How to build a TV set (1984)
 

The long lamented Thames TV has been releasing some fascinating reality items from their vast archive onto You Tube...This one shows the Sanyo TV plant circa 1984.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-OHmGdSYnI




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Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

Fascinating to see how things were, not so many years ago to me really. I assume this would have been the Lowestoft plant formerly occupied by PYE.
Neil

Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

Almost certainly.

Pye Ltd, Manufacturing Division, Oulton Works, School Lane, Lowestoft, Suffolk. TV factory. Opened around 1954 by Pye. Closed by Philips in 1982 and the site was later sold to Sanyo, who then made TV sets there. Sanyo closed the Lowestoft factory in 2009.

Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

Are there any TV manufacturing sites in the UK now?

Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

Cello for one

https://celloelectronics.com/aboutus/

Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

Never heard of them but great news nonetheless. When you think back how many TV and radio manufacturers there used to be in the UK? dozens.. :-/

The industry laughed at the initial batches of imported Japanese radios on the basis of their seemingly poor, insubstantial build quality and weedy sound. They're not laughing now.. :wave:

Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

I started my working life at TCE newhaven audio factory. The Thorn factories had already begun to shed capacity even then. For audio, Newhaven ( & the Bexhill satellite) was the main one with some done at Chigwell. Enfield & Gosport for TV with some work done at Bradford. All long gone.

you're right about the sniffy attitude about the Japanese products. We had people who were not too positive about the imported products but they were making better products than we were until the TX9 & 10 came along, we were greatly excited when we got them for evaluation

Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

Cello make TVs for CurrysPCworld and Argos (the ones with the dvd player built in).
Neil

Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

Hi Cheerfulcharlie

Thanks so much for posting the link to the video. I worked at that factory from 1993-2000. In the early 90's it had totally changed and expanded. That big blue wall with sanyo written on it had gone and a video line had been installed the rest of the space was used as cabinet spares. It was all very high tech by the time i left with computers doing automatic alignment and test on the chassis. World economics dictated its decline, and now there is nothing left except a large concrete crumbling pad. If you want to see where it was the address was School Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, NR33

Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

If my memory is right I think that M&S sold this brand of tv.
Cheers
John

Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

I remember the BBC marked the closure of the Toshiba plant in Plymouth as the end of UK TV production.

Recently I bought a Philips 15PF9925 (a little modern for this site, though it's an odd analogue only 4:3 flatscreen) which I was intrigued to see as labelled as Assembled In the UK. I'm guessing it was made around 2002, were Cambridge or Croydon still open by that time?

Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

Glad it was of some use.I still have a Sanyo TV made in the era you were there..used every day, the tube still bright and lively. I have no reason to go flat screen.


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Re: How to build a TV set (1984)
 

Can I ask this question please ??? When does Assembly of kits become Manufacturing.
I ask because a TV "Manufacturer" mentioned in this thread, Imports kits of parts to be assembled in the UK. Not wishing to be pedantic but Kit assy is not manufacturing.
Good on this company providing several jobs in the North East. but as I understand it..if you manufacture, you make everything from the pcb's to the screens to the plastic mouldings.
In the early 80's, I was heavily involved with TV production in Bradford.. No not Baird/THorn, but NEI (Network Electrical Industries). We initially started with two Mono lines making 12" B/W tv's, assembling kits based on a Goldstar design.
Soon after, we started Manufacturing a 14" Colour TV the NCW1401. Line 2 was upgraded and we brought in 3 manual component insertion machines. Each machine had an overhead projector which lit the place that the component was to be fitted, each machine could only accommodate enough parts for one third of the pcb, thus each board was sent to the next station for more bits to be fitted..then it went to Large component fitting, LOTX Tuner etc, then the flow solder station. Testing and alignment, then assembly into the cabinet. We were only contracted to make 1000 of this model under the PAL Licence.
The model was changed to the NWC1402, which was kit sourced, except for the PAL encoder, which was designed in house. The cabinet was made at a local plastic moulders, so was it still a kit assy or manufactured ??
Knowing what I do re TV manufacture, I cannot believe any company in the UK is manufacturing in the classic sense. Investment in pcb assy, i.e auto insertion, plastic moulding, would not be viable in the current economic climate.