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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc. |
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20th Feb 2021, 4:51 pm | #1 |
Diode
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Chichester, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 3
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Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
Hello all,
New to the forum, I have inherited this vintage TV set and cant find any info online. Would love to know when it was made/sold, and possibly an idea of value if any at all? Me and my girlfriend love vintage items for the home etc. So would love to get some kind of use out of it. I am hoping to be able to connect a VHS player or PS1/2 to it? Or if none of this is possible maybe some ideas to take it apart and and get a new modern flat screen behind the glass and use it as a smaller uniquely styled TV with a vintage look but modern functionality (HDMI input etc.) Any info or ideas you may have would be greatly appreciated. All the best and look forward to anything you may have for me. Mike from Chichester |
20th Feb 2021, 6:45 pm | #2 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,820
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
Hi,
This looks like it’s from the mid 1980’s, it will work well with a VHS machine, and if your PS1 has the modulator output then that will work too. It should just be a case of plug it into the aerial socket, the switch on and tune one of the channel presets to the output of the VCR/PS1. If you want to connect HDMI devices there is a nice little box available, a HDMI to AV converter, then you can connect the output of that into one of the inputs on the VCR and use the VCR’s built in modulator to feed that to the TV, I have a permanent setup like this in my workshop feeding multiple TV’s. If you haven’t got a VCR yet, it’ll be worth looking for one of the VCR/DVD combi units, saves a bit of space, and they have at least 2 SCART inputs as well as the VHS recorder and DVD player. As for putting a flatscreen behind the glass, it’s not worth the hassle! They never look right, and there’s no way of using the original glass, it’s part of the CRT, which would be a bit dangerous to try opening up, it’d implode if you messed about with it anyway. Regards Lloyd Ps: does the TV work? Most likely it will, 80’s TV’s were very reliable! |
20th Feb 2021, 7:18 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Near Swindon, North Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 3,620
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
Made by Fidelity plc in London, in the early 1980s and uses their ZX3000 colour TV chassis (if my memory serves me well). Fidelity products were aimed at the cost conscious end of the market, but weren't bad.
There's usually a small paper label stuck on the outside (even on the underside), with the model number - probably CTV14R. It has basic remote control - do you have the hand-held controller? Last edited by dazzlevision; 20th Feb 2021 at 7:26 pm. |
20th Feb 2021, 7:22 pm | #4 |
Diode
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Chichester, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 3
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
Hi,
Thanks for the info, very helpful! Yes does seem to be in working order, I will take your advice on playing around with the screen and will probably hook up a vhs. Any chance you could link me to converter box you might recommend? I have read online that sometimes they can simply not work? We will be holding on to it for a while but do TV sets like this have much value at all? Thanks again Mike |
20th Feb 2021, 9:47 pm | #5 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK.
Posts: 671
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
This set would probably be of some interest to retro gamers and people into Sinclair Spectrum type computers rather than TV and radio collectors. There are still quite a few sets like this squirreled away in lofts etc.
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20th Feb 2021, 9:59 pm | #6 |
Diode
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Chichester, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 3
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
I don’t have the controller still but if any of you come across one online I would definitely be interested in picking one up!
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20th Feb 2021, 10:13 pm | #7 |
Heptode
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: North Walsham, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 900
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
seem to remember the controller was 5 button, vol + & - Channel + & - and mute which if held down triggered the power switch solenoid and popped it off. No going back like a standby button.
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20th Feb 2021, 10:45 pm | #8 |
Nonode
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,004
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
I had a non-remote version of this set until about 18 months ago. It worked mostly OK on a modulator.
From what I could find out, the same chassis was used by Goodmans, Amstrad & probably a couple of other badge engineering brands.
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22nd Feb 2021, 5:12 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: North Wales, UK.
Posts: 6,924
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
I think that's later than the ZX3000 - maybe the ZX5000? Good reliable TVs. with usual PSU faults.
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23rd Feb 2021, 12:03 am | #10 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 116
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
Hi,
I have virtually the same set, owned from new, albeit in charcoal. Mine was bought from our local 'Asda' store in November 1985. Remote control was an optional extra if I recall. We opted for the cheaper (non-remote) version, though my set does contain the IR receiver. The set contains no A/V inputs, the only connection method being via RF. Mine was used extensively with my Sinclair Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amiga computers, before being retired from 'normal' use in around 1994, when I inherited our main TV, when my parents bought a newer model. The only issue I had with my set was grey-scale drift, due to the resistors on the CRT base panel drifting high in value. Mine sees occasional usage, and still gives a reasonably good account of itself. Adrian.
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Chroma 04 Last edited by chroma04; 23rd Feb 2021 at 12:10 am. |
23rd Feb 2021, 12:36 am | #11 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 2,476
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
It is later than the ZX3000, it is not a ZX5000 though as that chassis used a cut down version of the then current ITT digi 2000 chipset.
I always referred to it (probably incorrectly) as a ZX4500 chassis as Fidelity had a few interim chassis that used a basic ZX3000 PSU, lopt and frame stage with updated front end chips, colour decoders and various electronic tuning and remote control chips, ie, the power handling stages were very similar, if not almost identical to the earlier ZX3000 but with all the small signal parts substantially changed for more modern counterparts, the ZX5000 of course being a completely different animal.
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23rd Feb 2021, 2:22 am | #12 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, USA.
Posts: 823
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
Quote:
They're available on line. It's labeled MINI HDMI2AV. It supports NTSC and PAL. It comes with a USB cable for power, but your HDMI source might provide the power through the HDMI source. I'm really pleased with the performance. Dave, USradcoll1. |
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23rd Feb 2021, 7:39 am | #13 |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK.
Posts: 2,150
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
We used to sell those by the bucketfull back in the 80s , something tells me it was one of the first portables to sell in the sub £100 bracket .
We used to find that they tended to drift off channel on occasion. Very popular with early gamers as others have said here.
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23rd Feb 2021, 7:54 am | #14 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 989
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
Quote:
Hi Mike. I’m not a ‘retro gamer’, but as a TV collector I would guess value to be around the £50 mark. Cheers. SimonT.
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23rd Feb 2021, 12:27 pm | #15 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,273
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
also badged 'Brittannia' for the independent/cash n carry wholesalers. Nice bright sharp picture, I think Fidelity did well to make them for the price, although it came to light during an audit by the parent company that their accountants had been creative with the books, effectively finishing them off when it was discovered. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caparo..._plc_v_Dickman
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23rd Feb 2021, 2:18 pm | #16 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: North Wales, UK.
Posts: 6,924
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Re: Vintage Fidelity TV set info/restoration ideas
Ah - I remember the ZX5000 with the digi chipset. I meant to type ZX4000 which it isn't either! I have the manual here and it's just called F14. I've ringed R91 (270k) which causes trouble in the PSU when it fails. Otherwise a pretty conventional set.
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