Samsung's new CTV-32Z30 32-inch CRT

We're not exactly following why Samsung, exalted ruler of Plasmas and LCDs, is busting out HD CRTs, but hey, go where the market is, right? Granted, their new 32-inch CTV-32Z30 is indeed thinner than your average CRT, and comes with HDMI, SCART, and S-Video, but when you have to lay down £350 (about $600 US) to get one, you're really not too far off in price from a real 32-inch LCD.

[nosidam @ Mar 13th 2006 10:09AM]

Isn't a real 32" LCD gonna set you back at least $1500? That's more than double the cost of the CRT. But it's Monday morning and my math could be off.

[ra ndy @ Mar 13th 2006 10:13AM]

Tell me where you can get a 32 inch HD plasma or lcd tv for anywhere near 32 inch.

[nick @ Mar 13th 2006 10:14AM]

Yes, but crt display quality is far better than an lcd display. So if it's the same price, crt is the better deal.

[Bobby @ Mar 13th 2006 10:18AM]

I have had to return this model 3 times. The first one has a green smudge on the top right corner, the second turn off and on by itself and made a hell of a degausing noise, the third one makes a high pitch whine and the left side of the screen is completely green. Its a beautiful tv, I would love it if it worked correctly, but it doesnt, so I bought a sony. =)

[Brian @ Mar 13th 2006 10:21AM]

Plus, this things picture is going to be lightyear's better than pretty much the best LCD out there. Sounds like a heck of a bedroom TV if you've got room for it.

[Bob @ Mar 13th 2006 10:21AM]

I think he meant LCD TV's like the Philips, Syntax, or similar deals out there. A 32" LCD can be had for under $800 these days, and in some cases, (Emprex from Fry's), under $700.

[Martin @ Mar 13th 2006 10:22AM]

@1: In Switzerland the cheapest 32" LCD costs about 1000$.

@engadget: Why they sell a CRT? Because there is NO LCD/Plasma (at least with a price tag below 3000$) with the quality of a CRT. All those artefacts at DVD playback, all those scaling problems with PAL content, there is no reason to buy a LCD/Plasma at this time.

[Si @ Mar 13th 2006 10:22AM]

An HD 32" LCD costs between �1000 and �1500 in the UK, so it really is a way off in price...

[pedro @ Mar 13th 2006 10:25AM]

I'm right with #3. I've got a 34" Sony XBR960,and the picture is simply phenomenal. There is nothing under $5000 that can match its picture, the only downsize being its bulk and 34" diagonal size.
I've got my fingers crossed that SED TVs will finally give CRTs a run for the picture quality crown.

[Bob Greenlees @ Mar 13th 2006 10:34AM]

I have the 34" inch Samsung SlimFit and love it. I have been unable to understand why so many people flock to LCDs and Plasmas when the picture quality and color depth of CRTs dollar for dollar is much better. The SlimFit is perfect because it is very shallow (which the poster sorta forgot to focus on) and has connections and options that you would not find on an LCD of that size for under twice the price. Buying a tv should nt be about how best to display it in a yuppie artsy way but it should be about the best picture quality you can get on your budget. And that still is CRT.

[Foxaii @ Mar 13th 2006 11:06AM]

It's �250 for a half decent widescreen tv in the UK. For �100 extra you get a HD-Ready widescreen tv that takes up just two thirds of the space. Just imagine this thing in combination with a HTPC setup. Large screen size, high resolution, quality colours, no ghosting...

In my opinion this thing will sell very well indeed.

[Goodman @ Mar 13th 2006 11:12AM]

Well, CRTs are sharper and more reliable. Throw in cablecard 2.0 support and I'm interested.

[Rick @ Mar 13th 2006 11:12AM]

Prices in the UK include tax, so the price before tax is �289 which is approx $499.
The cheapest I've seen a 32" HD ready Samsung LCD, with digital tuner, is about �820 ($1167 before tax)

[Sam Abuelsamid @ Mar 13th 2006 11:19AM]

I just bought a new toshiba 30" widescreen hd crt and I love it. The biggest achilles heal of lcds and plasmas that no one seems to want to talk about (besides of course contrast, black levels, burn-in, viewing angle, etc) is native resolution. As long as programs are being broadcast in multiple different resolutions, most of which don't match the neative resolution of the screen, the image quality ends up being far worse than what you get from a humble crt. Until everyone settles back on one common resolution, I will not even consider buying a an overpriced monitor that is locked into a native resolution.

[JT Brazier @ Mar 13th 2006 11:24AM]

CRT's still have the best Picture, Analog or HD and some pepole who have the space still want the best performance.

