1970s Television Set Commercials RCA Zenith GE Sylvania Motorola

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1970s Television Set Commercials RCA Zenith GE Sylvania Motorola

Рет қаралды 51,023

Күн бұрын

Vintage 1970s TV commercials for color television sets.
1. Quasar
2. RCA
3. Philco Ford
4. Sears
5. Sylvania
6. Philco Ford
7. Sylvania
8. RCA
9. GE
10. GE
11. Magnavox
12. RCA
13. Motorola Quasar
14. Zenith

Пікірлер: 113

@Dougc3157 Жыл бұрын

Amazing, all of those brand name television company's are gone, what a shame.

@kingporter67 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent television sets from the 1970's, great commercial!!

@EthanWhateley 5 жыл бұрын

I think I just added about 50 views to this just to hear the lady singing the word QuAsar.. ..such a mind blowing trip back to the early -mid 70s!

@JENDALL714 2 жыл бұрын

I still have my Space Command TV, still works flawlessly! I paired it with a Zenith HD receiver and the picture looks better than ever. The HD receiver remote even can control the TV even though the tv is 40 years old. Zenith has never changed their infrared signal, despite being sold to LG electronics.

@luisreyes1963 Жыл бұрын

Lucky you. 😁

@crist67mustang Жыл бұрын

In my country, Chile, BTSC Ameeican system came in 1978. Brands for sale here were GE, RCA (Sony, Sharp) and Quasar made in USA color tv sets. Not available Zenith, SIlvania, or Admiral. ©2022 GE Corporation of Chile.

@CAESARbonds 2 жыл бұрын

I wish I had a lounge with some old sets from each century.

@kgoundan 7 жыл бұрын

Imagine how the cat in the Sylvania commercial would react to a HD video on today's TVs

@TheBrooklynbodine 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah that'd be something, wouldn't it?

@vincef.8261 5 жыл бұрын

@@TheBrooklynbodine The damn cat would probably jump right into the screen of todays tvs.

@TheBrooklynbodine 5 жыл бұрын

Wouldn't surprise me, as realistic as TVs are nowadays.

@cptcrogge 3 жыл бұрын

It depends on the panel type and amount of hz, some TVs are not "animal friendly".

@skinnyblinddude 3 жыл бұрын

Notice the "dramatization" disclaimer.

@mrdopeyalvarez6194 3 жыл бұрын

Wow this reminded me of the color knobs who had to adjust on color TVs LOL contrast , brightness , color

@alberttatlock5237 4 жыл бұрын

Mid 1970s 25 inch color tv set cost about $500, that's equal to spending over $2000 on a tv set today

@kgoundan 3 жыл бұрын

That would buy a top quality OLED TV today

@F1JV 5 жыл бұрын

I think the 1973 GE is the STANDOUT...just an incredible modern, BEAUTIFUL console...all the rest look pretty much the same. The cabinets with closing doors are nice BUT the '73 GE is the BEST looking console here.

@ptrgreeny Жыл бұрын

1:00 If the Philco TV commercial is from the late '60s or very early 70s...that TV's $480.00 price would be around $3500 in 2022. And it would only pickup VHF stations...there's no UHF tuner on the set... which wasn't really that uncommon then.

@ohger1 Жыл бұрын

That Philco TV did have a UHF tuner, they just used a single knob. When put on the U position, the fine tuning for the VHF turned the UHF tuner. All TVs since 1961 were required to have them (All Channels Act).

@paulronco9709 3 жыл бұрын

Makes me wonder, what the state of the art will be in another 50 years. I was born in 61.

@user-or6yn8pm3c 6 ай бұрын

It will probably be a pair of goggles.

@jeffscomp 4 жыл бұрын

I knew a guy who had the 1973 ge tv in the commercial. It was pretty nice.

@brentmann2988 3 жыл бұрын

1:00 the famous commercial actor James Harder for Philco. You'll recognize him as Big Fig in spots for Fig Newtons. 2:28 Karl Weber is the voice-over talent for Philco.

@tingokuman 2 жыл бұрын

Commercials that actually told the truth. RCA was hands down the best picture. The Quasar was the most durable. Zenith had a remote and was the jack of all trades. GE had the best cabinets.

@Sta2200 7 жыл бұрын

The RCA colotrak "Direct address " sets from 1976 to 1978..are HARDER to find now..than many late 1950"s color sets !! I have THREE of the big "calculator look" remotes for them..but NO set..yet..

