Who else has gone back to consumer crts?

[Gyrian]

I haven't gone back, more of a dormant never left. It's been rewarding to maximize what my consumer 2003 model Samsung CRT can deliver, so I'm not exactly dying to try a PVM. But I do remain curious, if the right opportunity comes along. Part of the appeal of a PVM/BVM, to me, would be built-to-last durability (assuming I can grab one that hasn't spent 10 years on straight) that has got to have more to give than my humble consumer set...

 

[Mendel]

Yeah absolutely. I bought a used Sony trinitron tv a couple years back.

Also I bought back a 21" Nokia crt computer monitor from a friend that I had sold it to some 15 years ago, bought it back like 5 years ago. Still works like a charm for amiga and x68000.

Damnit, even my "new" 30" pc lcd is now 10 years old. But yeah, modern pc stuff needs an lcd but I wouldnt dream of using retro stuff with anything other than crt now.

PVM/BVM stuff doesn´t seem like something I can easily get around here so all I can get is consumer level stuff.

 

[Tripredacus]

I still have never seen an RGB CRT to begin with around here. SO I have never left CE TVs, but only buy ones with Component or S-Video inputs. I think the only RGB thing I have is a distribution amp. I'm sure it would be awesome but I have zero displays to plug into it... also not sure I have enough power outlets for something like that.

 

[tighecg]

You must have been blind until now then

lol, maybe. Going from bluray to genesis I could totally see the difference. I just ment that growing up, dad was a cheap ass when it came to tvs and everything was hooked up RF. When I finally started playing old consoles on new tvs it looked just like I remembered.

I have picked up a couple of free Trinitrons lately, and they look great. I won't feel the need to replace my BVM when it dies.

 

[MtothaJ]

I grew up playing games in RGB because I didn't live in a technological backwater, so... RGB or bust! Accept no substitutes!

RGB might have been available in Europe but truth be told it was seldom used for gaming. My recollection of late eighties / early ninties gaming in London, UK is that RF aeriel was the undisputed king. Most kids, or rather their parents were still rocking old wooden cased TVs with no other inputs apart from RF, and the only real reason people got new TVs back then was when their old one failed and couldnt be fixed at a reasonable price. Moreover the know how about the benefits of RGB wasn't really out there and RGB leads were expensive and not available at major retailers. The only system I recall playing in RGB back then was the Super Famicom - and thats just because a classmate had an older brother who was working and into 'gray imports'. In the US RGB might not have been available but my impression is that composite / svideo was pretty common.

 

[oliverclaude]

...RF aeriel was the undisputed king.

Only a king of dissemination, of course.

Before my own SONY, we already had RGB on our 20" ITT Schab Lorenz. Never played a console via CVBS in the 90's, unlike James Rolfe .

 

[xsq]

for real... in my hood everyone (from ca. 1994 onward) knew how games looked better if you had "Echte Scartkabel" ("true scart leads")... and we were children back then.

 

[90s]

So, some PVMs are 500 TV lines, like the PVM-20N6U. Would a consumer crt that's 525 lines automatically produce a better picture than a PVM like that, or would the PVM still look better because it has RGB? Wouldn't the difference between the consumer CRTs and the PVM be pretty small in such a case?

 

[Sypth]

If I ever ran across a decent PVM I'd obviously buy it for the right price, but for the last 3-4 years I've been using a really nice flat Sharp CRT with an RGB to component converter and it works really well with that and s-video. So, I feel no real compelling reason to change from that.

 

[GohanX]

So, some PVMs are 500 TV lines, like the PVM-20N6U. Would a consumer crt that's 525 lines automatically produce a better picture than a PVM like that, or would the PVM still look better because it has RGB? Wouldn't the difference between the consumer CRTs and the PVM be pretty small in such a case?

Resolution and connections aside, keep in mind that these PVMs cost THOUSANDS of dollars when new, while our consumer sets only cost hundreds. Unless age has taken its toll a PVM is going to look better almost every time. The only exception would be if a consumer set has circuitry to clean up a signal, such as comb filters, noise reduction, etc, as PVMs generally display the picture as is without messing with the signal. For example, my laserdisc player connected by composite looks much better on my consumer tube than my PVM. Video game systems connected through component? The PVM beats it with a stick.

 

[TheSegaDude]

This forum is where PVMs were put on my radar. And at first I wanted to dive into PVM monitors and scart cables and all that jazz.
But it's really hard to justify the cost and work involved when a good TV really does look very good.

I bought a used SONY WEGA KV-32XBR200 CRT TV for $50 CAD to replace my 25" Zennith CRT. The upgrade felt significant.
Thunder Force III on SONY WEGA

And even though I believe a PVM monitor will look better is it enough improvement for the extra effort and money?

Anyways, I am still very curious to see what a PVM can do.

 

[Jibbajaba]

This forum is where PVMs were put on my radar. And at first I wanted to dive into PVM monitors and scart cables and all that jazz.
But it's really hard to justify the cost and work involved when a good TV really does look very good.

I bought a used SONY WEGA KV-32XBR200 CRT TV for $50 CAD to replace my 25" Zennith CRT. The upgrade felt significant.
Thunder Force III on SONY WEGA

And even though I believe a PVM monitor will look better is it enough improvement for the extra effort and money?

Anyways, I am still very curious to see what a PVM can do.

Is that just in composite, or have you modded the system?

