Direct View (CRT) TVs

Direct view or CRT TVs are the old stand-by, tube-type sets we've all come to know and love. Because these sets use cathode-ray tubes to "paint" the image on the screen (see How Television Works), direct-view TVs have a bright, clear picture that can be viewed from any angle in the room.

Photo courtesy Panasonic and Matsushita Electric Corporation of America A 13-inch CRT TV

Pros:

• They produce great pictures with strong colors (especially dark colors).
• They can be viewed from any angle in any light.
• You can expect at least five years of serious TV watching before the picture quality starts to degrade.
• They are relatively inexpensive.

Cons:

• They are bulky and heavy.
• They are limited to about a 40-inch screen size.
• With the introduction of LCD and plasma, direct-view TV's days are numbered.
• With curved-screen direct-view TVs, larger screen size means a greater curve. So while you can get a clear view from any angle, if you're looking at a bigger curved-screen TV from the side, some stuff may be hidden on the other side of the bulge.