please empty your brain below
One less member of the CRT club then. Mine is a younger model, bought around 2006 I think. At that point a lot of LCDs were still rather crap in picture quality so I went with a CRT when my previous one died after only three years. This one still works. No point in
replacing it.

Andrew Bowden | 20.12.13 - 7:29 a.m. | #

I only bought an LCD when the network connected sort approached an affordable price. (that would be 3 years ago) Still kind of annoyed that 4OD has never really got its act together in supporting more platforms, but iPlayer and the TB or so of stuff on my network will do. :) My wife was home with a newborn and it allowed her to watch the entire set of The Wire on the TV without farting around with cables.

As for brands, I hate Samsung's customer support and shoddy design in other areas but they still probably make the best affordable screens for the money. LG and Sony ain't bad either, but the Samsung (as of 3 years ago) supported more file formats over DLNA.

Chz | 20.12.13 - 7:51 a.m. | #

What set (or brand) did you get? And where did you go that was so helpful and pleasant?

The house I used to live in had a CRT, and I hated it. The picture felt so flickery to the point of being unwatchable. I've no idea how we ever put up with it at the time, especially on a computer!

Kirk | 20.12.13 - 8:21 a.m. | #

Reminded me of three TV experiences. I brought down a spare TV from the loft which had worked fine previously. Turning it on, I noticed that the picture was a bit odd and eventually a funny smell. Then I noticed a sort of haze over the TV and quickly turned it off, banishing to the garden in case of fire.

Around the same time as DG's CRT, in Autumn 2000, I bought a second hand TV - a rather swish 4:3 Sony. This fell over in the back of the car driving home, bent the shadow mask and leaving an irritating and insoluble colour cast in one corner. I gave to a partially sighted friend who did not notice the problem. Shopping for its replacement, I debated whether to buy the cheap 16:9 Wharfedale or higher quality 4:3 Philips at my local Tesco. In the end I plumped for the Philips. A few months later I saw a product recall sign for the Wharfedale TV. I can't remember the problem now!

Half a physicist | 20.12.13 - 8:24 a.m. | #

I can attest that if you have any sort of visual impairment a super size television in HD is a great help.

Chris | 20.12.13 - 8:41 a.m. | #

when you paid for it, they asked for your postcode right? you shouldn't be able to to buy a new TV now without having to give your address, so the TV license people can look you up...

... now go plug your new TV into your home network, and update its firmware..!!

geofftech | Homepage | 20.12.13 - 9:37 a.m. | #

Now all I need to do is work out how to record something. There must be a button for it somewhere.

Unfortunately this is where technology seems to be going backwards. Our 32" TV has a built-in recorder and wonderful it is too. Until iPlayer came along there was no need for a separate recorder - or remotes. Unfortunately manufacturers have now shied away from this as the hard-disk based recorder can often fail and also the recorder becomes out of date quicker than the screen and tuner.

Meanwhile I have yet to see anything in the shops that matches the convenience of combined TV and recorder so I am sticking with my "ancient" LCD 32" not-slimline set.

Pedantic of Purley | 20.12.13 - 10:01 a.m. | #

We have a 1978 Sony Trinitron on a bracket in the corner of our bedroom. It's about 10 years too old for Scart, but I found a Freeview adapter with a UHF output in a junk bin at Curry's or PC World a couple of years ago. Horrible buzzing on the audio if you get the volume controls wrong, but I watched the extended version of Have I Got News for You on it earlier this week.

Alan Burkitt-Gray | 20.12.13 - 10:05 a.m. | #

My Humax PVR has been running happily since 2007. No out of date problems - other than that it doesn't do HD. But then my TV isn't HD so it doesn't matter.

Always buy carefully when buying something like a PVR. Spending a little more on decent equipment will stand you in good stead for the future. I'd buy Humax again.

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 20.12.13 - 10:05 a.m. | #

There are always CRT tellies on Freecycle, as everyone is getting shot of them. That's where ours came from!

Auntie Doris | 20.12.13 - 10:22 a.m. | #

@Andrew Bowden,

Get a Humax Youview set with internet connection and you will quickly realise how out-of-date your 2007 Humax DVR is (I refuse to call it a PVR which is daft marketing-speak). More to the point the integrated DVR in my even older Humax TV isn't a patch on your 2007 DVR.

And by the way I have already had to have my Youview set replaced under guarantee because the hard disk failed which shows how fickle these things can be. One of the advantages of Humax is you can actually replace the hard drive yourself as the critical software is kept in firmware - not on the hard drive. You still lose your recordings though. If still under warranty far better to go that route though.

Pedantic of Purley | 20.12.13 - 10:26 a.m. | #

@Pedantic - my definition of "out of date" must be a bit different. I'm thinking more along the following:

* transmission methods/standards have changed, this set top box/TV no longer works because it either predated them, or the box wasn't up to standard - this has happened a LOT.
* set top box has dodgy firmware. Manufacturer can't be bothered to fix the bugs
* set top box has some previously unknown error that only manifests itself in some circumstances no one predicted - my CRT TV suffers from this. There's too many Freeview channels and it can't cope with them.

For my mind, YouView is just extra functionality. My PVR may not support it, but it works and it does exactly what I want it to do.

Maybe I'm too fortunate. I have never experienced a hard drive failure in my life - and I've had hard drives in various computers since the early 1990s. I'm not complacent though. My personal data (not the TV!) is stored on a RAID enabled server, and backed up to the cloud. If my recordings of Borgon Series III, Fresh Meat and Toast of London die tomorrow, I will survive. But to lose my photos, music and documents? Not risking it.

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 20.12.13 - 10:38 a.m. | #

I wouldn't have you down as a TV person. Does this mean that your new toy is going to distract you to the extent that your blogging takes a back seat? I hope not!

I was always the butt of jokes at school because my parents never had a TV (quite!), so as soon as I was earning that's the first thing my wages went on. Now I've almost come full circle; we have a reasonably up to date one with all the gizmos, but I find myself watching less and less even with the plethora of channels now available. And then most of that is re-runs of classics like Minder and the Professionals.

Tim | 20.12.13 - 12:50 p.m. | #

When my old Sony CRT conked out a few years ago I did the same as you - web research and then wandered up the road to my local electrical store. Great service, no queue, decent enough price and able to walk home with the telly in a few minutes.

The bigger nightware was finding an afforable (ahem) stand on which to put the telly, DVD / VCR / Hard disc player recorder plus Sky box. The stand cost almost as much as the telly - a classic bit of "essential" equipment sold at rip off prices. The profit margins on those must be several 100%.

PC | 20.12.13 - 1:07 p.m. | #

These "Smart" TVs are turning out to be rather evil. Connect it to the internet and have your viewing habits sent directly to the manufacturer :-( What they do with it is anyone's guess, sell it I imagine.

Oh and now 4K TVs are coming, if only there was some 4K content to consume on them (and is it noticeable to HD?)

mdb | 20.12.13 - 1:30 p.m. | #

ah...the humble CRT...bet in twenty years time people will still have working sets in their homes. now... what does one choose...LCD or LED or Plasma? don't be fooled by all the tech-talk...these tv's seem to have a shorter life-span than many a CRT.

E | 20.12.13 - 2:24 p.m. | #

does anyone actually watch "live" tv anymore? i certainly don't. it's all DVD box sets, and films via the internet for me.

in fact, when Timeout magazine ditched the tv listings i wasnt very happy, but it doesnt bother me now as really, the only transmitted tv i watch is the channel four news and antiques roadshow.

everything else just seems like cookery/"talent" shows and "documentaries" about people with two faces/an OCD cleaning disorder etc

anything decent is usually on bbc4 and can be watched via iplayer/now tv box

i also find that most tv documentaries are so drenched in background "mood" music that they are virtually unwatchable (this includes BBC ones).

i have complained to the bbc about this a number of times, but they just fob me off with stock copy-and-paste replies.

maybe i'm getting old.

dave | 20.12.13 - 4:13 p.m. | #

I was waiting for the first person to say they don't watch live TV any more.

