Who's worried?

[FilthyRear]

http://gizmodo.com/as-crt-supplies-vanish-the-classic-arcade-machine-is-vi-1792968855

I am.

Anyone replace the tube with an LCD? 25" screens don't seem to be commonplace.

 

[F4U57]

Death to Videodrome! Long live the new Flesh!

 

[famicommander]

Thanks, Obam... er, Trump.

Fucking dickhead.

 

[bartre]

http://gizmodo.com/as-crt-supplies-vanish-the-classic-arcade-machine-is-vi-1792968855

I am.

Anyone replace the tube with an LCD? 25" screens don't seem to be commonplace.

I've been forced to do this to a few cabs where the tubes were just shot in so many ways.
older games like pac-man, galaga, etc. - yeah it sucks there's just nothing that can really be done about it at this point, save starting our own production.
but once you make the jump to 3D, there difference is far less noticeable, provided it's a good quality LCD.
The problem is finding one that does proper 4:3, as mounting the widescreen panels can be quite a pain, plus there's also the problem of getting the screen size "just right," which is even worse for tate games.

a proper upscaling solution would make this problem infinitely more bearable, but considering that our options for the most part are chinese crap or a couple hundred dollars, it doesn't really make sense to throw the extra cash at it for most people.

and then there's the light gun problem, *sigh*

 

[dagoto19]

I barely got my 4-slot monitor board restored. Should I start planning on the day I go full LCD?

 

[NeoSneth]

it wont matter. If there is demand, some Ukrainian factory will figure it out.

 

[Craig]

Plenty of old tv's with tubes that can be harvested...

 

[Syn]

Plenty of old tv's with tubes that can be harvested...

I had a monitor arrive doa, the seller gave me a refund and didn't want it. I plan on harvesting it sooner or later. Too many projects going on right now.

 

[FAT$TACKS]

About an hour drive from me there used to be an old Zenith plant. I went up there to get tubes and such for cabs in the past. Those days are long gone now. I've tried the lcd replacements for 19" before. I was not too impressed, but maybe the technology has improved now.

I've given up on owning cabs, but its sad to see them go.

 

[BlackaneseNiNjA]

Enthusiasts will always find a way The end is not yet nigh imho. As others have already stated, brackets can be built/rebuilt and tubes from existing tv sets can be cannibalized to keep the crt presentation in these old cabs alive for a good while longer.

Just wait until others begin modifying cabinets with existing pvm/bvm's...

 

[JoeAwesome]

Enthusiasts will always find a way The end is not yet nigh imho. As others have already stated, brackets can be built/rebuilt and tubes from existing tv sets can be cannibalized to keep the crt presentation in these old cabs alive for a good while longer.

Just wait until others begin modifying cabinets with existing pvm/bvm's...

I'm sure there's a lot less PVMs/BVMs than consumer CRTs.

 

[Fygee]

It's my hope that when OLED monitors become more prevalent and available in smaller sizes that they'll be able to serve as better successors than current LCDs.

At the very least the black levels and refresh rates will be significantly better.

 

[Kiel]

By the time the tubes stop working in my cabs I probably won't give a shit

Also those comments on the article

 

[BlackaneseNiNjA]

I'm sure there's a lot less PVMs/BVMs than consumer CRTs.

Sup Joe! That was exactly my point. Enthusiasts who find this sort of thing important will always find a way to have the hobby experience that they feel is authentic regardless of scarcity.

As cabinet displays fail over the years, some may seek out an equivalent consumer crt; some may opt to switch to a higher quality monitor as a tradeoff for the loss of authenticity; and others may decide that converting to lcd or oled is good enough. Our hobby still has room for diversity and authentic product scarcity can sometimes simply facilitate the creation of both pricier and cheaper alternative solutions.

By the time the tubes stop working in my cabs I probably won't give a shit

Also those comments on the article

+1
"Nothing lasts forever" and all that jazz...

 

[BIG BEAR]

Looks like an opportunity for a US company to spring up!
BB

 

[Neodogg]

Just wait until others begin modifying cabinets with existing pvm/bvm's...

