I still have my parent’s 1970s era console television in my art studio. Looking at it brings back great memories of watching Saturday morning cartoons, and shows like Mash, Kojak, The Million Dollar Man, and Baretta with my parents. Outside of my studio is my listening room. I have an 85 inch Samsung flatscreen mounted on the wall in that room. There just isn’t any comparison between a tube television and a flatscreen picture. I would say, it isn’t even close, unless your flatscreen is shot.
To bring in the tube television is comparable to taking my parent’s old console all in one stereo out of their garage, and scrapping all of my high end audio gear. I suppose if I hooked up my parent’s console stereo, I could bring over a crapload of 78s and 8-track tapes. Can you imagine going back to 8-track tapes? I can hear Comes A Time by Neil Young right now, as my Dad had it on 8-track. “Four strong winds that blow - fade out - click - fade in- lonely - Seven seas that run high,…plays a couple of verses and the chorus - fade out - click - fade in - But by then it would be winter - Not too much for you to do….”
Yes, audio has advanced light years, and so has visual technology. Be it a flatscreen, a decent computer monitor, or even your cellphone’s tiny screen, tube televisions simply can’t compete with the increased quality of the pictures available on these new flatscreen modes. Think of owning an eighty pound tube computer monitor. Even if it had a comparable picture, it would look ridiculous on your desk, and couldn’t work in concert with laptops. I guess the answer to your question is, tube televisions are gone forever because a newer, better technology has replaced the old dinosaurs with a much better picture.
