And only people unaware of the forthcoming digital transition would buy one. It doesn’t get Lucas off the hook for offering up a technically inferior product using then 13 year old video masters and calling it a day.
It is sad CRT’s seem to be no longer manufactured. Seeing a Ms. Pac Man machine with a 16:9 LCD grafted into the cabinet just looks wrong. I saw one of those once uber expensive Sony HDTV CRT’s just put out on the curb with the trash a couple years back. Always thought those were cool, even if they weighed more than a subcompact car. 😉
There’s still a demand in the developing world for CRT TV’s and monitors because they represent a cost effective solution for people on low incomes. Outside of the West, 4:3 continues to thrive. I’ve seen TV channels that are still using 4:3 as standard and even crop 16:9 content to full frame. As recent as 2012, I was sent a newly produced video that was ala the GOUT, 16:9 inside 4:3.
Speaking of Sony CRT’s, when my 600hz TV finally died on me some years back, it was so huge and heavy that I had to enlist a friend to help me carry it outside and within less than 30 minutes, someone had taken it…