What type of TV do you use for classic consoles?

[MaximRecoil]

I use a 32" standard resolution CRT TV for all of my classic consoles (all of my consoles that I actually use are "classic" anyway).

 

Collectors that use digital dispays, such as LCD or plasma, baffle me. I fully expect it from the average guy that pulls his old Atari, NES, or whatever, out of the attic on a whim to play a few games, but from people who are actual collectors or otherwise enthusiasts of vintage console hardware and software?

 

They spend so much time, effort, and money on their collections consisting of vintage original hardware and software, often including original packaging materials and paperwork; the concepts of originality and authenticity are clearly important to them. Why then do they place no importance on those concepts when it comes to one of the most important aspects of actually experiencing the games, i.e., the display device? It is not as if CRT TVs are expensive or hard to find. Yes, they take up some space, but not nearly as much space as a large video game hardware/software/packaging/paperwork collection does.

Edited December 14, 2013 by MaximRecoil

[Albert]

At present, I only use CRT displays with any of my classic systems. However, I have used them with projectors in the past with success. It's great fun playing Warlords projected onto a wall with several friends (no, the friends are not projected onto the wall). However, I no longer own any projectors, and I haven't tried to use any of my older systems with newer flat-panel displays. In the past I've had bad luck with such displays. I do have 2600, 5200, 7800 and ColecoVision systems modified with S-Video and/or Composite output, so I really need to give them a try and see how they look.

 

Even with s-video / composite output on a 2600, it's still hit and miss as to whether the television will accept the signal. And this can vary based on individual games, since the game generates the NTSC (or PAL) signal. Some sets are not tolerant of out-of-spec NTSC signals and will often not display a picture at all. I'd be fine with playing classic consoles on a large, flat-panel display, in 4:3 of course, as long as the picture doesn't entirely suck.

 

..Al

[MaximRecoil]

It's great fun playing Warlords projected onto a wall with several friends (no, the friends are not projected onto the wall).

I can imagine. Warlords is such an awesome game if you have 4 players. I'd love to have the arcade cocktail machine, and if you had a projector, the gameboard's RGB output could easily be routed to it, in the event that you all don't want to sit cramped around a cocktail machine (though that could be a bonus if the friends were members of the female species). Some projectors could accept it directly; others would need the signal to be transcoded to e.g. "VGA" (31 kHz instead of 15 kHz) first.

[Albert]

I can imagine. Warlords is such an awesome game if you have 4 players. I'd love to have the arcade cocktail machine, and if you had a projector, the gameboard's RGB output could easily be routed to it, in the event that you all don't want to sit cramped around a cocktail machine (though that could be a bonus if the friends were members of the female species). Some projectors could accept it directly; others would need the signal to be transcoded to e.g. "VGA" (31 kHz instead of 15 kHz) first.

 

I've stayed up until 5am playing a Warlords cocktail machine with several other people. Such a fantastic game.

 

I meant to state above that Medieval Mayhem is even better than Warlords (and has lots of great options), but that wasn't available the last time I hooked a 2600 up to a projector.

 

..Al

[Austin]

I primarily use a 25" CRT. However, in the main room I also have a 4x3 HD CRT, and I have a few systems hooked up out there as well. The normal CRT gets more use overall for gaming, while the HD CRT is typically used for modern gaming and messing around with the occasional classic/retro RPG (those in particular won't be affected much by the slight input lag for non-HDMI devices).

[AtariBrian]

I have a sony trinitron flat crt and love it ! I recently picked up a commadore 1702 and have used my modded 7800 on it and love that also .

[CatPix]

I use various CRT TV's for retrogaming. Consoles with RF only have a 36cm TV and a 43cm multistandard TV for my PAL systems (SECAM land here ).

 

Newer system hook up to a 43cm TV via SCART; I have a 80cm 16/9 TV for 128 bits systems.

I also use a LCD TV now, because I moved, and I cant have a bigass TV here. It's fine enough, as the SCART on that LCD TV is good enough, and the screen isnt big anyway.

IMO, CRT or LCD, it doesn't matter as long as the LCD have a good analog chip. In some case, it's even better because of a more crisp and detailed picture. Except for RF console. Even late CRT here do crap with RF consoles. I had a Trinitron from late 90's, I could never hook anything on it. I wouldn't get something visually good, even on something as humble than a Pong system.

Edited December 14, 2013 by CatPix

[MaximRecoil]

Even late CRT here do crap with RF consoles.

