Page Two

Continuation of Vintage Micro Television, this is page two.

Next up, Sony KV 5100

1977

Sony KV 5100

Introduced in 1977, the Sony KV 5100 with a 5 inch, one gun, one lens CRT, became the smallest Trinitron color television * until the introduction of the Sony KV 4000 with 3.7 inch Trinitron CRT in 1980. The television has a dark, tinted, removable viewing screen, two earphone inputs, an external antenna input and adjustable viewing stand. Automatic fine tuning. (AFT) Fully portable with 3 way power supply and built in recharging circuit for the rechargeable battery. The “ECONOQUICK” circuit allows the set to power off completely and power up with instant image. Illuminated channel indicators and the set came with a snap on protective cover for the front, much like the earlier Sony “Walkie- Watchie” of 1965. The television measures 8 7/8″ W x 6 3/4″ H x 11 1/4″ D. This television was manufactured June, 1979.

I found this set May, 2011 in very good condition without accessories and it displays a very good image with better then average over-scan. The set has a flat screen which helps to avoid reflections. You can see Sony’s design goal, to build a color micro television near identical in size to the original black and white Sony Micro TV 5 303-W from 1962. See the screen shots below.

* Edit. The Sony Model KV 5000, not shown, which appears near identical may have been introduced as early as 1973. More information to follow.

Next up, Sinclair MTV 1B

1978

Sinclair MTV 1B

After the launch in 1977 of the multi standard Sinclair MTV 1, (see page one) this model was introduced for England’s local market and Europe standards. Sir Clive Sinclair wanted the product to be affordable and the set was priced at 99 pounds British Sterling. Cost cutting included a plastic cabinet and this television receives only UK Standard CCIR System 1 transmissions. Black and white, 1.75 inch CRT, the set uses 4 standard AA batteries or 6 volt external power supply. The set measures 6 7/8″ D x 3 5/16″ W x 2 1/16″ H. I found this television January, 2011 in excellent condition and the set powers up.

Next up, JVC P-100AE

1978

JVC P-100AE

Here is a brand new, mint condition, JVC P-100AE black and white television with two inch CRT and AM/FM radio. Unique dual tuning dial and slide rule radio dials. The style reminds me of a miniature audio component, beautifully detailed and crafted. The travel case is of high quality and looks great. The set is larger and heavier then most micro televisions in my collection, measuring 7 5/16″ D x 5 7/8″ W x 2 1/16″ H. It has a recessed brushed aluminum mono-pole antenna and flip out stand at the bottom of set, external antenna input, with bright and contrast controls. It also has a snap on magnifying lens much like the Panasonic TR Series from 1970 to 1986. This set has a larger CRT and does not need this lens in my opinion. Powered by 4 standard AA batteries, rechargeable battery or 6 volt external power supply. There were variations of this television with different cosmetics, manufactured by Emerson, Sanyo and Unisonic to name a few. In my opinion, this JVC is the nicest looking of these various models.

JVC, Japan Victor Company is a subsidiary of Panasonic and manufactured this television April, 1979, in Yokohama Japan. Acquired this television November, 2010.

Next up, Sanyo TPM 2170

1980

Sanyo TPM 2170

This model was introduced 1980? (please advise as to exact release date) A two inch black and white CRT, multi-standard television capable of U.S., UK and Europe reception. Beautiful design and craftsmanship, the television also includes an AM/FM radio and back lit digital clock and timer. The timer will turn on the TV, radio or alarm. The clock runs on a separate micro battery which was not installed at time of photo below. This model has a 9 volt rechargeable battery, with built in charging circuit or can operate on 5 standard AA batteries. The television has a convenient stand which can be adjusted to various viewing angles and doubles as a carrying handle. The set has inputs for earphones, external antenna and 9 volt external AC power supply. The television measures 5 1/8″ W x 6″ D x 2″ H. Oversize speaker for robust clear audio. The Magnavox Model BD 3902 SL01 is identical except it has a dark grey front face.

This premium quality constructed television and case with AC power adapter were found September, 2011. It displays a detailed bright image and is in “like new” condition. A very nice set and welcome addition to the collection. See screen shot below.

