MiSTer FPGA and Analog Video! Why You Want a PVM or CRT TV for Retro Gaming

Almost a year ago I did a SECOND tutorial video on how to use the Analog IO board on MiSTer FPGA to get crystal clear and amazing RGB signal into your PVM! But MiSTer moves fast and now we have RGB, VGA, component video, S-Video and composite video on MiSTer FPGA...which covers every format from a VGA monitor to a Sony PVM CRT to consumer CRT's...so I need to update the video one last time! To tell you why CRT gaming is important and how much fun MiSTer FPGA RGB video is!
SUPPORT THE CHANNEL : / videogameesoterica
I asked, you answered...and I try to listen :) Of all the requests for new content on the channel one of the most frequently asked for videos is a series on the Terasic DE-10 Nano MiSTer FPGA hardware...so here it is! Retro gaming goodness.
On this episode of our MiSTer series we are going to be talking about all the different analog video sources you can get out of your MiSTer FPGA, breaking down what cables and settings you need in the MiSTer INI files....and more! Added this time around: everything needed for an active Y/C video adapter for MiSter...including all the necessary boards, cables and settings.
Because whether you are playing Neo Geo in FPGA, SNES in FPGA, Sega Genesis in FPGA, arcade cores in FPGA...ok seriously this list is too long...MiSTer FPGA analog video output is amazing and you should be enjoying it!
Cables I used
RBGS - www.amazon.com...
Component - www.amazon.com...
VGA - www.amazon.com...
Questions? Comments? Just leave them below and I will do my best to answer each and every one of them!
/ videogameesoterica
You can follow us at IG : ChicagoGameCollector , or join our Discord Server : / discord
VGE
#retrogaming #misterfpga #sega #ps1 #retrogamer #retrogames #analog #pvm #crtgaming #fpga #arcade #arcadegames #arcadegame #snes #neogeo

[@markderidder]

I like this content. I am a CRT purist so you are preaching to the choir but it’s nice to hear these benefits articulated. MiSTer plus CRT is just nostalgic magic

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Glad you enjoyed :)

[@Shawnsteroz]

I have running my MiSTer on my Commodore 1084S monitor recently. I made a cable for it, as it has RGB socket on the back. The screen is not big, about 12" but the picture is so nice, I have been playing Panel Du Pon, on the SNES core. You are so correct about people having to try it, I didn't know it was possible until about 1yr ago.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Panel De Pon is a classic

[@returningwhisper]

You picked some great games to showcase. Absolutely love Capcom's arcade releases from that era.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Glad you liked the pics

[@dabullnice]

When you get to PlayStation, N64, and same era arcade games, the graphics on a CRT look really nice. The HDMI look is nice and crisp and bright, but it always appears flat. Hard to believe I used to play on VHF Ch 3 via RF all the way through the ps1/n64 era and the graphics were amazing! Even a 13 inch tv for games is great and easy to find for free on the side of the road. I’ve acquired 2 Toshibas (one composite w VCR and one with component) and a Sony trinitron w composite and mono only, but they’re fun!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

IMO everything pre-HD looks awesome on a CRT

[@mr.horseshoe2301]

I’d never play retro games on a flat screen. It just looks and feels… wrong. Got my MiSTer hooked up to a Toshiba 20AF44 via component and it is incredible.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

MiSTer and CRT are a perfect combo for sure

[@davidaltizer]

dude i literally searched "CRT with MiSTer" just now on KZbin and this video pulled up. Looked at upload time and I can't believe this video was uploaded TODAY. So funny. IDK why that's so amusing to me.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha it’s always weird when you think a thought and the universe provides in a strangely timely context

[@sidnamyzo]

I'm a big CRT guy - have 6 consumer sets of different sizes so its endless fun plugging the MiSTer into them through various means and seeing how the cores look - so much so I actually forget to do any proper gaming half the time am too busy just playing with the endless options!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha I never have time for proper gaming any more outside the channel

[@mark_eire]

CRT ❤ Always great to see people enjoy playing whatever the method. I'd even recommend smaller CRTs, MiSTer has given my childhood 14inch bedroom TV a new lease on life! Never knew it could do 50+60Hz, or RGB SCART. I love it's dense mono speaker, red tinting with age. Has already outlast several flat screens

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

14” is a good size for a PVM if you don’t sit too far back for sure

[@prlostinshadows]

This is a good piece of journalism. Set apart from the normal review, news, or technical information. Mono no aware.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Glad you enjoyed

[@reefo7]

I’ve been enjoying the new analog pro io board from misteraddons. Having composite and sound output directly from the io board Saturn port removes the need for a bunch of extra cables and the external y/c board. Makes it real easy when I travel with my mister.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s a nice feature for sure

[@NekoMilkshake]

Just modded a consumer trinitron for RGB input to use with MiSTer, i'm in heaven!

[@scalliano]

Already have an old consumer-grade 18'' Toshiba and have been playing BallisticNG on it via SCART with MiSTerCast. Only got my MiSTer a few weeks ago and while the FPGA cores are great, being able to play modern lowpoly/pixel art games at actual 240p was what sealed the deal for me.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

240p just makes a lot of things look good

[@RetroRockGamer]

I have a 13" composite, 20" composite and a 27" trinitron with component. Love em!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Good range of sizes

[@kosmosyche]

Four 21" Trinitron TVs here (all with SCARTs and S-Video connections, also NTSC/PAL multisystem). lol My precious. And I'm not going to say how many computer CRT monitors I have out of embarrassment. No PVMs though, don't like them.

[@matthewr1426]

Composite on a little 13" can look surprisingly sharp!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Someone likes the 21” size apparently haha

[@kosmosyche]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Only 21! :-)

[@fv_ys_]

Oh yes they have a sound alright the good ol crt whine. Once heard never forgotten.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

A very specific noise for sure

[@BillsOldandNewGaming]

I picked up a pvm (which looks exactly the same as the one you are using btw) for £10 and a bit of fuel money about 6 months ago and I've still not set it up yet! Bought a bunch of cables as I have a digital io board and some adapters to use rgb scart for real hardware. Hopefully this video will get me motivated to connect it all up (I have switched it on to make sure it works)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

see there still are deals out there :)

[@johnclark926]

In my head, I’ve been wondering whether it would be possible to construct a DIY CRT TV without using an original TV motherboard by using a board with a Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA) to do the analog picture processing instead. Not only would that guarantee compatibility with a load of analog video signals (maybe cores for each signal type?), but it could also potentially be used to emulate the styles of multiple CRTs so users could select the ones closest to what they’re familiar with. The problem with this idea though is that I’m talking out my ass and I have no clue on the technical feasibility of such a project, let alone the availability and price of the other tube television components needed to make this a reality. The FPAA board would also likely require an FPGA chip alongside it to process digital signals for compatibility with modern devices. In general I wish there were better resources out there for CRT modding and repairs, especially when you compare them to console modding and repairs.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s not impossible but that’s about as far into the realm of possibility as it would get

[@MrMysterious420]

Bought an old new stock Magnavox 13" back in 2010 when I realized that lightguns dont work on led TVs. It only has RF in which has the worst detail even over composite, but that is what I remember using during the late 80s and early 90s so the nostalgia factor is top notch for me.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Nostalgia is strong. You get to see it how you remember it. Good old channel 3 gaming

[@klurman]

One thing missed: blur. Would have been good to try to cover this, as it's another huge advantage over flat-panels. Very informative and demonstrated reasonably well the pros and cons.

[@jsr734]

Blur? Do you mean the low tvl that will blend pixels at higher horizontal resolutions? or the effect from using composite or RF connections? or both? 😆

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s not something you can really see in the camera so I didn’t go much into it

[@THELEGENDARYK2]

Not including arcade machines, I have 13 tube tvs in the house. (Yikes!) BVM to an 80s Zenith. Different brushes as you say.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

13? Wow got me beat

[@nocturnalag7695]

I come from the opposite camp. Used to have 2x pvm - 20m4a and 20m2mda. Great RGB tubes no doubt, but got my panasonic oled gz950 in 2019 and my mister in 2020. Again, great tubes, but dont miss how small of a screen they were, how heavy they were, the geometry issues and the adjustments per console that were required on the screen. If you feel a crt is worth it, sure, but the oled is sufficient for me. Bigger screen, better energy consumption, perfect geometry, and fantastic blacks. Dont miss the crt pvm experience one bit.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

There’s a charm in a CRT I just love

[@TheRealGara]

Nice to see a CRT video. It seems like CRT content from the various creators has mostly dried up. I miss seeing videos of people just talking about their passion for them.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I try to do them now and again

