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Console television sets

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bmw
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Console television sets

Post by bmw » Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:56 pm

I've always loved the look of older console sets. Spotted this beauty on ebay for a mere $75 - and it still works great.

If only I had somewhere to put something this size, I'd love to have one.

Image



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Turkeytop
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Re: Console television sets

Post by Turkeytop » Thu Nov 03, 2022 10:49 pm

Never owned one of those. Too rich for my budget. Our first TV was an Emerson 12" B&W portable from K Mart. Our first colour TV, I don't recall the brand was a 16" portable. Cost about $500. Had to buy it on credit.


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km1125
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Re: Console television sets

Post by km1125 » Fri Nov 04, 2022 9:54 am

For a while I had an console about that size, but it was a few years older than that. Early 80's vintage. Kept it till just about 5 years ago, but by then it was relegated to using it for legacy video games and VCR tapes for kids. The remote was pretty cool. It was not a handheld, but a small console with an angled top. That thing was HEAVY too!! I moved it twice into second-floor rooms by sliding up the carpeted stairs upside down!

Our first console that I remember was an old RCA. A real "entertainment center" with radio and record player included.

Something like this:

Image



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Honeyman
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Re: Console television sets

Post by Honeyman » Fri Nov 04, 2022 11:34 am

I love the look of those too. I would think someone could retrofit a newer HD monitor in one of those, with soundbars. You'd have state of the art audio/video and with that classic look.


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Re: Console television sets

Post by Deleted User 15835 » Fri Nov 04, 2022 12:41 pm

bmw wrote:
Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:56 pm
I've always loved the look of older console sets. Spotted this beauty on ebay for a mere $75 - and it still works great.

If only I had somewhere to put something this size, I'd love to have one.

Image
My parents had 2 different ones growing up. A Panasonic and an RCA I believe. Played many hours of 8 Bit Nintendo too on there. A lot of Mega Man 2 and Ninja Gaiden.



Marcus
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Re: Console television sets

Post by Marcus » Fri Nov 04, 2022 2:19 pm

Many of the early superheterodyne radio sets from the late 1920's to the 1960's were floor console models, so this was an idea that was brought over to television. Even Stereos were sometimes built into consoles. Did you know that Motorola used to build Stereos? They were consoles. Other companies that made them were the RCA, Magnavox, Zenith, Sylvania, and a few other brands.

For a long time if a TV had a screen that was more than 21" across, it was built into a console regardless of the manufacturer. I think by 1986 or 1987 new console TV's were on the way out, although ones with the Zenith brand on them were still made later than that.



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HD74
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Re: Console television sets

Post by HD74 » Fri Nov 04, 2022 3:10 pm

It is possible to retrofit a console with a new TV, the one pictured would be a perfect candidate.
I have my Mom's old Curtis-Mathes from the 60's still, it's got a 46" HDTV in it now.
Keep it polished and everyone asks where I got it from.


You're never too old to learn something stupid.

Bobbert
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Re: Console television sets

Post by Bobbert » Fri Nov 04, 2022 3:55 pm

HD74 wrote:
Fri Nov 04, 2022 3:10 pm
It is possible to retrofit a console with a new TV, the one pictured would be a perfect candidate.
I have my Mom's old Curtis-Mathes from the 60's still, it's got a 46" HDTV in it now.
Keep it polished and everyone asks where I got it from.
The pictured set looks like a retrofit. The buttons don't look like they're from the '60s, and there seems to be a small gap between the set and the wood.



bmw
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Re: Console television sets

Post by bmw » Fri Nov 04, 2022 4:56 pm

Unless the CRT tube TV was non-functional, there's no way I would retro-fit a cabinet like this. A CRT is what belongs in it, IMO. With it having an S-video input, you could get a pretty good picture out of either a digital TV box or an older Satellite TV box that has an S-video output on it.

For the one I pictured, the seller claims it to be a 1998 Zenith...were they still making new TV consoles like that in 1998? If it is a retro-fit, it is a really good fit.

Here's a few others currently listed on ebay. FIrst, a GE 27-inch set:

Image

Next, a Zenith similar to the one in the first pic:

Image

And lastly, one of the more interesting miniature sets I've ever seen:

Image



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HD74
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Re: Console television sets

Post by HD74 » Fri Nov 04, 2022 9:30 pm

And your point is BMW?
The set I referred to was obviously an 80’s possibly early 90’s console.
The 60’s Curtis-Mathes I referred to is not pictured, although I’m watching it right now.
I don’t know what you actually know about CRT’s, but you can only rejuvenate them so many times before you have to replace them, or the high voltage supply, or the tubes if it is old enough.
At that point you have a beautiful piece of furniture, and that is all it is.
Why not retrofit that piece of furniture so it actually does what it was intended to do?
I still have the old tuner with the Conelrad frequencies marked on it working, although I’ve been forced to use Svetlana tubes in it.
The BSA record player? Long dead.
Fortunately there was room for an SL-1500MKII.


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stopnswop2
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Re: Console television sets

Post by stopnswop2 » Fri Nov 04, 2022 10:02 pm

bmw wrote:
Fri Nov 04, 2022 4:56 pm
Unless the CRT tube TV was non-functional, there's no way I would retro-fit a cabinet like this. A CRT is what belongs in it, IMO. With it having an S-video input, you could get a pretty good picture out of either a digital TV box or an older Satellite TV box that has an S-video output on it.

For the one I pictured, the seller claims it to be a 1998 Zenith...were they still making new TV consoles like that in 1998? If it is a retro-fit, it is a really good fit.

Here's a few others currently listed on ebay. FIrst, a GE 27-inch set:

Image

Next, a Zenith similar to the one in the first pic:

Image

And lastly, one of the more interesting miniature sets I've ever seen:

Image
Pic number 2 reminds me of the TV we had when I was a kid


Music is my life.

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HD74
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Re: Console television sets

Post by HD74 » Fri Nov 04, 2022 10:14 pm

And the irony of my post is: having to use Svetlana tubes in a receiver marked with Conelrad frequencies. For those of you who have never heard of Conelrad, Google is your friend.


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Turkeytop
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Re: Console television sets

Post by Turkeytop » Sun Nov 27, 2022 10:47 pm

HD74 wrote:
Fri Nov 04, 2022 10:14 pm
And the irony of my post is: having to use Svetlana tubes in a receiver marked with Conelrad frequencies. For those of you who have never heard of Conelrad, Google is your friend.
I well remember Conelrad


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WC8KCY
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Re: Console television sets

Post by WC8KCY » Mon Nov 28, 2022 12:14 pm

For what it's worth, a furniture and appliance store here in Manistee sold new console TVs until they ceased operations around 2006. There was always one by the entrance where you couldn't miss seeing it. They claimed it was a slow but steady seller. I think they were from GE.



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Turkeytop
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Re: Console television sets

Post by Turkeytop » Mon Nov 28, 2022 12:18 pm

The change from picture tube to the new flat screen TVs happened so rapidly, there must have been a lot of the old style TVs left unsold.


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

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