1986 RCA Console vs. 2002 Curtis Mathes Table Top

[Console User]

Can anyone explain to me why the coloring, contrast, brightness, and etc. varies so much on these two particlar sets? Is it because the Picture Tube and components were different back in 1986 compared to the 2002?

[pac.attack76]

That's like comparing a hamburger to a sandwich. Sure they both have bread on the outside but everything inside is different. That's many years difference between the two. I bet the 86 probably looks better. Almost anything after 2000 is disposeable junk especially now.

[maxhifi]

1986 was the year RCA for all intents and purposes went out of business, so that console is the end of an era. Consider that both sets may have been used a lot and picture tubes tend to perform worse as they accumulate hours.

[radiotvnut]

There are a lot of variables here. The RCA is pushing 30 years old; so, unless it was used very little, I'd expect the picture to not be quite as good as it once was. However, these sets were well built and performed well.

The CM is likely either a disposable Funai or Daewoo product and is cheap junk. They had decent pictures when they were working and adjusted correctly; but, they certainly were not designed to last 30+ years.

[zeno]

So many variables.
Who made the CM ?
Which chssis is the RCA top, middle or bottom of line ?
Same screen size ?
Have both been adjusted both internal & customer controls properly?
Even if both are perfect there is the matter of taste which varies
WILDLY, trust me on that.

Odds are the RCA was the much better set. How much depends on
whats under the hood of the CM.

73 Zeno

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

There are a lot of variables here. The RCA is pushing 30 years old; so, unless it was used very little, I'd expect the picture to not be quite as good as it once was. However, these sets were well built and performed well.

The CM is likely either a disposable Funai or Daewoo product and is cheap junk. They had decent pictures when they were working and adjusted correctly; but, they certainly were not designed to last 30+ years.

I've seen some Curtis Mathes sets, that were re-badged RCA's and Zenith's, as well.
Didn't K-Mart buy the C-M name? Some was badged C-M Tronics!

[Console User]

It came from an older couple. I am sure they watched tv quite often, but not as much as some folks do. When I got it the coloring was set way down where the picture almost looked tinted. I had it looked at & serviced by TV Repairman late last summer. He replaced some bad caps, bad solders, and etc. but nothing major was wrong. Knock on wood!!! He did turn it to black& white and turned the picture control up and it did show signs of blooming some red& green when he did this test. He did say it probably would last for quite awhile yet. He chose to not rejuvenate the picture tube as he feared it might have done more harm than good.

The coloring on this set is not whacky or anything. It just looks like the coloring in some of the early model color TV Sets. When I watch retro shows the colors fit in very well.

[old_tv_nut]

As stated, there are a lot of variables. Need to get the black and white tracking to match first; then there still can be deliberate differences in the color demodulators that would make it impossible to match all colors all the time. Also, if either set has some automatic color feature, it would have to be turned off - otherwise the set will try to make reasonable flesh tones at the expense of other colors.

[zeno]

Sounds like the CM has a weakening CRT.
Color is a funny thing. We would have say 6 models of Zeniths
all with identical guts & often get " can you make it like that one ?"
or "why does that one look better ?". Thats one reason we only
ran a few at a time unlike the big stores that had walls & rows of
confusion. Others would look at the bottom of line set & say
it looks way better than the best. Actually there are good reasons for
that but I wont write a book tonite, gotta prep for a trip.
BTW if you want to ID your CM put up a front & rear picture of it.
Wont hear from me til Tues, off to what I am told is hell on earth,
S. N.J.

73 Zeno

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by zeno

Sounds like the CM has a weakening CRT.
Color is a funny thing. We would have say 6 models of Zeniths
all with identical guts & often get " can you make it like that one ?"
or "why does that one look better ?". Thats one reason we only
ran a few at a time unlike the big stores that had walls & rows of
confusion. Others would look at the bottom of line set & say
it looks way better than the best. Actually there are good reasons for
that but I wont write a book tonite, gotta prep for a trip.
BTW if you want to ID your CM put up a front & rear picture of it.
Wont hear from me til Tues, off to what I am told is hell on earth,
S. N.J.

73 Zeno

As I mentioned several times on this forum, I would look at all the sets running in the big-box stores and usually the lower-end or leader sets, would purposely have a poorly adjusted picture.
I would re-adjust the controls, to make them look as good as the other offerings. It was fun to mess with the sales mans heads.