[@TheRealGara]

@@VideoGameEsoterica much appreciated! I'd be hard pressed to think of anything specific I'd like to see. Back when Phonedork was doing videos I loved listening to him talk about the monitors while learning new things and getting the view point of someone passionate and excited about their hobby.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ve got some ideas. I kind of just make non-news things in the order in which I’m feeling like it haha. One big master list of ideas and I see what I am feeling that day

[@METR0lD]

I do miss having a CRT, but I just don't have room for one. What I hate about modern TVs is the sample and hold persistence blur. Simply put, motion looks like absolute crap on modern flat panel displays. I love everything my OLED does with that one exception. The only solution is the black frame insertion, but that has issues of its own. Motion is just buttery smooth on CRTs (and plasma TVs).

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

You have flat panels in Wisconsin? I always imagine you guys stopped progressing in like 1994

[@METR0lD]

In some ways, I wish we had!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I mean cheese, bloody Mary’s and rip tickets existed back then. All you really need for a good life

[@TheRealGara]

May I ask what other CRT's you use in your setup? Just the small PVM? Back when everyone was upgrading their consoles signal to RGB for the Framemeister and later on the OSSC it was a no brainer to get a professional CRT to go along with it. You were already using the top end signals and those monitors were so cheap. Now those monitors are ridiculous in price, but that advice stands stronger than ever. A CRT adds so much more variety to setup already upgraded for modern screens. Maybe I've just lost perspective, but they go together so well that it always mystified me to see people aggressively pushing either path with no desire to branch off. You really don't need a large CRT to get a premium experience.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I have two 14” PVMs, a 17” Sony Trinitron VGA monitor and a 20” PVM

[@simon41978]

I lost a couple of Ebay auctions for PVM's. I was bidding for a model that was 25 inches and had a scart input. I set my limit at about £300 but was outbid in the final seconds.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Sadly that’ll happen on eBay

[@drdroop2163]

Honestly, I rarely touch my CRTs these days now that I have an LG OLED (CX), RetroTink 4k, and MiSTer with the DV1 option. DV1 isn't perfect but it's getting there and it all looks and works so amazing. With the pseudo 240hz BFI that the CX does with 60hz content even the motion resolution is close to CRT levels. Meaning I can run around in games that pan up/down/left/right and the scanlines don't blur, disappear, or any of that. It's great! Expensive, but great! CRTs still have that glow. The clunk of turning on, an innate fuzzy/softness, and they work with lightguns. Lightguns are the biggest reason. If someone doesn't have room for a CRT I highly recommend the RT4k. great thing is the MiSTer platform gives us options!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

OLED and the Tink are def a potent combo and I do love my Tink 4K

[@natese8406]

These games look and play amazing on CRTs! I even prefer the lower grade smaller CRTs which blend the genesis dithering just how I remember it whereas my higher end trinitron's composite is too sharp IMO. I also must have it all at once like VGE, and the CRT is a great experience among all options. If you don't have a CRT, consider getting even a cheap small one while you can!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes sometimes the composite signal on a consumer level tv help the image

[@jackal27]

GREAT video and I agree completely! There is nothing quite like playing on a CRT and being transported to a time when video games were a “Turn it on and go” affair. I hate that people get caught up in the race for PVMs or the best of the best, because there are so many excellent, common consumer sets out there. Have around a dozen CRTs and my consumer sets get the most play time by far.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

There’s a ton of great consumer sets out there. Especially if you live overseas where RGB was on basically every tv

[@jsr734]

I remember i had been playing some Final Fantasy XIII on my lcd and then i switched to my Ps2 pluged to my crt to play some Final Fantasy X. Man, my eyes felt SO relieved, as if they had been put to great stress and then they were relaxing. Looking at the crt screen is very confortable for my eyes. Some games/systems may produce visual faults with lcd displays that are not really there, for example Yoshi´s Island on my Snes Jr suffers from horrible ghostling in some areas and then i play the same game, the same console in the crt and magically all ghostling is gone.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

PS2 is particularly not a pretty console on an LCD tv without a good scaler and deinterlacer

[@jsr734]

@@VideoGameEsoterica The problem with LCDs is that they try to get the sharpest picture posible, exposing all kind of graphical flaws or imperfections. The jaggies get sharper and more defined, if the game is using dithering it will be very noticeable, low res textures will pop out more, then play the same game on the crt and it will appear as if the game is running with 10x antialiasing, dithering will dissapear and low res textures will look more natural.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Being sharp is basically the goal of LCD for better or worse

