Anyone want to save the first 38" RCA HDTV?

[JBL_1]

This 38" RCA ProScan television with built in HD tuner is going to the scrap heap unless someone can save it. It used the DVT-306 chassis which was the first RCA TV to use a built-in HD tuner. Has it's pedestal base. Located in Western Connecticut.

[dishdude]

My back hurts just thinking about it.

[etype2]

Very nice set. I had one, had to remove it for a move. Good working condition?, Good cosmetics? Post a photo.

[dishdude]

Remember the version with the built in DirecTV receiver?

[etype2]

Was watching DIRECTV HD on it, can’t remember if it was built in. Also fed OTA HD to that set via ATSC and it had a custom stand for storing equipment. Really nice set. I think it was built by Thompson. Wide screen 16X9.

[Electronic M]

If you were in the Milwaukee area I'd be tempted... Don't really have room, but hate to think it'll be scrapped.

[JBL_1]

I worked for RCA/Thomson and designed some of the video circuitry. After I got the DLP sets I gave it to my mother. She gave it to my brother. It is working, has the base. As I remember it had the built in Direct TV although I never used it when I had it. I hate to see it scrapped but I have too much stuff. It is a heavy one. I remember my wife helping me carry in the new prototypes. The one I ended up with was a production model. I still do have a DLP set with a big red "NOT FOR SALE" label. Designing TVs was a fun job.

[colortrakker]

What a beast. Largest 16:9 tube. Not flat like Sony, Panasonic or Philips, which all topped out at 34".

RCA may have had a 36" 4:3 "multimedia" set with built-in DirecTV, but this is the only set I know for sure had it. Heard a lot of people had issues with underspec'd diodes in the tuner section but I had no trouble with mine. Except the back pain.

Hope someone's brave enough to save this - it's a real piece of history.

[JBL_1]

My brother is going to call me today to ask me if I want it. I have just too much stuff and want more different stuff. Hate to see this set recycled. I have two preproduction DLP sets, one that I am using and one taking up space in the garage.

[zeno]

Earlier they built what we called the batman TV.

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/03...5451732949200/

It was wide screen. I went to the service seminar that had a real good trainer.
The set had all kinds of unknown circuits especially in the video. He said you could get rid of half the parts & it would still work fine.
The name came from the shape & color of it. It had wings where the SPKR's were. I actualy worked on 2 of them. One had a bad PS module & the other a bad cooling fan.

73 Zeno
LFOD !

[JBL_1]

That first widescreen would have been the CTC-172 chassis. I had one of those too. Also knew Joe Clayton who went onto to Direct TV fame. I designed the analog circuitry in the wide screen module that turned a CTC-170 into a wide screen set. One of my challenges was making the two pictures in the side by side mode look the same. Two different chroma demodulators, one created by a PIP chip with only 6 bits while the main channel was 8 bits. I had to use a D/A to align the offset on the video and chroma clamps. When I was younger I hunted down all the artifacts and history I could from the older RCA engineers from the pre-war days. I guess no one will ever care about recent television history.

[rcaman]

Originally Posted by JBL_1

I worked for RCA/Thomson and designed some of the video circuitry. After I got the DLP sets I gave it to my mother. She gave it to my brother. It is working, has the base. As I remember it had the built in Direct TV although I never used it when I had it. I hate to see it scrapped but I have too much stuff. It is a heavy one. I remember my wife helping me carry in the new prototypes. The one I ended up with was a production model. I still do have a DLP set with a big red "NOT FOR SALE" label. Designing TVs was a fun job.

Ijust bet i have talked before with you on rca's tech line.

[JBL_1]

They never let the design engineers talk to anyone in the field. We had to train the factory service guys in Indianapolis. Would have been fun to go out into the field.

[ARC Tech-109]

Thing has to be over 300 lbs with a jug that big, my Panasonic 34" is just under 200 lbs... I'm 2 stories up in a 1904 built apartment building with no elevator, wish I could as I can't stand the LCDs

[ChrisW6ATV]

I hope you do find a taker for that set; I am over 3000 miles away so it cannot be me.

I remember the RCA version of your set, the F38310. Apparently, the ATSC/DirecTV tuner in those sets was the board right out of the DTC-100 (RCA)/PSHD105 (Proscan) tuner.