CRT Fetish Thread

[BIG BEAR]

Throw it in a box towards me…

I was going to open it up and try to do some things but again,I can't be bothered with this.
As far as throwing it in a box...maybe..
I'd hate to drop it in a dumpster bin since is still works..
Im used to rescuing CRT's
BB

 

[Neodogg]

Probably caps for waves?
B/W is usually a ground issue, no?

 

[BIG BEAR]

Probably caps for waves?
B/W is usually a ground issue, no?

In all fairness,I hooked up an old crappy NTSC converter with s-video for use with the pcbs.The ground and sync were connected.
The color came in fine using the AES...
BB

 

[BIG BEAR]

I tested this out with my IGS PGM and it's calibrated perfectly for that!(?) Which is usually a motherboard that gives some CRT's trouble.
Now using the cheapo NTSC converter,I get a black and white picture but I get color using a neobitz or something similar to that quality..so I'll use this monitor for PGM exclusively and I can easily Tate it,etc
BB

 

[Tarma]

Well done - you sad bastards have made it to the mainstream media: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250911-the-people-who-hunt-down-old-tvs

Guess no one told the journo about the Retrotink 4K.

The BBC are just such hacks these days.

 

[HellioN]

What is the general consensus on JVC I'Art's? There is a free one down the road from me, either 24" or 27" screen. It would be a picture size upgrade over my 20" Sony Wega, just curious if picture quality is decent. Anyone used one?

I owned a 24" one.
It was fantastic, I really wanted to keep it but let it go when I downsized my living space.
If it's in good shape get it.

 

[Neo Alec]

Well done - you sad bastards have made it to the mainstream media: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250911-the-people-who-hunt-down-old-tvs

Guess no one told the journo about the Retrotink 4K.

The BBC are just such hacks these days.

Great to see Steve from Retro Tech get recognition! That guy is awesome, and a true asset to the CRT online community. Really knows his stuff, in an age where these skills are rapidly disappearing.

https://www.twitter.com/usa_retro?t=B2Y0BgLxUO9BSeikcLZP6A&s=09

 

[snes_collector]

Cool that guy shares all of that info and I have used his site multiple times, but woah- $1,500 for a PVM is wild, even if it has been serviced. When I picked up mine some years back the medical supply place gave them to me to get them out of the way, as they had literal palettes of them. Guy told me to come back and pick up as many as I wanted as they wanted them out of their way. I wonder if they are still there, or if anyone else stumbled in there and cleaned them out. It shows how much has changed in the past few years, they are not common but they were out there if you knew where to look.

 

[Catoblepa]

Don't want to start a war, just my opinion, but I don't see PVM monitors as the ideal choice for a gaming CRT (besides some much-needed quality video input for USA folks who don't have Scart RGB). There's nothing nostalgic about the kind of hyper-clear, high line density picture they produce, nobody back then played on those, and paying that kind of money is a little insane. And good luck if something goes seriously wrong inside that jungle of boards. From my experience, the "perfect" gaming CRTs are high quality 15khz arcade monitors from brands like Hantarex, and I'm very surprised that almost nobody is taking some time and effort to produce a simple chassis (a box, really, maybe with an extension for the trimmers) to use those as monitors. But even a consumer TV from Panasonic, Philips, Grundig or similar brands from the mid-eighties to early nineties can be absolutely fantastic for gaming.

 

[Atro]

Don't want to start a war, just my opinion, but I don't see PVM monitors as the ideal choice for a gaming CRT (besides some much-needed quality video input for USA folks who don't have Scart RGB). There's nothing nostalgic about the kind of hyper-clear, high line density picture they produce, nobody back then played on those, and paying that kind of money is a little insane. And good luck if something goes seriously wrong inside that jungle of boards. From my experience, the "perfect" gaming CRTs are high quality 15khz arcade monitors from brands like Hantarex, and I'm very surprised that almost nobody is taking some time and effort to produce a simple chassis (a box, really, maybe with an extension for the trimmers) to use those as monitors. But even a consumer TV from Panasonic, Philips, Grundig or similar brands from the mid-eighties to early nineties can be absolutely fantastic for gaming.

