anyone here care about modern projection sets? - Videokarma.org TV - Video

kc8adu · #1 05-02-2011, 09:27 AM

i have gotten to the point of junking everything i have related to them.just checking before the stuff hits the dump.have not noticed anyone collecting them.they take up way too much room and are a pain to deal with.

VintagePC · #2 05-02-2011, 10:58 AM

I suspect they were an intermediate "fad" and a cheaper way to make TVs with screens bigger than they could practically do with other available technologies at the time. This makes even more sense if you consider that the tube technology was already there for CRT-based projectors, and simply needed to be adapted to a TV-set.

Then came LCDs, which are all the rage now, and can essentially be manufactured in any size and scale, since they don't have the engineering problems (weight, size, sweep speeds necessary) you get with larger CRTs.

Biggest PITA with projection sets is changing coolant/tubes and the hassle to re-align everything afterwards... that, and replacement tubes aren't exactly cheap.

Of course, now we see DLP projection TVs, which have their own set of problems... but at least the one bulb is cheaper than 3 new projection CRTs.

Edit: If I recall, my Uni offered a projection-tv-based smartboard system up for grabs on FreeCycle... it was still there three months later. I suspect a part of the problem was just that it's size made it rather difficult to transport... but still, FREE, and nobody wanted it. (1-day U-haul rent if you don't have a truck - still a good deal!).

kx250rider · #3 05-02-2011, 11:05 AM

The only ones I'd save, would be the Sony KP-4000, and the earlier single-tube Sony 2-piece set (forget model #). Also the Advent VB1000 is collectible, I guess. But the city dump is probably the best place for the 1980s & 90s projection sets, which now I see lining the desert highways in California like blown tires.

Charles

radiotvnut · #4 05-02-2011, 11:46 AM

Not my cup of tea. Everytime I run a "free pick-up of non-working TV's" ad in the paper, I am flooded with calls from people wanting to give me these things. If I ever run such an ad, there will be a line that says "no projection style big screen TV's".

About 2-3 years ago, an older lady asked me to come to her home to fix her old RCA PTK169 projection set. So, I pulled out the guts, brought them home, replaced the usual bad power supply/HOT components that fail in these sets, and took it back home. About six months later, it died again. The HOT was shorted, again; and, I could find no reason for it. A new HOT got the set back going and I told the lady that if it died again, she would be better off to junk it. Not long after that, the owner passed away and I think I saw her TV at the Salvation Army store.

Before that, I gave someone $10 for a monster RCA PTK179 projection TV. It needed a new HV splitter, a screen/focus control assembly, and the usual solder job on the tuner. I actually sold that set for good money; but, the splitter failed again, about a year later, and I had the set right back in my way. After fixing the set, it took the people longer than I would have liked for them to come get it. Then, about six months after that, they bought a regular CRT TV from me and told me that the big screen had died again. I told them that I no longer accepted those types of TV's for repair.

I did fix a more modern plastic cased projection set for a guy (replaced the convergence IC's); but, that one didn't weigh 900 lbs. and take 5 people to move.

As far as I'm concerned; they take up too much room, they are too hard to handle, and then there's the hassle of the thing possibly coming back to bite me in the butt. And, this is one area where I would favor a lightweight LCD TV over an older projection set. If I wanted a large screen, I'd take an LCD TV anyday over a monster projection set with a muddy picture. And, I've never seen a projection TV that produced a picture that I thought was great.

rca2000 · #5 05-02-2011, 01:13 PM

Have to agree here....

I guess it is from NOT having to work on almost ANY of these types of sets in over a year now--that has gotten me "spoiled" to where I simply have no desire anymore to work on the tube--based RPTV sets OR the older Mits LCD/DLP sets with all of the "shields". in them. Flat-panels are SO much ligfhter and easier to handle--even though they tend to be LESS reliable--especially plasma sets.

No--I really do not have any desire to work on them anymore--and certainly not to "save them". I could have had at least 3 of them this last Friday night--when Wyoming had their "spring clean up" along with at LEAST 20 "normal" sets--including at least 6 of the 36" sets!! NO THANKS!!

No--I need the room for the "vintage stuff", like the 2 RCA sets I got recently, the CTC-40 combo and the 1970 VMT-68 stereo with the RARE SS RS-246 amp.

radiotvnut · #6 05-02-2011, 05:14 PM

I feel the same way. I need the room for vintage stuff. I too am getting to the point where even the large screen CRT sets don't excite me because they are big, hard to handle, take up space, and are harder to get rid of. Not long ago, I loved getting larger screen CRT sets because I could move them out the door in a hurry and make pretty good $ off of them. Now, I have two perfectly working 35" sets ('07 Sanyo and '97 RCA) that needed minor repair after bringing them home from the trash. I'm about ready to give them away just to get them out of here. Even though they don't bring much, I have better luck at selling 13" and 19" sets. And, these are small enough that my flea market friend can easily take them to his sale.

Actually, my "little brother" from church has an older projection set that he says the picture is bowed in from the sides and he'd like me to fix it. I told him that when I got some room, I'd let him bring it over. Besides him, I can't think of too many other people who I would let bring one of those sets over here.

JB5pro · #7 05-02-2011, 09:01 PM

I agree with Charles in that a few very special ones are definately worth saving. I would love to have an Advent system.
So, taking a lesson from history... how many of the early B&W projection sets are sought after and desired enough to pay a decent price for after 50 to 70 years of storage plus rebuild efforts?
I saw a very special one recently on epay that had a mahogany high level cabinet and an original perfect stainless steel mirror that the owner described in details of how to clean it, etc. It was working perfect and I think it had paperwork. I mentioned it here and no response.

rca2000 · #8 05-02-2011, 10:07 PM

I think all of us feel this way about the "special projo sets". I just gave away a VT-1000A to another AK'er a couple of months back. I did not want to bother moving it to the new garage. I would like to get a BW projo myself, and there are a number of newer sets I would like too.