I have one in my cocktail, no one would know the difference, except it looks a little sharper

 

[theMot]

By the time the tubes stop working in my cabs I probably won't give a shit

Also those comments on the article

This.

At this point in my life I have scratched the retro game itch. In another 5 years I probably won't give a shit at all.

 

[Tripredacus]

Being worried a bit late huh? I mean, if you were going to get worried it would have been once they stopped selling CRTs in stores. Yes, let's all start to worry a decade later.

 

[wingzrow]

The people at assemblergames have started converting consumer grade CRTs into RGB units, so maybe that's what's going to happen eventually. either that, or people are just going to be using frame meisters for everything.

 

[FilthyRear]

Being worried a bit late huh? I mean, if you were going to get worried it would have been once they stopped selling CRTs in stores. Yes, let's all start to worry a decade later.

I just got my arcade cabinet 4 months ago. Guess I was late to the party on that, too.

 

[Tripredacus]

The people at assemblergames have started converting consumer grade CRTs into RGB units, so maybe that's what's going to happen eventually. either that, or people are just going to be using frame meisters for everything.

It is not a new thing. People in the arcade community have been using consumer TVs in arcade cabs for years. I know a few people I have to send pics to when I find any 19" CRT TVs for cheap.

The worst thing about this entire discussion is not that the tubes are no longer being manufactured, but that they are not being perserved for those who can possibly use them. Instead they are sitting in warehouses, or in the dump, or being "recycled" aka being destroyed. This is a society where 99% of the population who thinks that something that is not new, or it is outdated, or not functioning properly, that it is garbage. It does not enter their mind that there is still a use for things like this, or they can still be used in some way, or can be repurposed or even repaired. That is the real concern that people should be thinking about, not that they are no longer being manufactured. We shouldn't need any more to be manufactured. There should be plenty out in the wild that can be used by either the arcade community or by whoever else.

 

[theMot]

PCB's will be long dead way before we run out of CRT's. If you just have an arcade machine for home use and only use it from time to time the tube will outlive you. Those things used to be on 24x7 for years in some arcades. For an average home uses putting 50-100 hours on it in a year it will last forever pretty much.

 

[Electric Grave]

It is not a new thing. People in the arcade community have been using consumer TVs in arcade cabs for years. I know a few people I have to send pics to when I find any 19" CRT TVs for cheap.

The worst thing about this entire discussion is not that the tubes are no longer being manufactured, but that they are not being perserved for those who can possibly use them. Instead they are sitting in warehouses, or in the dump, or being "recycled" aka being destroyed. This is a society where 99% of the population who thinks that something that is not new, or it is outdated, or not functioning properly, that it is garbage. It does not enter their mind that there is still a use for things like this, or they can still be used in some way, or can be repurposed or even repaired. That is the real concern that people should be thinking about, not that they are no longer being manufactured. We shouldn't need any more to be manufactured. There should be plenty out in the wild that can be used by either the arcade community or by whoever else.

Absolutely, what we need is chassis repaired...

 

[Tanooki]

I'm a little paranoid about it. My 25" isn't in perfect shape. Not so much a ghosting issue, but the right side more along the edges blurs some compared to the rest so it's starting to show its age. I don't know if I found someone to recap it that would solve it or if it's slowly just decaying to death.

I personally don't mind LCD screens for old games, if you have a good one, but I know it's heresy to others. The thing is finding a computer quality (TV ones tend to have far lower response times) 4:3 LCD could be a pain, and would more work be needed to make it work with an old cabinet anyway? Or would it just be a matter of finding a way to mount it in there?

 

[HDRchampion]

PCB's will be long dead way before we run out of CRT's. If you just have an arcade machine for home use and only use it from time to time the tube will outlive you. Those things used to be on 24x7 for years in some arcades. For an average home uses putting 50-100 hours on it in a year it will last forever pretty much.

Exactly, these were design to be on 24/7...I only power mine up when i have guest over, im not too worried at all. There is also the option using Superguns & worse case install an lcd.