In the 1950s, a 17-inch screen was enough to get people excited. Sets like the Crosley Family Theatre promised “full-room vision” with what now feels like a modest display. A few years later, Philco introduced a 21-inch tube, and RCA followed with color televisions that pushed the boundaries even further. By the mid-60s, Magnavox and RCA were advertising color so vivid it “felt like you were there” — a big selling point for families tuning in to The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday evenings.
The real shift in size came with projection TVs in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Brands like Advent, GE and TheaterVision started rolling out giant-screen sets that projected the picture onto a built-in rear screen that were full-on entertainment systems, often housed in oversized wood-grain cabinets that took up half the living room. The GE Widescreen 3000 promised “true colors big and beautiful” while TheaterVision touted six-foot screens and ceiling-mount options.
By the late 1980s, sets measuring 27 inches or more were considered big screen TVs — especially when built into sleek wood-look entertainment centers. During those years, the television often took up a central place in the home, with furniture arranged to match. Even with occasional fuzzy pictures or limited viewing angles, a giant TV set signaled a certain level of household status.
Below, we’ve gathered a collection of vintage photos and ads that show exactly what big screen TV meant through the decades and how television screens grew alongside American living rooms.
Old Crosley TV sets with 17″ screens (1950)
Crosley Family gives you full-room vision… with the new wide-angle Family Theatre Screen.
5 TV cabinet models: four with 17-inch rectangular tube screens, and one with a 19-inch round tube screen.
Philco TV 4016 with 21-inch picture tube (1958)
Fancy color Magnavox TV set from 1965
A big TV set from 1965
RCA Victor — for color so real you’ll think you are there! (1966)
New Hi-Lite Color Tube with Perma-Chrome
Something special has been added to RCA Victor’s new big-screen color TV. It’s RCA’s new rectangular Hi-Lite Tube with Perma-Chrome. And the way it works is beautiful to behold.
Ordinary rectangular tubes can produce distorted colors while they’re warming up. The Hi-Lite Tube with Perma-Chrome delivers uniform color purity the moment the picture comes on. And it keeps it there for as long as you keep on viewing.
See your RCA Victor dealer for a demonstration. You can’t miss his store. It’s the most colorful place in town.
See Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, Sundays, NBC TV Network.
New General Electric color TV – it’s like being at the movies (1969)
Expensive big screen TVs from 1977
Advent’s VideoBeam television – Vintage projection TV (1978)
GE Widescreen 3000 TV: Big is beautiful (1981)
Big-screen TV doesn’t have to be fuzzy, dim, or distorted. With the new GE Widescreen 3000, you get America’s true colors big and beautiful.
The action comes at you in breath-taking, vivid color — the kind our GE VIR II color system is known for. This GE innovation uses a special VIR signal, sent out by most broadcasters, to automatically adjust the color for you. So flesh tones look realistic and natural.
And the GE Widescreen 3000 offers rear-screen projection, eliminating bulky lenses and projector consoles between you and the screen. So you get a bright, clear image on a compact, big-screen TV. In fact, with a picture this good, you may be one of the few people to call a charging, 270-lb. lineman beautiful.
TheaterVision vintage projection TV set (1982)
Own the best… Enjoy the one others copy at a price no one can copy: TheaterVision.
TheaterVision TVI-760 with random-access remote control is our patented one-piece design in giant screen color projection TV. Our handsome one-piece unit blends perfectly with your living space and gives you the finest quality picture available. It can be viewed in normal room lighting.
Five different models to choose from all with our space-saving design, including our exclusive overhead ceiling unit. They are available in four, five, or six-foot screens for any size room and for any size pocketbook.
Prices start as low as $995 — all with a full electronic warranty… TheaterVision. Manufacturing projection color giant TVs since 1972.
The little things to look for in a giant TV: Sony projection television (1983)
Retro 80s Mitsubishi projection television set (1983)
27-inch big screen TV (1987)
Big screen TV sets from Sears, all in wood-look cabinets (1988)
An old big screen TV in a wooden entertainment center (1998)
Massive big screen TVs you can buy today
- POWERS 3D COLOR MAPPING AND UPSCALING FOR A CLEAR PICTURE: Experience every shade of color as it was meant to be seen in dazzling 4K. Plus, make your movies, TV shows, games and sports look even...
