Early Television
Early Television
Early Television
Early Television
Early Television Early Television

Ed Reitan's Color Television History

Color Line

Early Color Television Receiver Production

1954 - 1964

Color Line

Color Television Receiver Production (by year)

It took more than ten years before there were significant sales of color receivers. This occurred even when the addition of color to black and white television was a significant value added. This is an possible bad omen for the introduction of a high definition service, with its marginal value added of increased picture resolution and widened picture aspect.

Year # Produced RCA Model or Chassis Comments
1954 5,000 CT-100 (CTC-2) (15GP22: 11 1/2" x 8 5/8" rounded)
1955 20,000 21-CT-55 (CTC-2B, CTC3) thru CTC-4 (21AXP22)
1956 90,000 CTC-4 First Simplified Chassis - 26 tubes
1957 85,000 CTC-5 Special & Deluxe (Special: a dog (first < $500), Deluxe: improved wideband color)
1958 80,000 CTC-7 (quality chassis, X&Z demod, dim 21CYP22)
1959 90,000 CTC-9 -
1960 120,000 CTC-10 (quality chassis, brighter 21CYP22A)
1961 140,000 CTC-11 (first bright CRT-but orangish red-21FBP22)
1962 450,000 - (integral faceplate-21FJP22)
1963 750,000 - -
1964 1,500,000 - (> 1.5 M production per year, thereafter)

Source: Dan Gustafson Telcon, July 21, 1996 from Sams Photofact Book on Color TV, 1966

Color Line

V2.01 10/20/97

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