my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Film-Yak   » No Sony CRT-based TV sets anymore (RIP Trinitron) (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: No Sony CRT-based TV sets anymore (RIP Trinitron) Michael Barry Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 584 From: Sydney, NSW, Australia Registered: Nov 1999 posted 05-29-2006 05:31 AM                     I went shopping on the weekend to buy my mother (for her 71st birthday!) a new TV. I was shocked to discover that Sony (my favourite brand of TV set) no longer manufacture CRT TV's anymore. They have abandoned that technology entirely in favour of LCD screens. (For that matter - interestingly enough - it seems as though they have abandoned Plasma technology too). Stock levels of the old CRT models are virtually extinct everywhere. (Fortunately, I was able to track down one of the last ones). The problems with this is that LCD sets mostly don't look as good as conventional sets, as well as being far more expensive for the same screen size. I don't want to pay 2-3 times more for something worse! So where does this leave us? Bobby Henderson has mentioned here several times that LCD computer screens don't offer sufficient resolution for his graphic design practice. Are they going to continue to make CRTs for specialty applications, or not at all? Sony Trinitron - I'll miss you... Michael.  |  IP: Logged Mark Ogden Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 943 From: Little Falls, N.J. Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-29-2006 07:10 AM                     I don't know if they have totally abandoned CRTs, the Sony Web Store still has a few available. Just a few months ago, I was able to buy one of the last issue of the KD34XBR960n model, a nearly 200lb. CRT HDTV set. I had to search like hell for it though, most of the retailers in the area don't touch tube sets at all anymore, including Sony's own retail stores (they told me CRTs account for less than 10% of sales, while at the same time agreeing that tubes have a superior picture. Go figure). In all my searching, I found only one LCD based set that I thought had a really great picture, but it was $15,000 without a tuner (the Sony Qualia 003, now itself discontinued).  |  IP: Logged Alexander Smith Expert Film Handler Posts: 128 From: Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Registered: Jun 2003 posted 05-29-2006 01:34 PM                     I remember paying a good sum of money for a Sony G200 17" monitor some years ago, and it's a decision I've never regretted once. Very capable monitor, it will sync to nearly any combination of VGA-ish signal and the picture looks stunning. Once you've spent some minutes fiddling with the geometry controls to make it look neat. I had to have the main on/off switch replaced under warranty, but that's the only difficulty I've had with it. R.I.P. Trinitron. Alex.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 05-29-2006 05:04 PM                        Do they make ANY LCD sets with a real HDTV resolution. I think all Sony sets are 768p, which has nothing at all to do with HDTV. Why they can't make them 720p is beyond me. I think they'd look better at their native resolution instead of being upscaled a tiny bit. Then they have those fake 1080p sets. Any set that won't accept a 1080p input is a fake 1080p set. SED is supposed to be better than LCD and plasma, right? When is that coming?  |  IP: Logged Steve Scott Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1300 From: Minneapolis, MN Registered: Sep 2000 posted 05-29-2006 06:27 PM                     Their Vega models' (or Wega depending on which store you frequent) pictures have been severely over modulated for years. My roommate's early model is probably the nicest to watch, but to do so is greatly benefitted by turning OFF the velocity modulation, a feature Sony loves, yet turns any image into a muddy, over-sharp bastard. The newer models got worse with it. Sadly it's a feature preset to high when taken out of the box.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 05-29-2006 06:45 PM                        SED is coming later this year in limited numbers and going wide next year. Personally, I wouldn't consider spending plasma amounts of money until seeing these SED displays. SED is rumored to be the plasma killer. Sony's SXRD (LCOS LCD) Grand Wega RP sets are 1920x1080 native and claim 1080p. Haven't verified the 1080p, but I have seen the 50" and 60" versions in stores and have been impressed. But it does depend on the store - the SXRD sets at Fry's here looked like crap, but the ones at Best Buy looked very good. Imagine that. Yes, RIP Trinitron. Those were some great CRTs.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 05-29-2006 06:55 PM                        I've always been confused why Sony pronounces "Wega" as "Vega"? It is clearly spelled with a "W". If that is supposed to be a "V", then that indicates that the TV must have some SEVERE convergence issues! Or perhaps Sony is just retarded and/or has no respect for the English langauge? If that is the case, I think I will start spelling ソニー as たわごと instead!  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 05-29-2006 06:59 PM                        The current SXRD sets will not accept a 1080p signal via the HDMI input (or any other input AFAIK), even though the set is technically capable of handling it. The same is true of some other makes of 1080p sets. So the magazine reviewers say anyway. There are a few that will take a 1080p input, like HP and Westinghouse. [ 05-29-2006, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: David Stambaugh ]  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-29-2006 08:31 PM                     If Sony stops making CRT televisions, AFAIC, there will be no reason to buy any Sony product anymore. Their products have slowly turned to crap, over the years. The Trinitron tube is the only reason I would buy a Sony, nowadays.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 05-30-2006 02:44 PM                        My understanding is that CRT based TV died about 2 years ago. The supply chain is THAT long. There are no CRT factories in the Americas. Louis  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 05-30-2006 07:15 PM                        That's fine because the best TVs are usually made in Japan.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-30-2006 08:46 PM                     quote: Louis Bornwasser There are no CRT factories in the Americas. There are still a few in the U.S. but nothing being made for the big set manufacturers. Clinton Electronics near Rockford, IL. is a large manufacturer of all types of CRT's. They also do custom work too... they have restored two CRT's for my antique televisions over the years and did an excellent job. FWIW the Trinitron CRT always had lower screen resolution than dot matrix type CRT's. So you all that are in love with the Trinitron have been getting less image detail all these years. Trinitrons are rarely ever used in critical broadcast applications and in most large studios are relegated to be used as audience montors and such. The best feature of the trinitron crt was always its long life span. Mark  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 05-30-2006 11:40 PM                        I have an older Trinitron that has pretty good resolution. But recently I went looking for a good 20 inch analog CRT set. The Sony Trinitron definitely had less horizontal resolution and MUCH worse color than the Toshiba I ended up going with.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Garman Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: Toledo, OH USA Registered: Mar 2003 posted 05-31-2006 12:47 AM                     I remember reading about the KV-32XBR100 back in the day. Supposedly this was the best CRT to ever hit US shores. I've always wanted one...and even in the digital age, I still kinda do. AJG  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 05-31-2006 02:29 AM                        Britain's two CRT factories both closed in the last few years - there was one in South Wales which went in '03 or '04, I think, and the LG factory just south of Newcastle closed last year. I suppose there are powerful environmental arguments against CRTs (and let's face it, cheap and nasty ones look dreadful), but I've yet to see a TFT or plasma that can achieve the black density of a decent one.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.