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The biggest CRT ever made: Sony's PVM-4300

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235 points rbanffy | 1 comments | 21 Jun 24 22:22 UTC | HN request time: 0.209s | source
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MenhirMike ◴[22 Jun 24 21:33 UTC] No.40762400[source]▶
I'm kinda curious if CRT technology advanced to the point where a TV like that would've been possible at a better weight and price tag? I assume that CRT technology development stopped decades ago, but could we have e.g., replaced the heavy glass with some plastic-like material to save weight without compromising the picture? And are there any heavy components in the mechanism itself (Coils, Magnets?) that would have had alternatives?

I know it's just theorycrafting, but I do wonder what kind of CRT someone could've created if it wasn't for market economy forces.

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1. userbinator ◴[23 Jun 24 03:31 UTC] No.40764554[source]▶
I assume that CRT technology development stopped decades ago, but could we have e.g., replaced the heavy glass with some plastic-like material to save weight without compromising the picture?

Metal-cone CRTs were common in the early decades, and had a flatter screen than typical all-glass construction; here's the largest of those, a 30":

https://www.earlytelevision.org/dumont_30bp4.html

a TV using it cost almost $1800 in 1952 (equivalent to over $21k today):

https://www.earlytelevision.org/dumont_ra-119.html

I think metal-cone CRTs became unpopular due to the glass-to-metal seal not being as reliable, and difficulties with insulation (the whole cone is at the final accelerating voltage.)