I have a spare CA&G 25" arcade monitor for my extra needs. It's not the best in any regard, but it's good enough overall for 15Khz love.

As for the "nobody back then played on those", while it's true, I myself had several 1084's and the picture quality doesn't fall behind a little. Even the Daewoo ones. I put one of my 1084/85's next to my 14" PVM and the quality is very alike. Specially if it's the Philips ones.

As for Hantarex, despite having a gorgeous picture (like Intervideos) they're as reliable as a granny with Aids, except the super MTC9000, That one is a beast of an arcade chassis.

 

[Burning Fight!!]

Don't want to start a war, just my opinion, but I don't see PVM monitors as the ideal choice for a gaming CRT (besides some much-needed quality video input for USA folks who don't have Scart RGB). There's nothing nostalgic about the kind of hyper-clear, high line density picture they produce, nobody back then played on those, and paying that kind of money is a little insane. And good luck if something goes seriously wrong inside that jungle of boards. From my experience, the "perfect" gaming CRTs are high quality 15khz arcade monitors from brands like Hantarex, and I'm very surprised that almost nobody is taking some time and effort to produce a simple chassis (a box, really, maybe with an extension for the trimmers) to use those as monitors. But even a consumer TV from Panasonic, Philips, Grundig or similar brands from the mid-eighties to early nineties can be absolutely fantastic for gaming.

Why does it have to be nostalgic, do video games not hold up to your standards without nostalgia? People used to have high quality monitors from PCs and play games on decently maintained cabs, and surely even the later high resolution 1024x768 VGA tubes count. I don't know if that argument is worth anything.

I do have to agree PVM obsession is dumb and pointless for console gaming when good consumer tvs are fucking awesome with YPbPr IN. I've never felt the need to go after a broadcast monitor for this shit. (to add to this, just like everything in our gooby hobbies, they made sense you could get them for almost free, but paying two grand for a tiny nearly unmaintanable 50 year old monitor? come on now)

edit: the crt collective facebook group has produced many of the saddest posts I've seen online and I'm not even playing it up for laughs, some mfers there need to be committed for real (or grounded by mom)

 

[Neo Alec]

I'm a kid of the 80's and 90's, so to me bigger is always better. I play on a 33" consumer CRT modded for RGB. Pro monitors are too small.

 

[Catoblepa]

As for the "nobody back then played on those", while it's true, I myself had several 1084's and the picture quality doesn't fall behind a little. Even the Daewoo ones. I put one of my 1084/85's next to my 14" PVM and the quality is very alike. Specially if it's the Philips ones.

I've played for most of my childhood on a Philips CM8833 (very, very similar to the 1084) through RGB and yeah, those are absolute beasts. It kinda spoiled me, 'cause even today it's hard to find something better - if we're talking about 14" stuff, of course. I don't know if they can be compared to PVMs in the sense that the line density is different; in fact, I'd compare them to arcade monitors. And of course there's the Trinitron issue: having only an horizontal curvature makes them even more unique (and "unique" isn't necessarily a good thing).

As for Hantarex, despite having a gorgeous picture (like Intervideos) they're as reliable as a granny with Aids, except the super MTC9000, That one is a beast of an arcade chassis.

That's funny, I always had good luck with Hantarex reliability - got an MTC900 and several Polo 2 and Polo 3 (those were basically the last models). Doesn't mean they never had issues, but they always had an easy fix. On the other hand, I had a terrible experience with my only Intervideo monitor.

 

[Burning Fight!!]

I'm a kid of the 80's and 90's, so to me bigger is always better. I play on a 33" consumer CRT modded for RGB. Pro monitors are too small.

Big is good, until you have to move the TV... and I hope it's not a flatscreen lol.

 

[herb]

edit: the crt collective facebook group has produced many of the saddest posts I've seen online and I'm not even playing it up for laughs, some mfers there need to be committed for real (or grounded by mom)

It's a fun group to troll tbh

 

[Catoblepa]

Why does it have to be nostalgic, do video games not hold up to your standards without nostalgia? People used to have high quality monitors from PCs and play games on decently maintained cabs, and surely even the later high resolution 1024x768 VGA tubes count. I don't know if that argument is worth anything.

