Sony KD34XBR960 - CRT HD set questions

[DavGoodlin]

Just saw one of these once-famous "Super Fine Pitch" (increased horizontal resolution) sets at the local Habitat ReStore for $55, just after I got a Panasonic CT27HL14J HD-CRT there, with remote for $15. I was planning to upgrade the 1991 20" stereo Panasonic set in the bedroom to HD with the newly-acquired Panasonic CRT-HD but its also a 4:3 set.

My question is: Is it worth taking a chance on this or should I hold out for a better specimen? Would It be worth moving my 2004 Toshiba 30HF84 to the bedroom instead, since it has worked for the past year without issues*.

These Sony CRT-HD's got some pretty favorable reviews. This particular one looks like it has a few bruises and is missing its pencil-box door, likely due to its weight and bulk. It also consumes 270 watts

*except for a very slight geometric distortion, which these Toshibas were infamous for

[zeno]

If the set looks good I would get it. It is one of the ones with
the 2 IC's in the power supply that go & sometimes they
are int first. IMHO those Sonys had the best pix ever, I ran
one myself for 4 yrs. Only other bad thing is the weight, not
a one man move. Even my 30" I would only move a few feet at
most alone.

73 Zeno

[etype2]

It's considered to be the best HD color CRT ever made for the consumer market. I would test first because you won't want to move it once it's in place.

[DavGoodlin]

Thanks for the red flags like trying it first. I may want to do that now and see if its worth making a lowball offer, like just moving it.

I never saw one around here before and just hate to see it go to recycle center, at least a top-rated looker like this.

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by etype2

It's considered to be the best HD color CRT ever made for the consumer market. I would test first because you won't want to move it once it's in place.

I tried it and it seems functional though no channels were scanned in the time I had to wait.
Sony sets with both NTSC and ASTC tuners waste alot of the lengthy autoprogram time looking for OTA analog...first. Analog is fully extinct here.

What I did see was sharp gray snow and all colors looked good on OSD menu.

I left an offer to "make it disappear" if not sold. Building a hardwood cabinet around it seems like a project I could get motivated on.
Nothing that heavy should be in a slippery plastic case!

[Dave A]

Dave, stop by here and see my 960 and you will run back to get it. Got it 3 years ago from a retired Sony rep. It did do the 7 blink fail but I managed to find a refurbished board online. 4 hours of surgery fixed that and I have the board to restore if I need it. While it was open I did a focus adjustment. I have never been in the service files.

I ran it off-the-wall on Comcast 'till they dropped that service. Local OTA only for that pass. I got a HD box with HDMI and it is even better with their new small black boxes. Just a little geometry curve in the lower right that will stay.

The color jumping out from phosphors is the best. No, it is not a current flat-panel resolution but it is beyond good for me. Go get it before I do for a spare.

[rpm1200]

Those sets go for more than $55 on Craigslist sometimes...they are still in demand. I'm working on a video project where we are using two of them for monitoring. The picture geometry and dimensions are very adjustable via service menu and we don't have to worry about viewing angle as with an LCD.

[etype2]

I agree, you should buy it now. It's within your reach. You would be hard pressed to find one cheaper on EBay and then it could be a long drive. I would buy it in a heartbeat for that price working or not as a back up for my set.

Here is a OTA screen shot from NBC's, The Voice several seasons back. Excellent blacks. I have not had a chance to calibrate this set, but I will.

[Dave A]

rpm...do you have a simplified version of the service instructions that you used? Gotta work on mine.

[Zenith26kc20]

The "Super Fine Pitch" is the one! Keep the IC's in stock and it'll give you a lot of viewing fun!
And, it's theft-proof! Over 200 pounds if my memory is correct......

[DavGoodlin]

Its still there as of yesterday. There are many TVs at this newer Habitat ReStore but the one near my house stopped taking TVs a year ago, after I got the Toshiba 30HF84 there.

In exchange for this Sony, I offered to service a record player in an other wise working early 70s GE console stereo so they could sell it. Ill keep checking in on it, its 5 min from work.

[mpatoray]

I have one of these that i got for the best price, free and it had the remote taped to the top, I only had to figure out how to lift it off the curb and place it in my car.

The degaussing circuitry is not wiring in mine, and I was wondering if it is standard thermister based or something that sonny didi different just to be Sony. Any tips on repairing the degaussing circuitry?

Matt

[andy]

...

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

Sony sets with both NTSC and ASTC tuners waste alot of the lengthy autoprogram time looking for OTA analog...first. Analog is fully extinct here.

Sonys aren't the only sets which do that. My Insignia flat screen, as well as most if not all modern TVs with ATSC digital tuners, does it too. I wish it didn't; every time I rescan my set I have to go through every one of the analog broadcast channels and remove them from the scan list.

Fortunately, I don't have to rescan very often; the set retains my channel list even after short power outages. Good thing, too, as I have the channel scan set for my favorite channels on Time Warner Cable. It is a time-consuming task to go through the entire scan list (probably over 60 channels, including several in the 100s range and some blank ones in the 80s-90s) and uncheck the stations I don't care to watch, including the ones that are now carried in digital only. The latter channels now only show a screen that says "Get your TV picture back. . . .", along with a photo of the small converter box now needed (and charged extra for on your cable bill) to receive the digital channels on older TVs.