Does anybody else rock a CRT?

[+Darrin9999]

Yes the Samsung gx-tv..

[+atari2600land]

I'm still using the TV I got as a kid from 1993 to play all my classic games on. The only thing I play on my other flat screen TV is Switch games.

[deepthaw]

I have two CRTs, a little 13 inch or so Trinitron as well as a 27 inch Trinitron I picked up yesterday. Moved into a house last year, and I believe I've already identified a corner of the basement that will become my retrogaming nook.

 

I've been playing with getting composite output on my Retropie and it actually looks pretty nice on the smaller one. Once I bring the big CRT inside I'll move the Pi over.

 

Long term plan is to hook up actual game systems to it and phase out the Pi. Already have a 5200 on which I'm awaiting the parts to do a power mod, and I've been keeping an eye out for a cheap Genesis/Megadrive.

 

Ironically - I grew up playing the hell out of my NES and SNES and have next to no interest in picking either back up for my retro collection. It's partially the price, and partially that I'm eager to play the games I missed out on.

[atarilovesyou]

You better believe it! Love my CRTs for retro gaming, and getting old school with VHS. Nothing compares for retro gaming, but the CRT simluation gets better all the time...evidenced by the huge leap the SNES Classic has over the first NES Classic. The latter has an amazing CRT sim, while the first looks just...off.

[Bill Loguidice]

What I'd LOVE to know is that for you handful of guys who state that a CRT TV is your sole TV, why that is? Like what has stopped you from getting a new TV in all these years, especially considering the relatively low prices for some pretty nice sets these days. I'm not even talking 4K HDR/DolbyV sets here, but regular old 1080p-level sets. I can imagine it must take some pretty herculean efforts and significant compromises to rock a small glass screen these days considering most content is optimized for widescreens and at least 720p/1080i resolutions, as well as HDMI connections.

[icemanxp300]

What I'd LOVE to know is that for you handful of guys who state that a CRT TV is your sole TV, why that is? Like what has stopped you from getting a new TV in all these years, especially considering the relatively low prices for some pretty nice sets these days. I'm not even talking 4K HDR/DolbyV sets here, but regular old 1080p-level sets. I can imagine it must take some pretty herculean efforts and significant compromises to rock a small glass screen these days considering most content is optimized for widescreens and at least 720p/1080i resolutions, as well as HDMI connections.

 

Well for me while I do have a newer 4K TV I got last December. My view is this. This new 4K, Blu-ray and such really don't offer mind blowing images compared to a well made CRT running lower resolution content. If you take a plain DVD and play on a CRT the picture looks fine. Only when you start blowing images up on 60" TV's does this higher resolution media even matter.

 

Most over the air broadcast do not come in 4k, 1080 is about the best you get and if you are like me and don't pay for high priced Cable TV service having a TV that can accept 4K is kind of pointless when you don't run 4K content.

 

It's just like the PC tech. Back when resolution was 800x600 those pictures looks amazing. Display a picture on an older computer and it is super crisp. Nowadays running 1280x1024 and higher, you now need newer cameras that takes pictures in higher resolution.

 

Technology purposely tries to make good stuff obsolete so you are forced into buying new stuff. Unless you buy into it, pairing the appropriate media to the appropriate hardware yields great results.

[Flojomojo]

What I'd LOVE to know is that for you handful of guys who state that a CRT TV is your sole TV, why that is? Like what has stopped you from getting a new TV in all these years, especially considering the relatively low prices for some pretty nice sets these days. I'm not even talking 4K HDR/DolbyV sets here, but regular old 1080p-level sets. I can imagine it must take some pretty herculean efforts and significant compromises to rock a small glass screen these days considering most content is optimized for widescreens and at least 720p/1080i resolutions, as well as HDMI connections.

 

I'm not one of "those people," but I could see how I could be, if I were a little younger and had a different housing situation. I watch so little TV, I'd be fine without it ... most of my video watching happens on computer or mobile screens, and they go everywhere and do more than a wall-mounted TV.

 

Our big (is 60" still considered big?) family room TV is generally used for movie or game parties, and the smaller one (32" I think) in our bedroom is used even less.

 

I can't remember the last time I plopped onto the couch for channel surfing or something like I might have done 20 years ago. TV is like AM radio, it's out there, everyone has it, but it doesn't seem fresh or relevant.

[Bill Loguidice]

I agree that there's not much reason to own a proper (meaning supporting HDR or Dolby Vision) 4K TV if you don't either stream content or have a modern console that supports it. Certainly if you use a cable box, you're generally limited to somewhat degraded 1080i content that often suffers from macroblock artifacts. That was one of many reasons that I became a cord cutter last year and now just pay for PlayStation Vue and Sling as my TV services, along with the usual Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and a few other services (I like Curiosity Stream, for instance). I get superior picture quality that way and a good selection of 4K content to go along with any 4K Blurays I buy or any 4K games I play.

