How to Get the Best Picture Quality for Older Video Games - Retro Bird

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Just a heads up that this video focuses on consoles that came out before the Dreamcast. When discussing the Dreamcast and newer consoles, there are a lot more factors to consider. For example, some people even suggest HD CRTs to use for them. If you'd like to see a video where I address some of the factors to consider when choosing which consoles to hook up to a CRT TV, you can watch that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKerfGV8epaejpo Games played: Super Punch-Out!! (0:01), Rocket Knight Adventures (0:14), Contra III (1:12), Contra (3:50), Cannon Dancer: Osman (5:05), Banjo Kazooie (5:30), Super Mario World (6:25), Super Mario 64 (12:00) Here's the video covering "Are CRT TVs Necessary for Retro Gaming?": kzbin.info/www/bejne/l56VooiGftGUjsk

[@Gamevet]

I use a Sony KV-32HS420 for my retro consoles. It runs Gamecube, Xbox and PS2 in 480p, with the games that support it. I use component cables for the Saturn, PS2, GameCube, Genesis and Xbox. I also works very well with the Analogue Duo, using the HDMI port.

[@mattsansom644]

Yep there they are! Thanks again!

[@lordtryforce]

What's the game around 7:47 to 8:20? Has a Strider look.

[@Shishkebarbarian]

It would make a fun video for that 6th gen of consoles. HD CRTs are indeed perfect for that era, but you can get a superb picture on any CRT with component inputs. Gamecube is the hardest in that gen cause the component cable has a chip in it and is like $200+. the Dreamcast is the easiest since it can natively output through a VGA cable (which is cheap and generic) and looks great on any computer monitor, especially a CRT PC monitor.

[@Shishkebarbarian]

@@Gamevet that family of sets is very popular in the community, they are easy to find (since they're really the last CRTs Sony made) and cheap and look great. if you step into the rabbit hole just a tad, my issue is the flat screen... the scrolling of pixel backgrounds looks jarring to me - great for 3d though!

[@ESPINOZA316]

Im a 45 year old grown man and this guy cracks me up. Thank you my good dude love the channel

[@tanside979]

I'm 1 year behind you and wholehearted agree!

[@ArchangelRG09]

Well yeah, we have dad jokes...

[@tanside979]

@@ArchangelRG09 more like Grandpa jokes 😬

[@Roshenbo]

I have reached the "Dad" area of the chat. 😆 We may be old, but we're young at heart, am I right?! ☺️

[@Pinball_Jurist]

Same!

[@Mr.Hatchet224]

My favorite part was when you said "where you going? I got more cables to show ya " lmao good shit

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I asked my wife: "Can you help me film something real quick?". We had fun capturing it :)

[@Jane-cq9ku]

@@RetroBirdGaming Owww, you're a sweet couple))

[@StrangeDad]

Loved that part too!

[@christopher9727]

Only Jesus Christ blood can cleanse us of are sins come to Jesus Christ today Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Come to Jesus Christ today Jesus Christ is only way to heaven Repent and follow him today seek his heart Jesus Christ can fill the emptiness he can fill the void. The Holy Spirit can lead you guide and confort you through it all Heaven and hell is real cone to the loving savior today Today is the day of salvation tomorrow might be to late come to the loving savior today John 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Mark 1.15 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Hebrews 11:6 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Jesus

[@thetrophysystem3697]

That retro cable hole he went down was legit one of the funniest things ive ever seen on a gaming channel 😂

[@Jimpy88]

“Where you going?, I still got more cables to show ya! “ a quote that sums up so much of my past lmao

[@TwoEyesOpen]

I saw your community post letting us know the video went live and below it Google asked me how satisfied I was that they recommended your community post to me. I clicked "Very Satisfied", and it asked me why, so I checked "inspiring, informative, entertaining, calming, useful, and fun", because it is. It ain't much, but it's honest work. 🤠

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I really appreciate that! It supports the channel more than people might think :)

[@jakehughes5155]

Lmao your best work yet. “What’s sync? Something you don’t understaaaaaaaand!”

[@cjlee03]

This is the absolute best

[@brianhatcher2799]

Loved the Ace Ventura reference!!😅

[@ikesours6558]

Dumb and Dumber, not busting balls just being a dork.

[@StrangeDad]

It hits me how RB's mannerism is similar to Jim Carrie's comedy style in the 90's. :)

[@christopher9727]

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Come to Jesus Christ today Jesus Christ is only way to heaven Repent and follow him today seek his heart Jesus Christ can fill the emptiness he can fill the void Heaven and hell is real cone to the loving savior today Today is the day of salvation tomorrow might be to late come to the loving savior today John 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Mark 1.15 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Hebrews 11:6 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Jesus

[@Domarius64]

Do NOT go in there! Wheeewww!

[@brundeasie_OG]

That was exactly my experience down the video quality rabbit hole.

[@themailman3331]

When my wife and I purchased our home 10 years ago, she was completely and totally adamant about getting rid of my Sony Trinitron CRT. She hated it due to the size and weight . We went at it like cats and dogs for days. It’s the perfect tv for retro gaming, it has 2 S-Video inputs, 2 component inputs, my Super Nintendo using S-Video has the most beautiful picture. Anyway, sorry for the long comment, but needless to say I won that argument and still have the tv.

[@retro-computing-gaming]

I don't get why so many people get upset about the amount of space a CRT take up. Homes had them for more than 50 years and they were never a problem. What do people want these days, completely empty space?

[@Enzed_]

@@retro-computing-gaming It's the minimalist life style that's been taking over everything these days.

[@tonyp9313]

Damn you won an arguement with your wife? How?

[@thedopplereffect00]

And yet people think 77" TVs above the fireplace looks good...

[@jmac79ers]

Nice, you still have the tv, but what about the wife? 😂

[@iamelvisman68]

Soda drinking couch farter here! The main TV in my house is a mid 2000s plasma. Had it since new and refuse to buy a new fancy TV. Let me tell you I cleaned it the other day for the first time in god knows and holy cow am I now looking into that beautiful picture once again!!

[@golvellius6855]

The rabbit hole is to be deep for me to handle. Thank you for saving my life

[@johndiggle4229]

Congrats on 50k subs bud. Keep the videos coming but PLEASE always take care of yourself first.

[@KnowNothingNerd]

He used to two videos a week, and I believe he skipped some weeks when he went on a trip, so I think he's finding a nice balance.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Will do and thanks!

[@imairwrecked3599]

I bought my real N64 a year ago; didn’t think about it not being able to work on my new 4k tv which I also had just purchased and sold my older one. So then after buying a super cheap hdmi converter, I bought the most expensive one because the picture quality was so lame. Works great but sooo dong expensive for 25 year old hardware. Now I’ve just Gotten a few cheap clone console with the “M cable”. Still expensive but also cheaper for hdmi set up. I could have kept going but I started to realize instead of just enjoying the games I had I was constantly judging how good they looked to others crazy expensive set ups. So decided to just sit back and enjoy what I had and be thankful I was playing the games at all.

[@Domarius64]

For the 3D ones I like using emulation because they look so much sharper.

[@DonaldGaron]

New Retro Bird video? Gotta drop everything I do and watch it!

[@ErkanTheDrow]

same

[@Savannah_Simpson]

@@admiralAlfonso9001not everyone lives in the same time zone

[@Savannah_Simpson]

@@admiralAlfonso9001 …Canada has multiple times zones

[@admiralAlfonso9001]

@@Savannah_Simpson whaaaaaaaat that can’t be right

[@leonardo_one]

Dude you are laugh out loud -hilarious.- Classic video games, genuinely poignant questions with well-informed and holistic opinions interjected with relatable humor poking fun at our collective borderline obsessive pursuits? This is 1,000% my new favorite channel. Thank you for all the smiles and laughs, and keep up the incredible work!

[@yadigzz]

The way you present your captured gameplay is the best.

[@valkiriforce]

Hey, congrats on the 50k milestone! I'm so happy for you!

[@carlataylor9924]

Not even halfway through, im cracking up, this is...THE BEST...summary and explanation of the video quality rabbit hole EVER made! I had to pause just to write this comment commending you on your Ace Ventura performance, now...ready? Back in for the rest! Bravo Retro Bird! 👏 😂

[@shredbraahh8606]

Dude your whole spiel there for the first few minutes was literally every single thought I had about 2 years ago when I started researching all this madness lol. I have since learned the majority of what needed to be learned, and have learned how to solder, modded a couple consoles, and tried many options mentioned here. For me, the best result was getting a 20" Trinitron FV300 CRT and use Component cables for the majority of consoles. I also have a Retrotink 5X if I want to connect anything to my modern TV, but the CRT rules everything 👍To me, using component cables is the best route because it accommodates both a CRT or a modern TV. I will also say that I picked up a 13" CRT for cheap a while back, and it only has composite inputs and consoles look excellent on it, because of the small screen. Definitely solid advice about that in this video 👍

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah! Small TVs for the win!

[@dmcpcrt]

Love the overall message of "Just enjoy yourself" essentially. Great stuff as always bird!

[@mich3835]

The most hilarious retro games channel with great quality content at the same time. I'm loving it, you made my day today!

[@bvd_whiteytighties7349]

I should at least be able to like this video twice: I have two thumbs! But seriously, this has to be the best video I've seen on this channel. I've enjoyed pretty much all videos I've seen on here, but this brought the humor to another level. On top of that, it matched my exact experience when looking into retro video quality.. I came to the same conclusion: I'm just going to get the best of those 4 cables I can get to work and plug it into a CRT.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad you liked it!

[@lawrencemoody738]

I've said it before with this guy. awesome. another great video. He puts other old school youtube gamers to shame. great content, humor, extra effort, and sharp insight. keep it up, buddy.

[@tonyp9313]

Like who?

[@lawrencemoody738]

@@tonyp9313 lots.

[@mrhygiene]

This is the best Retrobird video. Must've taken quite some time to put together and we all appreciate the effort. 👏🏾👏🏾

[@mikem2132]

I use composite cables on my 20” Sony Trinitron, works for me!

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Composite cables are a good choice, however, for some systems like the Saturn there's not much dithering involved and as such a s-video cable is worth it. But, ultimately, for the most part this is a matter of personal preference and using a quality TV like a Trinitron is probably going to have more impact than the actual cables will in most cases.

[@vitorkk328]

Your funniest video to date. Great work!

[@complete-mayhem-x64]

A friend recommended me to this video. I didn't really learn anything new, because I have also ventured down the rabbit hole, but this dude is actually pretty awesome. Very funny, much laughs!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad you enjoyed it and welcome to the channel!

[@shelby_snake]

I love these videos the blend of humor and information is priceless. My best advice is learn to be happy with composite, it is the most widely used and looks good enough. I stick to composite and use a CRT for everything unless I am forced to use another output source. For example, my Apple IIgs and Atari ST won't work with a normal CRT, the best solution I've found is a SCART cable connected to a scaler running into an HDMI monitor--they are a real pain in the neck to set up. I would gladly trade the image quality for the simplicity of composite.

[@ajpl87]

Amazing coincidence. I just got my CRT today and was playing Contra 3, Pocky and Rocky, and Ocarina of Time. The games looks beautiful on the CRT! 😁

[@nazor1]

This one is another classic from the RetroBird- funny, relatable and very accurate.

[@awill891]

Best CRT gaming channel. I went through the Retro Gaming Video Quality Rabbit hole a few years ago. It was mostly fun for me buying the shit I never would've had in the 90s. But I gotta say, for anyone who is interested in CRTs just get a 13" with composite. There's a good charm in the slight blur of it for N64/PS1 vs looking razor sharp. Feels magical to play a 90s console on a 90s tv.

[@dmac9300]

I'm not even 4 minutes in and I'm laughing with joy and frustration 🤣. "Where ya going, I still got more cables to show ya!" That whole scene of you running down the hallway with your hands full - I still have a box or two FULL of cables I refuse to get rid of. Brilliant job man! 👍👍👍🤣🤣🤣

[@karimcheese7257]

For real I am very grateful for this video. I feel like there is no clear or concise blueprint online for getting the best picture quality out of retro consoles on either CRTs or modern TVs

[@JebberGamingJaws]

MyLifeInGaming on youtube. Their RGB series hits each console thoroughly, really good stuff.

[@pigs18]

I'm a very happy resident of Retro Gaming Jail as I find that the imperfections of older technology are part of their charm.

[@JustJacob01]

The video quality rabbit hole is something I feel down awhile ago and only as of last year I was able climb out of. I wasted SO much money on buying old TVs off of eBay and buying different adapters to see which ones worked the best for my systems (mainly my Wii). But thankfully I was able to walk out of that war zone with the TV I was looking for!

[@Green.Blood.]

Want better image quality? Wash your TV! Bird, you are a genius.

[@michaelpenny9625]

Just opened KZbin to find a newly posted video! Let's go!!

[@Alexzw92]

The Jim Carey reference was really good. Nice work Bird

[@NESADDICT]

Dude haven’t been here in a while! Happy to see your are kick butts and taking names!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Hey, it's great to see you! I was just thinking the other day how I needed to reach out and see how you were doing!

[@andrewparker470]

As someone who went way down that rabbit hole, this is what I now recommend for anyone getting into the hobby: 1. Acquire CRT off Craigslist, preferably with composite inputs. 2. Play old consoles on said TV.

[@yournightmare9999]

I have same dilemma 18 years ago but I glad that you finally found that today.

[@johnellis3383]

Great video! Since playing retro games is all about nostalgia for me I try to recreate the experience I had as a kid when I played these older games. A big part of that is screen size, I think the biggest TV I ever played anything N64/PS1 and earlier was a 21"

[@Deluxe78684]

I spent 2 years owning everything from an ossc to a RetroTink 5x and 2 months ago went back to a 14inch crt and that’s how I’m staying! Great episode I think this will bring even more fans on board with how easy to understand you explain the rabbit hole compared to other channels and with humour!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thanks!

[@mrlayorio]

that whole rabbit hole section is truly relatable - i think everyone's been there and it kinda turned me off playing games from before HDMI was standard for a short while. picked up a nice upscaler i'm satisfied with and games look excellent, couldn't be happier :D

[@PrinceMeowmers]

Just got my first S-Video cable thanks to you, Bird. Looks incredible. Thanks!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad you're enjoying it!

[@smoothkid765]

Your channel will have a million subs one day. And I'll be able to say I've been around since ~25k. Watched your numbers double in a short time. I realize you do this because you're passionate about gaming, and I respect that. But the numbers will help you entertain and educate the next generation of gamers. Kids aren't going to know what it's like to collect physical media, carry 100lb TVs up and down the stairs, or even buy a complete game on launch day. My son will never understand what a "fair" games industry is, I fear. Your channel is important for game preservation, more so than others like it because you capture the child-like love and excitement that 16 bit games gave us in the 90s and still do to this day. Thanks for keeping the dream alive, Bird.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Ahhh, thank you for that!

[@smoothkid765]

It's all love, brother. @@RetroBirdGaming

[@RGSPro]

This is by far your funniest video! On another note, I just bought a RetroTink 4K and I found out real quick it was that time of the month for my wife. THEN I found out my Sega Saturn needs a different SCART cable. THEN I found out I need to recap my Sega Saturn's motherboard. THEN I found out I need to replace my Sega Saturn's power supply. THEN I found out there's this thing called the SAROO that totally rocks and increases loading times. THEN I found out I haven't spent any time playing Sega Saturn games but darn, when I do, they are going to look spectacular!

[@ricslick]

I had to check myself when I was spending more time in the rabbit hole than I was actually enjoying my games. My best advice is to find a solid crt and use the best cables available to you and your budget. My gaming hobby got right back on track once I relinquished the insane thirst for the next best video output.

[@brunch1572]

I got an old radeon video card for $7 on ebay. Someone made a driver for old radeon cards called CRT Emudriver. The card outputs VGA, I converter box that to component, and display Retroarch to my Trinitron. This is a cheap and relatively easy option for people who care a lot about getting great quality video on their CRT but don't care a lot about using original hardware. This is definitely not going to be for everyone but I just wanted to share because it's something I recently figured out. P.S. For N64 I don't emulate but use s-video on real hardware. I have never been satisfied with N64 emulation.

[@oasisbeyond]

Buy a ed64... l use that and it's cheap you can have all games, that's easy l use. Like you said emulation for it is bad other then the big games.

[@Oceanandskylinevidss]

Retrobird did great explaining the cable rabbit hole. When I watch My life in gaming I have to rewind what Marc says constantly cuz im slow.

[@Shishkebarbarian]

Great video! As someone who went deep into that rabbit hole around 11 years ago and spotted all the various errors in this video, i had a great laugh and how accurate that intro was. I went so far into the rabbit hole, i am definitely not the same, owning multiple versions of the same console with different video modifications, over a dozen CRTs/PVMs of various sizes, and every cable known to man. At the end of the day? i recommend people find a 20" CRT TV and use composite.

[@MultiDudeman]

I use composite and a crt and don't mess with it any further, thats how i played as a kid and it still looks good like i remember so thats good enough for me to enjoy retro consoles. 👍

[@michaelturner2806]

Two additional things I could add, especially if the console of your youth supported RF output out of the box: Get an eye exam, and if available, keep up with your prescription via glasses or contacts. Vision insurance helps a lot, but a lot of glasses places have exams that are affordable without insurance, and you can just walk right out without buying their glasses. Some poking around the internet should reveal really cheap glasses if you don't mind limited selection and long shipping times. Second, much easier, if you already wear glasses, clean them! Some mild soap, running water, agitate slightly, rinse, and a soft lint-free cloth to dry and polish can work wonders even outside video games.

[@Domarius64]

Thank you for educating everyone. I went with composite on my SNES and Sega Master System, and a really good CRT - looks colourful and also the way I remember.

[@sebytheman]

Smaller TV is a great tip, I started playing all my shoot-em-ups on a lil 14inch RF-only tube since it was small enough to fit on my desk ( unlike my 32inch Trinitron with svideo cables ) and I've come to prefer it -- for that genre at least; it's easier to keep track of everything visually at a glance on a smaller screen. Surely there are other genres that would benefit similarly too.

[@zakariaennijm2751]

Love your humor bro. You make me laugh every time

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad to hear it!

[@nickparsons337]

We all know that off camera that "fruit platter" was really just an entire plate of nanners with everything else green screened in.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I guess I'm not as sneaky as I thought I was...

[@nickparsons337]

@@RetroBirdGaming Don't beat yourself up, it was a valiant effort.

[@lewisrodriguezespigares3325]

Here in Europe most of 90s CRT had at least one RGB connection and the difference was quite impressive, specially with the Mega Drive/Genesis normal wire. It seemed like you were playing with other console, hahaha. Very good video, as usual ❤.

[@silenthillfreak156]

After seeing a total of 3 of your videos so far, you good sir, have earned a sub. You are absolutely hilarious. I look forward to seeing more of your stuff! (future and past)

[@kar2nist1979]

I am so glad I stumbled across your channel! You should have a lot more subs! Thanks for the laughs! Great humor while staying on point, and informative! I just subscribed for that "Ace Ventura" quote alone! 🤣 Keep the great content coming, man!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I'm glad you found the channel too! Welcome aboard :)

[@RetrofIex]

I never knew this stuff as a kid. I had no clue what RGB or Component even meant. I just knew you plug yellow to yellow, red to red, white to white, turn it on and play the game. Thanks for making this simple for me to understand and opening up a new perspective

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

That's for composite. Y to Y, R to R, W to W is for composite. For component it's R to R, G to G and B to B, unless you're trying to plug a composite cable in, in that case, you might be able to plug the R to the audio R input, the W to W and the Y to G. That doesn't always work, but frequently the green jack for component is setup to accept a yellow input from composite.

[@kevinmccartney4906]

Congrats on 50K subscribers!!! 🎉

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you!!

[@blakemarsee4801]

Getting a CRT is really the simplest and best way to make your retro games look good. I get that everyone doesn't have room, but if you can, it's better. I went down that rabbit hole too, buying upscalers, components cables, switch boxes, etc, until I found a crt sitting on my neighbors curb. I picked it up, brought it home, plugged it in and never looked back. All of those games I'd been playing that looked fuzzy and blurry all of the sudden looked sharp. Also, this is a crt with composite, so I can't imagine how much better a crt with component output would look.

[@darviniusb]

Fantastic channel. Instant subscribe! I am am an engineer in telecommunications and working and worked all my life in tv and advertising. I made animations and commercials for crt’s many many years. And what no one mentions in their videos about crt TV is that no Crt Tv was made to sit close to it! Except crt pc monitors. Crt Tv had a rule of sitting couple of meters away. And the rule is the diagonal of the tv multiplied by 4, some say 3. This was the ideal scenario where your eyes would nit see the “pixels”( i know, crt has no pixels) . So yes, all old games where not made to be looked on flat lcd tv, and the dithering was meant to be blurred and simulated color blending, shadows etc. for animations i always had to blur text couple of pixels and add shadows. Was looking bad on crt pc monitor but perfect and crisp on tv. So if you want the authentic experience, get a dam crt tv. Are cheap and nothing replaces them .

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Welcome to the channel! Great point about CRTs not being made to sit close to them :)

[@volo870]

This is Internet and people disagree! Let me try to be one of those. 😉 "Mandatory distance to the CRT" is a cultural thing. Japanese consoles seem to be deliberately designed to be used when sitting on the floor with your face squeezed into the screen. The wires are just simply too short! The worst offender is original Famicom - you are supposed to have the console 3-4 feet from the screen, flat on the floor, and sit seiza-style near it, when playing. Famicom controller wires are so stubby, you can't even game sitting on a chair - the console is hanging! Other Japanese consoles are not as stingy, but still, they generally do not allow more than 4-5 feet from the TV.

[@85wastedyears]

Red Cow Arcade brought me here. Subbed.

[@NESADDICT]

The first 3 minute rant was amazing 😂

[@JesusSaves86AB]

Man this video reminds me of all the reasons why I subscribed. Keep up the excellent work.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you!

[@abdelali9279]

Nothing better than being in a dark or dimly lit room to play with a CRT TV, nothing about video quality is just the vibe I really want, and that's much better than using an expensive upscaler to play on a 60" OLED TV, just the light of your old boxy TV illuminating your bedroom during a stormy night and some pizza

[@kalvinravn8431]

I had the worst TV in the late 1980’s to play my Nintendo and Genesis on. Went to my friends house one day with my Genesis and his family had the nicest TV that it brought a tear to my eye when we played Rambo and I could see the intro scene with the Helicopter so clearly! Was using The RF Switch cord because my old TV didn’t have any other hookups but that and I remember looking at the yellow and red cables thinking some day I’ll be able to use these!! Great fun video my good sir!

[@josephblanc8761]

I had one of the best laugh on the close your eyes joke. Great funny video as usual. Thanks for all Bird and congrats on the 50k!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thanks!

