[vmelkon]

For some reason, I can't find the info that I'm looking for. I can certainly find other stuff about vaccum!

What is the pressure inside a TV or computer CRT tube and how do they do it? howstuffworks and such websites don't explain much. What kind of pump is used. I once read that the tube is first filled with oxygen, then pumped, then a "getter" is used such as potassium and finally the tube is sealed.

[skyjumper]

Wiki: The cathode ray tube (CRT) is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun (a source of electrons) and a fluorescent screen

Vacuum tube: A vacuum tube consists of electrodes  in a vacuum  in an insulating heat-resistant envelope which is usually tubular. Many tubes have glass envelopes, though some types such as power tubes may have ceramic or metal envelopes. The electrodes are attached to leads which pass through the envelope via an airtight seal. On most tubes, the leads are designed to plug into a tube socket for easy replacement.

Under Vacuum in the Vacuum tube article:
The vacuum inside the envelope must be as perfect, or "hard", as possible. Any gas atoms remaining might be ionized at operating voltages, and will conduct electricity between the elements in an uncontrolled manner. This can lead to erratic operation or even catastrophic destruction of the tube and associated circuitry. Unabsorbed free air sometimes ionizes and becomes visible as a pink-purple glow discharge between the tube elements.

To prevent any remaining gases from remaining in a free state in the tube, modern tubes are constructed with "getters", which are usually small, circular troughs filled with metals that oxidize quickly, with barium being the most common. While the tube envelope is being evacuated, the internal parts except the getter are heated by RF induction heating to extract any remaining gases from the metal. The tube is then sealed and the getter is heated to a high temperature, again by radio frequency induction heating. This causes the material to evaporate, absorbing/reacting with any residual gases and usually leaving a silver-colored metallic deposit on the inside of the envelope of the tube. The getter continues to absorb any gas molecules that leak into the tube during its working life. If a tube develops a crack in the envelope, this deposit turns a white color when it reacts with atmospheric oxygen. Large transmitting and specialized tubes often use more exotic getter materials, such as zirconium. Early gettered tubes used phosphorus based getters and these tubes are easily identifiable, as the phosphorus leaves a characteristic orange or rainbow deposit on the glass. The use of phosphorus was short-lived and was quickly replaced by the superior barium getters. Unlike the barium getters, the phosphorus did not absorb any further gases once it had fired.

[Borek]

Very nice quote, but somehow I can't find answer to the OP questions about pressure & pumps.

[vmelkon]

Large transmitting and specialized tubes often use more exotic getter materials, such as zirconium.

Well, it answers part of my question. Sometimes barium and sometimes zirconium is used as the getter. I think I read zirconium is used as a getter in sodium lamps but I was in doubt of that.