CRT Fetish Thread

FilthyRear said:

Serious question: What's your setup for that mame rig?

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I got it years ago from a friend. When I say years.. It had a AGP Ultimarc video card in there, circa 2003 or so connected to a PS2 JPAC converter.

Nothing special on the upgrade. Just a $20 Dell Nostro 230 (3ghz core 2 duo) that I picked up from a local thrift shop. Video card is an ASUS ATI5450. 64gb SSD and 3 gigs of ram. Had to install CRT EMU Driver to get it to work with the arcade monitor. I tried installing Groovyarcade linux distro on it, but oddly enough some games didn't work right (Super Contra ran hella slower than it should have) Frameskip made it skip too many frames. Right now I'm copying over Hyperspin.

Vigormortis said:

Framemeister is the better choice in terms of compatibility with displays and capture devices. However, that's not an issue with the TCL 55p607, because it doesn't have any trouble displaying the OSSC's signals according those those who have tried it. As Mega mentioned earlier, this TV accepted every mode the OSSC threw at it.

Right now, I'm using a Framemeister. It is said to have about 20ms lag, so along with the 55p607's input lag of 15ms, we are looking at 35ms total input lag - just a little more than 2 frames of input lag. With 2 frames of lag, even rhythm games like Bust a Groove are very playable. With the OSSC's lag free output, the total input lag will drop to just under 1 frame.


The S405 has the same amazingly low input lag as the P607/p605, but it doesn't have the wide color gamut and brightness of the p607/605. I can't comment on how the S405 looks, because I've never seen one in action, but I can say that images really pop on the p607. Even with scanlines turned on, the image looks bright and vibrant.

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Sweet!! I have 2 PVMs currently but I figure its time to grab a frameister and a solid modern tv. I don't know how much longer my PVMs will last but being that theyre starting to command a premium getting a frameister makes more sense.

Vigormortis said:

Framemeister is the better choice in terms of compatibility with displays and capture devices. However, that's not an issue with the TCL 55p607, because it doesn't have any trouble displaying the OSSC's signals according those those who have tried it. As Mega mentioned earlier, this TV accepted every mode the OSSC threw at it.

Right now, I'm using a Framemeister. It is said to have about 20ms lag, so along with the 55p607's input lag of 15ms, we are looking at 35ms total input lag - just a little more than 2 frames of input lag. With 2 frames of lag, even rhythm games like Bust a Groove are very playable. With the OSSC's lag free output, the total input lag will drop to just under 1 frame.


The S405 has the same amazingly low input lag as the P607/p605, but it doesn't have the wide color gamut and brightness of the p607/605. I can't comment on how the S405 looks, because I've never seen one in action, but I can say that images really pop on the p607. Even with scanlines turned on, the image looks bright and vibrant.

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I thought games were playable with lag too until I played punch out and few shtmups, you know, games that require precise timing and that's when I knew the framemeister wasn't for me. I also didn't like that I had to sometimes tweak the settings on the framemesiter to get certain consoles to look right on my tv. Once I got it tuned right It looked really nice on my tv but the gaming experience was shitty. With my pvm I never have to tune anything, just plug in and it looks great. To each his own though.

A CRT with RGB is always the preferred method for me but how much longer are they gonna last? If the OSSC is the better solution for modern sets with no additional input lag, I'd definitely consider taking that route.

capnd77 said:

Sweet!! I have 2 PVMs currently but I figure its time to grab a frameister and a solid modern tv. I don't know how much longer my PVMs will last but being that theyre starting to command a premium getting a frameister makes more sense.

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For these TCL TVs, an OSSC would probably be a better choice than a Framemeister. The OSSC's display compatibility issues just aren't a problem for the S405 & P607. Framemeister adds 20ms lag, while OSSC doesn't add any lag.

RAZ_HOE! said:

I thought games were playable with lag too until I played punch out and few shtmups, you know, games that require precise timing and that's when I knew the framemeister wasn't for me. I also didn't like that I had to sometimes tweak the settings on the framemesiter to get certain consoles to look right on my tv. Once I got it tuned right It looked really nice on my tv but the gaming experience was shitty. With my pvm I never have to tune anything, just plug in and it looks great. To each his own though.

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That was my exact experience too. I bought the Framemeister to use with my Vizio E500i-b1, and it looked great. However, like you, I started noticing the input lag. The 20ms lag from the Framemeister and 30ms lag from the TV made a total of 50ms of input lag, which is 3 frames. That's enough to ruin your day in games like Punch Out. You were probably dealing with similar or even more total lag in your setup. The Vizio E series with their 30ms lag were actually some of the faster TVs in their day. It didn't take long before the the Framemeister got chucked into the closet, and the PVM was brought out of storage to reclaim its spot on the TV shelf.