Know this. We will never be friends.

diamond geezer | 20.12.13 - 4:25 p.m. | #

Some smart TV's can record programmes - quite a lot of them without the need for a separate recorder - might even have slots for external media to play...

b | 20.12.13 - 5:14 p.m. | #

What's the sound like?

It seems to me that most modern TVs now seem to need a sound bar, or plugging in to some other output sound system to sound even reasonable.

We still have one CRT left. Our large one was over 25 when it died just before the Olympics. The first Sony Bravia we bought (just over 5 years ago) is already playing up. Modern technology isn't made to last, or for ease of use.

Blue Witch | Homepage | 20.12.13 - 6:03 p.m. | #

http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/weee/free-weee-collections-offered-in-north-london

I've copied and pasted the link above as I had a similar problem with a huge dead CRT TV. It used to be operated by DHL. You book a slot and two burly men come and carried it away

gjam | 20.12.13 - 6:04 p.m. | #

Congratulations on your forage into the 21st century!

CornishCockney | 20.12.13 - 6:31 p.m. | #

I still have a 25" Magnavox from 1995 (I also have a newer 46" TV). Problem is, there's nothing worth watching on TV anymore.The US viewing audience seems content watching mind-numbing "reality" and "talent" shows. I rarely watch broadcast TV at all these days. Except for the weekly football (American) and the occasional BPL game that they show here (if Arsenal are playing). And, to fill in for the lack of quality TV... more freakin' commercials! Trying harder to convince me to buy useless, overpriced crap every few minutes got very tiresome. I'm just glad I don't have to pay for the privilege of bad TV(no TV licenses here). Netflix, You Tube and my DVD collections of classic British and US shows are pretty much all I watch nowadays. I'll go a week or more without turning on mainstream television. And you know...I don't miss it a bit.

Jackal | 20.12.13 - 7:27 p.m. | #

Sorry for the wall of words.I didn't realize my rant was so long. LOL

Jackal | 20.12.13 - 7:32 p.m. | #

I'm still using a Sony CRT TV from 1995, amazing reliability really, I even still have the same remote control!

Mikey C | 20.12.13 - 8:02 p.m. | #

Excluding parents tv's I have gone from an old17 inch black and white to 19 inch colour at Uni followed by a 21 inch flat screen but still 4/3 CRT to a 32 inch LCD HD flat screen 2006 then last year a 55 inch LED smart tv with full surround system. I have to say I really love it.

One thing you cannot use now was the hand sized tv's you could take with you on a coach trip etc. We had one which when you had signal worked very well.

Rick | 21.12.13 - 2:13 a.m. | #

The first TV I ever watched was a B&W 9-inch set that had been hired for a weekend as a birthday treat. Hard to believe now, as I adjust the angle of my slimline LCD with my fingertips.

Great Aunt Annie | 21.12.13 - 6:44 a.m. | #

You can buy portable TVs like this one: http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/35-inch-touchscreen-portable-digital-tv-with-microsd-recording-a62kf

I don't know how good it is, hope that I'm not advertising.

Half a physicist | 21.12.13 - 7:52 a.m. | #

Modern televisions have poorer sound because they are so slim there is no room to fit a good sized loudspeaker.
You could have changed the on/off switch dg but getting rid of your crt TV is probably just as well. Hope you got and LED lit LCD TV.
In my working life one of my jobs was repairing TV.

John | 21.12.13 - 11:37 a.m. | #

@ Half a physicist

i too have looked into this...an find these newer "pocket-TVs" all seem to have built-in battery ...so limited "off the grid" time. the 'old' ones took standard AA batteries an as such better suited for purpose IMHO.

E | 21.12.13 - 1:30 p.m. | #

My last job had a very small bit of TV (and video monitor) repair in it - it's quite satisfying to take the back off, do a bit of fault-finding, and find that swapping out a couple of capacitors can be enough to fix an otherwise dead telly. I didn't get my hands on many flat screens, but I suspect they're mostly based on printed circuit boards and less economical to repair.

Anyway, happy viewing, dg! Hope you're enjoying the world of HD too.

martin | 21.12.13 - 6:42 p.m. | #











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