The RF output from my NES front-loader is amazing (for RF) on my CRT TV, it is nearly as good as its composite output, which is itself extremely good. I have no need to use RF with a front-loader NES, but I've tested it just to see what it looks like. On the other hand, the RF output from my Atari 2600 "light sixer" isn't very good (though I think the cheap aftermarket AC adaptor that I have for it may be causing some RF interference; I've been meaning to get a real Atari-manufactured one for it). The RF output from my Atari 7800 is better than from the 2600, but still not that great. It sucks that the great RF output comes from a console for which I have no need of RF, while the consoles that are limited to RF have relatively poor RF output.

Edited December 14, 2013 by MaximRecoil

[CatPix]

Well I feel like in Europe, especially in France, RF output have been hugely neglected (thaaankfully. when you're used to RGB everywere, even composite make your eyes bleeding). So it's no surprise that European tuners have been programmed to tune on strong, complete analog channel signals, as nothing made after 1995 would have RF output anyway.

[+save2600]

CRT's. Not happy with the look at all of lcd's. When I had a Plasma tele, that was more tolerable, but CRT still wins overall.

[mbd30]

A 19" Sanyo tube. I'd like to upgrade to a nicer 27" tube, but they're getting harder to find. 27" is the largest that I want to get. I'm not interested in a 300 pound monster.

 

A local thrift store has a 27" Panasonic combination TV and VCR for $60. Unfortunately just like my Sanyo, it doesn't have complete inputs for RCA cables, just two plug-ins in the front instead of three. One of the most annoying ways for TV makers to skimp on features is to have limited inputs. This is surprising considering Panasonic is a top brand.

[MaximRecoil]

A 19" Sanyo tube. I'd like to upgrade to a nicer 27" tube, but they're getting harder to find. 27" is the largest that I want to get. I'm not interested in a 300 pound monster.

I bought my 32" RCA TV new in 2005, and I carried it, in its retail box, up a long flight of stairs into my house, by myself. I didn't want to, and it was quite a handful, but I did it nonetheless, so I doubt it weighs more than 100 lbs. After having this, I wouldn't want to go back to a 25" - 27" TV, at least not in my living room. Those extra several inches of screen size make a huge difference in overall impact.

 

I do have some "300 lb. monsters" here though, in the form of arcade machines. I didn't get any of those into my house by myself, that's for sure.

 

A local thrift store has a 27" Panasonic combination TV and VCR for $60. Unfortunately just like my Sanyo, it doesn't have complete inputs for RCA cables, just two plug-ins in the front instead of three. One of the most annoying ways for TV makers to skimp on features is to have limited inputs. This is surprising considering Panasonic is a top brand.

I'd look on Craigslist. You should be able to find lots of CRT TVs for much cheaper than that, or even free.

[mbd30]

Craigslist has more to offer if you are in a nice, well populated area. I live in a small town and I couldn't find much, and the sellers are all a long drive away. I'm about 30 minutes away from Texarkana, and that's the closest Craigslist location.

 

http://texarkana.craigslist.org/search/sss?catAbb=sss&query=crt+tv&zoomToPosting=&minAsk=&maxAsk=&sort=rel

[MaximRecoil]

Craigslist has more to offer if you are in a nice, well populated area. I live in a small town and I couldn't find much, and the sellers are all a long drive away. I'm about 30 minutes away from Texarkana, and that's the closest Craigslist location.

 

http://texarkana.craigslist.org/search/sss?catAbb=sss&query=crt+tv&zoomToPosting=&minAsk=&maxAsk=&sort=rel

I'd be all over this if I were in your area, though I'd try to talk him down on the price. Lightly used and 36"; that thing would look stunning with classic console games. I know you don't want such a large beast, but it would truly be awesome. Plus, it is a Sharp, and if you are a Nintendo fan, Nintendo and Sharp (and Sanyo) go way back together. Sanyo and Sharp monitors are the only brands Nintendo ever used in their arcade games for example, and of course there was the Sharp Nintendo TV, which combined an NES with a Sharp TV.

 

In any event, you need to just search for "tv" and wade through the irrelevant results, because CRTs are still common as dirt, whether being actively used or not, but people who use the term "CRT", or even know what it means, are not so common.

