CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

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

Hey Guys, I've not been running around these parts lately, so wanted to ping the CRT intelligentsia.

I talked with the neighbor that bought my lovely Zenith Pro 1200X (the old timers know of my love for that machine) and he has moved on and has been trying to almost give the thing away for awhile now with no luck. I'm both surprised and not surprised as I assumed the market was going this way, but for the price he was seeking, I'm shocked he got no takers. So, that piqued my interest in the CRT market again.

So, couple questions:
1) Is the market for selling a whole CRT all but gone except for maybe a few sold with support (from someone like Curt)? If so, is it that interest is dead, or so small that the shipping cost kills the deal?
2) If whole CRT sales are dead, is there still a market for parting out, or with the death of the CRT market has parting out also become pretty much a non-starter also?

km987654 · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:37 pm Post subject:

You are likely right on both counts. Out of interest though can I ask what he trying to sell the PJ for?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:42 pm Post subject:

See what happens Dave when you leave? The whole market goes to shite. Smile

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:58 pm Post subject:

It seems like a few hard-core guys are still trading around some newer 9-inch machines, though even those aren't bring a lot of money anymore.

8-inch LC/EM machines - even newer/higher-end models like the Zenith, G70 and XG are pretty much where Sony 12xx's and the like were a few years ago: Relegated to local sales because of how expensive it is to ship relative to the entire worth of the machine. It just doesn't make sense anymore to pay $350 to ship a machine that isn't worth a lot more than that. Sad reality.

Seems like people are still buying parts, but even those aren't bringing the prices they once were. It just doesn't make sense to put a lot of money into these beasts anymore and the prices reflect that.

SC

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

Yeah, it does seem that when you have AVS selling b stock VW60s for $900 it is hard to get someone to want to hang and calibrate a CRT even if it is a very good one and free!

Interesting times, you know we should have been doing an "office pool" back in 2003 and 2004 taking bets on when this time would come. I think many may have tried to call it too soon, but even then, I'm not sure many would have thought the market would be strong in 2011.

Kind of sad the end of an era (excuse me while I wax philosphic). Oh, how awsome where the heady days when we got decent 8" machine for around $3000. People were spending $12,000 on digitals that didn't really look much/any better, or they were buying horendous looking 480p digitals. Those days were pretty cool. You felt like an "insider" getting away with a bargain. You would ooooh and aaaah the locals since few relaized they could get a good looking theater for the price we paid. Ah, good times.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:27 pm Post subject:

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

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:39 pm Post subject:

That's the thing though, Dave... I really haven't spent that much money, though. Some people spend more than I've spent on our HT on a single trip to Disneyworld, or a cruise, or certainly more on something like a family boat... And you know what? We get WAY more enjoyment out of the HT than we would get out of a boat!

Yeah, it's a luxury item, but in the grand scheme of spending money on crap, I don't think it's over the top at all.

SC

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

overclkr · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4227

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

"A few hours per week" well I can tell you that I have at least one of my CRT projectors running for total of about 4 hours a daybetween the 3 of them.

Zebu Fellenz · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 2567

km987654 · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:58 am Post subject:

I have spent more than I would care to say with no regrets at all.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 1:55 am Post subject:

The funny thing is, despite some of the die hards going away from CRT, it seems that there's a few more categories here now than ever before

1) The guys that tweak and upgrade constantly, and are never happy with what they have.
2)Guys that love CRT like Cliff, but also know when to simply sit down and enjoy it.
3) Guys that dabble in it, come here for info, then either watch it, or on the odd occasion, give up and walk away.
4) Guys that had CRT and left due to newer technology
5) Guys that left for digital, then came back (yes, I get those emails!)
6) Guys that don't have a passion for it, but actually are still using CRT as their daily TV (got an email from a 12XX owner today that I sold it to 7 years ago and now wants to upgrade)
7) Wait, there's a CRT forum here? I come here to argue in the OT section!

mr_ro_co · Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 1643 Location: Santa Fe NM

To me the technology of CRT is as valid as it ever was. Pixel/scan rate agnostic, and with the best 9" sets, stellar performance. Yes, I know the best digitals are better in just about any way now. Who cares. You don't get something for nothing (5 year old digitals are just expensive consumer landfill), but if the mass migration to digitals makes the advanced technology of a 9" LC set cheaper, it makes this amazing stuff even more affordable.

