CRT decline

[wrightie01]

Hi

Am I alone? Im beginning to think so, I have a 32" Panasonic 100hz TV, its about 5 years old. I have been looking at Plasma and LCD however I have decided that I simply detest the picture quality on LCD and am not prepared to pay through the nose for a Plasma panel that cannot display as good a picture as my 5 year old CRT. Trouble is I would like a new CRT, 32" with 3 scarts (1 or 2 of which RGB) and composite. Can I find one??.....NO! I have been brand loyal to Panasonic for years and their CRT offerings now are abysmal - Most of their stuff now is Plasma or LCD. I have heard about bad pictures on the Acuity range which are also no longer in production I believe.

So my choice is a bulk standard 50hz set with only 2 scarts and no composite. I'm not at all familiar with other manufacturers, and have been looking on the likes of Currys, Comet etc....nothing there either (that I can see ) Even my local independents are shying away from "glass" and are all paneled to the hilt. Why anyone would want a 30% reduction in picture quality just because its Thin is beyond me, and LCD should be kept for PC's and not TV watching.......Is this the END for my beloved CRT??

Anyone who can point me in the right direction please do.....

[Hudson]

Well i am of a similar opinion to you, although i am ok with the pic quality side of things, it's just the costs at the moment and the constant upgrading that will come in, in terms of multi HDMI input that no doubt will need to be put onto the panels so we all use HD DVD, HD Cable, HD Games etc etc. I have recently bought a 36'' Panasonic PL32 from Curry's for the rather nice sum of £499 (incl of stand), brand new, boxed, with full guarantee.... it's set up and doing me very good service. I can say this (for the money) is an excellent buy, the only problem now may be locating one. Good luck and i too am not yet ready to dump my beloved CRT, especially when i simply do not need the rear room that a plasma gives me.

[del3917]

I bought a Toshiba 36zp48 in the spring of this year and it's been absolutely brilliant. Its got every connection you could want, 3 scarts (2 rgb), component, fibre optic and metal digital connections etc. I only paid £800 for it but when I did a search just now it seems to be a lot harder to get hold of.
Everyone thats seen it comments on how good the picture looks. Weighs a ton though, had to get my son in law to help me lift it on the stand.

[Woodywizz]

If you really do not want to go the lcd/plasma route, then I would suggest Panasonic 32PD30. CRT with every connection you could want, 3* scart and component. It's a couple of years old but a very very good CRT. The only problem may be sourcing one as I too am aware as to the move away in production to lcd/plasma. Alternatively I would suggest getting the Panny TX32LXD500 - excellent LCD screen which - in my humble opinion anyway - is as good as, if not better, than the 32PD30. PQ via an SD broadcast is just as good and PQ via DVD is far superior to the CRT set that I used to own.

[mo]

hi,
if you guys are after a tv i have available a philips 32' 9618/05 which meets all your needs and more(twin tunner split screen)4 scarts (2rgb)pixel +.
its brand new boxed with warranty the owner wants £575 for it.
it comes straight out of the store in the heathrow area.
i think he has two.

[Tight Git]

Originally Posted by wrightie01

I have heard about bad pictures on the Acuity range...

Only if you're unlucky.

Get a good one and they're the tops for picture quality.

Originally Posted by wrightie01

Why anyone would want a 30% reduction in picture quality just because its Thin is beyond me...

Because the great viewing public, who've never even heard of this Forum, put style above all else.

The good news is that with CRT's out of fashion, there's some incredible bargains around.

[MikeD]

Acuity rocks for me and my 32" Panny PD30, still the best picture I've ever seen on a CRT or LCD display so far

[per-Sony-fied]

I saw a Panny 32pd50 in JL Bluewater a few weeks ago. Believe it was just the display model forsale (although not certain). Price asking about £700 I think. Not cheap for the TV or display unit. BTW it has 4 scarts. 2 rgb/s-video. 1 S-video and 1 plain vanilla composite (suitable for a vcr).

The PD30 is even rarer now being the forerunner but with a little luck a Miller bros may have one. And I can say NOT quite as good a picture. The PD50 uses a SR2 tube and the PD30 a SR tube.
Hyper-fi in dagenham, essex do refurbs of these models and also the rather acclaimed Tosh 32ZP48 which you'll either like or not as the colours are quite strong.

