Archiving CRT photos?

[Keatah]

As time goes on, more and more of us are using modern displays and more recent (than NTSC RF) video protocols to play games. Remember, it was analog NTSC RF channel 3-4 upon which these games were designed. And sometimes they even used the shortcomings of the standard to get additional colors or shading.

 

So with the failure of emulation to truly represent what an analog CRT looks like; I wonder if it is prudent to start archiving & posting CRT photos. Close-ups, full-screens, all of it.. In anticipation of the day when emulation decides to get it right. Then we'll have a ready reference of how it actually was.

 

Maybe this thread could be a repository for how our beloved classics really look!

 

 

[israelg]

Very good idea, as a reference for emulation simulating CRT TV's

 

There are many types of CRT's: old home TV's, Arcade monitors Etc.

[lwizardl]

sounds like a great idea, once I get my room setup finished I could try and help with screens from a few different CRT tvs I own. Currently think it is 9 TVs and like 15 CRT monitors in storage.

Edited February 4, 2015 by lwizardl

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I suppose emulation will be faster than the last CRTs dying.

[Keatah]

huh?

[BillyHW]

Is it any way conceivable that in the future we might be able to manufacture CRTs again along with accurate reproduction consoles?

[Thomas Jentzsch]

huh?

The emulators will be able to faithfully emulate the CRT on a LCD display (of course except for the limitations of the LCD), before we have no access to CRT devices anymore.

 

BTW: I suppose for a static picture, the emulation can be almost done 100% perfect. So pictures won't be required. Everything else can never be 100% correct, so we would need videos. But since we will have to display the CRT videos on an LCD, they can never be 100% correct too. Hm...

[Keatah]

We can do that today, this year, if someone wants to. The technology is simple and fully understood too. It is a matter of consumer demand and financing and copyright/legal issues.

 

No one is going to build a new CRT factory. At least no one I know of. And there are legal rights that have to be cleared before a console can be re-manufactured.

 

Additionally, the old-school circuitry will need to be re-created along with all the various support parts. If new school parts are used, the designer better not let anything slide in the name of getting it done cost effectively. Anyhow, the knowledge base is there, no doubt about it. But who's going to finance it?

 

The best attempt at re-doing the old consoles has been the FlashBack series. And those are pretty ratty.

 

The two best hopes for preserving the classics are:

1- Maintaining the original consoles in top shape.

2- Emulation.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Is it any way conceivable that in the future we might be able to manufacture CRTs again along with accurate reproduction consoles?

Only as prototypes and at enormous costs. Probably it is much more effective to keep the hardware alive. Then you "only" have to reproduce the failing parts.