Honestly, if I had a big ass WEGA that could do s-video, I'd be happy. I love my PVMs, but it would be nice to have a bigger screen sometimes, and the leap from composite to s-video is much bigger than from s-video to RGB. But I already have my shit set up, so there's really no reason to change.

 

[TheSegaDude]

Is that just in composite, or have you modded the system?

Honestly, if I had a big ass WEGA that could do s-video, I'd be happy. I love my PVMs, but it would be nice to have a bigger screen sometimes, and the leap from composite to s-video is much bigger than from s-video to RGB. But I already have my shit set up, so there's really no reason to change.

Yeah, I'm just using composite. I might try a few s-video mods. At least with s-video my TV and video switch box already have s-video ports.

 

[munchiaz]

got my first PVM 3-4 years ago. Its a Sony 20m2mdu and i love the thing. Like others have mentioned, its great to tate, and the picture quality is just great. I also have a JVC DT-1900, and this is what i usually use for tate. I do enjoy these monitors but they can be a pain to set up. When they break i will most likely just go with a nice consumer grade CRT, as PVMs are crazy hard to find these days

 

[Neodogg]

This is how I roll, #RF4LYF

 

[MattBlah]

I'm thinking of getting a CRT for my spare room to hook my Neo Geo AES and CMVS up to.

Does anyone know if this would be any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-Trinitron-21inch-CRT-television-perfect-condition-/112098225121?hash=item1a19932be1:g:46YAAOSwhOdXoQRV

 

[DracoBlade]

I found this mammoth Trinitron for $15 at the goodwill around my corner and lugged it inside for play. While the picture is unbelievable (sparing a few geometry problems) I have to say for convenience and space Idk if i ever want to go back to it. Plus its Svideo/composite only (which on any real trinitron model is gorgeous sure but I want that SCART grl!)

Really tempted to trade my frameister for a PVM but IDK man I need some convincing first.

I'll probably end up just having both :/

 

[MtothaJ]

One aspect I am wondering about for those in the US - has anybody modded their consumer TV for RGB input? Supposedly the chasis used were mostly the same world wide for cost reasons. Googled this and there is some info out there that in the case of some sets its as simple as attaching wires to the 'jungle IC' chip and running that to a female scart connector.

 

[Gyrian]

Anyone who's on the fence about moving to a PVM but wishes their consumer set could give more should consider trying out an RGB to Component option. Here is my recent experience with this. It's not prohibitively expensive to try, and you can still keep the RGB cables handy for a future setup be it PVM or Framemeister/OSSC.

For the past couple of years, I was running everything through a Framemeister. Since this experiment, the CRT has become the fixture where I'm playing everything pre-PS3.

 

[xsq]

Does anyone know if this would be any good?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-Trinitron-21inch-CRT-television-perfect-condition-/112098225121?hash=item1a19932be1:g:46YAAOSwhOdXoQRV

Try looking up the (service) manuals of that model - there seem to be some online for free, but I can't check them because I'm at work.

[Really tempted to trade my frameister for a PVM but IDK man I need some convincing first.

If you're talking 1to1 trade - don't, PVMs shouldn't be that expensive. The Trinitron you have looks alright, S-Video shouldn't bee too bad, so you have something to do solid gaming on until a good opportunity comes to upgrade.

One aspect I am wondering about for those in the US - has anybody modded their consumer TV for RGB input?

How about this?

 

[MattBlah]

Try looking up the (service) manuals of that model - there seem to be some online for free, but I can't check them because I'm at work.

[/URL]

Thanks. I think I have found them. What am I looking for in the manual that would suggest it's a good model or not? Sorry, complete n00b at stuff like this.

 

[K-2]

I found a trinitron with s-video and component inputs and sound by "BBS" whatever that means it's really all I need.

Scart and PVMS is the shit when everything is tuned in, but the extra hassle of getting specialty video cables, synch settings and running audio to external speakers can be a real pain in the ass when it doesnt want to play nice.

A good consumer set with Svideo and or component is much more convenient to use. And the less hassle it is to actually sit down and play games the better with fleeting spare time.

Tempus fugit no comebacketh

 

[JoeAwesome]

Never left CRTs. I have a KV-30HS420 HD CRT WEGA that works well enough for me. Several composites, components, S-Video and even an HDMI port. Can't play light gun games on it, but otherwise it does a good job for what I use on it. It was a pita to move, though. Awkward and heavy as hell.

 

[FilthyRear]

View attachment 38467
I found this mammoth Trinitron for $15 at the goodwill around my corner and lugged it inside for play. While the picture is unbelievable (sparing a few geometry problems) I have to say for convenience and space Idk if i ever want to go back to it. Plus its Svideo/composite only (which on any real trinitron model is gorgeous sure but I want that SCART grl!)

Really tempted to trade my frameister for a PVM but IDK man I need some convincing first.

I'll probably end up just having both :/

I use to have one of those (mine had composite/s-video/component/RF). The S-video was BEAUTIFUL on the supergun. I ended up giving it away years ago, but I remember in the top-left corner there was a slight "bending" of the picture. Not enough to notice unless you looked closely enough.

 

[Tripredacus]

While the picture is unbelievable (sparing a few geometry problems) I have to say for convenience and space Idk if i ever want to go back to it.

I was so excite when I got mine. Sometimes I wonder what I will do if it stops working.