[@bedwablackburn]

That raster line is pure character.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

And pure lightgun joy too

[@bedwablackburn]

@@VideoGameEsoterica oh yeah. I still have my Zapper for my NES..... So, I totally agree there.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Same :)

[@beingsupersonic7499]

I still have a little CRT I had in my room as a kid. It still works (occasionally have to waggle the RGB scart input) and kept it for light gun games mainly. I do want a bigger one and do look on eBay etc every now and again but never seen a good deal that’s nearby to pick up ☹️ Do TATE all the time and when I first did it in my youth people thought I was mad😂Always jealous of your PVM by the way. Have no experience of a PVM, does the sound come from it like a TV or do you have to link some speakers?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Sounds like a cold joint on the SCART port. Easy fix. PVMs have a speaker but they suck

[@beingsupersonic7499]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Yeah, probably from all the years of putting cables in and out☹️Gotta be 30 years old though🤪Oh ok, the sound on this CRT ain’t great and would love a PVM though✌🏻

[@carlosjr4412]

Hey quick question, I own 4 CRTs from 9” to 36”. I know that they are great for 480i and 240p and especially on N64. However, in your own opinion, would you recommend an HD CRT for 480p and 720p? I do own an SB95 Samsung Oled but I’m really in the middle about if an HD CRT is worth it. Thanks and I really appreciate your videos, couldn’t have been able to set up my mister without your help!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I don’t really have much experience with the HD CRT territory. Never owned one

[@Lonesome_Loser]

I miss my crt-tv.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

You can always get another :)

[@CSIG1001]

i am fine with a 42" C3 OLED using scanlines or 4k retrotink.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s fair :)

[@skitswithextramayo6371]

I couldn't agree more, but I do think it is more than nostalgia. I watched the Cuphead show on Netflix with my daughter on our PS3 via component cable to my 36 inch Sony Trinitron and the colors look miles better than on the 65 inch Sony 4k TV I have. The MiSTer FPGA is the best money I have spent on a video game product. Thanks for the content!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The colors do have a warmer look IMO

[@ArmandoDoval]

Loved the video and agree with everything you said but regarding input lag it's worth remembering that a CRT is only 0 lag at the top. It still takes half a frame to paint the top half the screen and a full frame to paint all the way to the bottom, so a flat panel that waits a bit under 1 frame and then updates the whole screen at once really isn't all that different in practice.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s a mathematical value, not a human perception one. To our lizard brains it’s lag free :)

[@retrorobbgaming]

Love my CRT for certain scenarios… do you ever get dizzy or nauseous when staring at them for too long?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

No can’t say I ever have

[@bnr32jason]

I guess I feel fortunate to live in the Seattle area where there is an abundance of CRTs and technology in general. I have a few great PVMs (20L5, 20M2U, and 14L2) along with a couple candy cabs with 29" CRTs as well. I also have a Retrotink4k connected to an LG OLED. Even with the increased brightness, better black levels, and color saturation on the OLED, I still prefer to play retro on ANY of my CRTs over the OLEDs. It's about the look but also the overall feel. I know people complain about the prices of CRTs nowadays, but honestly it makes me happy to see them getting more valuable, because that means people actually want them and they aren't just ending up in a recycling center to be destroyed. Playing MiSTer on a CRT is the absolute best retro gaming experience, even better than original hardware (because of RGB modding and stuff like you mentioned), especially when you consider newer cores like GroovyMiSTer and MiSTerCast.

[@Aeonsparx]

Just can't get enough of the CRT too. I have got in to the collection of dirt cheap unappreciated CRT locally and having a great time playing retro games on it. Found some really good deals for PVMs from oversea but I have yet to found a good way to transport em back to my own country. Any how, I'm quite surprised that my favorite CRT right now is a 15" Trinitron CRT with composite video. The visual clarity is surprisingly good incomparison to some newer flatscreen CRT.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Shipping them is sadly a nightmare

[@Aeonsparx]

@@VideoGameEsoterica yeah mate. I figure I ether has to pay premium for the shipping or I have to keep it in my second home in oversea. There are eBay seller from Dubai that selling the unit including shipping costing a small fortune. Quite tempted but I might rather save it for retrotink 4k + 4k Oled TV.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Plus there’s the risk of damage during shipping. Always a high probability