[mbd30]

I'd be all over this if I were in your area, though I'd try to talk him down on the price. Lightly used and 36"; that thing would look stunning with classic console games. I know you don't want such a large beast, but it would truly be awesome. Plus, it is a Sharp, and if you are a Nintendo fan, Nintendo and Sharp (and Sanyo) go way back together. Sanyo and Sharp monitors are the only brands Nintendo ever used in their arcade games for example, and of course there was the Sharp Nintendo TV, which combined an NES with a Sharp TV.

 

In any event, you need to just search for "tv" and wade through the irrelevant results, because CRTs are still common as dirt, whether being actively used or not, but people who use the term "CRT", or even know what it means, are not so common.

That 36" Sharp looks like a California listing. I wonder why it's in the Texarkana listings.

[MaximRecoil]

That 36" Sharp looks like a California listing. I wonder why it's in the Texarkana listings.

That is weird. I didn't notice that. It says "Location: orange", and the 714 area code for his phone number is for Orange County, California. There is an Orange County and Orange City in Texas, but with the California phone number, it is pretty much guaranteed to be a California listing, which sucks. That's a nice TV; it includes an HD converter box, and the "OBO" ("or best offer") means he'll take less than $100 for it. He may take a lot less for it, because giant CRTs aren't exactly in high demand by the general public these days.

Edited December 15, 2013 by MaximRecoil

[mbd30]

From what I've read, Orion is the same as Toshiba, so this might be worth getting. It's only $25 and nearby. http://texarkana.craigslist.org/ele/4242152401.html

[Austin]

From what I've read, Orion is the same as Toshiba, so this might be worth getting. It's only $25 and nearby. http://texarkana.craigslist.org/ele/4242152401.html

 

Could be a decent deal.

 

Personally, I'd wait it out for a nice Sony WEGA/Trinitron. You should eventually be able to get one for around the same price. Great picture and the audio quality is great as well. The best of both worlds.

[fiddlepaddle]

I switched to LCD a couple of years ago to save space. It's a Sharp and seems to display everything I play just fine. I still have a nice CRT, but it's in a box in the back room for when I ever want to use it, but I haven't yet.

 

By the way, I don't spend much "time, effort, and money" on my collection. It's just been something fun in my life for a long time.

[RegularGuyGamer]

FIgured I'd give the young guys my vote (18-25 although I turn 26 in 2 wks). I use an Emerson CRT that has the DVD/VHS combo. With all those consoles laying under it, it works great to save a little space. Its about 15 years old and a cool 19 inches. It has an awesome picture. I absolutely love it. Even running the WiiU on it looks good. I found an exact model for $20 but it didnt have a remote controll which broke the deal for me otherwise I would have bought it as a back up I LOVE the way 32bit looks on it. I love the bubble of the SD TVs too. The flat HD CRT looks cool but when you get that bubble popping out at you while youre sitting on the foot of the bed playing video games, you get that feels. Yeah, thats an actual picture of me playing video games lol.

[Falconhood]

Consoles are used on the 178 lbs TV in the living room, emulators are used on my flat screen in my room

[MaximRecoil]

I love the bubble of the SD TVs too. The flat HD CRT looks cool but when you get that bubble popping out at you while youre sitting on the foot of the bed playing video games, you get that feels.

I'm the same way; I love the standard curved CRT screens, along with their standard RGB triad shadow mask. The flat CRTs with aperture grilles (such as the later Sony Trinitrons) look good, but they lose "something" in my opinion, i.e., a subtle sense of depth and texture.

[R.Bear]

I just use my usual 42" HDTV. It seems to work just fine with them and I've noticed no input lag problems, even the Atari 2600 works fine with it.

 

Might get a CRT that supports RGB SCART though to see how much better they are.

[mckafka99]

I use one of these: Samsung TXM2796HF

 

With the following all connected through a combination of rca/composite cables and 4, 3-way coax switch boxes:

 

Rca studio ii

Stunt cycle

Sears branded Video Pinball

Intellivision

Bally Astrocade

Fairchild Channel F

Atari 5200

Atari 7800 (no room for an actual 2600 console, so the 7800 is currently pulling double duty)

Atari Jaguar (w/Catbox)

Atari 800XL

Magnavox Odyssey2

Nintendo Game Cube

Sega Genesis

YurkieVision (Colecovision with Yurkie's awesome mods)

[Seob]

I use a 4:3 crt 16" inch tv for my older consoles (pong -> ps 2 gen.), I have a 16:9 28" inch tv that i have to setup to use for the ps 2 gen consoles. For my 8/16 bit home computers i use a 14" commodore 1084s and a Philips cm8833.