Telstar, a seven-person Wisconsin shop, began with the idea that your TV doesn’t have to. Back in the 1950s, original Predicta models like Danish Modern and Princess brought taste and warmth, along with Jackie Gleason, into the living room. Telstar builds new Predictas from scratch, tailoring each client’s set so that the finished TV blends seamlessly into its new home. The waiting list has stretched to six months. “I’ve had businessmen call and say, ‘Here’s how you mass-produce these things.’ Well, that’s no fun,” says cofounder Dave Reidel, whose influences range from Frank Lloyd Wright to “The Simpsons.” “If you come away with the impression that we’re almost nuts, that’s good.”
Reidel stresses, however, that his TVs are meant to be watched, not to gather dust in a rec room. Every set is DVD-ready, just like anything at Circuit City. Which is where the similarities begin and end.
