Best CRT screens?

[4Ks]

Anyone got recommendations for CRT TVs? I want to keep playing my old consoles on the screen they were intended for but finding a CRT that isn't plagued with overscan, distortion, or jittery pixels is pretty difficult. I know the Sony Wega is supposed to be the god-tier CRT but they're pretty hard to find and they weigh a million pounds. I'm looking for something fairly easy to find and preferably doesn't weigh more than I do. Please post pics of your setups if you can.

[+Charlie Cat]

Anyone got recommendations for CRT TVs? I want to keep playing my old consoles on the screen they were intended for but finding a CRT that isn't plagued with overscan, distortion, or jittery pixels is pretty difficult. I know the Sony Wega is supposed to be the god-tier CRT but they're pretty hard to find and they weigh a million pounds. I'm looking for something fairly easy to find and preferably doesn't weigh more than I do. Please post pics of your setups if you can.

Hi 4Ks,

 

Haven't seen you on the forums in awhile. Glad to see you back.

 

From my personal experience I always had luck with Sylvania and Samsung CRT units. I don't have a particular unit to mention, just naming the brands. But I like their picture quality and audio that they had to offer was great.

 

Hope this help to some degree.

 

Anthony...

Edited January 17, 2016 by fdurso224

[thadsilverfox]

I'm using a Magnavox 20" CRT TV model RR1930 that I purchased in the early 90's. Has been absolutely reliable all these years.

[Blur2040]

Sony PVM monitors--high end displays that were used for video production.

 

I didn't believe the hype...but kept an eye out and got a 20 inch for 20$. Nicest CRT I've ever had.

[Trebor]

Not the biggest screen out there, but even at only 13", the Commodore 1702 provides a gorgeous picture and is a pleasure to play the classics on. Al takes a slew of them to the gaming shows he goes to as well. I have a couple from 1983, and another from 1984; they still look, play, and sound excellent.

[+GoldenWheels]

 

 

I'm looking for something fairly easy to find and preferably doesn't weigh more than I do.

 

Going by the weight listed online, my 32" WEGA indeed weighed more than I did when I moved it in a few years ago. Not including the stand.

 

Sadly that is no longer the case. And the TV didn't get any LIGHTER (Damn those alcoholic root beers).

 

I find the most important part of getting a good CRT is just making sure it fully works, that is, see it in person. What these TVs were 20-30 years ago is often not what they are now, WEGA or not. It's just hard to be a "chooser" now. How many of us have spotted a sweet CRT find at the dump/on the side of the road/completely randomly and brought it home only to discover a busted speaker, or a broken RF attachment, or that there is a green spot in the top left corner that NEVER GOES AWAY? All three of those have happened to me.

 

They don't all have to be huge to be good for gaming though....I also have a 20 inch CRT WEGA and it's totally manageable for me, and a good performer.

[CatPix]

It all depends if you want "the best" or just "what suits my needs better".

 

The best are professionnal video monitors, like the PVM.

Those those monitors are not aesthetically pleasing, they are usually medium sizes at best... and for gamers, it's important to note that they have no RF (it's why they are monitors, and not TV).

For gaming, I find that late 80's early 90's TV are just fine. High end ones have quite a lot of connections, they have electronic adusjtment for sound, light, contrast, etc... but the display is still analog, so you have no delay. Contrast is usualyl very good, colors are sharp. While because they are CRT by nature, they'll have overscan, let's not forget that our video games were made with this in mind and have blank, unused lines up and down the screen. And those TV at the time have physical adjustment for the display that are either on the back of the TV or inside on the PCB so you can correct it.

 

So it all depends on what you want. If you just want the best display, with no need/care for RF and aesthetics, got for a PVM.

If you wanna maybe plug a DVD player and watch movies on the TV, and be able to put it in the dining room, then go for a vintage TV.

[chuckwalla]

I recently saw a new Sony Wega 13" on ebay.

I had one of these years ago and it was absolutely beautiful.

If I didn't have three Sony's already I'd buy it.

[RangerG]

I think it is hard to beat Commodore monitors. They are the right era, look great, and hold up really well.

[Osgeld]

I have to toss my hat in for 2000's era toshiba's I had a flat screen CRT model with a billion connectors in the back including component and extremely good picture quality

[twoquickcapri]

Sony BVM-D32E1WU

 

32 inch 1000 line RGB monitor, supports 240p, 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i.

 

[MotoRacer]

Sony BVM-D32E1WU

 

32 inch 1000 line RGB monitor, supports 240p, 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i.

 

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Those are going for nearly 800 bucks. At that point, it's cheaper to just modify your consoles with HDMI out

Edited February 2, 2016 by MotoRacer

[+Black_Tiger]

If you're into playing 240p games, try to get one with s-video and component inputs. Those Sony Wegas are supposed to have not-so-great component video quality for the time and don't do 480p. But you can't really pick and choose so much any more.

 

RGB monitors are a cool addition, but I wouldn't make one my only TV screen, as the extra lines of resolution don't portray console games the way they were meant to be seen.

[twoquickcapri]

 

Those are going for nearly 800 bucks. At that point, it's cheaper to just modify your consoles with HDMI out

 

Well since only two console have a HDMI mod right now then yeah you're right. Plus the BVM-D32E1WU can take HDMI over it's HD SDI port so best of both worlds.

Edited February 2, 2016 by twoquickcapri

[Austin]

Trinitrons/Wegas that are 25 inches or under do *not* weigh a million pounds. I can carry my 25" on my own--probably 50 to 60 pounds. Larger than that, then yes--they are heavy as hell and you will need help. But 25 inches is a nice size, and you could get smaller if you wanted. Look on Craigslist, CRTs are all over the place there. $10, $20... free. They are out there.

