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A 43-inch Sony CRT weighing more than 500 pounds with its stand was still upstairs in a restaurant in Japan—and the building was due to close in less than a week. Hackaday’s December 24, 2024 story follows the online appeal and local volunteer effort to help recover the set known as “Big Boy.”
What is the “Big Boy” CRT?
Hackaday identifies the television as a Sony KX-45ED1, with a 43-inch screen. The article calls it the world’s largest tube television; that superlative is Hackaday’s description, not a verified comparison of every CRT ever made. The set was reportedly installed on the second floor of a Japanese restaurant in 1989 and had remained there since.
The scale made it more than an unusual piece of electronics to preserve. Hackaday reports that the television and its specialized stand together weighed over 500 pounds, and getting them out meant moving them down a flight of stairs.
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Why did the recovery become urgent?
The restaurant building was scheduled to close permanently in less than a week, according to Hackaday. That deadline left little time to organize help for a heavy, awkward object in an upstairs location. The challenge was not simply finding someone interested in a rare television; it was finding nearby assistance quickly enough to tackle its removal.
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How did the online appeal bring help?
The article says [shank] appealed online for local help. A Japan-based retro-tech enthusiast responded and traveled more than an hour by train to assist. That connection is the human center of the mini-documentary: an online request linked a person facing an urgent preservation problem with someone willing to make the trip and help.
What does the mini-documentary establish—and what remains unknown?
The linked film is framed around the question, “What Happened to the World’s Largest Tube TV?” Hackaday’s account describes the time pressure, the set’s difficult location and weight, and the effort to help recover it. It does not establish the television’s eventual permanent destination or its present condition, so the story should not be read as confirmation that the set was safely installed elsewhere, still works, or remains in a particular collection.
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Hackaday also says two examples were thought to exist. That is a reported belief, not a definitive count of surviving units. The article’s aside that the set might equate to around $100,000 USD today is likewise not a documented original price or a current appraisal.
Where to read the original story
Hackaday’s report by Drew Littrell, published December 24, 2024, is titled “Retrotechtacular: Quest For The ‘Big Boy’ CRT Finds New Home In Mini Doc.” It links to the mini-documentary and provides the reported details about the recovery effort.
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