I thought I’d do a follow up to my CRT TV/Converter box post.  I know a lot of readers, like me,  continue to use these great old TVs.  In fact, these are the only kind of television I have in my home studio.  I love ’em!  They’re built like tanks, give you a great 480p picture, have some terrific stereo speakers…and the best part of all?  People are giving them away for free or asking very little in cash.  The hardest part is moving them because, yes, they can be quite heavy (especialy the 36-inch tubes).  But 20 bucks (or free)  for a TV is a terrific deal!

Besides their weight and size, one of the other reasons some folks abandon these great old TVs is due to not being able to get a streaming device to work with it.  The absence of an HDMI input port is the main obstacle.  The only streaming device that comes to mind which can make the transition to an older TV is the Roku 2.  It has the option to use HDMI (for newer HDTVs) or audio/video output ports using cables to input to older TVs.  So, if you don’t have an HDMI port on the TV, you can use the AV cables.

But, what happens if, this Christmas, a family member gives you an Amazon Fire TV Stick?  Well, don’t run out and buy a $500.00 television just so you can use a $40.00 device.  There’s a very cost effective solution.  You see, this same thing happened to me.  My nephew Michael gave me, as a gift, an Amazon Firestick.  All I had at home was an older tube TV.  (Did I mention I really like these old CRTs?:))

Well, Amazon came to the rescue with the Baitaihem HDMI to AV Composite RCA CVBS Video + Audio Signal Converter For TV !  The above video shows how easy it was to get it to work with my television set-up!

(Please note:  My device was a different brand than the Baitahem.  But identical in every way.)