have been dropping dramatically over the last year.
What is a a good price for a five or six year old 50 inch projection HDTV?
I can find a few cheaper than getting a projector/screen and would rather have a larger bulky TV than a slimmer, smaller one.
Also, do you think it's likely that they'll be even cheaper/free in the next year or so?
Pistol Pete
01-22-08, 10:40 PM
Considering that you won't have HDMI ports or an ATSC tuner and that the carcass is massive compared to modern HDTV RPTV's, they are not worth a whole heck of a lot. You also have to very carefully check the CRTs for burn. If it is not 16:9 are you willing to look at black bars for the foreseeable future? Also the convergence amps seem to have a finite life and will self-destruct. Repair cost for that is $200-300 (parts cost is actually about $20). Some sets have a tendency to leak coolant on the main circuit board. If you see corrosion under the CRTs run away.
Don't disregard the lack of HDMI ports. You cannot use an upconverting DVD player without them (unless you hack a precious few). Within the next several years it is likely that the media companies will turn on the ICT and kill HD components outputs from Blu-Ray and even perhaps cable boxes. Wouldn't it suck to have an HDTV that can't watch what you want?
That being said, you can find them on craigslist for 100-200. I would offer to haul it away for free as a favor and work up to 50-100 if it was in really good condition.
This is coming from someone who has purchased used CRT RPTVs more than once. I usually buy them broken, repair them, and give them to friends. My current living room TV is a 4:3 61" CRT HDTV circa 2001 obtained secondhand. (Component only with hacked Oppo DVD player for DVD upconversion)
Chicken Warrior
01-23-08, 12:56 AM
Good to hear - thanks for the reply. Most I see are around $800 for a 50 inch.
I'm tempted by a 61" 2002 Toshiba widescreen from 2002 for $400 (bargained down from $500) but it sounds like I should do more bargaining before I bite the bullet.
Chicken Warrior
01-23-08, 12:50 PM
Looks like maybe not after all. I put a wanted ad on my local classifieds site saying I'd pay $100 to take away a projection HDTV.
I got one email saying 'get a grip' and then my ad was deleted without reason.
Maybe the Canadian market is much different. Now I don't know what to do...
Buy: