Welcome to CRT gaming. Retro consoles were made for CRTs, and seeing them on the right screen is something special. This board is for finding, fixing, calibrating and enjoying CRT televisions and monitors, plus everything that gets a clean signal from a console to a screen, including upscalers for modern TVs.
What belongs here
• Consumer CRT televisions, professional monitors (PVMs and BVMs) and PC CRT monitors
• RGB, SCART, component, S-Video and composite cables and sync options
• Upscalers and line doublers for flat-panel TVs
• Geometry, convergence, colour and brightness adjustment
• Light guns and other CRT-dependent accessories
• Finding, transporting and storing sets
What doesn't
• Simulating a CRT in an emulator: Shaders, bezels & CRT looks
• Arcade cabinet monitors as part of a cabinet build: Arcade, MAME & cabinets
• Console-specific video mods: the board for that console, such as Sega or Atari & 80s consoles
• Retrobrite and cleaning cases: Restoration & retrobrite
High-voltage safety
This matters more than anything else in this thread. A CRT can store a lethal charge for a long time after it has been unplugged. Never open a CRT unless you know how to discharge it safely and have the right tools. If you do not, leave internal work to someone who does. Adjustments through service menus are a safe way to start. If you do work inside, never work alone, keep one hand away from the set and never touch the anode cap or the flyback.
Starter knowledge
• Most retro consoles output 240p, which CRTs handle natively. Many modern TVs treat it as interlaced and add blur and lag. That is why CRTs and dedicated upscalers exist.
• RGB usually gives the sharpest picture, followed by component, S-Video, composite and RF. What your set accepts depends on its region and model.
• Sync type matters with RGB. Using the right sync for your console and display avoids rolling pictures and buzzing audio.
• A CRT has almost no added display lag, which is why players of fighting and rhythm games love them.
• Traditional light guns only work on CRTs because they rely on how the beam draws the picture.
• Many service menus let you adjust geometry, but write down original values before changing anything.
• CRTs are heavy. Lift with help and protect the screen when transporting.
The rules
No piracy: do not link, share or request ROMs, ISOs, BIOS files or firmware. No selling sets, cables or upscalers and no paid repair services. No malware.
The general house rules apply: be kind, English only (posts in other languages are translated automatically), no spam, no keyboard mashing and no self-promotion spam. Report anything that breaks the rules. This thread is locked, so please start your own thread here to ask a question or show off your setup.
Dexter
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