@ohger1 Жыл бұрын

The good news is that the early ColorTrak digital TVs were very reliable. Once in a while we'd see some bad solder connections in the digital tuner sub chassis, but otherwise a solid design. The remotes were padded around the outside IIRC.

@TheBrooklynbodine 5 жыл бұрын

Back at my old house, I have an '86 Magnavox floor model and an (I guess it's 18 inches) 1978 Sears TV.

@prestoncheapbtheadphoneste3010 4 жыл бұрын

Gary Kerns annd?!

@TheBrooklynbodine 4 жыл бұрын

@@prestoncheapbtheadphoneste3010 Well. I guess they'd be considered antiques, considering the Magnavox is now 34 years old and the Sears is 42, but I don't care, 'cause when they go to knock the place down, they're welcome to whatever's in there.

@UndergroundMasterify 3 жыл бұрын

The sears set was reliable?

@TheBrooklynbodine 3 жыл бұрын

@@UndergroundMasterify Yes, it was. The only reason we retired it was because we got the Magnavox. For that matter, we disconnected the Sears from the cable and were still able to get a couple or three local stations. The Magnavox was color, the Sears a black and white.

@skinnyblinddude 3 жыл бұрын

Most floor consoles of yore exhibited very pleasing audio performance via their integrated speakers. Nowadays one must connect good external audio systems to modern sets to enjoy quality sound. Not a complaint, but rather an observation. Customized speaker placement can add tremendously to the experience with full range stereophonic and even surround sound. Technology certainly has come a long way and these vintage ads truly demonstrate that. Without that early technology, we wouldn't have the technology of today.

@pcno2832 7 жыл бұрын

3:58 I have a GE set from 1988 with stereo sound and a "third channel" button for Spanish translations and whatever enhancements were available. But nowhere on the set or in the owner's manual does it mention VIR. It does have a cursory description of a "color and contrast tracking system" that was part of its digital tuner. From what I've read, VIR was pretty much standard on any decent 1980s set, but I'm surprised that GE wasn't touting the fact that they originated it only 10 years earlier.

@Soxruleyanksdrool 3 жыл бұрын

Growing up in the 70s, I seem to remember RCA marketing the hell out of the XL100s. Those ads were constantly on. However I don't remember how good these TVs were.

@ohger1 Жыл бұрын

They were as good as TVs could be for that time. I sold them new, virtually bullet proof.

@Ctrl-XYZ 3 жыл бұрын

The GE VIR TV ad showing a rear-projection set is from the early 1980s.

@alanschwartz1157 3 жыл бұрын

Dang! I started getting all weepy and nostalgic there for a minute. I loved this. Some of those sets were real pieces of furniture. I've been looking around for one of those all-in-one consoles. Remove all the old innards and craft in a flat screen and update the stereo with some state-of-the-art stereo pieces. It'd be a heck of a wood working project to get it to look right.

@scottwalper8733 Жыл бұрын

when they were actually made in the US

@sa3270 6 ай бұрын

How strange is it that I remember seeing these ads over the air.

@TheBrooklynbodine 6 жыл бұрын

Zenith's "The quality goes in before the name goes on" hasn't been used for decades, has it?

@luisreyes1963 Жыл бұрын

Not since Korean electronics firm LG bought out Zenith.

@robnation2475 4 жыл бұрын

5:00 That's how the term "Console" TV came about.

@nyki7fykxtjxyi 5 жыл бұрын

Sears wow

@MVVblog 3 жыл бұрын

5:15 Sad Magnavox TV Set... I want one!

@BigSi-xw6wv 7 жыл бұрын

awesome.

@robribant6716 5 жыл бұрын

I like how they saved their asses by saying “closed circuit tv” because reality back then was every TV set had to be adjusted constantly.

@trevordance5181 5 жыл бұрын

Ntsc color was a poor system. It suffered from being the first. Pal and Secam, which came later, were far better in showing realistic, natural, stable, sharper, and reliable pictures.

@senorverde09 4 жыл бұрын

@@trevordance5181 The FCC wanted a compatible color system that didn't use up any more bandwidth than a conventional B&W broadcast and one that could work on preexisting B&W sets. A lot of people forget that in Britain the BBC was simultaneously broadcasting both 405 line B&W television and 625 line PAL television up until the mid 80s. There was no way the FCC would ever allow that sort of waste of bandwidth in the radio spectrum. So pretty much it was a very good compromise based on the limitations set by the FCC and the technology of the day.