Next up, Sony KV-4000 “ESSEN DESIGN”

1980

Sony KV-4000 “ESSEN DESIGN”

Introduced to the U.S. in April, 1980, the smallest Trinitron color CRT, 3.7 inches and the smallest portable color television in the world. That would change in 1982 with the introduction of the Panasonic CT 3311 and later in 1984 with the incredible Panasonic CT 101A more about that later.

Very beautiful design and craftsmanship, brushed aluminum champagne gold case, beveled glass screen, automatic search tuning, electronic one-button band selector, illuminated channel scale on smoked glass filter, on screen tuning indicator bars. The picture tube can be tilted to three vertical positions for easy viewing angle. Four way power supply, AC, car battery, rechargeable battery or nine D-cell batteries. High quality sound from built in speaker. Very compact design, 4 3/4 w 4 3/4 h 11 3/8 inches d. Weighs 6 lb. 10 oz. Look at the great design, recess for the antenna so the antenna won’t protrude from cabinet. My photo did not do justice to this exquisite Television. You can learn more at the Sony global website under Sony Design.

This TV is one of my favorites and still resides on my desk, fully functional. I purchased this set new, September, 1980.

This would be the smallest color CRT made by Sony. Eight years later, Sony would introduce the first of a series of color TFT ( Thin Film Transistor ) display devices and televisions.

Click on photos for full view.

The Sony KV 4000 is shown in the collapsed position inside it’s travel case. Under the television, there is a secondary zippered pocket for the optional rechargeable BP-36 battery. The mono pole antenna could be extended from inside the case and all controls and inputs were accessible. A shoulder strap completed the package.

Screen Shots from Sony KV 4000. Scaled to be actual size on a 1600 x 1200 resolution monitor. If viewed on a 1024 x 768 monitor, screen shots will be over sized. Anderson Cooper, and Leslie Sthal, on CBS 60 Minuets, November 28, 2010. The great Sony Trinitron picture quality. These screen shots are standard definition, analogue signals from a 30 year old television!

Next up, Sony KV 5200

1980

Sony KV 5200

Introduced in the same year as the above, Sony KV 4000. A very nice 5 inch Trinitron color CRT utilizing newly developed phosphors for a brighter, high contrast image with no increase in energy consumption, maximum 27 watts. It also utilizes alternating, vertical non-reflecting “guard bands” with the phosphor strips which absorb ambient light reflections. The television can operate on a self contained rechargeable 12 volt battery and the set has an internal charging circuit. The set can also operate on 12/24 volt car battery. The set also has electronic, semi automatic tuning with 14 illuminated presets. Automatic circuits and auto AFT to reduce adjustments. Image adjustment controls are hidden behind a door on right side of the receiver. The “Econoquick” system provides an image in seconds with zero power consumption when the television is switched off. The television measures 6 3/8″ W x 8 5/8″ H x 13″ D and weighs 13 lbs 4 oz. Earphone and external antenna inputs with unique push button projecting sun screen first seen on Sony’s very first portable television, the TV 3-801W introduced in 1960 and shown on Page One. This television was manufactured December, 1979.

I found this television in excellent condition, July, 2011. It provides a detailed, vibrant color image typical of the Trinitron system. The previous owner was the original owner and said this television has less then 100 hours of operation. See the screenshots below.

Next up, Sony KV 8100

1980

Sony KV 8100

This Sony model KV 8100, was introduced alongside the above Sony KV 4000 and KV 5200 in 1980. Very beautiful designed television, featuring soft touch 14 push-button electronic tuning system. Dark, glare free, removable, tinted screen cover and three way power supply, is fully portable with optional BP-81 rechargeable battery. The receiver adjustment controls are hidden behind a pull open door on the right side of the set. It has an external antenna input and a recessed carrying handle located at the top, as well as an adjustable stand for height adjustment. The Trinitron color one gun, one lens CRT is 7.7 inches and produces a beautiful detailed image. The television measures 10 1/4″ W x 9 3/8″ H x 12 7/8″ D and weighs 19 lb. 3 oz. This television was manufactured June, 1985.

