CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Moose · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 788 Location: Minnesota

I've decided that for conventional viewing I want a CRT RP. I don't want others mucking around with my main system, they all say "it's too complicated" and, to tell the truth, for them, I'd say it is. Plus I don't want to waste tube hours watching NCIS or Survivor or other crud. I've considered and rejected plasma and all the other digital options so that leaves me with CRT RP.

What are the good ones? I know Mitsubishi is always mentioned but what model #'s? Are there others? I do not know what size I want. Hell, I'm not 100% certain yet that I want one at all. But since everyone is dumping CRT RP's, I was hoping to stumble onto a decent one pretty cheap locally. I'd prefer something with an HDMI input.

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

If you are buying new, you are pretty much only left with the Hitachi. Everyone else has stopped making CRT RPTVs. But since you said you wanted used, you are in luck.

Most of the CRT RPTVs make since about 2003 or so have HDCP DVI inputs. HDMI became the thing shortly after that. So, any recent one and you should be fine.

Most use 7" ES tubes. If you want a big screen like 73", then the late Mitsus with 9" tubes are great. I've focused and played with friends Sonys, Toshibas and Mitsus. I like the Mitsus and tend to stick with them, but the Sony's can look really good too.

You can find the features and what models rank where in the line up by looking at the historical archives on the manufacturers site. For instance, here is Mitsus:
http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com/j/i/18329/Archive.html?tid=17&f1=&s=2

Dave

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

I sold a couple of those Mitsu 65' rptv's.

That mofo was beautiful. Sharp w/ rich colors. It had a bad red push that needed calibration. What we would do was calibrate it w/ the service menu.

It's a damn fine tv, if you can find it!

Typh92 · Joined: 12 Nov 2006 Posts: 4

I have a Mits RP Crt and love it. Not sure if they are still making CRT's though. I know Hitachi is still making them with HDMI.

http://www.hitachi.us/tv/browse/projection/16-9digital/16-9digital_int_index.shtml

Z-Photo · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:25 pm Post subject:

I would recommend my Barco 67" retro - except for the HDMI issue. Smile

I love it - shipping it would KILL you.

the sets can be found for cheap for that reason.

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

Z-Photo · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:42 pm Post subject:

They are a 'Little' huge. But so far neither the kids nor the FIL have been able to hurt it.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:45 pm Post subject:

I've got one, and the kids use it a LOT. No tube wear... Smile

You might still find some NOS CRT units at retailers. They are blowing them out CHEEEEP, like under $1K in a lot of cases. Happy hunting!

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

Moose · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 788 Location: Minnesota

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

papalek · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1536 Location: Longs SC

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:25 am Post subject:

Before I found out about Curt's site I was all over the Mitsubishi 73 inch 16 x 9 set.

Check out the specs
http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com/j/i/18326?cid=40
It's got 9 inch CRT's

By the time I went to order it eveyone had blown out the big sets and only had the 65" Mitsu's in stock. The 65's look great too although the one's Sears had only had 7inch guns. There were 65's with 9 inch guns. Have a look here:

http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com/j/i/18326/TelevisionDetails.html?cid=48

and here:

http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com/j/i/18326?cid=37

I ended up buying a front projector instead.

I played with the color and brightness on the 65 they had at Sears and I can honestly say it blew away EVERY digital set they had on display.

Moose · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 788 Location: Minnesota

Well, now I'll be a-lookin' at Mitsubishi RP's, and maybe hope a Barco Retro turns up around here (not bloody likely). Locally, I found a Mitsubishi WS-65313 - this is not even listed on Mit's archieve page so I don't know what size tubes are in it. More than I want to spend anyway. And, as Dave pointed out, the only CRT RP being sold right now is a 51" Hitachi, which can be had for $799 and free shipping this week at Circuit City. I'm going to look for a Mits first.

JustGreg · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3098 Location: Kenosha, WI

Right on Dave with your recommendation for Hitachi. I have a 50" that's 9 years old with what I would estimate to have at LEAST 14,000+ hrs on the tubes. It isn't as bright as it once was but to keep it going this long, (I like to think it's because of this) every spring, religiously, I pull it apart, clean the mirrors, the lenses, and vacuum the chassis and components.

The thing continues to rock on! If I could find them, I'd plop another set of tubes into it and keep ON rocking it.

No software menu driven adjustments requiring a service code to enter either....it's all analog pots right where you can get at 'em. I prop a dressing mirror in front of it each spring after cleaning and dial it back in. Other than it's inability to resolve modern resolutions and it's lack of modern connectivity, I'd buy another one NIB without hesitation. I'm sure they're only better in their modern iterations.

EDIT:I have sourced 1080i into it via component but the sweet spot was 720p. It didn't like it very much while that mode was switched to it, but it took it like a trooper and looked great except it won't accept any AR except for 4:3 regardless of what I selected on the Digital HD STB.