[drh4683]

From experience, the best tvs ever built, including outstanding picture quality is anywhere from 1960-1973 zenith b/w sets, in perticular, those with metal cabinets. I have run across hundreds of these sets, and I cant pick everyone of them up, as I would be completely jammed here! but you know, those sets ALWAYS work, and most of the time, PERFECT! Those zenith b/w sets have the most razor sharp picture. For you big sony triniton fans, they are like watching a trinitron without color!
Color sets, obviously more problems to deal with, none (even zeniths) are as reliable as those zenith b/w sets.

I hate solid state sets, so I'll only talk about tube/ hybrid sets, as most of those have excellent picture to begin with.
RCA Victor color tv has outstanding picture, vivid colors, but unfortunatly, no built anything close to a zenith. Zenith however, best TVs built, great pictures, but rca tends to beat them out on the color quality and color saturation.
Just as an interesting note, as much as zeniths are built so well, I always thought they could have done a better job with the "feel" of the VHF tuner, some tend to feel weak and flimsy (age and usage is considered here) but rca tuners always felt better to me, a nicer solid "klunk" like the ctc16, 19, 27 for example. The UHF tuners in zeniths are nowhere near as good as rca, unless the zenith had "gyro" UHF tuner.
Sensitivity is better in RCA, thanks to the 6DS4 low noise triode nuvistor used as the rf amp.
RCA will be critisized for using the lousy 6GH8 which is nothing but trouble. Zeniths tend to be pretty good with tubes, unless its a 6JU8 quad diode in color sets.

Basically, the best picture of all the sets in my collection go to my 1972 zenith 20CC50 20" table set with steel cabinet construction. Outstanding picture quality, excellent color tones. This tv is my daily watcher, and has been since april of 03. This zenith has none of the other complaints I mentioned , it has a turret tuner, gyro drive UHF (quick smooth UHF tuning, on a flywheel). illuminated dials. I would say it would be hard to beat the picture on this tv with anything else of the tube type/hybrid sets.