I have a 25 year old Console TV that I have had for ever, and claim to have till it dies. The only problem is its brightness, and I think it’s pretty much been that way forever. Even with the brightness control set to max, its often hard to see dark scenes during the day. Is there some old-school technique on the inside of the TV to boost the brightness beyond what the stop on the knob allows? Or do I just need to maintain a nightime viewing only for my tv habits till my cheap self breaksdown and buy something made in this century? I know this is a long shot, but I thought I’d try.
The picture tube is probably worn out. That happens with age. They used to make “boosters” that mounted on the electrical connector for the picture tube. They increased the brightness of a worn-out picture tube. I don’t know if they are still made these days.
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Yes there is. The control is on the inside of the TV.
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Which means (seriously) you can die if you try to adjust it. Even with the set off and unplugged. And since this adjustment requires the set to be on. Don’t try this at home, at work, etc.
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The set is aging so you’d end up with the image bad again soonish.
If you have certain newer models, there’s a “service menu” that allows some adjustments via the remote that are not normally available. A. That can help with some brightness problems. B. There’s a 110% chance you will make the image worse.
Sorry, and sorry.
The problem may lie in the horizontal output/high voltage assembly, which isn’t something you want to mess with, unless you’re familiar with these things. As already noted, you can encounter 20kV in this area, an experience you won’t enjoy.
If the set is truly beloved, then invest in a service call. The tech will be able to tell you if the CRT is almost toast, and if the horizontal output voltages are within spec.
Sorry to hear that your favorite TV is giving up the ghost. (of course, with antennas, that’d be a good thing, but not so good for picture tubes.)
Repair prospects are going to be nil. I’d be startled to hear of any manufacturer having a stock of 25-year old CRTs. In this day of highly integrated electronics, even the basic components like power transistors are getting harder to find.
CRT “boosters” never were a terrific solution to begin with. They up the filament voltage by something like 50% so the cathode gets hotter. There’s two big risks here - the filament itself burns out from the higher voltage, or the cathode gets cooked from the extra heat. Either results in a totally dead CRT, and you’ll hit this point that much faster with a booster.
As ftg said, there are “setup” controls inside the set, but if you already knew about things like “kine bias” or “pre bright” you probably wouldn’t be asking here. Without proper service instructions (eg: what the voltage at test point 34 should be, and where these rascals are hidden inside the set, just pretend they don’t exist. Poking around is only likely to result in getting a shock.
You assume I do what I’m told… ! 
Your telling this to someone who when they where 8 took apart there tv just to see how it worked. Yes I even unplugged the rubber boot on the back and stuck my finger in the hole… Of course I never did that again… but I did move onto removing electrical sockets with butter knives by then. LOL
Dude… get a new TV. Seriously. I was in your shoes just a few months ago, when I finally broke down and equipped the media room in my new house with a New TV, moving the 30 year old TV that was “just fine” up to a bedroom.
You’ll be amazed at what kind of TV $200 will buy at CostCo. Amazed.