Телевізор Sony KX-45ED1 (PVM-4300) / Sony
A YouTuber saved and got a giant CRT TV for free from a Japanese restaurant that was about to be demolished.
The Sony KX-45ED1 (PVM-4300) has become a legendary model. Back in the late 1980s, it cost a whopping $40,000 (over $100,000 now, adjusted for inflation). Obviously, it wasn’t a product for the mass market—its limited availability has made it something of a white whale for modern CRT enthusiasts. In a 35-minute video, Shank Mods, a well-known retro gaming enthusiast and creator of portable versions of non-portable consoles, goes into detail about his years-long efforts to find and rescue the PVM-4300 model.
The story began in October 2022, when Console Modding wiki moderator Derf reported that the PVM-4300 could be seen in real life. The seven-year-old Japanese blog post he cited included a picture of the huge TV in the dining hall of the Chikuma Soba noodle factory in Osaka, Japan.
The find was timely, as the Chikuma Soba site mentioned that the restaurant was moving within a few days, after which the building was to be demolished. Through X Twitter, Shank Mods found an Osaka resident who helped save the television from destruction. Abebe Tinari, a game developer of Finnish origin, answered the call and confirmed that the television was still there and even worked.
After a somewhat nerve-wracking attempt to contact the restaurant owner, Shank Mods reported that he could have the TV if he took care of the delivery himself. The enthusiast had two weeks to figure out how to transport the 200 kg TV and its specially designed 78 kg reinforced stand from the second floor of the restaurant in Osaka to a safe place.
Abebe Tinari had a friend who worked in a company that shipped large industrial equipment overseas. Shank Mods did not specify the cost of moving the television downstairs, transporting it to a warehouse, packing, air shipping to the USA, and transporting it to his parents’ garage. However, he mentioned that the funds for this were provided by a video sponsor who helped him save this piece of television history from the Japanese scrapheap.
The full video includes many details about the delivery, unpacking, and the confirmation of the TV’s operation after a long life and a long journey. Shank Mods talks about the hardware part of the television, the complex process of calibrating and setting up the TV to get a clear picture and color correction after many years of magnetic and electronic influence. The YouTuber says that the giant Sony PVM-4300 looks much better in person than on video.
Source: Ars Technica