But...we are all talking about the "normal" projo sets I suspect--from the mid-80's--to the early 2000's. Sets that are too "old to sell", but "too new to save" and too big, common, heavy and /or troublesome to mess with. For a good example-- I simply will NOT waste time either saving, or even fixing --ANY Mitsu DLP from the mid-2000's... they are a NIGHTMARE to fix--or KEEP fixed--(as others here know too well, I suspect!!)

radiotvnut · #9 05-02-2011, 10:14 PM

Who remembers those monster GE projection sets from the mid-to-late '70's that used a 13" TV and some mirrors to produce the picture? I saw one of those at a TV repairman friend's house and the picture wasn't worth a crap. I'm sure the set being 20-25 years old didn't help; but, I've heard that these sets didn't look that great when new.

Or, what about one of those Zenith's from the early '80's that used a motorized drive system in order to lower the screen portion down inside the cabinet when not in use? I actually had one of those where the mechanism had failed and the screen was always in the "up" position. Also, the green CRT had a busted neck; but, the set otherwise worked. I ended up junking it.

radiotvnut · #10 05-02-2011, 10:24 PM

Oh, and let's not forget those Sony LCD projection sets that had the optical block issues. A friend gave me one of those and Sony admitted to him that every one of those sets developed a faulty optical block and in order to keep him as a customer, they gave him a new LCD set. They told him to do as he pleased with the old set. I was going to try to fix it and resell it; but, after reading all the bad stuff about those models, I decided to give it to the junk man. I'd rather spend my efforts on stuff that will actually be reliable after I'm finished with it. I could have fixed that Sony set; but, it would not have been any more reliable than it was from the factory and it would have cost as much, or more, than I could have sold it for.

***Eric H*** · #11 05-02-2011, 11:31 PM

I saw one of those Sonys at the Salvation Army, it had a 2004 date on the back I think and had some obvious issues with blobs of color on the screen, still they were asking $200 or so for it.

It was junk, no reasonable way to fix it, no way it could be enjoyable to watch and they were still selling it for an outrageous price.

I bought a Sony LCD Projector one generation after that, they apparently had fixed the problem by then since it's still working fine, original bulb even and probably 10,000 hours on the clock.

Two of my friends who bought Mitsu DLP sets a year after I got the Sony already went through 2 or 3 bulbs each and in one case donated his to Goodwill after it quit altogether, I soldered the PS board and it was working when he got rid of it but he was fed up with it.

JCFitz · #12 05-03-2011, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rca2000

I think all of us feel this way about the "special projo sets". I just gave away a VT-1000A to another AK'er a couple of months back. I did not want to bother moving it to the new garage. I would like to get a BW projo myself, and there are a number of newer sets I would like too.

But...we are all talking about the "normal" projo sets I suspect--from the mid-80's--to the early 2000's. Sets that are too "old to sell", but "too new to save" and too big, common, heavy and /or troublesome to mess with. For a good example-- I simply will NOT waste time either saving, or even fixing --ANY Mitsu DLP from the mid-2000's... they are a NIGHTMARE to fix--or KEEP fixed--(as others here know too well, I suspect!!)

Those Mitsubisahis certainly are nightmares. I've recently dealt with 2 of them.One I recapped both the DM and Formatter boards. The main culprit was the caps on the formatter boards but most were bad on the DM. The DM didn't work afterward.Found one on ebay and even it had some bad caps.Had pink and purple lines in the picture unless heated with a heat gun.

After repairing that one another one came in with power supply issues.(caps and a blown surface mount fuse) After playing perfectly for 15-20 minutes it shut off and wouldn't stay on anymore. It wasn't in the chassis as I swapped it from the repaired one.It was the light engine. Luckily I found a cheap one on ebay and saved the repair. On that first one I don't think I will ever go through that again. Changing all the surface mount caps on those boards and having one not even work at all afterwards.

JCFitz · #13 05-03-2011, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

Who remembers those monster GE projection sets from the mid-to-late '70's that used a 13" TV and some mirrors to produce the picture? I saw one of those at a TV repairman friend's house and the picture wasn't worth a crap. I'm sure the set being 20-25 years old didn't help; but, I've heard that these sets didn't look that great when new.

Or, what about one of those Zenith's from the early '80's that used a motorized drive system in order to lower the screen portion down inside the cabinet when not in use? I actually had one of those where the mechanism had failed and the screen was always in the "up" position. Also, the green CRT had a busted neck; but, the set otherwise worked. I ended up junking it.

Oh I remember those GEs.Worked on one in the early 90s. Terrible picture. Those Zeniths had so many problems that the motors were were unplugged on all the ones I worked on. The pictures weren't great on them either.Neither was the next generation Zeniths that were the boxiest projections ever made. I think they were at least as deep as they were wide. Terrible space hogs.The pictures weren't great and they were known for failures burning lines on the crts. The crts were short lived also so if anyone still has one it must really look like crap by now.Zenith never made a decent reliable projection tv in my opinion.

crtfool · #14 05-03-2011, 02:59 PM

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kc8adu · #15 05-04-2011, 09:05 AM

i have a toshiba light engine with a cracked panel.
lines and black blobs in the image like a busted lcd.
i saved it in case the rest of the board is useful.maybe when i get a moment i will autopsy it and post pics.
the 80's-90's-2000's projection stuff went crash in the dumpster.only saved some low hours crt's.
i really dont want to see these sets anymore as my back issue prevents me from getting down in the floor to mess with them.a big pain to get them on a bench where i can work on them.add to that the fact most folks wont pay much to fix them and they become a dead issue.