Trouble with the PD30/50 the scart rgb/s-video i/p's tend to produce annoying sporadic flickery lines on screen. Far from severe but certainly annoying. Some equipment avoids this behaviour for what ever reason?

I find it difficult to recommend for this reason.

[marcusmoore]

Originally Posted by del3917

I bought a Toshiba 36zp48 in the spring of this year and it's been absolutely brilliant. Its got every connection you could want, 3 scarts (2 rgb), component, fibre optic and metal digital connections etc. I only paid £800 for it but when I did a search just now it seems to be a lot harder to get hold of.
Everyone thats seen it comments on how good the picture looks. Weighs a ton though, had to get my son in law to help me lift it on the stand.

LOL, yeah totally agree, a fine TV. It's easily the heaviest TV I've ever come across. I unpacked mine when I moved into my new flat and it was so heavy my girlfriend couldn't help me lift it so I had to ask the bloke upstairs! As for the box... well I've left that outside my flat as a makeshift garage to park my car in at night...

Fantastic TV, shame I couldn't get the 36ZP46 as I didn't need the Dolby Digital as I've got my own AMP etc. Oh well, bit of a waste.

Marcus.

[spocktra]

Originally Posted by MikeD

Acuity rocks for me and my 32" Panny PD30, still the best picture I've ever seen on a CRT or LCD display so far

Here here

[Nick_UK]

Originally Posted by wrightie01

Am I alone? Im beginning to think so, I have a 32" Panasonic 100hz TV, its about 5 years old. I have been looking at Plasma and LCD however I have decided that I simply detest the picture quality on LCD and am not prepared to pay through the nose for a Plasma panel that cannot display as good a picture as my 5 year old CRT.................. Why anyone would want a 30% reduction in picture quality just because its Thin is beyond me, and LCD should be kept for PC's and not TV watching.......Is this the END for my beloved CRT??

To be honest, I've yet to see a 100Hz CRT TV which gives as good a picture as a 50Hz TV (bar the lack of flicker), because manufacturers cut corners to avoid putting so much memory in the TV.

You have to take all the aspects of CRT TV's into account - yes, they can give a very faithful rendition of pictures, but what about screen geometry ? Focus on the screen edges ? Convergeance problems ?

I agree - a LCD screen can never compete with a CRT screen in certain aspects of the display, but a properly setup plasma can, although the increased size of plasma screens can reveal reception problems which are not revealed by smaller screens.

[WeirdFish]

After my 8yo 32" Philips went pop today I've been on an information & review hunt, and I'm shocked at the limited amount of CRT stuff out there now

As the TV is situated in a bay I have no real need for a flat panel and I'm still not convinced by LCD technology when watching sport. Looking at available CRT stuff, I dont want to pay for built in Dolby Digital, speakers and freeview when I'm not going to use them, so the choices are very limited.

The only plus point with LCD/Plasma for me would be HD but I think I'll still stick with CRT for now, if I can find one . Maybe if it had gone pop in a years time I would have a different shopping list.

[wrightie01]

Originally Posted by WeirdFish

After my 8yo 32" Philips went pop today I've been on an information & review hunt, and I'm shocked at the limited amount of CRT stuff out there now

As the TV is situated in a bay I have no real need for a flat panel and I'm still not convinced by LCD technology when watching sport. Looking at available CRT stuff, I dont want to pay for built in Dolby Digital, speakers and freeview when I'm not going to use them, so the choices are very limited.

The only plus point with LCD/Plasma for me would be HD but I think I'll still stick with CRT for now, if I can find one . Maybe if it had gone pop in a years time I would have a different shopping list.

Thats exactly my problem too....there seems to be nothing but basic tellys now, everythings all plasma and lcd. I also dont want a plasma/lcd as Id like to wait for an SED screen which is basically a CRT which is as thin as plasma/lcd

[Tight Git]

Originally Posted by wrightie01

I also dont want a plasma/lcd as Id like to wait for an SED screen...

Problem is, there's always new technology on the horizon.

Stick with last year's models (which are just as good now as when they were first introduced) and you can really cash in!

(That's music to TG's ears. )

[Will Scarlet]

Sage advice indeed TG. Too many 'must have the latest/greatest thing' punters out there. AV manufacturers must be laughing all the way to the bank.