Anything on the horizon? Or is the fat lady really singing? :(

I think she 'finished' singing about two years ago, unfortunately.

The fat lady died, actually.

Why is that? Cost/profit ratio too high to build/ship heavy CRTs?

Are the flat panels just easier and cheaper to mass produce?

Why is that? Cost/profit ratio too high to build/ship heavy CRTs?

Are the flat panels just easier and cheaper to mass produce?

I think they're just focusing on what people want. Thin is in. With the way prices are, I don't think they are actually cheaper which may lead to a larger profit per unit sold.

The answer is simple. You can stock 2 LCD flat panels to every CRT of any size. Wal Mart loves this because they can sell more and don't have to pay someone to move around those heavy boxes.

The specialty stores like Tweeter love them because they can talk the customer into mounting them, which puts more money in their pockets.

Well, I hope these used ones I picked up last a while, at least long enough until affordable flat panels catch up to and pass the picture quality of the Sony 900s.

Well, Last at least long enough until affordable flat panels catch up to and pass the picture quality of the Sony 900s.

I've been saying the same thing all year;). Guess were in the same boat:eek:.

hyghwayman

I have a Samsung TX-P3271H, and I wish I had bought 2 when I had the chance. I think the real issue is the weight. (See googleme7's comment above.) Once the tube size increased beyond 27'' diagonal, the weight of the glass became a real burden all up and down the manufacturing and distribution chain. With consumers such as us demanding bigger screen sizes, the traditional CRT became physically untenable. Too bad for us!

I have a Samsung TX-P3271H, and I wish I had bought 2 when I had the chance. I think the real issue is the weight. (See googleme7's comment above.) Once the tube size increased beyond 27'' diagonal, the weight of the glass became a real burden all up and down the manufacturing and distribution chain. With consumers such as us demanding bigger screen sizes, the traditional CRT became physically untenable. Too bad for us!

Yep, and it's not just tubes anymore either. There are literally no more CRT Rear Projection either and the companies also like the LCD and DLP because they can get you on the bulb every couple of years.

Though I am still surprised that Sony didn't at least continue making the 34XBR as a specialty item for specialty stores. It would be interesting to see them try something like the Samsung Slimfit with the XBR. They could get more units into stores that way, and you have to figure if they could get them at around the $650 range, it would outsell all those cheapo 32" LCD's like that hideous Sanyo I keep seeing at Walmart.

But call me paranoid, but I have a sneaky suspicion that all these companies know that CRT's have such a long lifespan, so they want to sell more TV's that they know will crap out in about 5 years on average. The motor in those DLP's can't run forever and LCD's are just going to display a softer image every year.

...But call me paranoid, but I have a sneaky suspicion that all these companies know that CRT's have such a long lifespan, so they want to sell more TV's that they know will crap out in about 5 years on average. The motor in those DLP's can't run forever and LCD's are just going to display a softer image every year.

Actually I read a Consumer Reports reliablilty report where LCDs were the most reliable over the long term. Better that CRTs. Makes sense, because of lower operating voltages and fewer mechanical parts. Plasmas were next, and DLPs scored poorly in long-term maintenance.

Still diggin' the Monivision DM6552SW (kind of an OEM version of the Princeton AF3.0HD) I got on a powerbuy here years ago. Displays 720p and 1080i passed through from my STB natively...let's see these flat panels try that. ;)

In addition to market factors, I would expect ROHS (Restriction Of Hazardous Substances) legislation in many countries is also hitting CRT production due to the lead content of the glass.

Red.

Yep, and it's not just tubes anymore either. There are literally no more CRT Rear Projection either and the companies also like the LCD and DLP because they can get you on the bulb every couple of years.
It's beyond me why anyone would ever want a CRT rear projection HDTV. Granted, I've probably never viewed a properly calibrated unit but everyone I've ever watched looked like pure crap in terms of PQ.

Sony has been making the best tvs since I can remember. This is true with any tv technology out there. Their top of the line tvs were/are best in class i.e. for CRTs they had the WEGA KD-34XBR960/970, for plasmas they had the KDE-42XBR950 (or KDE-50XS955), for micro-displays they made KDS-Z60XBR5, and for LCDs they have the BRAVIA KDL-46XBR5. Unfortunately, they quit making tubes and recently, plasmas. So some other brand has to take the crown in those technologies. Right now, Pioneer is the best when it comes to plasmas. And I thought CRT is dead. I thought Samsung's SlimFit CRTs would resuscitate sales but their tvs had PQ issues. It was suppose to improve on the CRT. Which makes Sony's last XBR CRTs still the best.

Sanyo still makes them:
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/12487/1103/

Nontheless, it seems that Samsung and LG-Philips seems to be set that CRT is not dead because they believe that cost conscious people will not buy overpriced LCD/PDP displays for their extra room or bedroom. I still have to see the Vixlim (Superslim TV) that Samsung is touting about and the CyberTube+ SuperSlim from LG-Philips. If their PQ is better than Sony's old Wega XBR tubes, then CRT may still survive for a while.