[@Aeonsparx]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Yeah. I've shipped a SGI O2 from states a couple of years ago. Still regret till this day that the shipping process has damaged the outer shell.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Ouch that’s not good

[@idukry]

Does anybody remember when you put your arm near the Analog TV, the static by the screen pulls your arm hairs towards the screen?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

remember? I still do it occasionally 🤣

[@chester7550]

I have a dual ram setup and a pvm..will i be able to hook up my mister to my pvm with a hdmi to vga adapter?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes you can use direct video mode

[@chester7550]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Will I get the same results as an analog i/o board connected rgb to a pvm?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

In essence yes

[@slerched]

MiSTer into an RT4K. I don't need or want a crt but I get the allure.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I enjoy both

[@Pawnband]

I constantly go back and forth between my 20" S-video CRT and the LG C2. It's pretty much a draw for me. They both have their advantages.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes I def use my 4K with my RetroTink 4K as much as my pvm

[@Pawnband]

@@VideoGameEsoterica PVM AND Tink4k. You're living the dream lol.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Lol I like my devices

[@speedcircuit]

Tah-Tay! :P

[@MicPrime]

Hey what about pc monitor this will be good combo with mister?.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

You’ll have to linedouble to 31kHz. I do it. I’ll have a video soonish

[@MicPrime]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Please discuss the topic of direct video, as I will be using an HDMI to VGA converter. Thx a lot for that

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Probably next month :)

[@wildside4822]

CRT is king. We need a new type of CRT screen. One that gives the proper experience, is curved & uses some modern tech

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

We could only wish

[@jsr734]

Imagine a modern day crt, capable of 240p, 480i,480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, 2k, 4k, 8k and up to 120 hz or higher, with no scaling, just synching the beam to each resolution and refresh rate. You will no need any other tv for a long time. 😆

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

A man can only dream

[@nonplayercharacter596]

Today I secured the funds to justify getting a mister for my PVM. Then I'll probably sell my original hardware. Wish me luck.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Welcome to the MiSTer club

[@_BELMONT_]

i LOVE my 1351-Q for MiSTer! no need to hook up multiple consoles with a switcher! Just all my favorite consoles i grew up with all in one!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The beauty of MiSTer

[@Nuevo_El_Nagual]

Can I use a VGA monitor instead of a CRT TV? Would be the same 240P quality picture?

[@Pawnband]

Unfortunately no. It can look good once it's all dialed in, but you still need to worry about scaling and shimmering. Also no real scanlines (but the scanline filters look pretty good). It's a solid option though.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

You need to line double to 31kHz

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

A very solid option

[@Nuevo_El_Nagual]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I just saw a Reflex Prism - HDMI to Analog Video on MisterAddons. Looks interesting!

[@ajsingh4545]

I have a 24" Panasonic CRT from 2000s. I bought a digital Mister, is there a way to connect it to the CRT. I opted for the digital io because I wanted a power switch and wanted to future proof it

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes. Direct video DAC from the hdmi port

[@ajsingh4545]

@@VideoGameEsoterica which one do you recommend ?

[@sega_kid4288]

We actually only had Sony CRTs growing up although at the time I didn’t know what made them special. So for me Sony CRTs are part of the nostalgia. I had a couple other CRTs and nothing looks as”right” as a Trinitron. Plus CRTs are a must for lightgun and I also have a laserdisc collection I like to watch if I really need a big hit of 80s 90s nostalgia. Prices are over the place where I live and PVM are rare and expensive when they do show up.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The trinitron look is iconic

[@thomasgebert6119]

Honestly, I don't really miss CRT TV's. They're really heavy, bulky, small, and I really never really liked the scan lines even when they were contemporary. The zero-latency is obviously cool, but modern OLEDs are relatively low-latency now already.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

A surprising opinion but everyone gets one :)

[@thomasgebert6119]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I mean there are niceties, but I still kind of have PTSD with having to lug a big one up four flights of stairs, potentially influencing my opinion. Modern OLEDs are really great and way lighter and easier to move around. I'll admit it's not quite as cool as the glowing CRT screen, but I feel like the pros really outweigh the cons for me. Obviously if you have the room for and you like it, not telling you it's a bad thing or to get rid of it or anything, just not something that I really miss, and I feel like the fact that no one manufactures them anymore means that I'm not alone.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha that is a lot of flights and they certainly aren’t light