I found this television in April, 2011 brand new and unused, in original box with packing materials, accessories and paperwork sealed in their original plastic envelopes. Attached a digital converter box and on first power up, the set performed flawlessly. You can see the the screen shots below. I consider this Trinitron among the very best television designs Sony produced. It has the look and feel of the “ProFeel” line of prosumer component televisions Sony introduced in the same year, 1980.

Click on images for actual 7.7 inch size on a 1600 monitor.

Next up, Panasonic TR 1000P

1981

Panasonic TR 1000P

Introduced in 1981, this is a multi standard television with AM/FM. It has a switch for United States, Europe and the UK broadcasts with automatic voltage regulation. 1 1/2 inch black and white CRT. Very attractive premium set with brushed metal and leather covered case. Sensitive tuner, pulls in distant weak stations very clearly. It has a nice, thin slide on front cover that protects the entire front face of the set. It is supplied with a separate leather pouch for the AC adapter, Euro plug, antenna and ear phone adapters and snap on magnifying lens. Attached leather hand strap and built in, recessed stand. This set is about double the size of the Panasonic TR 1030, measuring 6 1/2″ D x 4 15/16″ w x 1 5/8″ h. This set manufactured November, 1981. I acquired this set May, 2010. It functions normally.

Screen shot below, is double actual size. Image quality is typical on the Panasonic TR 1010, 1020 and 1030 models. Download wallpaper.

Next up, Panasonic Travelvision TR 1010P

1981

Panasonic Travelvision TR 1010P

Introduced in 1981, looking more refined then the previous Panasonic Model TR 001, sold eleven years earlier. It is just slightly smaller at 6.25 x 3.4 x 1.5 inches. A big improvement in weight. New horizontal design. It came with the same accessories as the Model TR 001. Unfortunately this set came with a set specific battery which no longer accepts a charge, otherwise it functions normally. This TV was manufactured In July, 1981.

Next up, Sony Dicatvision KV 4100

1982

Sony Dicatvision KV 4100

The ultimate, early eighties, high tech toy for the Executive desk. An all in in one entertainment center with Trinitron 3.7 inch color television, AM-FM stereo radio and microcassette dictation recorder all within the compact confines of a cabinet measuring 5 7/8″ W x 6 3/8″ H x 11 5/8″ D. This is basically an upgraded Sony KV 4000, introduced 2 years earlier and shown above. Unit scans the AM-FM bands and 7 station presets can be stored in memory. Unit also adds tone control and 5 service adjustments accessed at the rear of the cabinet. Additionally, the rechargeable battery is now built into the base of the television. Unit is supplied with wired dictation microphone, remote and carrying case. See KV 4000 description above for details on the television. This television was manufactured February, 1982 and I found this TV in excellent cosmetic, working condition, January, 2012. The CRT is bright and detailed indicating very little use. The radio tuners are sensitive, picking up many stations with outstanding sound quality for a set of this size. See screen shot below.

Next up, the flat tubes.

1982

Sony Flat TV FD 200

Very rare, seldom seen, this model precedes by approximately 4 to 6 months, the Sony FD 210 below which is widely accepted as the * first flat CRT by Sony. Believed to be only available in Japan, finished in black with bold amber script “FLAT TV”. Later changed to “Watchman” and silver color in subsequent models. I found this television January, 2012 in excellent operating, cosmetic condition. The set is a Japanese market model and the tuning scale is not compatible with United States standards. When I attached a digital converter box, was unable to receive signals, however on the UHF band, was able to receive a few analogue stations still operating. There is a tag on the receiver indicating manufacture date of January 6, 1982. In all other respects the television is the same as model FD 210 described below.

