does not affect you at all?

What is happening is the FCC is ending the broadcast on the current analog signal band. The are transferring those channels to a new band that will allow for HD digital broadcast. By allowing more bandwidth to those channels. The old band will be shutoff and reclaimed for other use.

As for HD content a TV that can receive this new signal will be able too. But it doesn't have to be a HD TV. You older box will display what it can. If the program in question is HD then you will only see what your TV can display. And vice verse. (My parents have had a 37" LCD since last year and they only use it to receive over air broadcasts. Meaning they already see the new band. If it is in HD great, if not they just get a normal picture that is cropped.)

A lot of people think that this change is for HD content only. It is not. It is to allow for HD content to be broadcast over traditional airwaves, doesn't mean the content will always be in HD.

[EDIT]This explains it pretty well.

Synchromesh wrote:

I'll probably throw it away otherwise.

Please don't. There's lead and other nastiness in CRTs. They need to be disposed of properly (taken to a recycler), not just dumped in a landfill.

dustyjamessutton wrote:

I wan't to buy a CRT television, but crap, I can't find anybody who manufactures or sells them anymore hardly. Wal-Mart is the only place left online where I can find CRT televisions for sale, and the selection is awful. I wan't one because of the price. I can get a 27" for around 200 bucks. I hate what this mandatory digital switchover is doing to the television market. Crutchfield, Newegg, and practically all retailers only offer HD solutions. Expensive as crap. Dangit, don't phase out the good ol' reliable tube-type television. Not everyone want's an HD set.

you can come buy mine. I have a 34" Sony HDTV CRT. must pick up .. no delivery. lol
the only reason i dont like it is the weight. freaking ton.

ooookay so 5000 for a gaming computer... you spend that muhc on a computer it will be worth half as much in a year. it will also be outdated in two years and get bested by a MUCH cheaper comptar by that time. spending a more reasonable amount on a computer, 1500-2000 will buy you a retarded good computer... then buy TWO good plasma tvs.

so lets see one AWESOME rig for 1500-2000 and TWO plasma tvs for LESS than a single REALLY awesome computer... you do the math.

i dunno, seems pretty simple to me, spend slightly less on the computer that will rapidly depreciate anyways and spend the rest on a 42 inch plasma tv for a monitor AND another for a tv.

note: plasmas are exceptionally heavy, so if you want a computer thats good for lanning you could just toss in a 22 inch lcd for ~200 or just buy a 42 inch lcd (25-30lb i think)

no matter the case, you would get serious street cred with a 42 inch plasma monitor and that investment would last you 10 years easy.

danny e. wrote:

you can come buy mine. I have a 34" Sony HDTV CRT. must pick up .. no delivery. the only reason i dont like it is the weight. freaking ton.

It probably weighs about the same as my 200-pound KD-34XBR960.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

danny e. wrote:

you can come buy mine. I have a 34" Sony HDTV CRT. must pick up .. no delivery. the only reason i dont like it is the weight. freaking ton.

It probably weighs about the same as my 200-pound KD-34XBR960.

The last and greatest of the direct view CRTs that Sony made. I wish someone near me had one they'd be willing to give away.