Alternative for budget buyer...CRT HDTV's (used)?

This is just a general question for those who might have an opinion regarding this idea.

For those who cannot afford to get even a smallish LCD or plasma would you consider (given ones ability to find one) an old school CRT HDTV a decent alternative? I for one fell in love with CRT HD screens while attending university where we still had a few Sony CRT's hooked up to the editing stations as output monitors, they were amazing. The price points for these sets used are amazing, again if one can track a set down at a place that does not value them too higly.

I myself purchased a Panasonic TAU 30" at a pawn shot for around $340, it has HDMI and I could not be happier. The picture quality blows all the 30" LCD's I've seen out of the water. The blacks are black, the whites are white without a lot of "crush" and it calibrated to damn near perfection.

Just a thought, if I had to do it again, I would go the route I did. Granted I was lucky to stumble upon the set when I did. It will serve nicely until I can afford a set that will truly shine in 50"+.

JN

Yes, CRT 1080i HDTVs are of very good quality, especially prior Sony 30" and 34" Wega models from Sony - editor John Puccio owns the previous top-of-the-line 34" 1080i CRT HDTV Sony model from 2004. Also, Samsung and Philips have supported CRT HDTVs.

Note: remember it's best to send either 480i or 1080i (interlaced) signals [not progressive], since CRT sets' native resolution is 1080i, as there will be less processing/conversion. Maybe John will post his views/comments regarding how the various signals looks on his nice Sony CRT HDTV. I almost bought one of these back in 2005 when first looking to buy an HDTV, but the higher Sony cost (and extreme weight) soured my interest, and I went with a Sharp Aquos LCD instead, and last December upgraded to a 50" Pioneer KURO plasma.

Enjoy your nice Panasonic CRT HDTV!

-JIMI (the Voodoo Child)

Quote:
Note: remember it's best to send either 480i or 1080i (interlaced) signals [not progressive], since CRT sets' native resolution is 1080i, as there will be less processing/conversion

Thankfully since I only have the A3, 1080i is the best I could send to the television anyway

Well, video engineers still use CRTs in mastering and editing movies because of the tube's inherently deep black levels and crisp detail. But CRTs don't come in very big sizes, and they're enormously bulky and heavy. The widescreen 34" that I bought a few years ago was about the biggest you could get, and, I believe, still is. This is perfect for me, though, because I have a very small home-theater room and sit only a little over five feet from the screen.

Every few weeks or so I wander through the Best Buy, Circuit City, Anderson's, and Fry's Electronics stores near me, checking out the latest and greatest in LCDs, plasmas, and the like. It's only been in the last year that I've begun to see a few models that seem to approach the CRT's black levels and detail sharpness. I like the Pioneer Kuro for its deep blacks. I also like Sony's smaller Bravia LCD sets for their overall clarity.

The nice thing is that I see televisions getting better and better practically every month, at lower and lower prices. Not that you can't still spend an arm and a leg on these things, but there are some great bargains out there, too.

John

For anyone who wants to dabble in high-end front projection (and has reinforced ceilings), you can get a used 9" gun CRT for under $2,000 these days.

Here's a Sony VPH 1292 for only $1,800:
http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/80903-sony_vph_1292/

I'd love to get my paws on something like a Runco DTV-1200, but unfortunately even used ones I think are still going for well over $20,000. My wife would divorce me if I even think about it too much!