1982

Sony Watchman FD 210

Introduced in 1982, this was Sony’s * first flat CRT. Two inch black and white. ( See Motorola flat screen TV from 1966 on page five ) A novel, new approach to reducing the bulk of portable television. The tubes gun is now in line or parallel to the screen. In this design the gun is located below the screen. A relatively flat TV cabinet was achieved only 1 1/2 inches thick. Some internet articles say this was the world’s first mass produced pocket TV. This is incorrect as was stated above with the introduction of the Panasonic TR 001, 12 years earlier. In fact the Sony FD 210 is larger, measuring 3 1/2 w 8 h 1 1/2 d inches and weighs 1 lb 5 oz without batteries.

In my opinion, the most beautiful elegant TV Watchman. It has a brushed aluminum case in the front portion with a beveled glass viewing screen. All future models would have a plastic case. Very nice design details throughout, with a lit operating indicator, machined metal Sony logo as used in their high end equipment and detailed controls. The antenna is concealed inside the case when not in use. It has a built in stand recessed in the back of the case. Future models would have a redesigned flat CRT which was slightly thicker and a bit more angled. In addition, this first model lacks external brightness and contrast controls, future models would include these controls. The set was supplied with a earphone, carrying strap and suede zippered soft case. It uses 4 standard AA batteries or 6 volt external power supply. This set was manufactured October, 1982, purchased new and fully functional today as shown below with current screen shot. Click on image below for full view and download wallpaper for your computer.

One additional screen shot from this classic Sony FD 210.

Next up, Seiko TV Watch T 001

1982

See description on page one.

Next up, Panasonic CT-3311 Micro Color TV

1982

Panasonic CT-3311 Micro Color TV

The competition for the smallest color CRT television between Sony and Panasonic continues with the introduction in 1982 of the Panasonic CT-3311 color television. It uses a 2.6 inch precision inline RGB CRT and can be called the smallest color CRT television in the world. Later, in 1984, the miniaturization continued with the incredible 1.5 inch color model CT-101A by Panasonic, see Page 2A. Panasonic took several design cues from the earlier Sony KV 4000 in 1980, see Page 2 and can be used as a monitor or television. It has video in/out, audio in/out, external antenna, earphone and 12 volt DC inputs. This model has the same beveled glass viewing screen and illuminated on screen and channel scale indicator with manual or auto tuning as the Sony KV 4000. In addition it has a slider mechanism to aid the release of the locked mono pole antenna, again much like the earlier Sony KV 4000. The base/charger/AC power supply, can adjust the television at various angles. Unlike the Sony, the power supply/base can be separated from the receiver and operated independently. This set has a control called ” Panabrite ” It simultaneously adjusts the brightness and contrast. The earlier Sony KV 4000 has this control and calls it ” Picture ” This Panasonic model is smaller then the Sony KV 4000, measuring 3 7/16″ H x 4 1/2″ W x 9 1/8″ D.

My impression is that the Sony is superior in design, picture and sound quality but the Panasonic is smaller and has virtually no over scan. This means one can enjoy the full image without any information missing from the image. This television was manufactured December, 1982 and acquired December, 2010. The set is in very good condition cosmetically and in excellent working condition. See the screen shots below.

Shown with minimalist “boomerang” bi-pod stand.

Next up, Sony KV-5300 Trinitron Color TV/Monitor

1982

Sony KV-5300 Trinitron Color TV/Monitor

This Sony Trinitron color TV/Monitor was first introduced in 1982. Similar in some respects to the Sony KV-4000, but less elegant and with plastic cabinet instead of brushed metal. 5 inch Trinitron color CRT with electronic tuning and 14 illuminated presets. Econoquick, energy-saving quick-start picture system, audio/video in and out inputs, external antenna, earphone and power supply inputs. The set operates on an internal 12 volt rechargeable battery (NP-1) with built in charging circuit. The battery can be conveniently ejected from the cabinet for replacement. Integrated carrying handle, folds flat into the top of the television neatly and unobtrusively. A recessed stand is located under the television. Secondary controls are hidden behind a door located at the top of cabinet. The television measures 7 9/16″ W x 5 1/2″ H x 11 5/8″ D, weighs 8 pounds, 10 ounces and was manufactured January, 1984.

I found this television, October, 2011 in excellent working condition with detailed images. See screen shots below and click on image for full view.

