https://dfarq.homeip.net/the-biggest-crt-ever-made-sonys-pvm-4300/ The Silicon UndergroundThe Silicon Underground The Silicon Underground David L. Farquhar, computer security professional, train hobbyist, and landlord Follow @siliconundergro Menu * About * Archives * Home * Privacy policy * Recent Comments Home >> Retro Computing >> The biggest CRT ever made: Sony's PVM-4300 The biggest CRT ever made: Sony's PVM-4300 Dave Farquhar Retro Computing June 19, 2024June 23, 2024 0 Comment Move over, GE Widescreen 1000. In 1989 in Japan, Sony introduced to the largest Trinitron CRT ever built, the KV-45ED1, also known as the PVM-4300. And in 1990, they imported 20 of them to the United States, just in time for the recession. Sony's PVM-4300/KV-45ED1 The Sony PVM-4300, next to a 29-inch TVThe Sony PVM-4300 was the largest CRT TV ever made. Its 45-inch tube provided 43 inches of visible improved definition TV. It stood about 27 inches tall. Sony's part number suggests it has a 45 inch tube inside. But in a rare case of truth in advertising, Sony advertised it as a 43-inch model. It weighed about 450 pounds, stood about 27 inches tall, and it wouldn't fit through a standard door frame. That's probably okay, it's not like someone was going to use this as a bedroom TV. This thing was going in your living room. In Japan, it sold for 2.6 million yen, but in the United States, it retailed for $40,000, a significant markup. To be fair, shipping them across the Atlantic and then throughout the United States must have been expensive. And news articles in 1990 said Sony dealers would not allow any bickering. They would throw in a couple of options like the separate tuner or speakers. But no discounts. Sony said at the time they hoped to sell 80 of them that year, but the recession may have had something to say about that. The biggest conventional CRT ever The Sony PVM-4300 was a conventional CRT, unlike the GE Widescreen 1000, which was a projection set. Projection TVs could be bigger and cheaper. But if you wanted the clearest picture, a big CRT was where it was at. It was a conventional CRT that worked with over the air signals, but like many larger TVs of the era, it used a technology called IDTV to enhance the picture quality. The "ID" stood for "improved definition." IDTV sets had a buffer so they would store successive frames and interpolate them rather than interlacing them the way a conventional CRT TV worked. They also had circuitry to detect motion and perform image stabilization to further enhance the image. The result wasn't as good as HDTV. But it gave high rollers a better picture until HDTV. HDTV arrived in 1998, but articles at the time estimated 2005. The Chicago Tribune warned in 1990 that these $40,000 TVs would be obsolete in 15 years, but the salesperson countered that every TV would be obsolete in 15 years. It's also likely that someone in the market for a $40,000 TV didn't worry about obsolescence. In 1990, the GE Widescreen 1000 looked dated and it wasn't 15 years old yet. Why so expensive? The KV-45ED1 or PVM-4300 cost about 8 times as much as Sony's second most expensive model at the time, which had a 29-inch screen. That's largely because the KV-45ED1 had to be built by hand. Sony could mass produce its smaller TVs. This was a product for buyers who weren't worried about the price. It is unclear how many units Sony sold, and it's not exactly clear how many survived. A few photographs of surviving units have surfaced over the years, but this TV isn't something owners have ever been keen to talk much about. A Chicago area dealer told the Chicago Tribune in 1990 that someone had purchased one, but that the buyer wanted to remain anonymous. Since there may only be 10 of these units still in existence, I don't blame the current owners for wanting to remain anonymous either. Thank you Thank you for reading this far. I write about four times a week, frequently about old and new technology and 80s nostalgia. I try to write about retro two or three times a week, usually on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. If you enjoy this type of content, you can follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter, or subscribe to my RSS feed. If you found this post informative or helpful, please share it! * share * save * share * share * share * share * pocket * share * email * RSS feed Dave Farquhar David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family. Like this: Like Loading... Related stories by Dave Farquhar * - How a Microsoft product from June 1979 led to the IBM PC * Marx diesel freight train set 9622 - Leave a ReplyCancel reply This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. [ ] [Search] Popular Posts * The biggest CRT ever made: Sony's PVM-4300 * GE Widescreen 1000 * Will CRT monitors make a comeback? * Fix your dead SSD with the power cycle method * Which wire is hot, black or white? Is the black wire hot? 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