[@thomasgebert6119]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I don't have the space for it anymore, but something that I think is worth considering is a decent projector. It's obviously a different look, but a lot of projectors still have VGA inputs, and can be forced to go at reasonably high refresh rates. They're also light and relatively cheap. Part of my frustrations with CRT tvs is that they can't be made super big. You can make a projector as big as you want!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I have a 115” projector in my bedroom for gaming (and to watch tv with my wife at night)

[@plyplus2693]

I had to be really patient when looking for CRTs. Some people think retro gaming = a lot of money. I see sets for hundreds just because the seller saw an ebay listing. I just found my dream set, a JVC D Series, for free. It may have taken a few years but I didn't pay $300 for it.

[@bnr32jason]

See that's where I understand what you are saying with not wanting to pay more than you feel it's worth, but was waiting a few years worth the money saved? I mean let's say you passed on one for $300 but found one for $100 three years later. So you saved $5/mo. I would rather have been playing on a CRT for the last three years, that seems well worth $5 a month to me. Just my opinion though.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Patience is key in the hunt :)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’m more of a “don’t wait” person myself if the deal is ok

[@plyplus2693]

@@bnr32jason I'm just warning people not to pay insane prices for one. I've had maybe 20 in the past 7 years and never paid more then $30 for a set. I just sold a VCR/TV combo unit for $15 just to see the guy repost it for $125. Just scour fb and craigslist and eventually, the CRT gods will bless you.

[@Wobble2007]

I just hooked mine up to a really nice AIWA 21" shadow mask CRT TV, Sony own AIWA, it really does look like Sony's version of a shadow mask CRT, as close as it gets anyway, before hooking it up to the 15Khz CRT, I was using it on a 21" CRT monitor (Sony CPD-E530), it looked amazing on the CRT monitor in 480p 31Khz, but MiSTer really shines in 240p 15Khz, the scanlines are super crispy with the Retrocables (UK) Pakapunch VGA to RGBS MiSTer/Analogue Scart cable, I also have an PVM-20M4E 20" Sony HR Trinitron 800 TVL monitor on the way, should be delivered in a day or two, also just snagged a 14" 15/24Khz Amiga RGB monitor, which should be nice for MiSTer computer cores that require some obscure resolutions, to be honest though, I'm shocked at how incredible it looks on the 21" AIWA consumer CRT TV, it really looks amazing, I would have set it up with my 33" Thomson RGB CRT, which I love, but it needs the internal fuse changing, which I'm to lazy to do lol, but canny wait to see what Saturn and Neo Geo look like on it, it's identical to the 36" JVC D-Series with the Thomson tube. Only thing is, I got it set up, and I canny seem to get the Toslink audio working with my CYP DAC, I've tried different optical cables, power sources, and then I hooked up an optical headphone DAC to it, and it was really glitchy/popping audio, so I tried rebooting the MiSTer, and it then stopped working all-together, so no working audio other than the terrible stock audio, I was so excited to finally do update all and play some MiSTer cores too, was a let-down, maybe my I/O Analogue board has dodgy audio, if so, it will have been 100 pounds wasted on a 2.5 RAM stick and a broken I/O board, which sucks.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s right AIWA did make TVs didn’t theh? So many brands out there

[@ski9k]

CRT is really the only way to use a mister - to anyone out there who is on the fence trying to justify they don't need one.... Just do yourself a favour and by a crt while they are still cheap. Will be difficult to get a decent one at a good price in 5 years time.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

They certainly aren’t getting cheaper that’s for sure

[@jasonfox7958]

Speaking of torso, would you ever consider a face reveal?

[@wildside4822]

He has done before & he is very hamdsome

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha I’ve been on the channel. And in the gaming news with my face. And I’ve posted it on Twitter. I just don’t want to do the “talking head” vibe

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Damn straight

[@simon41978]

Of course, I wouldn't say no to an NEC XM29 monitor. There's a video on YT of somebody playing Street Fighter II on one. The quality is 10/10 and it's phenomenal. I have a 14'' Trinitron but it's too small for my eyes. My myopia dramatically reduces the size of things. So, that 14'' becomes very small. My preferred set-up now is a 50'' TCL TV. My RetroTink 4K is coming tomorrow so we shall see if it can compete with CRT'S.

