1979 Zenith System 3 Screen Shots
 

Here is my 1st generation System 3 (the one with a power transformer) that weighs a ton btw.... Zenith was still on their game when this rolled off the line. Ultrasonic remote, with "Zoom". (and why did Zenith ever think Zoom was such a nice feature? lol)

i have the 25 inch console from the same series.mine was built in sept 1978.inline crt is bright and sharp!i dont care for the zoom feature but overall a fine,well built set.estate sale find

Boy, the gal that's on the TV sure is Crazee-Lookin'....(grin)

Ha! She is! I shoulda hit the "Zoom" button!

The zoom function on 1979 Zeniths like this one may not have been of much use when the sets were new, but today it could be used to zoom in on DTV pictures that do not fill the screen (thus getting rid of the wide blank spaces at either side, or top and bottom, of the picture). However, the zoom feature may not work well on pictures that have been transmitted in a format that makes them look like a small square on TVs not equipped for HD. This format is often used on TV commercials, with the program itself shown in HD.

BTW, it would have been nice if Zenith had designed the Computer Space Command remote to control at least one other device, such as a VCR, as well as the TV. However, when one considers that VCRs never had ultrasonic remote control systems (every VCR I've ever seen and owned has had IR [infrared] remote control), that feature would have been next to worthless if it were available. Come to think of it, I don't know how an ultrasonic remote could be made to operate more than one device even if there were such things as ultrasonic remote VCRs or cable boxes in the 1980s, when these TVs were new.

That's a nice looking TV.

I see your on MeTV. I just hooked up my converter box finally when I saw your pic, and was shocked to see that the MeTV logo on my TV is trying to hide behind the bezel. Lol I got FAR too much overscan.. Yours looks fantastic!

Here's my overscan on the same channel: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...anmaddness.jpg

I'm jealous, cause my TV has no adjustments for overscan.

Thanks! My main complaint on this set tho... the Zenith engineers didn't think it out very well. If you'll notice from the pix, there is no channel up/down function on the remote. You had to punch it in and hit "enter" also.. the set has no "memory" so you always start on channel 2 when it's powered up. Kinda annoying, and I think Zenith changed that out, as my 1981 System 3 has all the remote featues this one lacks.

Your set should have adjustable vertical height and linearity controls -- all the old NTSC CRT sets did, until CRTs disappeared. If yours was built any time before the end of analog TV (as I am almost sure your Samsung was), it almost certainly has these controls on the rear chassis apron. You may have to remove the back cover to get to them, however, as some of the newer sets were designed with the service controls hidden, or set by fixed resistors the values of which were determined for optimum performance at the factory, so that curious non-technical people couldn't fiddle with them.

BTW, you seem to be receiving an excellent signal in Orlando from the station in your area that carries MeTV, if you get that station on rabbit ears. I live 30+ miles east of Cleveland and cannot receive the MeTV affiliate on an antenna, because the station's DTV channel is VHF high band (channel 10) and my ClearCast DTV indooor antenna just doesn't get it. Same thing with Antenna TV -- its local affiliate is on a VHF high band DTV channel, so I cannot see that one either with the CC antenna. On cable, however, reception on these channels, and every other expanded-basic and standard cable channel Time Warner Cable carries, are excellent on my 19" flat screen.

I've got a similar type set, marked Color Sentry next to the little sensor, it has an on off timer and all of the controls are under a woodgrained panel on the right. The printing has faded off the label on the back, and I'm not adventurous enough to open it to get model numbers or chassis numbers. I don't think any of my Zenith remotes work on it, they're from about 1984 and later.

That is a sweet System 3.

I also have a '79 System 3 19", the one with the single knob varactor diode tuning. Mint, not a scratch on it or a spec of dust inside it. It was in the recycling place with the power cord cut. Works like brand new still, and excellent picture.

http://i1164.photobucket.com/albums/...-09-06_229.jpg

It only has V-Size, but no H-Size control. And I have the V-Size adjusted to match the aspect ratio perfectly.

I'm getting a 91% signal quality for MeTV.

That's a nice TV! I've got the remote version that uses a varactor tuner with the channel display in a vertical position. My set has a tuner problem and won't tune in the low VHF channels.