Which is Worse?

[Penthode]

I saw this on epay. A "converted" RCA TV.

Which is worse: Fitting a new TV/display inside or replacing the works with a fish aquarium?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Television-C...item35c2b00e54

[Sandy G]

BOTH are reprehensible, IMHO, but at least if they put new "Guts" inside, its still being a TV..Sort of.

[StellarTV]

I feel your pain. I have a lot of restored B&W TVs for sale in the mall I'm at, but it does take a very particular buyer to want that "authentic" period experience. Sadly, it's not as lucrative as converting old TVs to color.... in my experience, the market is bearing custom color conversions that are well done, which means more than setting a later color tv inside the cabinet. Or worse, knowing you're looking at a satin-faced 16:9 LCD imposing itself behind the old CRT mask. Ick.

[Dennman6]

Originally Posted by StellarTV

I feel your pain. I have a lot of restored B&W TVs for sale in the mall I'm at, but it does take a very particular buyer to want that "authentic" period experience. Sadly, it's not as lucrative as converting old TVs to color.... in my experience, the market is bearing custom color conversions that are well done, which means more than setting a later color tv inside the cabinet. Or worse, knowing you're looking at a satin-faced 16:9 LCD imposing itself behind the old CRT mask. Ick.

I wish your "store" was a chain that had a store in Indianapolis, because I'd buy at least one set from you I especially am drawn to the B&W consoles of the 1960s, say 1960-1965 era. They seem pretty scarce at the usual places, Craigslist/Goodwill/S. Army/antique malls out here. People probably trashed them as soon as they moved up to a color set. Too bad!

[Steve McVoy]

I have mixed feelings about conversions. 50s sets are a dime a dozen. Most will end up in landfills. If someone converts one of them to a fishbowl or puts in a modern chassis, they are probably saving the cabinet from destruction.

40s sets and 50s color sets are a different story. They should always be kept original.

[Penthode]

Originally Posted by Steve McVoy

I have mixed feelings about conversions. 50s sets are a dime a dozen. Most will end up in landfills. If someone converts one of them to a fishbowl or puts in a modern chassis, they are probably saving the cabinet from destruction.

Perhaps that is true for a later fifties set. This was a 1949-50 receiver. Then again most later '50's sets have already been trashed.

The trouble is that most of the value is lost for future generations and once the novelty has worn off, this set will disposed of as just another old, empty cabinet.

[DaveWM]

that is a good point about how when the novelty wheres off. If it was left alone, then in another 20yrs it could still be returned to service by someone that may actually attach a higher value on these era than current exist.

[ctc17]

Originally Posted by DaveWM

that is a good point about how when the novelty wheres off. If it was left alone, then in another 20yrs it could still be returned to service by someone that may actually attach a higher value on these era than current exist.

Im gonna call you up and 2032 and say...so Dave, what signal source are you feeding your old tvs..?
I expect all composite outputs will be gone shortly and all the converter boxes, dvd player etc will be long dead.
Yea you can get a hdmi to composite converter box right now but I dont know anyone who has invested in one, and who knows if hdmi will even be around in 20 years.
I guess everyone is in denial about this

[Kevin Kuehn]

Originally Posted by ctc17

I guess everyone is in denial about this

Hey, we can all still watch our B&K test pattern generators.

[Geoff Bourquin]

The question is: Which is worse. Fishtanking or restuffing with modern "guts". My opinion is fishtanking is inexcusable. Restuffing can be OK under some conditions. If it is done well (and this one doesn't look too good; the new CRT doesn't seem to line up quite right) it may be OK, but I wouldn't want to see a set like that gutted just for this. If it was found already gutted, or beyond repair, then this is probably OK. Like Steve said, at least the cabinet survives.
I wonder if the seller still has the chassis laying around.
Oh yeah...get rid of that DVD/VCR player on top. Few things could look more out of place

[vts1134]

Which is worse?
Installing a new television inside the cabinet of an old set.
OR
Hauling an old television to the junk yard.

I know that there are a lot of people here that regard any course of action other than restoring a vintage television to original specifications as sacrilege, but the general public sees these things as yesterdays junk . By installing a modern set into this cabinet you are introducing an aesthetic to a new generation AND making it usable for them. You are teaching people that these things are not yesterdays junk, and you are doing it in their living rooms. What if the person who buys this set makes it their daily viewer? Maybe some one will visit their home and love the look of the set so much that they become an early television enthusiast? When I bought my first vintage television from an antique shop I thought that I would install a new set inside of it and call it a day. After taking it home and looking at it a while I decided that I would restore the original instead (the rest as they say is history ). Now that I am introduced into the world of vintage television I would not do a modern conversion myself, but when I see these sorts of things done to sets I keep an open mind and hope that it will encourage others to appreciate that which we all hold so dear.
Oh and I also think "gosh I hope they saved the chassis so that some day if they should decide to make it original it can be done easily."
My $.02

[N2IXK]

Originally Posted by vts1134

you are introducing an ascetic to a new generation

Methinks you meant "aesthetic", as a true ascetic wouldn't have a TV at all....

[vts1134]

What a funny typo .

[Kevin Kuehn]

I agree it's fun to dramatize over what the non TV restorer folks do to them. Truth be told there's way more old sets than we collectors can absorb and appreciate . There's no denying that the larger percentage of the vintage sets are already in the ground, so IMO any form of recycling is better than landfill. I suspect an awful lot of what we current TV collectors have restored will also be destined to that same fate. Material stuff just don't last forever - it's the basic laws of nature at work. Not trying to depress anyone, but TV's and other such technology have always been considered consumable goods. I think it's the associated camaraderie within the the collecting community that will endure, while the valued collectables will change forever. As for myself and my beloved old electronics - I'm going to enjoy and share them as long as I'm able.

[snelson903]

if its a must to install a modern tv in a older cabinet ,take your time and do a neet job of it ,i have thought of this ,but i would choose at older 80's 70's 60's tv with a mechanical tuner so it looks more the yr, take the donner tv apart fit everything on a metal chassie so its a direct fit to the cabinet ,make sure the picture tube fits the bezel correctly ,then i think it would be more exceptable than just setting a tv in the older cabinet.