On the TCL + Framemeister combo, I'm getting slightly more than 2 frames of lag. There is a definite improvement in the gaming experience vs 3 frames of lag.

If I replace the Framemeister with an OSSC, I'll be down to less than 1 frame of lag. I think this might be the threshold that works for me. Our previous experiences with the Framemeister and old laggy displays don't apply to a fast display paired with a lag free scaler.

Vigormortis said:

For these TCL TVs, an OSSC would probably be a better choice than a Framemeister. The OSSC's display compatibility issues just aren't a problem for the S405 & P607. Framemeister adds 20ms lag, while OSSC doesn't add any lag.



That was my exact experience too. I bought the Framemeister to use with my Vizio E500i-b1, and it looked great. However, like you, I started noticing the input lag. The 20ms lag from the Framemeister and 30ms lag from the TV made a total of 50ms of input lag, which is 3 frames. That's enough to ruin your day in games like Punch Out. You were probably dealing with similar or even more total lag in your setup. The Vizio E series with their 30ms lag were actually some of the faster TVs in their day. It didn't take long before the the Framemeister got chucked into the closet, and the PVM was brought out of storage to reclaim its spot on the TV shelf.

On the TCL + Framemeister combo, I'm getting slightly more than 2 frames of lag. There is a definite improvement in the gaming experience vs 3 frames of lag.

If I replace the Framemeister with an OSSC, I'll be down to less than 1 frame of lag. I think this might be the threshold that works for me. Our previous experiences with the Framemeister and old laggy displays don't apply to a fast display paired with a lag free scaler.

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I hope it works out for you. I'm just going to keep rocking out my Pvm/Bvm's till they all blow up. When my final crt go's and if by that time I'm still into playing games than hopefully they will have a better product. Having to get a upscaler, the right tv, and messing with settings, also sometimes having sync issues with certain games/consoles/pcb's is too much of a bother.

At that point, it would just make more sense emulating the games and just running a HDMI cable from my pc to my tv and not have to worry about any of that.

For 240P a CRT is really the only way to go. I will likely grab a framemeister and/or ossc at some point in the future, but for now I hold a few CRTs for low res gaming. I've also always considered a xrgb-2 and PC CRTs, since there are a lot more of those around than PVMs.

For 480p and up I've been enjoying a low lag projector. For the curious this is my current favorite projector http://www.sharp-world.com/products/data_projector/xgc465x/index.html

I use the xg-c435x and it actually does 240P RGB natively, which is cool, but without scanlines I'd rather use a CRT for most games. Bangai-o on DC in 240p RGB is a blast on the projector though, since it doesn't support VGA. The lag I tested to be about the same as a framemeister alone (10-15ms in game mode), so it's really a pretty nice display.

skate323k137 said:

I've also always considered a xrgb-2 and PC CRTs, since there are a lot more of those around than PVMs.

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Alex, X-RGB-2 combined with a good Pc Monitor is pure eye candy bro. I have my Sigma Raijin running on this setup and it looks awesome. The XRGB-2 is nice because it requires very little tinkering to get it to look right. The 2 plus and 3 are great options as well but require messing with the settings a little more. I think for Arcade Boards the 2 is the better option. Todd did a good review on the X-RGB2.

RAZ_HOE! said:

Alex, X-RGB-2 combined with a good Pc Monitor is pure eye candy bro. I have my Sigma Raijin running on this setup and it looks awesome. The XRGB-2 is nice because it requires very little tinkering to get it to look right. The 2 plus and 3 are great options as well but require messing with the settings a little more. I think for Arcade Boards the 2 is the better option. Todd did a good review on the X-RGB2.

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I've got the 2+ running to my 20" NEC crt and does look fantastic. I think the 2+ has more options to tweak the picture.

Good to know, thanks dudes. For now I have a 20M2MDU and 20M4U, but if/when those go south I'm holding some nice PC CRTs too. I'll have to snag a 2 or 2+ if I see one around.

Just an odd question for the CRT experts.. How well do these universal chassis's work?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-Arcade-C...867228?hash=item466aa45c9c:g:lXQAAOSwMtxXq9S7

Looks easier than a recap. Are they easier?

I got the TCL P605 after my 2012 Panasonic plasma fried itself (a known problem with a part in that year's line apparently). I only got it on a whim after some quick research into its low input lag, price and HDR capabilities. I was surprised to learn it plays very nicely with the OSSC in all line modes and even accepts 240p/480i. The TV's scaler doesn't do a pretty job of blowing up 240p but it's nice to know it's doable since other displays either won't show it or royally screw it up by thinking it's 480i. The TV's 480i handling is actually better than the OSSC's, so if you're playing a game with insta-switching resolutions like RE2 N64 or Chrono Cross, you're better off doing 240p Line 3x/4x/5x + 480i Passthrough. And the switching is instant unlike the Framemeister's long sync delay or the delay seen in some other displays when switching resolutions.