- ELEGANT DESIGN THAT ENRICHES YOUR SPACE: Enhance your home décor with a TV crafted from a single metal sheet and featuring a slim bezel. Add a hint of sophistication with an aircraft-inspired design,...
- SECURES PERSONAL DATA* WITH TRIPLE-LAYER PROTECTION: Your TV experiences are secured. Samsung Knox Security defends against harmful apps and phishing sites while keeping sensitive data, such as PINs...
- MINILED | UP TO 600 NITS PEAK BRIGHTNESS: See more contrast on the field and off. Lots of tiny LEDs make a major difference when it comes to the realism of your picture. Think of them like pinpoints...
- QLED COLOR: See the exact hue of every blade of grass on the field and every line on the court. QLED Color is made up of quantum dots—very small particles with the ability to display over a billion...
- PRESS & ASK | ALEXA: Just press and ask Alexa to find, launch, and control your content. Go beyond streaming to check sports scores, set timers, reminders, and more
- ART MODE: Show off your taste in art when you’re not watching your TV. Select a single picture or create a slideshow of paintings that match your mood.
- 4K QLED: Soak up a world of rich color and detail. 4K QLED with Quantum Dot technology relies on how light is emitted to create purer, more brilliant hues than a regular LED TV. With over a billion...
- HI-MATTE DISPLAY: Admire your favorite works of art without the glare. A special, lowreflection coating enhances your masterpiece-viewing experience by giving the digital artwork the depth and texture...
- DIRECT FULL ARRAY: See incredible contrast even in sunlit rooms that precisely controls the amount of lighting across every part of the picture; Get caught up in the details as you experience...
- 100% COLOR VOLUME w/ QUANTUM DOT: Take in breathtaking color that stays true at any level of brightness; Marvel as your TV transforms light into over a billion beautiful shades¹
- QUANTUM HDR+: A wide range of contrast and brightness— thanks to Quantum HDR+ which brings you rich color and striking details
- MINI-LED WITH UP TO 1000 NITS PEAK BRIGHTNESS AND UP TO 600 LOCAL DIMMING ZONES: See more contrast on the field and off. Lots of tiny LEDs make a major difference when it comes to the realism of your...
- HI-VIEW AI ENGINE: Feel like you’re in the stands even when you’re watching from your couch. Controlled by a high-powered AI chipset, Hi-View AI Engine uses advanced picture processing like AI...
- NATIVE 144HZ PANEL WITH MOTION RATE 480: With a Native 144Hz Panel and Motion Rate 480, this TV delivers ultra-smooth motion and crystal-clear detail—even during the fastest on-screen action....
- ADVANCED PROCESSING POWERS AI-ENHANCED* 4K CLARITY: Uses AI with the power of 20 neural networks to enhance picture quality of your content to 4K and optimizes sound for superb performance in...
- ENHANCED DETAILS COME TO LIFE WITH MINI LED LIGHTING: Discover the sharp and accurate contrast of Neo QLED enabled by precision-controlled Mini LEDs. This innovative lighting technology ensures that...
- BOOSTS YOUR FAVORITE CONTENT TO CAPTIVATING 4K RESOLUTION**: Watch your shows and videos in stunning detail. Our AI processor upscales your content to up to 4K using 20 AI neural networks and ensures...
- AIRSLIM: This TV blends right into your wall with a slim design; It brings clutter-free minimalism to the room without distracting you from what you watch
- 4K UPSCALING: Get a clearer picture for more of your shows and videos; 4K Upscaling transforms each pixel for improved content
- MOTION XCELERATOR: Watch your content smoothly while experiencing less lag and blur. It improves motion¹ between frames so you have a seamless picture
- TCL QM6K QD-MINI LED TV SERIES - AFFORDABLE PREMIUM PERFORMANCE FOR SPORTS, GAMING & STREAMING. Experience superior contrast, rich color, and ultra-smooth motion with TCL’s QD-Mini LED technology....
- QD-MINI LED. IT’S MINI LED PLUS QLED COLOR - BREATHTAKING BRIGHTNESS AND COLOR IN ANY LIGHT. Combines ultra-precise Mini LEDs with Quantum Dot technology for incredible brightness, bold contrast,...
- TCL HALO CONTROL SYSTEM - BETTER BLACKS. SHARPER DETAIL. NO BLOOMING. Advanced local dimming eliminates haloing, enhances shadow detail, and improves picture accuracy—so dark scenes look deeper, and...