I compare CRT to LP turntables. The high-end ones. You can argue all you want about how digital (especially 24bit/96KHz and higher) runs circles around the lowly LP, but there is a certain set of qualities about the whole record playing experience that are not satisfied by digital. And just as there are high-end turntables, there will be high end CRTs. For a while longer, at least.

tri_joel · Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 646 Location: Northern Virginia

I have been working on remodeling my HT for the last five years. Just this last weekend I finally got the GWB installed on the ceiling, I removed all the ceilings to install PEX for radiant floor heat in the spaces above. I have a BG1208 with HD145 lenses that I have messed with and fussed with for the last couple of years, it throws a great picture now. I am considering going digital now, not because of quality of the BG1208, but because it's big and ugly. I have a bulkhead built around ductwork and plumbing right where the PJ needs to sit. I've thought about removing the cover and building a hush-box for a "built-in look, but then if I have a non-repairable problem with the BG1208 I'm stuck retrofitting my ceiling to accommodate another PJ.

Anyway, it sounds like this post of off topic, but I wonder how many others are switching for practicality reasons?

Sparky015 · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 4:51 pm Post subject:

I fit in Curt's number 2 category. After months and months of upgrading and tweaking, my 8500 to 9500LC conversion is going up on the ceiling. I have no intentions of going to digital anytime soon, because quite frankly I don't want to spend thousands for something just to go to a smaller footprint that won't give me better performance. If you got the bucks, to each his own, I guess. For those deciding whether to re-tube or spend that money on newer technology, I guess that is a different story.

It's sad values have come down, but lets face it, we are talking electronics here. I remember not long ago seeing flat panels for $12k at Best Buy. Now you can get a great one for a fraction of that. Your not in this hobby for investment of your dollar purposes.

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

I don't use my HT nearly enough, but I still enjoy it. My entire investment in the ~5 yrs I've had it -- upgrading the room, built-in cabinets, sound treatments, PJs (PG, XG, Dwin, G70, 8500!), screen, sources, AVR, several rounds of speakers, the works -- is probably less than $4k. I enjoy my CRT because it just keeps on tickin'. I had to fix the HVPS a while ago but other than that I haven't done anything to the HT since I bought the PS3 2? years ago. If a nice 9" unit came available locally for cheep, I'd be tempted to upgrade, but other than that I'm perfectly happy where it is. The 8500 isn't as sharp as I'd like but I enjoy it anyway.

km987654 · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:37 pm Post subject:

mc86 · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:56 am Post subject:

I think I, and many of you, fit into this romantic-practical category:
1) Old
2) Metal / Massive
3) Can understand and service (don't feel like it is a "black box")

My 105yr old 12" jointer. I paid $250 and a days worth of setup/repair.
My '89 suburban. I paid $2,200 + $1000 tranny rebuild. 250,000 when I got it. 25,000 more w/ normal maintenance.
My CRT fits this. Paid $300 for 7ES with about ~500 demo hours on it...minty tubes.

I know I can understand (well-enough) to at least minimally service most everything on it (parts being available or creatable)...and it came from a time and place representing values I appreciate. I expect I may have a CRT (the same 7"ES?) over my head in 10yrs. Part of why I'm getting rid of a G90 I just got is that it just doesn't inspire me like the ECP does...does this make any sense to those of you who are experienced with these things?

Here's the song that gets at what I'm saying:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLqmBPIOsyc

cheers,
Matt