I got into native hardware collecting after my plasma's 40ms lag, OS lag and emulator lag made even basic games like Super Mario unplayable. I've been messing around with Retroarch again this week which has since seen efforts in reducing input lag after folks demonstrated in tests just how bad it was. I have to say... with the 14ms lag of the TCL + simple menu setting tweaks in Retroarch... everything I tried is completely playable to the point I can't complain anymore about lag. I'm actually a little shocked at how good it feels because I've spent so much money and time tracking down consoles/games, the energy spent carrying heavy PVMs and BVMs up flights of stairs all for the purpose of playing retro games in a way that both looks good and feels uncompromised.

A soft-modded Wii (less lag than Windows PC emulators) feels magnificent connected via the OSSC. The TCL doesn't have Component inputs for 480p consoles, but with an AV receiver it doesn't even need the OSSC because direct 480p upscales quite nicely (this was hideous on the Panny plasma). The HDMI consoles I have (Hi Def NES, Ultra HDMI N64) are basically perfect with this TV's low lag whereas even on my old plasma they were never quite as responsive as RGB consoles on my CRTs. Overall this has been a great purchase and I recommend it for anyone looking for a new TV to play old games.

It should also be noted that in regards to CRT shaders, a lot more can be done with 2160 lines of resolutions vs 1080. I was not fond of any Retroarch shaders at 1080p... too simple-looking (flat "scanlines" compared to organic/analog CRT look), dull exaggerated blurriness, ridiculous excessive bloom in some cases... just wrong in eyeball comparisons to my CRTs in the next room. At 4k, a few of the newer, better ones that scale nicely to 4K are looking like a major improvement.

RAZ_HOE! said:

Alex, X-RGB-2 combined with a good Pc Monitor is pure eye candy bro. I have my Sigma Raijin running on this setup and it looks awesome. The XRGB-2 is nice because it requires very little tinkering to get it to look right. The 2 plus and 3 are great options as well but require messing with the settings a little more. I think for Arcade Boards the 2 is the better option. Todd did a good review on the X-RGB2.

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RAZ - How do you like your Sigma Raijin supergun? Been eyeing those for a while now.

Gamefan said:

RAZ - How do you like your Sigma Raijin supergun? Been eyeing those for a while now.

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I love it but keep in mind that because it's a all in one unit, space is a concern. If your playing on a huge desk with tons of space and you don't mind having your JAMMA board parked right next to your Sigma Raijin than your all good. If you need more space in between than you would need a longer JAMMA Harness at least 4ft. The AV7000 is a better option if you don't have the space.

RAZ_HOE! said:

I love it but keep in mind that because it's a all in one unit, space is a concern. If your playing on a huge desk with tons of space and you don't mind having your JAMMA board parked right next to your Sigma Raijin than your all good. If you need more space in between than you would need a longer JAMMA Harness at least 4ft. The AV7000 is a better option if you don't have the space.

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I do like how it is all one unit. Can you order a longer harness or do you have to build one?

Gamefan said:

I do like how it is all one unit. Can you order a longer harness or do you have to build one?

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Yes, you can buy a longer harness but I think the longest I ever seen was 3ft and some change. If you need anything longer you might need to build one or have someone build it for you. James builds them and from what Marty told me, they are topnotch.

Thanks RAZ!

Welp, this is my current setup right now. My dad and I just moved into his new house and after 2 years of planning, research, hunting, bargaining, and repairs, I finally have my PVM 2530 RGB setup.

The only two RGB consoles I have right now are my RGB modded SNES mini, and my Neo Geo AES.

Those boxes in the back are the rest of my consoles and games. Once I have my Kallax shelving units delivered and built, I'll be much better off.

Also that box underneath my AES is a dvd player hooked up through composite, I pretty much use it just to watch Robotech and Godzilla on when I'm bored.

Made a compilation of shots from some of my crts - Photos will need to load to get full quality

Sony F520

https://ibb.co/h8Wy3w
https://ibb.co/dA5Qiw
https://ibb.co/g1m9Ab
https://ibb.co/cToNVb

Bvm 14e5e

https://ibb.co/cBgWOw
https://ibb.co/ehjUAb
https://ibb.co/iNq2Vb
https://ibb.co/b56LGG
https://ibb.co/ivqfGG
https://ibb.co/meFQiw
https://ibb.co/iksSwG

Mitsubushi diamondtron sb750

https://ibb.co/bsEeAb
https://ibb.co/mKXXVb
https://ibb.co/jQMgOw
https://ibb.co/fgcMOw
https://ibb.co/nLoHwG

Ikegami 20-17

https://ibb.co/gpvVGG
https://ibb.co/bLd6qb
https://ibb.co/n3O6qb
https://ibb.co/fpueAb
https://ibb.co/j4NMOw

Dem scanlines.