 

My question was related more to why you wouldn't want to replace a CRT with even a decent, regular old 1080p display, rather than about going "all the way" to a good 4K set. You'd get a bigger screen and have far more support for modern standards. The CRT can then be relegated to what it's best at, and that's displaying content from vintage consoles and (some) computers, which is how the majority of us use them. It would also likely help with the CRT's lifespan.

[zzip]

Well for me while I do have a newer 4K TV I got last December. My view is this. This new 4K, Blu-ray and such really don't offer mind blowing images compared to a well made CRT running lower resolution content. If you take a plain DVD and play on a CRT the picture looks fine. Only when you start blowing images up on 60" TV's does this higher resolution media even matter.

 

Most over the air broadcast do not come in 4k, 1080 is about the best you get and if you are like me and don't pay for high priced Cable TV service having a TV that can accept 4K is kind of pointless when you don't run 4K content.

 

It's just like the PC tech. Back when resolution was 800x600 those pictures looks amazing. Display a picture on an older computer and it is super crisp. Nowadays running 1280x1024 and higher, you now need newer cameras that takes pictures in higher resolution.

 

Technology purposely tries to make good stuff obsolete so you are forced into buying new stuff. Unless you buy into it, pairing the appropriate media to the appropriate hardware yields great results.

I can see the point of higher res for TVs, but what I don't get is why there's such a push to drive up the resolution of phones

 

I have an old phone that did 720p, my current phone does 1440p I absolutely cannot tell the difference in resolutions between them if I'm watching video. Hell, at that screen size, even a DVD-quality 480p video looks hi-def!

[icemanxp300]

My question was related more to why you wouldn't want to replace a CRT with even a decent, regular old 1080p display,

 

Are you sure the people who have a CRT do not have a 1080 one? A well made 1080i or 1080p CRT would display a very good picture. Some CRT's are HD.

[Bill Loguidice]

I can see the point of higher res for TVs, but what I don't get is why there's such a push to drive up the resolution of phones

 

I have an old phone that did 720p, my current phone does 1440p I absolutely cannot tell the difference in resolutions between them if I'm watching video. Hell, at that screen size, even a DVD-quality 480p video looks hi-def!

 

480p content definitely looks just fine on the smaller screen of a phone, which is why T-Mobile can get away with that caveat where they offer unlimited streaming of said content, but often capped at that resolution (it's not noticeable enough to complain about).

 

I think in the case of a phone, the bigger advantage with super high resolution screens is that for a device that you hold pretty close to your face, seeing pixels could potentially be a bit jarring/unpleasant. I for one like the beautiful screens on modern high end smartphones, including the ones with enhanced colors. Maybe once our phones hit 8K resolution screens it will be deemed enough, but then again, probably not.

[Bill Loguidice]

 

Are you sure the people who have a CRT do not have a 1080 one? A well made 1080i or 1080p CRT would display a very good picture. Some CRT's are HD.

 

According to some of the people who commented on this thread, they are solely using pre-HD CRTs, which is why I asked.

 

I also think almost all of that last gen of CRTs you'd find are capped at 720p/1080i. My in-laws still have one such Sony widescreen TV that supports 720p (and maybe 1080i, not sure). It weighs well over 200 pounds and I think is either 34" or 37" (don't recall, but I'm pretty sure it's the former). It's fine, but it's definitely no match for a good flat screen.

[icemanxp300]

Well I know myself. I personally don't like to spend money lol. I purposely refuse to get a newer phone because I don't want to pay for it. That is not say I would not enjoy it.

 

As far as TV's go had I not been given a 1080p flat screen TV 3 years ago and made adjustments in my living room to accommodate such a TV I likely would still be watching TV on a CRT using a converter box to bring in OTA signals. You can't miss what you are not use to. With that said my recent 4K TV is nice and I can see blades of grass lol.

 

If you are happy w/the picture you have and mainly watch DVD's anyhow and don't game on newer systems. Having a newer TV wouldn't be a priority, even if you can get them for $200.

 

While I like my newer TV it does have disadvantages too. It doesn't support old tech. I had to buy a special optical cable and converter box so I can run my older surround sound system on it. However doing so the volume is much less, I have to use volume 20 now where as before volume 10 was what I used.

 

So the tech you can use on newer TV's as well plays a role in why someone may not want to upgrade. Upgrading a TV means more than just upgrading a TV.