[gary @ Mar 13th 2006 11:34AM]

I don't understand what you guys have got against CRT. You can not get a picture as good as CRT with LCD or plasma. This is a dream for me, and �350 is an absolute bargain (although I'm sure the actual price here will be closer to �600). A 32" SD CRT is the same price, so it's a no brainer really.

[james f. @ Mar 13th 2006 11:46AM]

Yeah engadget i gotta chime in with everyone else. CRT still has a better picture at a better price and will never have burn in/burn out issues. Anyone ever notice they tend to hide the HD CRT's in the brightest section of your local big box retailer?

After experiencing my brothers DLP I know for sure that the next TV for me will be a HD CRT. (now who can I get to move it...)

[dan @ Mar 13th 2006 11:49AM]

A GREAT IDEA! buy two or three instead of one LCD.
CRT RULES!

[fraeone @ Mar 13th 2006 12:02PM]

damn thats cheap. I wish these were 600 in the US. I think the 30" jobbie is like $900 at BB.

[Digger Phelps @ Mar 13th 2006 12:04PM]

I'd buy this in a minute, if it were available in the US for $600.
Unfortunately, it isn't yet, and the price of a similar 30" Samsung is still $1000.

[noah @ Mar 13th 2006 12:05PM]

That is by far the cheapest I've seen for a large CRT HDTV. The current Samsung 30" widescreen (awesome picture) goes for about 899, though it can be had through other dealers for much less (with questionable reputation). So for this one to go for 600 bucks....all I gotta say is that if it is available in the US soon, Ima gettin it.

[Bran @ Mar 13th 2006 12:09PM]

Turn the channel to anything with a news ticker and you'll see blatant geometry issues. The screen bows at top and bottom towards the center. News tickers take somewhat of a rollercoaster looking ride across the bottom of your screen. Widescreen dvd's that are
more than 1:85 will also reveal bending. Combined with a +130lbs weight and it's not such a steel.

The geometry issue is inherent when you try to place the crt at such an extreme angle to provide the "slimfit." No service tech can fix that and
those that "don't see it" will notice it sooner or later. It will be like having a dead pixel on an lcd. You will always notice it from then on.

[Ed Balaban @ Mar 13th 2006 12:19PM]

Does anyone know where they sell this TV? Cant find it anywhere!

[C @ Mar 13th 2006 1:47PM]

YES ITS VERY FAR FROM A 32" LCD!!! a cheap one is $1000!

This is a Samsung, and CRT is great! Im happy to see they are making them! I never understood why LCDs are so popular, As CRT image quality and production is far superior.

I know - Its because we want to be Modern and hang our TV on the wall cause its 4" thick...

For anyone that really cares about the picture and the price... CRT is still the way to go!

[Noddddd @ Mar 13th 2006 2:28PM]

CRTs are still the way to go if 32" isn't too small for you. Better color reproduction, better resolution, and the fastest display response over anything else on the market.

I feel bad for the guy who went through 3 of Samsungs sets, because they produce the best CRT tubes in the industry right now, beating out anything by Sony.

The only downside for all these awesomr CRT sets is they weigh a metric ton. So very heavy, but in the end its totally worth it for the picture quality.

[Daniel @ Mar 13th 2006 2:28PM]

I'm really lost with the price here. The Samsung SlimFit 30" Widescreen Flat-Tube is still like $850 US. Someone please explain how the 32 in which which doesnt seem to be out yet is gonna be $600 US???

[Paul K. @ Mar 13th 2006 2:54PM]

26, I hear what you're saying, the cheapest I find the 30" slim fit is 699.99 some a little higher some a little lower. So how is the 32" going to be 600?

[elmo @ Mar 13th 2006 2:55PM]

I don't know why no one has mentioned this yet, but CRTs outlast LCDs and Plasmas by about 15 years. Until they can sell a LCD or plasma display that will last 20-25 years I'm not interested. $1000 for a TV, you're damn right it better last more than 5-10 years. I have a 30 in tv in my bedroom that was bought in 1990. I won't have to replace it until 2010. Hopefully by then they will have these issues fixed, but I doubt it. No one seems to realize that they are doing this on purpose. Think about it. The TVs cost more and you ahve to replace them more often. It adds up to more money for tv manufacturers.

[Dermot81 @ Mar 13th 2006 3:52PM]

LCD/Plasmas are aesthetically pleasing, as well as being somewhat of a status symbol.

There are plenty of phones that offer more functionality than the RAZR, and for cheaper, but people buy the RAZR because it looks nice. Same holds true for the iPod. Same holds true for LCD/plasma TVs, they just look better in a living room than CRTs.

Also, if I was to compare two people's apartments, one which had a 32 inch LCD and one with a 32 inch CRT, I would automatically assume the guy with the LCD is more successful than the guy with the CRT. It's a status symbol, and people know it.