I decided I was tired of my old giant daisy chained electrical spider fire death trap setup so I built myself a wood stand. Everything is RGB except Genesis (S-video), AV Famicom (composite), PC Engine Duo-R (S-video) and Nintendo 64 (S-video). Dimensions for the stand were 4 feet by 2 feet with each shelf being around 12 inches tall.

Unless they add a deblur filter to the RGB kits on n64 I am content with S-video on there. Sega Genesis I am just waiting it out for the triple bypass by DB Electronics so I can rock an og Genesis model 1. The s-video mod Shadowkn did on my Genesis 2 looks amazing, by far the best s-video i've seen from a console. AV Famicom is definitely on my next to do list for RGB though.


SB-2840 RGB SCART to component adapter and some random S-video splitter.



GScart lite



Stand




Only thing I need to finish on this setup is move those boxes, get a GCompS component switcher, hook up Wii/GC, and set up some nice speakers/base.If I ever make another I would probably make it a little longer. Also fuck Minwax Oil based stainer as I had to leave this air out for 2 months due to real unstable air. I highly recommend if anyone stains to use something water based and to use a sealer, also get a conditioner for your wood so it stains evenly.

Are those loose NES carts in box protectors?

madman said:

Are those loose NES carts in box protectors?

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I wouldn't call them box protectors but they serve the same function. The main reason I have them is to keep dust off. They also take up a lot less space than those universal game cases and bit boxes.Seems dumb to initiate the Windex Protocol on the games to have them be left out and get dirty again.

ChuChu Flamingo said:

Dem scanlines.

I decided I was tired of my old giant daisy chained electrical spider fire death trap setup so I built myself a wood stand. Everything is RGB except Genesis (S-video), AV Famicom (composite), PC Engine Duo-R (S-video) and Nintendo 64 (S-video). Dimensions for the stand were 4 feet by 2 feet with each shelf being around 12 inches tall.

Unless they add a deblur filter to the RGB kits on n64 I am content with S-video on there. Sega Genesis I am just waiting it out for the triple bypass by DB Electronics so I can rock an og Genesis model 1. The s-video mod Shadowkn did on my Genesis 2 looks amazing, by far the best s-video i've seen from a console. AV Famicom is definitely on my next to do list for RGB though.


SB-2840 RGB SCART to component adapter and some random S-video splitter.

GScart lite

Stand

Only thing I need to finish on this setup is move those boxes, get a GCompS component switcher, hook up Wii/GC, and set up some nice speakers/base.If I ever make another I would probably make it a little longer. Also fuck Minwax Oil based stainer as I had to leave this air out for 2 months due to real unstable air. I highly recommend if anyone stains to use something water based and to use a sealer, also get a conditioner for your wood so it stains evenly.

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Good shit!! A lot of systems in a nice small spot. I totally approve

ChuChu Flamingo said:

Dem scanlines.

I decided I was tired of my old giant daisy chained electrical spider fire death trap setup so I built myself a wood stand. Everything is RGB except Genesis (S-video), AV Famicom (composite), PC Engine Duo-R (S-video) and Nintendo 64 (S-video). Dimensions for the stand were 4 feet by 2 feet with each shelf being around 12 inches tall.

Unless they add a deblur filter to the RGB kits on n64 I am content with S-video on there. Sega Genesis I am just waiting it out for the triple bypass by DB Electronics so I can rock an og Genesis model 1. The s-video mod Shadowkn did on my Genesis 2 looks amazing, by far the best s-video i've seen from a console. AV Famicom is definitely on my next to do list for RGB though.


SB-2840 RGB SCART to component adapter and some random S-video splitter.

GScart lite

Stand

Only thing I need to finish on this setup is move those boxes, get a GCompS component switcher, hook up Wii/GC, and set up some nice speakers/base.If I ever make another I would probably make it a little longer. Also fuck Minwax Oil based stainer as I had to leave this air out for 2 months due to real unstable air. I highly recommend if anyone stains to use something water based and to use a sealer, also get a conditioner for your wood so it stains evenly.

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That old school 1970's carpet you got just causes more dust. Not Good for your games. Need to upgrade your shit son.

ChuChu Flamingo said:

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looks like a clean and solid build, nice!




still waiting on how this will turn out:

aaronmjr said:

View attachment 46403

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LoneSage said:

Here's a good rule of thumb, for life in general and not just translating some fucking video game:

If you're going to do something, don't announce it. Just do it. And when it is done, then you can tell people.

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