Well, I was mostly referring to the disconnect between the "nostalgia for the past" concept and the big focus on PVMs in the BBC article that Neo Alec posted. I just don't think that PVMs are very nostalgic.
I also don't think that all CRTs are created equal. Different technologies have different aesthetics and ideal uses. I wouldn't play a Super Famicom game on a 31khz VGA monitor, but I surely would play the original EGA version of Monkey Island on those, or Command & Conquer, or any higher resolution PC game.

 

[Atro]

That's funny, I always had good luck with Hantarex reliability - got an MTC900 and several Polo 2 and Polo 3 (those were basically the last models). Doesn't mean they never had issues, but they always had an easy fix. On the other hand, I had a terrible experience with my only Intervideo monitor.

Was it the Tri-frequency digital or one of the VP series?

25-28(or even 29 in some cases), I find Intervideos to have the most beautiful picture. Excellent contrast and colors, depending on the tube. Hantarex slaughters Intervideo in any size under that IMO

 

[Catoblepa]

Was it the Tri-frequency digital or one of the VP series?

25-28(or even 29 in some cases), I find Intervideos to have the most beautiful picture. Excellent contrast and colors, depending on the tube. Hantarex slaughters Intervideo in any size under that IMO

Can't remember the series but it's 15khz only - a 25" monitor that's standard for the Gevin NeoGeo blue cab. The Videocolor tubes are great, but the Intervideo electronics, not so much... but it could be just my bad luck with this particular monitor, of course (I never had another one from this brand).
All my Hantarex monitors are 17" or 20", and they have beautiful picture indeed. I personally find very hard to play so close to the screen if it's over 20", so... no candy cabs for me, unfortunately.

 

[Atro]

All my Hantarex monitors are 17" or 20", and they have beautiful picture indeed. I personally find very hard to play so close to the screen if it's over 20", so... no candy cabs for me, unfortunately.

Exactly.

As I said, below 25" I find Hantarex to be much more reliable and brilliant (Contrast, Geometry, etc) than Intervideos.

A great chassis tech that I know of used to say : "Intervideos are like Alfa Romeos, They're only good when they're new"

 

[Neo Alec]

Cool that guy shares all of that info and I have used his site multiple times, but woah- $1,500 for a PVM is wild, even if it has been serviced.

Ripping all the boards and caps out at the risk of death as a living should cost that much. I remember entertaining the idea of doing the work myself once, but the 2-hour Youtube video of an expert trying to make it simple had me nope out of there real fast.

 

[Catoblepa]

A great chassis tech that I know of used to say : "Intervideos are like Alfa Romeos, They're only good when they're new"

I see... well, that's quite fitting - they're all made in Italy after all

 

[prof]

Saw this at a game shop this afternoon. Look at the size of this effer. Was about 4 feet tall with the stand.

 

[Atro]

I see... well, that's quite fitting - they're all made in Italy after all

I agree. Like Italian cars, chassis are more or less the in the same principle.

Best looking, but not best reliability although my old 20" Hantarex was solid as a tank and never crapped out on me. I just couldn't stand the "Ginormous" curvature of that tube. It was too much for my taste.

 

[Catoblepa]

One of my strangest finds, something you don't see every day (even in Italy). In fact, there are no pictures of this TV anywhere.
It's a Mivar 15C1V, a 15" model from 1986. Normal models are dark grey and they are just uncommon, but this one is white, and it sits on a factory-made stand on wheels that's perfectly shaped to house it (with a hole for the power cord).
Since there's absolutely no info about this model on the net, I can only speculate that it was made for special uses like hospitals or nursing homes. While the design looks very Seventies, it's an Eighties model with Scart RGB: picture quality is what you'd expect from a Mivar from the golden age with a Toshiba tube - absolutely great.

Classic "retractable" Mivar controls with a very convenient Contrast trimmer

Shots taken with MVS+Supergun through RGB

 

[Neo Alec]

You always seem to find the oddest TV's.