Best TV's for classic consoles.

[ATARI7800fan]

What would be the best TV to use for a Neo Geo console and 2D games/consoles in general. I have recently recieved for free a 2006 Sony Trinitron, it is 42-44 inches diagonally across including the whole front not just the screen, so I would say 36-40 inches diagonally total for the screen. 35 inches wide. not to sure what resolution it is probably 853x1080i seeing as if I remember correctly it has the red, blue, and green video hookups and two sets of red, white, and yellow. What tv's do you guys use for classic consoles, it is flatscreen. Thanks for your time.

Edited June 28, 2011 by ATARI7800fan

[mbd30]

For consoles I use a small (around 13"? I'm not sure. But it is quite small.) Sanyo tube TV that replaced a Samsung 27" tube TV that finally croaked after 11 years of service. I usually play games on emulators on my computer though.

[Algus]

Some newer TVs can't properly scale lower resolution screens. Still the dream of playing older consoles on a new TV isn't impossible. Look for one that allows pillarboxing (placing black bars vertically on the left and right of the screen) which will allow the TV to project a 4:3 image. This can make older machines look very nice. (It is also great for watching classic films!) It goes without saying to check for an LCD as other types of HDTVs run the risk of screen burn.

 

Or just look for an old CRT (try Goodwill or a used electronics store) so that you can be sure of full compatibility. Like mbd30, I have a small 13' that I can easily fit on my desk. I use it for older light gun games and consoles from the 80s though (my big TV isn't able to properly scale my NES so it gets some odd graphical garble now and then)

[ATARI7800fan]

Some newer TVs can't properly scale lower resolution screens. Still the dream of playing older consoles on a new TV isn't impossible. Look for one that allows pillarboxing (placing black bars vertically on the left and right of the screen) which will allow the TV to project a 4:3 image. This can make older machines look very nice. (It is also great for watching classic films!) It goes without saying to check for an LCD as other types of HDTVs run the risk of screen burn.

Or just look for an old CRT (try Goodwill or a used electronics store) so that you can be sure of full compatibility. Like mbd30, I have a small 13' that I can easily fit on my desk. I use it for older light gun games and consoles from the 80s though (my big TV isn't able to properly scale my NES so it gets some odd graphical garble now and then)

It is a CRT, supposedly the best around through the early 2000's until LCD's became popular around 2006.

EDIT:

It is a CRT. Trinitron is Sony's brand name for its line of aperture grille based CRTs used in televisions and computer monitors. One of the first truly new television systems to enter the market since the 1950s, the Trinitron was announced in 1966 to wide acclaim for its bright images, about 25% brighter than common shadow mask televisions of the same era. Constant improvement in the basic technology and attention to overall quality allowed Sony to charge a premium for Trinitron devices into the 1990s. Sony's patent on the Trinitron display ran out in 1996, after 20 years. After the expiration of Sony's Trinitron patent, manufacturers like Mitsubishi (whose monitor production is now part of NEC Display Solutions) were free to use the Trinitron design for their own product line without license from Sony although they could not use the Trinitron name. For example, Mitsubishi's are called Diamondtron. To some degree the name Trinitron became a generic term referring to any similar set.

Sony responded with the FD Trinitron, which used computer controlled feedback systems to ensure sharp focus across a flat screen. Initially introduced on their 27, 32 and 36 inch models in 1998, the new tubes were offered in a variety of resolutions for different uses. The basic WEGA models supported normal 480i signals, but a larger version offered 16:9 aspect ratios. The technology was quickly applied to the entire Trinitron range, from 13 to 36 inch. High resolution versions, Hi-Scan and Super Fine Pitch, were also produced. With the introduction of the FD Trinitron, Sony also introduced a new industrial style, leaving the charcoal colored sets introduced in the 1980s for a new silver styling. Sony was not the only company producing flat screen CRTs. Other companies had already introduced high-end brands with flat-screen tubes, like Panasonic's Tau. Many other companies entered the market quickly, widely copying the new silver styling as well. The FD Trinitron was unable to regain the cachet that the Trinitron brand had previously possessed; in the 2004 Christmas season they increased sales by 5%, but only at the cost of a 75% plunge in profits after being forced to lower costs to compete in the market. At the same time, the introduction of plasma televisions, and then LCD-based ones, led to the high-end market being increasingly focused on the "thin" sets. A series of new experimental systems followed, including the Plasmatron and experiments with Organic light-emitting diodes and other technologies, but Sony's attempts to introduce a best-of-breed system all failed.