[BuzzKill @ Mar 13th 2006 3:59PM]

Engadget... Your snob is showing. And so is your inability to seperate marketing hype from what consumers want or need. LCD and Plasma are a HUGE profit maker for the makers. The picture quality on LCD in particular is abismal compared to CRT unless all you ever watch is HD, widescreen content. I've purchased 3 different LCD TV's so far and taken them all back. They are all fuzzy, grainy, distort the picture to fit the screen, etc. People are buying them because sites like Engadget won't grow a pair and tell consumers they are paying 3X or more the $$ for 1/2 the picture quality. Consumers need to grow up and stop letting Paris Hilton tell them what they need.

[Kyran @ Mar 13th 2006 4:39PM]

I'll have to chime in with everyone else on this one. Come on, Engadget, you guys are more savvy than this. I can forgive you guys for not understanding the significance of LED backlights in LCD displays (even if the picture in front of you is vastly superior compared to other LCDs). You wouldn't pop in RotK only to stare at your TV's frame, so why is Picture Quality taking the back seat?

With THAT out of the way, I've been eyeing Samsung's SlimFit line for quite a while because they knock a few inches of depth from standard CRTs, but there have been widespread complaints about its geometry issues which might not make it worth its premium over other HD CRT displays.

Anyone think it's possible this one may have those quirks fixed?

[Matthew @ Mar 13th 2006 5:05PM]

I have the Samsung Slimfit 30" CRT. I love it and wish that it was a little bit bigger - 34" or 36" would be ideal for me. This seems like a step in the right direction, but I have to agree - how is this only $600 US? I paid ~$900 for my 30" less than 9 months ago, right when it came out. I find it rather unlikely that Samsung would undermine their first Slimfit set with this new one.

I have to say that I've not really noticed any geometry issues. However, I have one gripe. My HDTV cable box is hooked up through the component interfaces, and when a non-HD channel broadcasts a show in widescreen and I zoom in on the picture, it looks TERRIBLE. It's almost better to watch Battlestar Gallactica with the gray bars on the sides and the black bars on the top and bottom, rather than deal with the grainy zoomed image.

And yes, CRT sets look a lot better picture-wise than LCDs or DLPs (don't have a lot of experience watching plasmas, so I won't pass judgement there). The only downside is that it weighs 3 metric butt-tons, easily.

[paulos @ Mar 13th 2006 5:34PM]

Anyone know where I can get buy a HD (as in 720p/1080i) CRT TV in UK withough paying extortionate shipping costs from US? Cant seem to find any...

[AutoDas @ Mar 13th 2006 8:10PM]

wow $600? That's a steal. I have heard mixed sides about Samsung's HD CRT so...help, need clarification.

[Richard @ Mar 13th 2006 8:47PM]

I agree, CRT picture quality is still more "crisper" than other technologies at this moment (one of the reasons why I purchased my first 'nice' TV as the 42 inch Sony Wega HDTV CRT...heavy but clear). I think this makes the CRT resurface back for a bit to drive price wars with other technologies. The other technology that I am still anticipating from what I am reading all about is the Canon/ Toshiba tech SED. That seems like it takes the CRT to the thin level.

[billybobr @ Mar 13th 2006 11:48PM]

i don't know if anyone's pointed this out, but the tv in the picture above is not some new model CTV-32Z30 32-inch CRT, it is infact the samsung TX-R3079WH a 30 inch CRT widescreen HDTV. This tv was released few months ago, but i bought it in january and its amazing.

[AutoDas @ Mar 14th 2006 12:16AM]

no they just have the same design

[Jon @ Mar 14th 2006 3:15AM]

If they have fixed or greatly reduced the geometry issues and the curvature in the center...this TV is unbeatable. Also there were issues with the HDMI port simply not working. HDMI is of course overrated...until HD-DVD and Blu-Ray come out that is.

Looks as good as the Sony XBRs...and has the ability to fool people into thinking it is an LCD or Plasma. Just don't let them look behind it.

Again I say...if they have greatly improved on it's flaws and can keep it below 1200$...this TV is a steal.

[Karl @ Mar 14th 2006 9:39AM]

Judging from the reviews of the 30" model, this TV certainly hasn't overwhelmed all of its users:

http://tinyurl.com/hfo9n

The CRT vs LCD discussion is certainly not as one-sided as some people suggest.

[chasing @ Mar 14th 2006 10:30AM]

38: not all users are overwhelmed by anything. God couldn't even pull that one off, sorry.

That picture is definitely a TX. I've got ones and have had no geometry issues, no green smudges, no rings, none of that stuff that I have seen it knocked for. Although even when knocked it still seems to - overall - have a pretty high rating. And there's a good reason for that - it's a sweet TV.