[@partirbukadera]

It cannot, even if it was an OLED it would still be inferior to a CRT.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ve got the 20” PVM which I think is the sweet spot size wise

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

OLED gets close though

[@simon41978]

@@partirbukadera Well, it doesn't have to be exactly the same. Even if it got to 90% of the quality, it's a good deal considering how much real-estate you get in terms of image size (50 to 60 inches or more).

[@bnr32jason]

Of course I don't know exactly what your vision is like, but this is all a function of viewing distance. Can't you just sit closer to the 14"? Or do you already sit just a few feet away from the 50"?

[@atsz.]

What if I have a 4k OLED and a Retrotink4k?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Why not both

[@atsz.]

@@VideoGameEsoterica If I happen to see one somewhere at a good price, maybe I just might 😄

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s the spirit

[@mrburns366]

I find out about Mister Laggy the DAY AFTER I order a Time Sleuth.. 🤦

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha timing is like that sometimes

[@MikkyTee]

I have a few consumer sets i lifted from my local recycling center. Overall i'd agree, the old games work well on crt televisions, all mine have rgb scart so its easy to connect these to mister. I dont have the space to set these up all the time so all mine are in storage currently. On the minus side, crts are bulky & heavy and some cores don't display too well as the number of adjustments you can make are limited to moving the display area horizonal or vertical so if you don't have a remote you might have issues. Forget about Trinitrons, they are so heavy and honestly way over priced as everyone wants one, there are many great sets out there that are not sony, i'd love a pvm but they are as common as moon rock on earth ;)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

They certainly aren’t light. Moving them is good for your health though. Free gym membership

[@Mechanicoid]

I've been pushing my Analogue Pocket through a cheap HDMI to Composite adaptor and with a little work, I can make it look decent enough to enjoy.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I should do a video on that at some point

[@Mechanicoid]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I would dig that. My results so far are ok. I only lose a little of the screen on the border, but I also have a flat tube on my television. I haven't experimented with my 13" Trinitron.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Just gotta go into the service menu and adjust

[@Mechanicoid]

@@VideoGameEsoterica time to experiment.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yeah it is!

[@AG-bp3ll]

The days of finding a good working CRT for cheap are long over sadly. Not to mention having room for a CRT. I got as many years as I could out of my Trinitron.

[@bnr32jason]

I still see plenty of CRTs in the Seattle area for $200 or less. Yeah some people may say paying $200 for an old TV is crazy, but if you are going to use it quite a bit it's well worth it. Every area is a little different though.

[@AG-bp3ll]

@bnr32jason If I was unhappy playing old games on an LCD I would consider it but I'm not. With all the filtering and shader options they have now, I'm fine.

[@c2ironfist]

It all depends on your location Some have plenty of free CRTs while others are scarce The VGA CRT Monitors are going way up though Image quality on those are excellent

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

They are still out there

[@Wobble2007]

I just got a brand-new retail boxed Hitachi 25" presentation RGB CRT monitor for a good price, a 14" Amiga CRT 15/24Khz RGB monitor for £25 with a really vibrant good condition tube/screen, and I see some good deals now and then, instead of buying expensive brands like Sony/Panasonic/Toshiba, look at brands like AIWA, Hitachi, Thomson, every bit as good as them, and much cheaper, instead of buying an expensive PVM, buy a PCM and use a GBC-8200 with it, you can get a 17" PCM for 50-100, or a 19" for 100-150, you will have yourself a 1200 TVL CRT with VGA/component for 75-150, well worth it with the MiSTer, while you're at it, hook up a second hand Ryzen APU mini PC for 80-100 and install Recallbox, and enjoy some Dreamcast/PS2/GC/Wii/Wii-U/DS/PSP/etc, not to mention you can install Steam and enjoy some of the best Indie releases on the PCM CRT, you can even install SteamOS, you can really get a lot for very little now days.

[@dorfus]

Heck of a torso

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The best

[@victorromero8010]

I have a JVC I’art with component hookups and some Toshiba AF CRTs with component hookups and some real hardware, though I hope I can get a Mister at some point.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Def pick up a MiSTer when you get the chance

[@zeldajunkielol2]

I have a massive 32 inch Philips crt tv that I hooked up the MiSTer to with component and it's not bad but ran into a lot of sync issues going into different cores so I much rather prefer to use the 240hz monitor I recently got, with filters on the n64 it makes it look almost exactly how my brain misremembers it 😂. I have a few Dell Trinitrons and those old crt vga monitors look really nice, I would definitely recommend people getting one of those instead of shelling out hundreds for a PVM.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Sync issues. Which cores?