Next up, Casio TV 10

1983

Casio TV 10

Introduced in June, 1983, the world’s first all solid state one piece LCD television.

It has a 2.7 inch black and white TN (twisted nematic) like watches and calculators, passive panel with 20,480 pixels. Shades of gray would be a better description. I held this set in hand at a boutique store in a fashionable shopping district of downtown San Francisco. I could not justify paying the $299.95 price tag. The image was very low quality and the solid state electroluminescent (EL) back light system left much to be desired, but never the less a historical breakthrough. The build quality was very good, black or silver metal case with good aesthetics. The set has a unique push button on the side of the set which allows an adjustable stand to spring out at the rear of the set. The set measures 4 3/4″ W x 3 3/16″ H x 1 1/16″ D. It has inputs for external antenna and ear phone. It uses three standard AA batteries.

This set is among the rarest micro televisions, mostly seen with the black case. Very few were made and could only be found in specialty/boutique stores. It was considered a novelty and reviewers rejected the set for it’s low contrast, hard to see image. I searched for 6 months and finally found this one in August, 2010. Thought I would never find one as there are virtually no references to it on the internet. Was lucky to find this one in perfect condition, no scratches or blemishes and the set works! This model was made for the Japanese market. Below you can see the low quality image that the world’s first one piece LCD television produces. To be fair, this image is an analogue signal from a low power UHF station, 27 miles away, that the FCC still allows to operate. It has snow in the image. Click on photo below for full view and 1600×1200 wallpaper download.

Three months later, found the black version, this time a U.S. market model. Also in excellent working condition, it accepts a converter box digital signal to analogue, but the image is poor, suffering from low contrast due to the low pixel count and TN passive display. Click on image for full view and download wallpaper. The screen shots below, are about as good as I can get with this model. Both models have unusual amber tinted exterior viewing screens.

Next up, Sinclair FTV1/B (TV 80)

1983

Sinclair FTV1/B (TV 80)

This set was released September 16, 1983, the first “flat” CRT by Sinclair after the launch of the MTV1 in 1977, designed by Sir Clive Sinclair of England, it is a UHF only multi standard television designed to automatically switch to many country standards in Europe and the United States. A VHF/UHF version was also available. The CRT is two inches and the design differs from the Sony design introduced in the FD 210 one year earlier. The neck of the tube is side way instead of below. The phosphor coating only covers one third of the screen, but the Fresnel lens expands the image to the full height of the screen. The set is designed for simple operation with a single integrated circuit to operate all functions, save power, reduce parts and save production costs. Only two controls on the exterior of the set, on/off/volume and tuning. Sinclair reduced the slimness of the set by using thin, slide in batteries made by Polaroid. They were said to last 15 hours and very expensive, unfortunately no longer made. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It has a built in easel type stand. The set is light, 9 1/2 ounces and measures 5 1/2″ w x 3 1/2″ h x 1 1/4″ d. It was supplied with a soft case and extra batteries. An optional mains adapter of 5.9 volts was available, unfortunately, no where on the set or in the owners manual is the polarity described.

Clive Sinclair had grand ambitions for this television, and even though priced at approximately 1/2 of the Sony FD 210, managed to sell only 15000 units world wide. The set sold for 79 pounds sterling and the battery back of three sold for 1/5 of the sets price, a good reason for it’s lack of popularity. Additionally the set’s image was not as clear as the Sony and viewing angles were compromised by the correction Fresnel lens. Sinclair eventually gave up his dream of “a TV in every pocket” like the transistor radio craze, shut down operation and sold the company.

I purchased this set in June, 2010, the seller told me he purchased new in England, tried it several times,then put it in the box and forgot about it all these years until recently. It looks new, not a scratch or a scuff any where. I have the original box and packing material with all paper work, soft case, ear phone and one unopened battery pack. I do not have the optional mains adapter. I have not yet verified that the set works. The batteries are no longer available and I want to preserve the unopened battery back for collection purposes. I do not know the set’s polarity, so dare not connect a mains adapter at this time.

SEE PAGE TWO A, VINTAGE MICRO TELEVISION FOR CONTINUATION OF TIME LINE