Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The cathode ray tube, one of the most significant inventions of the past 100 years, is about to be consigned to history.
DSG International, the retailer which owns Dixons, has quietly withdrawn bulky cathode ray television sets from its smaller stores. And this Christmas will be the last time that shoppers will be able to buy them from its superstores.
DSG which is rebranding its shops Currys.digital, said that from next year, only LCD, plasma flat screen and high-definition television sets would be available. At the moment, half a dozen different cathode-ray models are sold in its superstores only; most are portable "combination" sets featuring a DVD player. By comparison, there are about 80 flat-screen models on sale.
The move shows how quickly flat-screen televisions have taken off. Last year, the sets sold by DSG were roughly split evenly between flat screen and cathode ray.
Nick Bubb, an analyst from Evolution Securities, said: "This spells the end of the cathode ray tube television. Why would you want to buy one anyway when high-definition TV is available?"
The move to flat-screen sets also spells the end for the cathode ray tube technology. Most new computer monitors - the other main application for the technology - are also flat.
Flat screen televisions first went on sale in 1997, when they cost as much as £10,000. Today, the cheapest models start at around £150.
A spokesman for DSG International said: "The big-backed cathode ray TV has been a fixture in households for decades, but we're now discovering that the world is flat after all."
Over the next year, television sets will be increasingly integrated with computers to act as home entertainment systems.
DSG announced last year that it would sell only digital cameras, abandoning cameras that use film. In a trading statement last week, it reported soaring sales of laptops and flat screen televisions.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments