Best TV (CRT) for older 2D consoles?

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Hey everyone,

Thought I'd ask you guys here what the best type of CRT is for old school gaming? I'd love to get a smaller set, something in the 20 inch range, to hook my older shit up to. What did you guys go with?
 
Anything by the bigger brands should be pretty decent. I'm using a Sanyo thats got flat glass (so I guess it's a "flat" screen) thats perfect. I picked up off the side of the road a few years back, but its still awesome.

You should be able to find a decent one for pretty cheap. Make sure you get a switch box or two too, as those make everything easier. :)

Edit: Definitely check CL.
 
Oh yeah, I've been checking CL on and off. I've got plenty of switch boxes too. I'll be pumped up if the girlfriend will let me turn one of the bedrooms into a game room (Main LCD TV out in the living room) when we buy a house.

Is there any merit to purchasing a CRT HD set? I know they exist, I think they display 720p? Will the picture be improved any?
 
CL is the place to go to find cheap crt tv's. Anything by a major brand 5 - 10 years old should still be working great. Beware of the flat faced tubes though. Light gun accuracy is severely affected on those.
 
[quote name='mogamer']Beware of the flat faced tubes though. Light gun accuracy is severely affected on those.[/QUOTE]
This is good information, thank you!
 
I would figure, but I guess what I mean is, would I see any benefit on switching it to a higher resolution? If the games aren't going to look better, or even look worse in high definition, there wouldn't be any reason to spend the extra money for a HD set.
 
all you will ever need

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goodluck getting that headset on though. lol
 
Nothing wrong with getting a Flat CRT, just depends on whatcha gonna play on it. Looking back, I shoulda just waited a few years and got a CL score....oh well :)

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At the end of 2007 I finally decided I was going to get a new TV so I could hook up all my game systems that were gathering dust in my closet. Now I wanted to be a purist and get a CRT but as you know CRT was on it's death bed in late 2007. Well, I took the plunge and got a Samsung Slimfit 30inch 16:9 CRT (TXT-3093) @ the local bestbuy for $525. Yeah.. it was expensive, but it was probably the best I could get that would provide the best of both worlds..... CRT so it'd be easy on my "SD" sourced systems, yet HDTV so the PS2 and going forward would look amazing as well. This thing has connections out the wazoo!!! I'd love to go SCART or RGB, but I need to just take my meds and realize I will never have 'perfection'.

Anyway, this TV plays nicely with the systems I've thrown @ it. I think there might be a bit of lag induced during play. I was playing Super Mario World on the SNES and my jumps seemed to be just a wee bit off, but I think that may be due to my crappy controller or just the fact that I'm a bit rusty with the game, after playing a bit longer on the game I got used to the feel. I'll need to test it out some more to make certain there isn't any noticeable lag introduced while gaming on this tv.


So, here are the systems and how they're hooked up and my quick impressions. Note, audio is over RCA L/R except for the HDMI connection. Stereo sound is produced by the TV, not separate speakers (which is something I may need to tackle down the road if I want 5.1 from the later systems).:

1) NES -> Composite -> Colors are a bit bloomy/blurry, but very liveable, there are issues with Super Mario Brothers, you can see extra background pixels on the left hand side, but I guess that's just the nature of the beast when it comes to overscan I think it's called.

2a) SNES -> Composite -> Same bloom/blurry as the NES, but liveable
2b) SNES -> S-video -> Colors are much better defined, also the clarity is a bit higher, BUT it does introduce the 'mask' (dither?) effect. It's a trade off to decide between the anti-aliasing affects of Composite, or the crisper/more-colorful image quality of S-Video

3) 3DO -> S-Video -> Works as expected. Good god the birth of 3D was very painful!!!

4) N64 -> S-Video -> Same dither issues using S-Vid like the SNES. Also, same problem with 3DO, the teething stage of 3D stinks!!! (I can fallback to Composite if I wish on the N64)

5) Gamecube -> Component -> Absolutely amazing, very impressive (tested F-Zero on it)

6) PS2 -> Component -> Very nice as well, (tested GT4 and SSX Tricky)

7) Xbox360 -> HDMI -> Eye candy galore as can be expected.
 
Go Japanese CRT if you can. I wouldn't be surprised if Cheapy bought one already since they have RGB inputs and it's been supported since the days of the PC Engine and Mark 3, i.e. the Master System.
 
I have one lmz. You can buy broke one's I'm sure. The problem is minimal but many have it, including mine. I need to get a few of the parts from Sony that would fix it.
 
You might luck out and just find someone throwing out a CRT monitor Friend of Sonic. If that was the case then you could just buy an XRGB convertor and you'd be set, short of the cables of course.
 
[quote name='Mike 01Hawk']... snip...
7) Xbox360 -> HDMI -> Eye candy galore as can be expected.[/QUOTE]

I did not see your 360 in that pic. Is it in doorstop mode, holding the window or door open for ventilation. joking...



[quote name='Rodimus']I had a TV like this when I was a kid. The thing lasted like 20 years.[/QUOTE]

It is interesting how electronics used to last decades, and now generally critically fails within a few years (or months).
 
[quote name='Bullbert']It is interesting how electronics used to last decades, and now generally critically fails within a few years (or months).[/QUOTE]

Yeah I noticed this too. Back then products were made to last. Now products are made to be cheap for the consumer. The old saying rings true, you get what you pay for. There are several appliances and electronics I remember my household owning that survived throughout much of my life, things like blenders, flat irons, sewing machines, etc. Some are still around. Sorry, got a bit off topic there.
 
