Britain’s oldest working television the 1936 Marconiphone, is thought to have been made in the months that Britain’s first “high-definition” television service began.
The TV set belongs to Jeffrey Borinsky a collector of antique television and radio sets.
He bought the 12-inch screen 10 years ago and is still working on restoring it to its original state.
Mr Borinsky said: “The cabinet was beautifully restored by the previous owner, but my aim is to gradually restore its electronics to its true 1936 magnificence.”
He has now hooked it up to a Freeview box so that it can show digital channels, but Mr Borinsky has had to install a standards converter so that a modern television signal can be seen.
The grandson of television pioneer John Logie Baird says this set would have been of huge interest when it was first bought at a cost of 60 guineas – £11,000 today.
He says: “Television was a very exciting thing; it was something that the whole neighbourhood would come over to watch. People would crowd into the home of the owner.”
Wow what a great piece of history, it is safe to say that technology has come along way since then.
But if you’d rather just see this sort of old style in museum, then perhaps Giant Buyer’s vast LCD and Plasma television range is a more suitable choice.
Navigating your way though a HDTV manufacturers range can be a tough job with multiple ranges and mystifying names that only the marketing department understand. So here is a quick rundown of Panasonic’s 2009 Range of LCD TVs and Plasma TVs. These are the same TVs announced at CES last month – starting at the bottom we have:
Panasonic X1 Series HDTV
The Panasonic X1 series is the entry level for 720p HDTVs, and are divided between LCD’s for the 26, 32 and 37-inch sizes and plasma for the 42 and 50-inchers. As a bonus the LCD HDTV’s come with an iPod dock that lets you play music and video via the remote on an interface on the screen. Note that the X1 plasma LCD HDTV’s are panels from last year’s line.
Panasonic X1 LCD HDTVs:
TC-L26X1 26 Inch
TC-L32X132 Inch
TC-L37X1 Inch
Panasonic X1 Plasmas
TC-P42X1 42 Inch
TC-P50X1 50 Inch
Panasonic S1 Series LCD HDTV
Next up in the Panasonic LCD HDTV Range is the S1 Series which steps up to 1080p/120Hz (for LCD models) land, and is a series still split into LCDs and Plasmas, showing that the distinction between flat-TV types is something people care less and less about at the store. On the plasma TVs, this will be the lowest you can go to still get the new 2009 Plasma Panels, which have increased motion resolution and contrast. Also new in the Panasonic S1 range is 54-inch plasma TV, a size Panasonic hasn’t done before.
LCD TVs:
TC-L32S1 32 Inch
TC-L37S1 37 Inch
Plasma TVs:
TC-P42S1 42 Inch
TC-P46S1 46 Inch
TC-P50S1 50 Inch
TC-P54S1 54 Inch
TC-P58S1 58 Inch
TC-P65S1 a whopping 65 Inches – coming in August
Panasonic G1HDTV Series
The Panasonic LCD HDTV line tops out with the G1 series These are the highest-end LCD TVs at the 32 and 37-inch sizes that Panasonic do, but with not much to distinguish the G1’s from the S1 series apart from an extra HDMI port, a nicer bezel and an increased contrast ratio
LCD TVs:
TC-L32G1
TC-L37G1
Panasonic G10 HDTV Series
The Panasonic G10 series is the point in the line where Viera Cast, Panasonic’s built-in streaming software service is a feature. These HTD TV’s are also THX-certified with a special THX preset for optimised picture settings, with sizes going up to the new 54-inch plasma.
Plasma TVs:
TC-P42G10 42 Inch
TC-P46G10 46 Inch
TC-P50G10 50 Inch
TC-P54G10 54 Inch (coming in May).
Panasonic V10 HDTV Series
The Panasonic V1 series plasma TVs are Panasonic’s top-of-the line, big-screen plasmas, available in sizes up to up to 65 inches. They have everything found on the Panasonic G10s, adding 24p cinema frame rate playback and the bigger-sized panels. The 2009 V10 series are due for the summer with the two biggest sizes due in August.
Plasma TVs:
TC-P50V10 50 Inch Plasma
TC-P54V10 54Inch Plasma
TC-P58V10 58 Inch Plasma
TC-P65V10 65 Inch Plasma
Check back regularly for prices and availability of the Panasonic 2009 LCD HDTV’s on Giant Buyer
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