Curtis Mathes circa 1980

[radiotvnut]

They still turn up; but, these did not survive the test of time like RCA, Zenith, and other brands from the same era. Despite the impressive warranty and the high price tag, these sets were really no better than anything else out there. In some cases, they were not as good as cheaper sets from more common brands.

The CM stuff from the tube era was more impressive; but, by the time solid state TV's became popular, CM started using a cheap imported NEC-built chassis and the stereo and speakers were usually low end imported junk from either Taiwan or Korea. The cabinets were usually particleboard and plastic.

Some of their late '80's consoles were actually rebadged RCA's, with a higher price tag than one could have bought the same RCA badged set for.

By the mid '90's, they were plastering their name on Zenith sets with those horrible CRT's.

Those CM combination TV/stereo consoles were very popular among rent-to-own stores. I was seeing a lot of CM sets in the '90's and many of them had bad CRT's or other major problems. And, it was often hard to get service information or parts for these sets.

I remember a cheap 19" metal cased TG&Y brand color TV that used the same NEC chassis as a CM 19" set; but, the TG&Y set was much cheaper.

If you still want a CM set, they can still be found if you look hard enough; but, make sure it works before you bring it home. If it does not work, you may be in for a real headache.