 

Personally, unless you are going the BVM/PVM route, I wouldn't waste my time with anything less than a Wega/Trinitron. I've had multiple non-Sony CRTs over the years, and the pictures are like night and day. Cost will be the same locally, so don't settle for less (unless again, you are trying to get a business/professional-grade monitor).

[CatPix]

If you're into playing 240p games, try to get one with s-video and component inputs. Those Sony Wegas are supposed to have not-so-great component video quality for the time and don't do 480p. But you can't really pick and choose so much any more.

 

RGB monitors are a cool addition, but I wouldn't make one my only TV screen, as the extra lines of resolution don't portray console games the way they were meant to be seen.

 

Most RGB monitors are 525/625 lines like your television. Unless they are able to display 720p and 1080i that is going to be the case : there is no interest in offering extra lines if your video source will never provide them.

Edited February 2, 2016 by CatPix

[DesertJets]

My dad had a late (figure he bought it around 2008 or so) 27" Sony Trinitron Wega that he got rid of a year or two ago. I would have totally taken it had it not been 500 miles away. IIRC it was pretty heavy but I still under 100 lbs. My brother had a 32" Trinitron Wega that he bought around 2002 or 2003 -- that thing weighed about 150 lbs.

 

I still have the first and only TV I ever bought (got it while in grad school in 2003). 20" Panasonic. Not a flat screen CRT but pretty close. Stereo, composite and S-video input... the only downside is that the brightness is poor on my set.

[KreatorKat]

If you really want your games to look great on a CRT specifically, go for RGB cables and a Sony PVM, BVM or other pro monster. Some are really cheap actually. If you don't know what RGB is or want to go this direction, try RetroRGB.com. For a normal CRT thats pretty big, Sony Wega Trinitrons are as good as they come .

[twoquickcapri]

 

Most RGB monitors are 525/625 lines like your television. Unless they are able to display 720p and 1080i that is going to be the case : there is no interest in offering extra lines if your video source will never provide them.

 

CRT are rated in TV lines or how many lines run up and down the screen. The scanning line rate determine the lines that run left to right. Most commercial (NTSC) SD CRT TV have between 250-500 TV lines and 480 (NTSC) scanning lines. 600, 800, 1000 line RGB monitors have more "dots" on each scan line then a standard CRT TV. When a CRT has a line rating on it, the rating almost always means TV lines.

Edited February 4, 2016 by twoquickcapri

[CatPix]

I know this...

And most monitors I have seen are really just a TV without a tuner, so they are 625 lines monitors.

Sure if you pick up a 1000 lines monitor you'll have extra lines, but those aren't the most common.

Also, I have played on TV here that were backward compatible with the French 819 lines standard, and there was visually no difference with a 625 lines only TV.

Of course, a 1000 line YUV/HDMI compatible monitor is going to look different... I'm not sure it's going to look so much different; and for people here, the biggest hit is goign from crappy RF and composite to RGB

[4Ks]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, some of these I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for. CRTs show up at thrift shops in my area all the time so I should be able to snag a keeper before long.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

If you're looking for the absolute best CRT television for retro gaming then the Sony KV-27FV310 is the finest ever produced. It's a 27" TV that weighs just over 100 lbs., though if you want larger and can handle the weight then the 32" KV-32FV310 and 36" KV-36FV310 are built to the same quality and have all the same features. There are some studio quality production monitors that may be slightly nicer, but for consumer grade televisions the KV-27FV310 and it's bigger brothers are the best out there. Frankly though, pretty much any Sony Trinitron or WEGA should work great as long as it hasn't seen too much previous use. I'm very happy with my 20" Trinitron, and I can actually lift and carry it myself!

 

Beware though that some of the later model WEGAs do exceed 480i in their resolution and thus will not be compatible with light gun games. If you're unsure of whether or not the WEGA model you're thinking of picking up will be light gun compatible just check the serial number here to make sure it's a 480i model and not a Super Fine Pitch or Hi-Scan one: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FD_Trinitron/WEGA

 

Hope that helps!

Edited February 6, 2016 by Jin

[Osgeld]

pretty much any Sony Trinitron

 

 

not pretty much any Trinatron, I had one that was one you could mount under a cabinet, and yea it was a trinatron screen you could see the shadow mask and say "yep thats a trinatron" even with trinatron printed on the front heh

 

input connectors aside (RF composite and mono in) the screen was super great for TV, but the circuitry made it as such the second you plugged in a video game or computer everything was super over saturated and every pixel bloomed to the size of my finger

 

switch it back to cable or antenna video and it was razor sharp, plug in a unmodified NES and it looked like 1981, I never cared to fiddle with it outside the onscreen menu, which would supersaturate and bloom like mad with a video game running in the background and I donated it back to goodwill

[CatPix]

Trinitron is USUALLY a sign of high-end model... But by 1970, the Trinitron grid was equalled in quality by the ladder design you find in non-Trinitron CRT (including Sony ones).

So while the Trinitron have the advantage of being immediately recognizable (unlike the fabulous "Black Diva" CRT made by Thomson, for example) not all Trinitron are made equal in quality.

As I mentionned upper, sometime you might have more luck with a high-end early 90's TV that pickup up a low-end Trinitron.

[LaserCat]

 

 

If you're looking for the absolute best CRT television for retro gaming then the Sony KV-27FV310 is the finest ever produced.

 

I have been searching for one these but the only one I found is 36 inches and since I literally have no friends there was simply no way to transport it to my house. What I did find was the model that preceded this one, the 24FV300, which I believe is exactly the same as the FV310 except that is lacks the voltage regulator feature. BTW I absolutely love my FV300 and highly recommend picking one up if you see one.