[@josephblanc8761]

That's a pleasure@@RetroBirdGaming . You know how many things I found usefull on your channel. I collect but I was doing it wrongly (it's my opinion). Your advices and your shared experiences were a bless. Hope my english is not to rusty for your taste. Keep on going Bird that's great work!

[@Dankometer]

I love my retro tink 2xpro, decent price point, hooks up nearly everything I own to my flat screen. I bought one in 2021 and still play on it!

[@hellboundTX333]

I got the 5x and it was a game changer, literally. No more CRTs for me!

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@hellboundTX333 I've got the 2x, but from what I understand the 4x and 5x both have hardware to handle timing, so if you're ever trying to watch VHS, those units should do a bit better at that.

[@KaneAsIAm]

Thanks, as always, for another enjoyable discussion on retro gaming! I’ve played my childhood SNES with composite hook ups on an old LCD for years and enjoyed the heck out of it! I’ll upgrade to a CRT TV eventually, but I’m not going to wait until then to enjoy these wonderful old games!

[@Dav3Campb3ll]

I love this channel 😀

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

First half made laugh multiple times and 2nd half got my full undisputed Gamer attention... Well Done!

[@downwind_dave]

Best video in a decade. This so much meets my experience. Incredible!

[@pheria]

In the past I went down the rabbit hole of getting modded consoles, JP-21 cables, and a Framemeister for all my retro consoles. It was expensive and fairly overwhelming, eventually I downsized and I made the mistake of getting rid of those AND my CRT's (I had two, one larger and ridiculously heavy trinitron with component and a smaller one with just composite/s-video). I really wish I had kept the smaller one and just used composite/s-video, it's so much simpler and perfectly cozy to hang out in front of a small CRT with. There is too much judgement for people that don't want to invest all the time and equipment to get the 'best', it really is perfectly fine to just use what you used as a kid and have a great time so I really appreciate that angle being reinforced here.

[@ernestonp]

Love your videos, Retro Bird. Really great work here. I got an Analogue Super NT a year or two ago and I absolutely love it. I can play all my games natively on a 4K TV and adjust visual settings to the T. My partner and I love to play Tetris & Dr. Mario on it. I would highly recommend getting one, but they have unfortunately been discontinued. If you can find one for cheap out in the wild, it's definitely worth a snag!

[@DoctorTalon]

Your whimsical dialogue really brighten up your videos and bring a smile to my face! At the risk of going to retro gaming jail, I prefer using connectors that go straight to the no fuss RGB cables. I didn’t find out about RGB Scarts until the last decade or so. I definitely can’t go back to RF unless I’m stuck with it as my only choice like my Sega Master System II.

[@massimoromano4402]

That's fun! Yesterday had a bad convo in a chat group because my setup is a Retrotink 2x mini, a cheap composite switch hooked to a NES, a SNES and a Megadrive. It's not perfect but I have tons of fun with it! I have been mocked because it's not a full RGB setup. Your video really made me laugh. Greetings from Italy

[@THE-ICON]

Keep the good content coming I stumbled across you and I've been nothing but informed plus entertained I totally can relate to you and absolutely I'm thinking the same way and I am glad that all your videos are just the information people want or need you are awesome and seriously going places with this channel

[@MaisistkeinGemuese]

I discovered the Cyberlab Megatron Shader for RetroArch and it looks extremely close to a CRT! Plus you don't have to tinker with cables, consoles, mods and so on. Sure it's not on the same emotional level as playing on the console but this is something most people who just want to replay one or two games can fully do themselves and enjoy it even more!

[@PowerSynopsis]

This has been one of the best yet. Ya actually had me laughing out loud; not giggling either, like, a good doofus laugh.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

That's my favorite kind of laugh to do!

[@rocket1493]

Another fantastic video, love the sense of humour🙂 50k subs very well earned!!

[@ryanfen15]

Great channel and videos, and high light of my Fridays.