[zzip]

480p content definitely looks just fine on the smaller screen of a phone, which is why T-Mobile can get away with that caveat where they offer unlimited streaming of said content, but often capped at that resolution (it's not noticeable enough to complain about).

 

I think in the case of a phone, the bigger advantage with super high resolution screens is that for a device that you hold pretty close to your face, seeing pixels could potentially be a bit jarring/unpleasant. I for one like the beautiful screens on modern high end smartphones, including the ones with enhanced colors. Maybe once our phones hit 8K resolution screens it will be deemed enough, but then again, probably not.

If you are using one of those VR devices with your phone that magnify the screen, 720p looks pretty awful. But without it I really can't see a difference.

 

It's kinda sad that my phone has a higher resolution than any TV or monitor in my house (1080p), but that's where we are at...

[Austin]

480p content definitely looks just fine on the smaller screen of a phone, which is why T-Mobile can get away with that caveat where they offer unlimited streaming of said content, but often capped at that resolution (it's not noticeable enough to complain about).

 

Even 360p content looks surprisingly decent on my phone. YouTube videos usually fire up in that resolution and I have to remind myself to manually change it to 720p.

[carlsson]

I own two Commodore 1084 monitors, one ~10" B&W radio/TV combo, one ~13" green mono monitor, three assorted 14" CRT TVs, one 20" CRT TV and two 28" CRT TVs (the latter I would gladly donate to anyone who wants them - one of them is partly in pieces and on its way to the recycling station since two years ago), plus a few CRT MDA/CGA/VGA screens and of course my PET with built-in CRT.

 

 

Up until two weeks ago I actively used one of the 14" CRT TVs in my bedroom, but as my cable provider shut down the analog broadcast in favour of free digital cable, I had to choose between getting a DVB-C box or get a new bedroom TV. I decided on the latter, and got myself a 24" wide screen. The other CRT TVs and 1084 monitors I use when I have to. I own a couple of ~14" TFT/LCD screens as well which handle NTSC/PAL composite, RGB etc so I have choices depending on what and how much I want to plug in. Yes, I am a childless single in a 65 m2 apartment and love not having a partner to worry about.

 

[CRTGAMER]

What I'd LOVE to know is that for you handful of guys who state that a CRT TV is your sole TV, why that is? Like what has stopped you from getting a new TV in all these years, especially considering the relatively low prices for some pretty nice sets these days. I'm not even talking 4K HDR/DolbyV sets here, but regular old 1080p-level sets. I can imagine it must take some pretty herculean efforts and significant compromises to rock a small glass screen these days considering most content is optimized for widescreens and at least 720p/1080i resolutions, as well as HDMI connections.

 

I suppose my Avatar name shows my bias. Newer LEDs are the best for HD signals, but do have upscale issues for any SD signal. In addition to my retro consoles and Laser Player, some of the cable channels and broadcast digital are still in SD. I own a 32" 4:3 HD CRT 1080i WEGA for the front room which is a great compromise showing all the SD and HD video with no scaling issues. My trusty HD Trinitron has all the inputs including the obscure SVideo for my PS1 and Dreamcast. One thing between VGA CRTs and HD CRTs is that VGA connection not common on HD CRT TVs..

 

In the other thread, you mentioned a lag of the HDMI Flashback Paddles on a modern TV. Curious, have the HDMI Flashbacks been tested on an HD CRT? It will at least answer the lag issue if the console or if the LED TV causing the lag.

 

The CRT has one distinct built in advantage lost to modern TVs. The CRT lends to a large housing great for the acoustics of the speakers inside. No tinny sounds on the Sony WEGA series, many have a built in third surround sound speaker.

 

See my Signature Link for CRT inexpensive repair and review as well as other Guides

I own a collection of CRTs prefer all in 4:3 format.including one HD CRT 32", one HD27", one SD 27" two SD 20", few PVMs, couple of Commodore composite and couple of VGA CRT monitors. Here are two from my heavy load collection:

 

First picture is my beloved KV-32HS500, I changed the power detection chips which cost around twenty bucks almost a decade ago, still going strong. 480i-720p-1080i all display crystal clear and no upscale blur. A good indicator of the WEGA HD CRTs is the proprietary Sony Memory Stick slot at the bottom front.

 

Second picture showing specs is my unusual and not the more known KV but KD series KD-27FS170. This TV a rare find produced at the end of the Trinitron era, an SD TV with 1080i tube! The specs probably wrong, but it does include both analog and digital receivers, how cool is that? The HD channels really appear as if higher resolution then the standard SD 480i.

Edited April 6, 2018 by CRTGAMER

[icemanxp300]

Second picture my unusual not KV but KD series KD-27FS170. This TV a rare find produced at the end of the Trinitron era. SD TV with 1080i tube!