Edited June 28, 2011 by ATARI7800fan

[Cebus Capucinis]

 

[oldjd]

 

I thought that was a microwave

[jaybird3rd]

I don't like the look of classic consoles on LCD televisions. I use mine exclusively with CRT televisions and monitors: a Commodore 1702, 13" Samsung and Sony Trinitron televisions, and a number of other 13" TVs as spares. If nothing else, CRT displays of this size are the best way to enjoy light gun games. I hope to find a larger CRT TV when I'm finally ready to put together my "game room", but the fact that they aren't being made anymore and the high cost of shipping will only make them more difficult to come by.

[TheGameCollector]

For LCDs I highly recommend the one I have. It's made by SHARP and it's 52" it even has zoom mode which works great as a workaround for when you hook a laptop to it via HDMI and the laptop display won't fill the whole screen.

 

I found a hard to implement but intersting technique to even make the Virtual Boy display appear on the TV. You have to position a small camera to see into the lens just right while it is plugged into the TV's component in. Then select the view mode as Zoom.

[STICH666]

The best all-rounder I have found is a 37" Sony Trinitron XBR. It's perfect for anything in 4:3

 

Edited June 28, 2011 by STICH666

[Rex Dart]

Oh, I use this 27" Daewoo flatscreen CRT that I got on clearance at Target years back. Standard Def, but has component inputs too... those were nice for when I had my xbox & gamecube hooked into it.

 

It's got an S-Video port, which my newer LCD doesn't have, and that makes the classic systems look pretty nice.

 

I wouldn't call it the BEST TV for classic consoles, but I've been really happy with it for about six or seven years and have no complaints other than the weight of it.

 

 

ATARI7800fan, I'm jealous of that TV you say you got for free. Sounds nice. Does it have s-video?

[HatefulGravey]

Right now I have a pair of 21 inch CRT tvs I play on. Its the only way to be for me. I will be upgrading to a TV with more AV inputs (I have but 2 on each of the tvs right now) and a S Video option the next time I come across one at a fair price.

 

I have played my NES on my larger LCD screen in the living room from time to time. Mostly when friends want to relive something from their childhood. It works ok, and I do have a LCD that will put the black bars on the sides and display at 4:3 so it isn't terrible. That just never looks right to me, so I stick to the good old stuff.

[ATARI7800fan]

Oh, I use this 27" Daewoo flatscreen CRT that I got on clearance at Target years back. Standard Def, but has component inputs too... those were nice for when I had my xbox & gamecube hooked into it.

 

It's got an S-Video port, which my newer LCD doesn't have, and that makes the classic systems look pretty nice.

 

I wouldn't call it the BEST TV for classic consoles, but I've been really happy with it for about six or seven years and have no complaints other than the weight of it.

 

 

ATARI7800fan, I'm jealous of that TV you say you got for free. Sounds nice. Does it have s-video?

Yes I checked and it does, not sure what model it is exactly but it does at least have the higher 480 resolution like the wii and xbox have seeing as it does have blue, green, and red hookups. It is really heavy though Took me and my parents just to get it into your van. Has to weigh at least 100 pounds if not more. IS what I have a good TV to use then.

Edited June 28, 2011 by ATARI7800fan

[ApolloBoy]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned these babies.

 

At some point I'll replace both my TVs with one, I just have to save up enough cash and mod the few remaining RF-only systems I have.

[bomberpunk]

the only way to play a classic console is on a classic console tube tv. half furniture, half tv, all awesome. mine is a 26 inch GE.

[ATARI7800fan]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned these babies.

 

At some point I'll replace both my TVs with one, I just have to save up enough cash and mod the few remaining RF-only systems I have.