@trevordance5181 4 жыл бұрын

@@senorverde09 The BBC introduced 405 line tv back in 1936. Like Ntsc colour it was ground breaking for its time, but suffered from being the first. By 1960 it was realised that 405 lines was old fashioned and so any new innovations like colour and 625 lines, already being used in most of Europe, weren't planned to be backward compatable. However because of the amount of 405 line sets still in use and also until a new nationwide network of 625 line transmitters could be built it was decided to have the two systems, 405 lines and 625 lines, running side by side for the next few years. In fact it was the mid 1980's when 405 line transmissions finally ended. By that time only a very small amount of people were watching that system. 625 line Pal colour could obviously be viewed in black and white by those owning a 625 line monachrome set. By the way, when the Republic of Ireland started tv services in the early 60's they used 625 lines. However in the areas of the country where people could pick up 405 line transmissions from the UK and therefore had already 405 line sets in there homes, the Irish 625 line services where similcast on 405 lines so they could be viewed on pre-existing sets.

@dougbrowning82 3 жыл бұрын

@@senorverde09 The first color TV system in N. America was CBS's Colorwheel system. Each color was transmitted as a separate frame while a multi colored wheel rotated n front of the monochrome screen. Obviously, this was not compatible with the existing B&W system and was limited to small screens and projectors, and was not suitable to become standard. CBS waited and reluctantly adopted NTSC in 1964.

@dougbrowning82 3 жыл бұрын

@@trevordance5181 PAL was developed by the German firm, Telefunken (invented by Walter Bruch), and the first broadcasts were by the BBC in 1967. Telefunken was eventually bought out by French firm Thompson (now Technicolor SA). Thompson also bought the developers of SECAM, Compagnie Générale de Télévision, and NTSC, RCA, and so eventually owned all three analog TV standards.

@sa3270 6 ай бұрын

$480 back then is probably worth $2500 in today's dollars.

@sixsentsoldiers 3 жыл бұрын

I miss these days. Most of which i hadn't been born. Back when things were made to last. Because it meant something. When it did go down, you'd have nothing else but Your Brand. Similar to a man's word and handshake. Don't get me wrong, i love technology and the advancement. But these days were a lot simpler.

@TheBrooklynbodine 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, they were. I was born in '63, so I well remember them.

@DangerDuckAvengerDaffy 6 ай бұрын

KZfaq really is the closest thing we have to a Time Machine

@olika9076 3 жыл бұрын

So many brands ... so many manufacturers that employed 1,000s and 1,000s ... vanished. Another entire US industry that could not keep pace with more competitive brands from elsewhere in the world ... think of it, if only the US would be able to establish long term thinking in business, instead of jumping from FQ to FQ and give CEOs a raise because they were able to "proove" on an xls sheet that profits under their "reign" were growing, so that stockholders were satisfied.... it is insane from a long term perspective how damaging this system is. These decision maker "patriots" were the ones who are responsible for American decline in manufacturing. They decided to manufacture elsewhere in the world or let "unprofitable" branches and products die. This type of business practice is far more costly in the long run. The damage job loss and loss of manufacturing ability for society as a whole is far worse than to follow the "necessities to cut cost" to "remain in the market" (for how much longer?) The more patriotic thing would be to invest in R&D, re-invest profits instead of spending another million for a "gifted" CEO. How about creativity to gain an edge over competitors as opposed to simply slashing cost and be the short time hero of a few stock holders?! This has been going on with cars, appliances and all kinds of manufacturers... So sad to watch this... I know it's all about globalisation and that there was no alternative ... is that REALLY so? (and I am NOT talking socialism and don't even mention t****) ...

@scottwalper8733 Жыл бұрын

not going to happen, all these companies now care about is the oh mighty dollar....

@fairfaxcat1312 Жыл бұрын

What this commentator, “JENDALL714,” is is a “space commander.” His choice to own and operate a “Space Commander” television set allows him to commandeer the rule of the universe of space-our “last frontier.”

@aiberlane3390 6 жыл бұрын

I don't think any of these companies even make TVs anymore. Maybe Zenith, but I haven't seen them in America in probably 20 years!

