To me , the early sony Trinis are the First modern TV, The clarity and sharpness can't be matched. I was so impressed with first two I got, I saved several more early trinitron sets. Not much interest generated when I posted two in the classifieds. The gun opening is larger, and the CRT uses a screen instead of a mask. You can drive these sets into saturation and color will try to stay well defined with image detail too. Info from a EARLY trini ad explaing CRT& from Sony company history web site. I think the newer trinitron crt tubes may be used as a replacement for older sets? Not many saved from 1968 to 1971.

:tears:

From what I've heard on here, the early trinitron tubes weren't long for this world. I also think their small screen size rules them out of the "family use" category.

I've used 30-year old Zenith sets (in the 90s) as daily watchers with no re-capping/restoration. The pictures produced would be acceptable to 95% of average TV viewers.

I would say that 4-tube Chromacolor sets deserve mention, as well as the first solid-state Chromacolor II sets.

The Triniton tubes were quite long lived. In fact, my father who was a supplier of tubes to the repair shops in the NH seacoast area never had to lay in a stock of them while sales of the tele were quite high. As for being a family set a godly number of my friends had them though only 12" sets as their only color sets and also had their b&w sets that were older. By the time the b&w sets were replaced Trinitrons were being offered in larger sizes and were replacing the b&w sets while the little Trinitrons were migrated into the parents' bedroom or living room while the main set that would have in the past been in the living room were moving to the newly emerging family rooms.

Hi,

First superb color TV picture: RCA CT-100
First excellent reliable color TV picture: 1962 Zenith roundie
First super-reliable superb color TV picture: 1970 Sony Trinitron or early to middle period Zenith ChromaColor

Smile and grins watching excellent programs on one, Priceless!