But $600? What are you smoking? And do you plan to share?

And have you actually seen the quality of LCDs at that price range? Utter crap.

[Dirk Munk @ Mar 18th 2006 6:52AM]

Samsung just announced a somewhat similar set for the German (and European?) market. This set (the WS-32Z409) looks a bit different from the 32Z30, the front is mainly shining ("piano") black with some silver. It has the HD-Ready stamp, so it can accept 720p and 1080i signals and has HDMI and component connectors. This is in fact the only HD-Ready CRT set on sale in Europe as far as I know, all other HD-Ready sets are LCD and plasma.

[camaj @ Mar 19th 2006 12:32PM]

If Samsung deliver on this, it should be phenominal. I've seen Samsung LCD's for �500 ($900) but this should be a no brainer for the budget market, it even gives cheap SD CRT's a run for their money.

This is released in May in the UK, so hold tight!

[Dirk Munk @ Mar 20th 2006 12:56PM]

I forgot to mention that the price will be about �899, which is quite acceptable for a HD-Ready set with a resolution of 720 lines (720p).

Philips also has two CRT sets with HDMI and component inputs in Europe. These sets are "HD prepared" what ever that may mean. Most likely the resolution of the displays is below 720 lines, maybe even standard PAL.

[Dirk Munk @ Mar 26th 2006 4:52PM]

I've been doing a bit of research. As you may know the HD-Ready logo is a registered trade mark and it is owned by the EICTA. Only TV sets with HDMI input and the ability to display (!!) at least 720p are allowed to use this logo. The new Philips TV sets as wel as the Samsung 32Z308 can not display 720p, they have to scale it down to PAL resolution. So they are not HD-Ready. I now wonder how many US HDTV CRT sets can actually display at least 720p. Perhaps the "HDTV" specification only applies to the HDMI input and a HDTV capable tuner. The actual picture may not be HDTV at all (min. 720p) in European terms, even if it is much better then a standard NTSC picture.

[Fish @ Mar 27th 2006 5:00AM]

Someone said they bought this TV CTV-32Z30, where didyou get it from, I can't find one anywhere. I live in the UK and at the moment it seems this price is more reasonable than a LCD or PLASMA and I don't mind that I can't hang it on the wall, I just want the quality.

[Dirk Munk @ Mar 28th 2006 4:25PM]

I doubt if any receiver with type number WS-32Z30 exists. However there are many Samsung TV sets (on sale all over the world) with type numbers starting with WS-32Z30, like WS-32Z308. All these TV sets look alike, so it is save to assume they have much in common. If one of these sets only has YUV input (no HDMI), then the set is specified for 576p and 1080i, but not 720p (maybe 480p too).

The US site of Samsung mentions that these sets can display 800 lines, without specifying if this is 800 lines interlaced or 800 lines progressive. However since sets with analogue input only can not display 720p, we may assume this is 800 lines interlaced.

It seems that CRT sets can display more interlaced lines then progressive lines. The new WS-32Z409 is capable of displaying 720p, then maybe it can also display 1080i. That would be something !!

My advise would be to call Samsung UK and ask about this set. The WS-32Z30x sets have less resolution, and are not true HDTV sets as I see it.

[Heretic @ Apr 1st 2006 7:42AM]

CRT put out a better quality image than a LCD doing 1080i, it would cost a hell of a lot more to get a LCD do that, and its slim and cheap. What more do you want?

[Jake Reid @ Apr 6th 2006 11:40AM]

I contacted Samsung UK and they have never heard of the 32" HD CRT and could not supply info when it will reach the UK. I am well keen to purchase a Samsung 32" HD CRT but would like some definite answers on availability, infact I think I can sell 3 right now if I had them!

[Dirk Munk @ Apr 7th 2006 4:06AM]

To start with, a link to the French Samsung site where the WS-32Z409T is shown and offered:

http://www.samsung.com/fr/products/tv/televisions/tv169/ws32z409tqxxec.asp

It is still not available in Germany, but I have seen it offered there for just under �700.

Obviously Samsung UK tells you they don't know this CRT, because it is not on their product list. Ask them to inform with the product manager if it will come to the UK. The mere fact that you know that there is a "Product Manager" will do the trick in my experience.

[adam shore @ Apr 12th 2006 9:55AM]

Where can you get this t.v from????? don't you people realise that a high def crt would leave any plasma or lcd for dead when it comes to picture quality, and surly that is the whole point of high def in the first place!! Please could someone tell me where to get one from? Apart from space saving i really don't understand why people go mad for lcd's and plasma's. I've demo'd the best there is and they still don't come close to goods crt's.