Who still uses a CRT TV?

[Jonny_]

Was pondering how many people are still using good old-fashioned low-definition CRT TVs these days.

I feel like something of a technological outcast as my main TV is a 9-year-old 36" Panasonic CRT (picked up for a ton on ebay 2 years ago) and my bedroom telly is another Panasonic - a 14" portable that was my xmas pressie in 1995!

I did try replacing the portable with a 15" Akai LCD that cost me nothing, but it was pure cack compared to the ancient CRT so the Panasonic stayed put!

Any other tight-fisted Luddites here, or am I the only one left?

[Strangely Brown]

I have yet to see any non-hd picture on LCD or plasma that is even remotely comparable to a CRT picture. Given that the vast majority of broadcast TV is still non-hd, I don't see any need to change yet.

Edited by Strangely Brown on Monday 4th January 20:57

[Marf]

No, but both my PC monitors are CRT.

To be fair had my CRT TV not gone pop just over a year ago I'd still be using it instead of the LCD TV I have now.

[jas xjr]

Whilst I would like a spangly HD plasma or LCD my CRT is not that old. So until it blows up I shall carry on using it.

[anonymous-user]

Jonny_ said:

!
Any other tight-fisted Luddites here, or am I the only one left?

No Jonny, you are not alone. I've got a perfectly servicable Loewe crt in the lounge which will soon be hidden in the chimney breast when I get round to building a long run of units along one wall. I'm really not that bothered about flat screen tvs, especially having seen some of the monstrosities that friends have had installed. I appreciate that in a few cases the picture quality may be slightly better but until my tv blows up I'd rather spend any spare cash on my modest stereo system or, even better, high quality vinyl to play on it. All depends on your priorities I suppose.

[thetapeworm]

Still on a CRT for the main TV, a 36" Toshiba 36ZP38 which has a great non-HD picture, good sound and looks OK (from the front at least).

It broke late last year and I toyed with the idea of taking the plunge but I ended up fixing it for about £50.

I bought a little 23" 1080p for upstairs at the weekend but I haven't switched that on yet.

I also have a SKY HD box with no HD subscription, one day everything will fit together... maybe.

[900T-R]

PC monitor is CRT (big ol'beast hogging my desk, but I'm tighter than a duck's lower back when it's not for my car or hi-fi system ), no telly.

Edited by 900T-R on Tuesday 5th January 07:21

[forty-two]

Looking at Sony Trinitron over the top of my laptop. Missus brought it 10 years ago and apparently it has built-in freeview, wouldn't know as new build house doesn't have a TV aerial so it is running via free-sat. No plans to replace it unless it goes pop, however we were recently given a 32" Sony HD. While the missus was deciding if that was going to replace the CRT, I went and purchased an X-Box 360 and claimed the conservatory as a games room.

[dienamic]

We've got a 32" 100hz Sony Wega CRT, bought about 6 months before the cost of flat screens plummeted. When it breaks, we'll get an LCD, but only when it breaks. I'm yet to see an LCD or plasma with a better non-HD picture.

[Silver993tt]

I still have the first TV I bought, back in 1984. It's an 18" Sony Trinitron and still has a perfect picture and regularly used in the Kitchen.

I can't think of any other 25 year old piece of electronics that I still use!

Edited by Silver993tt on Monday 4th January 20:32

[Jonny_]

Looks like there's more of us than I thought!

I find the picture on my CRT is "nicer" than most LCD or plasmas that I've seen; it doesn't come close in terms of resolution and fine detail, but without wishing to sound too much like a What Hi*Fi reviewer, the CRT has a smoother picture - i.e. it blurs out the jagged edges that show up on an LCD - and it's much better with dark scenes. (One of the recent Harry Potter films was in low light for much of the time and it's barely watchable on a 6-month-old Panasonic LCD...)

As with a few of you, my CRT is here until it dies - apart from anything it weighs 80kg and hence takes some shifting. Minimum 2 blokes and a small van.

That said, if the lifespan of my portable is representative of Panasonic CRTs in general then the big 'un should still be going strong in 2015

[Deerfoot]

Jonny_ said:

Any other tight-fisted Luddites here, or am I the only one left?

I`ve got a 28 inch Sony CRT as my only TV, no Sky, just freeview.

I don`t watch TV much, and I`m going to have a war of attrition with this TV, I`m curious to see how long it`ll last, I bought it in 1999.

[Ray Singh]

Ive been told (subject to correction) that CRT picture quality is far superior to that of Plasma or LCD.

Ive taken advantage of the situation and bought a Loewe CRT TV that was a fraction of the rrp price (£2k new)!!

Looking at a B&O beovision too.

[blueg33]

I am not sure its about being a luddite. My CRT TV was bought a few years ago for much the same price as a similar size plasma. At the time it was the best picture you could get (I did heaps of research) it has component video inputs for the home cinema stuff, and people still comment on the quality of the picture.

It sits in the corner of the room and the back of the case fits in neatly, a plasma or LCD would have shown me no benefit space wise as the corner is tyhe only viable location

[P700DEE]

Another vote for Sony CRT, have 29" 4:3 and 36" "Widescreen" unless you have HD/Blueray the picture on a CRT will be better

[hairyben]

Have a 28" panasonic CRT in the lounge, a "can-you-get-rid-of-it-for-me" from a customer.

The 50" vieras in the bedroom. (flatshare)

[CRACKIE]

Still using a Panasonic 36PF10 CRT and IMHO its SD pics are right up there with the best flat tech I've seen i.e last gen Pioneers, Pana Z & V series, Philips 9664 series LCD. Seems to sometimes take years for new tech to even equal, let alone improve on, the best of previous generation tech.

I ordered a Panasonic 50G10 plasma last Sunday, because I wanted a larger display + HD benefits, and when it arrives next Wednesday I think SD may struggle to be as good the CRT. Will report soon.

Edited by CRACKIE on Tuesday 5th January 23:41

[JakeS]

Not got a CRT in the house. 8 PC's and 4 TV's all flat screen.

[mr_fibuli]

CRACKIE said:

Still using a Panasonic 36" CRT( approx 2004 vintage ) and IMHO its SD pics are right up there with the best flat tech I've seen i.e last gen Pioneers, Pana Z & V series, Philips 9664 series LCD. Seems to sometimes take years for new tech to even equal, let alone improve on, the best of previous generation tech.

I ordered a Panasonic 50G10 plasma last Sunday, because I wanted a larger display + HD benefits, and when it arrives next Wednesday I think SD may struggle to be as good the CRT. Will report soon.

I did exactly that last weekend - finally ditched my Panasonic 36" CRT for a 50G10!

You might notice a few more compression artefacts on sky/freeview SD pictures, but this is mainly due to the larger size of the screen. Plasmas don't seem to suffer the same digital looking nastiness that you get on a lot of LCDs, which seem to highlight the blockiness of rubbish digital channels.

[koenig999]

Main TV - Toshiba CRT 36" w/s picture frame
Bedroom TV - Sony CRT something or other 4:3.

I haven't seen a flat sccreen that can be viewed from the sides as good as the Toshiba, or with such a lifelike picture. It's staying until it dies - I have already fixed it once when the teletext board went kaput, by pulling that board out. Who uses teletext anyway?

Koenig