[@chriskoschik391]

Your delivery is not typically something that hits my funny bone, but you nailed it here lol. Pretty much my video quality journey. I settled with S Video on a Sony Trinitron. Good enough!

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

That's a setup that many kids would have killed for back in the day. As long as you aren't playing any games that really rely on dithering to look good, you should be very happy.

[@prefeitobear9209]

super funny! and yeah, quality i want to re create is what i remember seeing in my parent's old tv when i was 12 playing games without sound because it is school day and i am supposed to be studying.

[@adamwilson1691]

ah yes, the image quality rabbit hole. ive been down that rabbit hole myself, but eventually I just concluded that its more pure and simple to just use the best cable the system outputs natively. no mods. for most systems I use s-video and for NES I use composite. looks great to me on my Sony Trinitron.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Considering most of us played NES via RF, composite has always felt like sort of an upgrade to me.

[@adamwilson1691]

@@RetroBirdGaming true! in my case I used to use RF for N64 when I was a kid 😅

[@neogohanamv]

​@@RetroBirdGamingYep, I feel like this isn't touched on enough and I'm glad you did. Most consoles came with RF or composite and the idea of buying 'better' cables seemed ridiculous. Most TVs during this time didn't have component and few had S-Video either. If you're going for authenticity, spray some Ecto Cooler on your TV, plug in RF, and get a CRT that occasionally requires a few whacks to the side to keep sync. You'll be happy you did... or maybe frustrated. But mostly happy.

[@capcomcrazyl4]

I got a Retrotink 4K and I’m definitely in the video quality rabbit hole phase of things atm. That segment at 1:38 was hilarious btw great stuff!

[@miketate3445]

This is the most 10/10 video I've ever seen.

[@BKopps]

your best video yet. literally crying in laughter from this one.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thanks! Glad to hear it :)

[@mjdf122]

I’m in my 40s I appreciate you seen all from 1980-Now

[@Mickelous]

Ace ventura reference got me

[@eamonokane2469]

I’m from northern Ireland love your videos ya mad man

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thanks for watching!

[@MrMarrekkk]

I love this video, i went through almost getting into a rabbit hole after watching videos/reading about CRTs for retro gaming and then accidentally I figured out perfect solution for myself which is RF for consoles gen3&4(dithering and transparency)RGB Scart for consoles gen5&6, 32"flat panel for gen 7 and 50" for gen 8. Enjoy your setups, and don't forget even though it's a passion try to make it work for you and allow you play games instead of making you spending ages on research.

[@StarCityChopShop]

Favorite channel on KZbin right now. Love your videos man!!

[@dapperfan44]

11:47 My heart was BROKEN last year when I celebrated Spyro the Dragon's 25th birthday by playing the original (via PS3's PSN version), and my 16 year old cousin in law said it looked ugly. Getting a smaller display as said in this video did do the trick though, as she said it looked better when I grabbed my PSP (same PSN digital version installed) to show her. Then of course, I explained to her how the tv's back then displayed images differently from modern tv's.

[@idxman01]

How to elicit the worst response? Use composite, attached to a projector, in a room with sunlight. Hold on your bridges and bananas. Great video as always, the options do get a little crazy and there are some truths out there in betweenthe hate. Usually it’s not anywhere as serious as people try to claim, especially if you’re just having fun and not doing speed runs, etc..

[@brichan1851]

I love that you have given us this video. I just got a GameCube for Christmas, but I need a converter or some kind of special cable to make it work with my 4K UHDTV. This is helpful and welcome, as always. ❤❤❤❤

[@mattb6522]

Great video! I remember as a kid having only RF for my NES and it never bothered me. Graphical imperfections don't really bother me too much as long as I don't experience the dreaded input lag. I usually play all my games on a small computer monitor and never have an issue image quality. Unfortunately, it seems to be getting harder each year to even find a CRT, so sometimes you just have to make due with what you have available.