While anxious eyes looked to the Far East for the promised flow of direct-view, transistorized battery TV receivers, Motorola, Inc. of Chicago, Ill., unveiled its large-screen, 19-in set in New York City.
The 22-transistor, 12-diode receiver materially alters the import threat and its potential impact on the American market. With production deliveries scheduled within a month, the U. S. consumer may link "transistor TV" with "19-in screen" before the first Japanese midget sets appear on the dealers' shelves. The 40-lb American-made 19-in. set is priced at $275 (less battery, which is expected to cost about $100) compared to the $250 tag (battery included) originally scheduled for the 8-in. Sony portable, due within the next few months. The Sony portable is expected to weigh in at 20 lb.
To achieve the high brightness necessary for comfortable viewing in open areas such as patios or beaches, 15-kv second anode voltage is applied to the picture tube; voltage regulation is within several hundred volts when changing from a bright to a dark scene. To minimize battery drain, the specially designed picture-tube heater operates from 12.6 v at 150 ma, a 50% power reduction over conventional tubes.
The set may be operated from 110 v ac or the energy cell; power requirements are 120 v ac at 0.33 amp and 20 v dc at 1.5 amps with the silver-cadmium battery. An average of five to six hours viewing is possible before recharging is necessary. A minimum of 500 recharges can be expected. A relay-controlled charging circuit permits recharging while the receiver is on ac. (Electronic Design, May 25, 1960, p. 14)
This is an interesting achievement,but a 19-in., 40-lb TV set seems to stretch the definition of "portable," like those early portable PCs. It looks to me like just a demonstration of Motorola's capability to upstage the looming Japanese market incursions.
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