[quote name='Rodimus']Yeah I noticed this too. Back then products were made to last. Now products are made to be cheap for the consumer. The old saying rings true, you get what you pay for. There are several appliances and electronics I remember my household owning that survived throughout much of my life, things like blenders, flat irons, sewing machines, etc. Some are still around. Sorry, got a bit off topic there.[/QUOTE]

Could it be people are just buying shitty brands maybe? I have to think the Kuro's will last people for quite a while.
 
I had a 20" Toshiba flat-tube CRT i bought in 2001 that was glorious. Had a component input too, though it didn't do progressive scan. Best bedroom SD gaming ever.
 
[quote name='Sarang01']Could it be people are just buying shitty brands maybe? I have to think the Kuro's will last people for quite a while.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that's part of it, but I honestly think things were generally made better and lasted longer.
 
[quote name='Sarang01']You might luck out and just find someone throwing out a CRT monitor Friend of Sonic. If that was the case then you could just buy an XRGB convertor and you'd be set, short of the cables of course.[/QUOTE]

What exactly does that do?
 
[quote name='Sarang01']Could it be people are just buying shitty brands maybe? I have to think the Kuro's will last people for quite a while.[/QUOTE]

I had a Sony XBR that did not last very long. I think you will be hard pressed to convince most people that Sony is a shitty brand, and that XBRs are shitty-est product line of the Sony brand, but you can try. Regardless, I will NOT ever be buying another.


Unless you are the grandson of a corrupt politician and a son of a corrupt lawyer and President of the BAR association (translation: richer than God), I think the "best" CRT will be whatever is cheapest locally on craigslist. Unless your B&Ms have old old old stock, I would expect only the used market will offer what you want.
 
[quote name='neschamp']What exactly does that do?[/QUOTE]

Well I'm referring to the XRGB's. Basically they were boxes that let you run RGB on a regular computer monitor. They would convert it or rather keep it the same, none of the V and H sync that a VGA monitor automatically applies to product running through a VGA cable.
Bulbert it's a VERY cheap part comparatively, like $50 when last I checked. My TV hasn't technically crapped out, the board is just telling it there's a problem when it's not there.
I'm going to have to disagree Rodimus. I think most have likely got shitty brands. I'm of the mindset a TV is like a washer, dryer, refrigerator or oven. In other words you DON'T build them shitty as you want them to last. If you're Sony would you want to screw your TV's and botch your profit potential on discs then, or people not watching TV shows.
 
My family had a 32" Mitsubishi since the early 90s and it made all the newest games for SNES look brilliant. I don't remember the model, but it was a big mofo
 
For those with widescreen CRTs, do you play your old games in 4:3, or stretch them out to fill the screen? I imagine having black bars on the sides for prolonged periods of time can't be a good thing.
 
I have a 32" Hitachi CRT with component inputs. I bought it new for $700 back in the day. It actually broke about 2 years ago and I paid $75 to have it fixed. The thing weighs like 200 pounds. This is the tv all my older consoles are hooked up to, as well as my VHS/DVD Burner combo.

I also have a 32" Sony that my wife contributed. This one weighs at least 300 pounds. This is currently our bedroom tv and my wife does not want me to hook up consoles to it. But it doesnt have component inputs so I don't mind too much.


As an aside, have you ever tried to explain to a non retro gamer why you need to have an SD CRT television for the rest of your life? They look at me like I'm an alien with 3 heads. Most people can't wait to ditch those ship anchors for a flat panel HD tv.
 
[quote name='Puffa469']I have a 32" Hitachi CRT with component inputs. I bought it new for $700 back in the day. It actually broke about 2 years ago and I paid $75 to have it fixed. The thing weighs like 200 pounds. This is the tv all my older consoles are hooked up to, as well as my VHS/DVD Burner combo.

I also have a 32" Sony that my wife contributed. This one weighs at least 300 pounds. This is currently our bedroom tv and my wife does not want me to hook up consoles to it. But it doesnt have component inputs so I don't mind too much.


[/QUOTE]


Is that Sony a full blown console set? Otherwise I think your pretty far off with your CRT weights. I just picked up a 32" Panasonic that was built in 1997 for $25 at a garage sale. It weighs around 150 lbs. My wife and I had to carry it to the car and then into our house. If it weighed 200lbs or more, no way would she have been able to help me carry it.
 
[quote name='mogamer']Is that Sony a full blown console set? Otherwise I think your pretty far off with your CRT weights. I just picked up a 32" Panasonic that was built in 1997 for $25 at a garage sale. It weighs around 150 lbs. My wife and I had to carry it to the car and then into our house. If it weighed 200lbs or more, no way would she have been able to help me carry it.[/QUOTE]

Im exaggerating a little, I've never actually weighed them. But the Sony at the same size is def much heavier than the Hitachi. I can manhandle the Hitachi by myself if needed, but theres no way I can move the Sony. It's not a full console, it's a dark grey plastic job, but it is a Trinitron, which I thing was their high end TV before the Vega's.
 
I still have the 32" GE my dad replaced our old console tv with. It took me from the twilight SNES days, thru goldeneye, and kept up on college vacations. It is now in our sunroom and I have a few classic systems hooked up to it.

The tuner on it doesn't work anymore so you have to go thru RCA, but I can't bare to throw it out. The TV that took me through goldeneye deserves to be used til its last legs have fallen. I'm hopin at some point I can score one of those rare wide screen sony xbr tv's that does 720p. The room its in isn't heated in the winter so I need a beast TV that can stand extremes of IL weather.

I think the reason stuff used to last longer is it was more expensive. People didn't need as much stuff so it was built to last. A average tube tv cost the modern equivalent of a higher end 50" plasma, or more. Given part of that was technology available, but back then companies used higher quality parts.
 
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