@richardhz-oi8px 6 жыл бұрын

They really aren't the same companies, RCA was sold off to Thomson/Technicolor when GE bought out RCA, Thomson no longer makes electronics, they license that out to other(Chinese) manufacturers. Magnavox is the same, they were bought out by the European brand Philips who now license out both Philips and Magnavox names to Chinese manufacturers. Zenith was bought out by LG in the 1990s and is now just a low end re-badge. There are no more American electronics manufacturers.

@richardhz-oi8px 6 жыл бұрын

Certain computer manufacturers are American, I agree, but most of their products aren't even designed here anymore, even design has been outsourced. Vizio is simply a television importer that re-badges sets from China, although some of the profits do stay here. It would be no different than if i bought a shipping container full of badge-less Chinese televisions and stuck my name on them. Element electronics claims their TV sets were made here in the US, but their sets were made in China, just imported with the board separate so they could screw it down and claim that it was made here. Electronics as a major US employer and industry is no more.

@eamonhorahan666 5 жыл бұрын

zenith..... and rca..... are gone forever..... and they were THE word on color tv.

@olika9076 3 жыл бұрын

@@eamonhorahan666 the same goes for Commodore in PCs or GM, Ford, Chrysler in cars .... from former world leader to trailing others from elsewhere. GM used to be the largest car manufacturer of the world - long surpassed by Toyota, Volkswagen and others... okay, still existing but who knows for how much longer? If there is no investment in people, decent salary, R&D and just cost cutting and putting an American brand label on a Made in Korea car that's not "invention" or "high tech" it's just cost cutting and making stockholders happy .... it's short term thinking. Eventually all these types of businesses cannot compete with long term planned innovators and manufacturers ... I know all these electronic stuff is considered "low tech" but that used to provide jobs! And what's good about the high end iPhone when only Made in China?!?!? Everything high-tech about it is now there and no wonder Chinese brands now flood the global market with much cheaper smartphones. All the knowledge was handed out simple for cost-cutting reasons.

@olika9076 Жыл бұрын

@@richardhz-oi8px Thanks for sharing that Element story. I had heared about that brand and was curious whether the Made in USA claim was really 100 % correct.

@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648 2 жыл бұрын

aww the Sylvania canary and kitty

@Sta2200 7 жыл бұрын

I have that very same GE console tv with VIR,,in a bedroom . 1978..25YM chassis with remote. Worked last tie I tried. Tube is "ok".. on it's THIRD flyabck..as those were a REAL "weak point" in that chassis. .

@dougbrowning82 3 жыл бұрын

RCA's Color-Trak was also a VIR set.

@ohger1 Жыл бұрын

@@dougbrowning82 RCA never used the VIR signal in any of their models.

@The70sChick 5 ай бұрын

You're not a true 70's fan unless you had a TV with legs!

@hifijohn Жыл бұрын

that set thats on sale is $3.6K by todays money.

@BeautifulAngelBlossom 4 жыл бұрын

Them TV commercial reminds of car commercial witch one better like men comparing with guy is bigger

@totallysmooth1203 25 күн бұрын

Back when America was still America.

@rogerchurch3804 3 жыл бұрын

quasar barand i think was produced by matsuhsta panasonic ? they got some realy cool stereo gear from the 1980s all in one s wow they going for realy high prices on ebay .

@gargantuaism 5 жыл бұрын

How exactly am I supposed to be impressed with a commercial for a color television when the picture they are showing has to be seen through MY television? Wouldn't the viewer have to have a TV just as good as the one they are advertising on the commercial?

@duanethamm4688 5 жыл бұрын

There was a commercial like that for a brand of TV. Said the same thing you just said. We're not going to show you the picture on this TV...because it will only be as good as the one you are watching. Very true.

@alberttatlock5237 4 жыл бұрын

That's something many of us often wondered, but people still fell for it, I've read comments on KZfaq videos comparing speakers and people often comment on how good one sounds compared to the other, yet they are listening through their own device, so things only look or sound as good as the device it's being watched and listened on. Look at the Detail and sharpness on this picture, twin speakers for a glorious fuller and richer sound. Looks and sounds good to me on my single speaker black and white tv, think I'll buy it.. lol Of course half naked women are what's really selling the tv sets, if you buy the rca 25 inch deluxe model, you too will have a glamouress 1970s playboy model as a wife, and live in a pristine large home

@dougbrowning82 3 жыл бұрын

You were supposed to go see the TVs at your local dealer, where they were set up to display bright, garish pictures. They still sell TVs that way today. That's what the sports/action mode is for. For a more natural picture, you want to use the movie/cinema mode on a modern TV.