 

We have to disagree on this. The manual only states 480i.

 

https://docs.sony.com/release/kd27fs170.pdf

 

I looked this up a lot and in my searches most everyone says this TV only has a 480i tube. It accepts a 1080i input but displays it in 480i.

 

It is still my fav. TV and I have two of them now, but I do not believe it has a 1080i tube.

 

 

check this out from back in 2009

 

https://www.highdefforum.com/direct-view-tube-tvs/98235-kd-27fs170-hd-not.html

[CRTGAMER]

 

We have to disagree on this. The manual only states 480i.

 

https://docs.sony.com/release/kd27fs170.pdf

 

I looked this up a lot and in my searches most everyone says this TV only has a 480i tube. It accepts a 1080i input but displays it in 480i.

 

It is still my fav. TV and I have two of them now, but I do not believe it has a 1080i tube.

 

 

check this out from back in 2009

 

https://www.highdefforum.com/direct-view-tube-tvs/98235-kd-27fs170-hd-not.html

 

Thanks for that second link, bookmarked and saved the forum page. Great info and agree that likely mistake on that sheet. The picture does look crystal clear with HD Broadcast channels though the DVD player thru component has to be set at 1080i. SD tube with illusion of 1080i in the digital channel section maybe due to the digital receiver I suppose, so detailed!

 

Two coaxial inputs, one for an RF Atari and one for flat antennae HD broadcast.

 

KD-27FS170 HD or NOT? - https://www.highdefforum.com/direct-view-tube-tvs/98235-kd-27fs170-hd-not.html

 

It does say 1080i display resolution in the marketing specs but that is an error. It should have read "1080i display capability" which only means that the TV can accept a 1080i signal. However, the TV's ATSC tuner converts all inputs to NTSC-compatible analogue before displaying it. The TV definitely does not have a 1080i HiScan picture tube.

[pacman000]

While we're at it, does anyone have an electro-mechanical TV?

 

[NE146]

While we're at it, does anyone have an electro-mechanical TV?

 

[+wongojack]

I also have 6 CRT TVs of various quality, 2 Commodore CRT monitors, and 1 19" VGA PC monitor. Oh yeah - there's a Vectrex in here somewhere too . . . and an Asteroids Deluxe machine . . . and a monitor in my Revenge from Mars pinball machine. I've probably forgotten one.

 

 

Up until two weeks ago I actively used one of the 14" CRT TVs in my bedroom, but as my cable provider shut down the analog broadcast in favour of free digital cable, I had to choose between getting a DVB-C box or get a new bedroom TV. I decided on the latter, and got myself a 24" wide screen. The other CRT TVs and 1084 monitors I use when I have to. I own a couple of ~14" TFT/LCD screens as well which handle NTSC/PAL composite, RGB etc so I have choices depending on what and how much I want to plug in. Yes, I am a childless single in a 65 m2 apartment and love not having a partner to worry about.

 

 

This is what really pushed me away from CRTs. That combined with the fact that my big CRT was failing.

I had a sweet setup with direct cable connections split between a TiVo and a custom built DVR. No cable box to rent and tons of space to record anything. It was all SD though, so a TV upgrade was pointless. If they hadn't forced me to quit that setup, I never would have. I was completely content. Since the upgrade, I still have cable, but I pay more for it, and I have fewer DVR options

 

I now have some kinda Vizio 4x inch TV. I do enjoy modern gaming and sports on it.

[carlsson]

I've got no idea how old you are, but at least I have no issues labeling myself grumpy old man at nearly 43 years.

[Cepp]

I own a 21" Dell Trinitron CRT monitor for my PC and a 28" Sony Trinitron CRT TV for my old consoles. The monitor is used for my Windows 98 PC but tbh it's too big and I'd like to downgrade to a smaller screen. The TV was put into storage a few months back when I bought an OSSC (although I just pulled it out again today to test my recent 2600 Vader purchase). I would, again, like to get a smaller TV to put upstairs on the computer desk and hook up the Atari.

 

You really can't beat a CRT for old gaming but I got tired of having a large/heavy TV and decided to compromise. Now I have all of my RGB capable consoles hooked up to the 42" 1080P TV I bought on sale late last year via the OSSC. Latency is practically non existent and the games look great on the big screen but I still feel the difference the moment I switch back to a CRT.

 

Anyway here's a pic of the TV. It needs some image adjustments for the Atari but firing it up quickly put a smile on my face

 

[Eltigro]

It's hard to get a decent picture of my setup... it's so dark... anyway, the CRT is on the right, here, obviously... It's nothing special. A Magnavox that I've had for years. Model number 27TS73 C104 if you wanna look it up. Manufactured in September of 95.