Sony seems to be a popular brand I see. Mine is a newer model

Edited June 28, 2011 by ATARI7800fan

[ApolloBoy]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned these babies.

 

At some point I'll replace both my TVs with one, I just have to save up enough cash and mod the few remaining RF-only systems I have.

Sony seems to be a popular brand I see. Mine is a newer model

It's not a normal Sony TV though, it's a Sony PVM monitor, which has RGB inputs. These tend to have better picture quality than your standard Sony CRT too, since these were professional quality monitors used in TV studios and hospitals.

[Mark Wolfe]

for portability and reliability I really like the commodore 64 "1702". really nice contrast and color and the damn things just last forever. they are highly portable and easy to set up on a kitchen or dining room table for an afternoon.

 

if you want something that is to be installed more permanently, then go with the last generation of brand named CRT televisions in the size you like best. you're going to find really great deals on these, very often for free on the curb. they will last a good while and have composite, component, s-video & rf. some of the newer "flat screen" versions even have vga input which is nice to have.

 

the older the tv, the more likely it will need service at some point, although some brands really do last forever it seems but if you're looking to buy a new screen for your classic games, try to find something newer. where I live I regularly see them on the curb in perfect condition and craig's list often has curb alerts and cheap sales on really nice TVs, that just a few years ago would have run hundreds of dollars.

 

classic consoles really DO look much better on a CRT.

[ATARI7800fan]

Model number of my TV is KV-32FS100

[Sonic R]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned these babies.

 

At some point I'll replace both my TVs with one, I just have to save up enough cash and mod the few remaining RF-only systems I have.

Sony seems to be a popular brand I see. Mine is a newer model

It's not a normal Sony TV though, it's a Sony PVM monitor, which has RGB inputs. These tend to have better picture quality than your standard Sony CRT too, since these were professional quality monitors used in TV studios and hospitals.

 

the pictured monitor may be a newer model? my PVM looks a bit older, it is a PVM2530 - the 25 is the screen size… I also had and sold a smaller PVM2030 which was a 20" RGB moniter…

 

[AtariTexas]

I think the older consoles look better on the CRT sets. Their so cheap on Craigslist, I may pick up another set this weekend in case mine ever goes kaput

[NE146]

Craigslist for cheapo tvs. Or, if you know of any community yard sales, just drive on through casually. There's usually someone letting go of an SDTV.

 

Heck just the other month I picked up a really nice large Trinitron from this indian family.. they sold it to me for 5 bucks

[ATARI7800fan]

my other question would be if a CRTV has the red, blue, and green hookups does that mean it can do 480p, the TV I got has the hookups but the wiki description for the model it is says it is only 480i. So do some tv's have the connection but not do 480p. 480p is HD right?

Edited June 30, 2011 by ATARI7800fan

[+wood_jl]

my other question would be if a CRTV has the red, blue, and green hookups does that mean it can do 480p, the TV I got has the hookups but the wiki description for the model it is says it is only 480i. So do some tv's have the connection but not do 480p. 480p is HD right?

You are correct. The R/B/G is a "component" video connection, and was used on standard-def sets, as well as HD. However, HD sets are capable of displaying HD through this connection.

 

I believe 480p is considered the "lowest HD" resolution, although I'm not sure it is considered "HD" but it is beyond "SD."

[Rex Dart]

1) my other question would be if a CRTV has the red, blue, and green hookups does that mean it can do 480p

2) So do some tv's have the connection but not do 480p.

3)480p is HD right?

 

 

No, yes, and no.

 

Component video doesn't necessarily indicate a high-def display, and 480p is enhanced definition, or EDTV. 720p and higher are high definition.

 

I use a 27" CRT with component video inputs and it's only a 480i set.

Edited June 30, 2011 by Rex Dart

[SlowCoder]

 

Is that YOUR TV? I like it! I've been looking around at the local GoodWills, but have thus far been unlucky in my venture. I'm looking for something in the 16"-22" range, I think. But it needs to look good. And these days that's getting hard to come by.