@JENDALL714 2 жыл бұрын

The ad for Sears was mostly lies, except for the service. Sears sold name brand TV's, but stripped the name off and put their name on it. They had no testing facility, they didn't actually manufacture the TV. What Sears used to do, was buy a bunch of name brand TV's, and tell the manufacturer we will handle all the service, so we don't need a manufacturer warranty, just give us a discount and you are absolved of all warranty. I used to repair TV's, so I know what they did. Under the manufacture warranty, you had to take it to Sears for repair, which is why they did what they did. Montgomery Ward also did the same thing.

@sa3270 6 ай бұрын

They didn't "strip the manufacturer's name off", they had a special arrangement with the manufacturer to put their name on it.

@gpan62 4 жыл бұрын

hey, the philco ford guy was also the big fig newton guy

@UndergroundMasterify 3 жыл бұрын

Which one?

@Sta2200 7 жыл бұрын

The sylvania "superset" with that 'dark faced "CRT DID look better than Zenith or RCA.. but the tube did NOT last very long..so they are NOT real easy to find today..

@dougbrowning82 3 жыл бұрын

Zenith's Chromacolor also had the black matrix screen.

@ohger1 Жыл бұрын

@@dougbrowning82 The black matrix grid between the phosphors did not shorten the life of the tube like the global dark tint faceplate Sylvania used.

@audvidgeek 7 жыл бұрын

man pulls circuit boad out of a running TV at 4:48! Does he realize there's high voltages in that thing, and he could damage the TV?

@fluffymacaw933 2 жыл бұрын

I was born in 2002, but I can’t find any information about the highest quality tv from the 70’s, does anyone know the best tv?

@mycolortv1 10 ай бұрын

RCA..and Quasar

@jorgezarco9269 4 жыл бұрын

Is that Bruno Nicolai music in the Magnavox tv spot?

@TheBrooklynbodine 3 жыл бұрын

At 2:34, who's the guy narrating the Philco spot? I heard his voice more hundreds of times than I can remember when I was akid.

@Qboro66 3 жыл бұрын

Nobody, but nobody including Slyvania was beating Sony's Trinitron picture tube. It was THE best. IMHO Sony is still killing it...

@lindaeasley5606 3 жыл бұрын

Back then , tv sets were uniquely styled depending on the brand .Today tv's are cookie cutter ugly- flat and one color- black

@themovietheatre 6 жыл бұрын

Last commercial Canadian "

@TheBrooklynbodine 6 жыл бұрын

Who's the guy doing the Philco spot at 1:00? I remember him from when I was a kid. I'm 54 now.

@fscap811 5 жыл бұрын

Not Ron Carey at that spot, but it is Ron Carey in the later Philco spot.

@brentmann2988 3 жыл бұрын

That's James Harder, who was in a ton of commercials in the 70s and 80s. He played Big Fig in the Fig Newton commercials.

@TheBrooklynbodine 3 жыл бұрын

@@brentmann2988 OK, thanks. Now that you mention it, I do remember him from the Fig Newton spots. He died in 2009 at age 77.

@Wxsted 5 жыл бұрын

sadly the inventor of the TV color dies Poor

@jasonbourne8529 3 жыл бұрын

Retro 70s TV commercials with horrible audio...

@robnation2475 4 жыл бұрын

3:13 Might have cat-aracts

@JENDALL714 2 жыл бұрын

Quasar was crap, they were Panasonic's low end model exported to the United States.

@aarongunter5582 Жыл бұрын

Shango066

@1L6E6VHF 7 жыл бұрын

(5:00 to 5:50) The sound effects at the end are just crazy, cartoonish, and who buys a 50-second ad?

@pcno2832 7 жыл бұрын

5:22 She really loves that thing!

@TheBrooklynbodine 5 жыл бұрын

One thing for sure-that lady was a stone fox, wasn't she? She's probably in her late 60s by now, assuming she's alive.

@juniorfilemon2888 3 жыл бұрын

@erin19030 6 жыл бұрын

Stupid commercial

@dainiponbanzai 4 ай бұрын

브라운관 테레비의 복귀를 기원하므니다.