[@zeldajunkielol2]

@@VideoGameEsoterica N64 and some of the arcade ones. Playstation works fine. My cable is just a cheap vga to component cable from amazon so there's that

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

May very well be the cable for N64. Arcade cores can have odder refresh rates

[@sunderark]

Who needs an old box display? Pffft. Nerds!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

🤣

[@ElectricLuvz]

I love playing my MiSTer via component inputs to a CRT.. however it does negate playing some arcade machines unless I want to physically rotate my TV on its side lol... which tbh I'm not a huge fan of. But that said.. for everything else there is no better way.. CRT all the way!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha gotta TATE it up

[@miltonbates6425]

A CRT TV or monitor is essential to the MiSTer experience. This should go without saying.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Still gotta convince people just how much they do :)

[@miltonbates6425]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Agreed. I have to remember that the younger viewers might not have ever experienced gaming on a CRT.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes there is a cut off where the only tv some people ever knew was flat panel

[@poonsamurai]

Only problem is I was never able to find quite the correct modeline for my trinitron. Not sure if the process has gotten any easier in the last few years, but I remember the image being oddly cut off, and the colors seeming off in some cases.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Just gotta get into the service menu and tinker a bit

[@c2ironfist]

With the advancement of flat panels these days you can get very razer sharp perfect images with a decent upscaler But the one true benefit of a CRT is the motion clarity You get absolutely no motion blur Try playing a game like Sonic on a flat panel and it's nothing but a blurry mess I love Retro gaming on a CRT and it can be done without breaking the bank Suggest going with RGB/Component or at least S-VIDEO I even game in HD on my CRT Monitor Love the CRT experience 🥰

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Motion clarity is good for sure but for me it’s the glow and the overall vibe

[@c2ironfist]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Agree I love tanning in front of my CRT when gaming 😎 Flat panels just well pretty flat with it's brightness Unless you go Plasma which in my opinion comes close to the CRT glow 😁

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The glow is as part of the CRT as anything vibe wise

[@coderkind]

Dual output with analog video is so important to my setup that I could never give it up to install a second RAM module (no matter the released core).

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s fair. Everyone gets to pick their build :)

[@tecianeli]

I couln't agree more. I would add SNAC port too. I love using my original SNES and Genesis controller on Mister.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Original controls as an option are awesome

[@johnhumphries6772]

I can’t decide on a CRT or retrotink 4k.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Both 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@beef_parade]

Anyone tried arcade lightguns with a jamma mister? I have a mistercade in a cabinet but arcade guns with recoil are pretty expensive so I haven’t taken the plunge yet. Guncon2s work ok, take some tweaking though. At least they did for me. I had to get rid of my big (32”) crt last move. Was too heavy and bulky to keep around. That was before I discovered mister - regret 😢

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

No I’ve never tried. Honestly I’m not sure it would work. I’ll ask Porkchop

[@shingotink5062]

If space wasn't an issue I would definitely have a CRT in my house.

[@bnr32jason]

You can get small CRTs that can even sit on your desk next. Here's a pro-tip, you don't necessarily need a 36" CRT when you are sitting 2ft away from it. I have a 14" PVM next to my gaming PC and it's perfect size and feels big and detailed because I sit so close.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Space is always the biggest issue

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Exactly. I keep a 20” PVM next to my capture setup and it’s the perfect size for the distance

[@JayTheBarber603]

Hey listen man, we don’t need this video in our lives right now. At least give us a few months of feeling justified pissing away $750 on the tink before you make us feel silly😂. But seriously you’re not wrong I have a 13” PVM and as amazing as the tink has been, the real thing is still the real thing.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha I bought the Tink 4K too. I’m in the same boat

[@Reprogrammed_By_SEGA]

I'd say the PSX Core is pretty much unusable without a CRT. This comes from the fact there is no decent way to handle the interlacing correctly within the MiSTer digitally. Which is a shame to be honest. That being said I wouldn't waste your time hunting for a PVM or BVM, they cost way too much now. Just get a regular consumer TV. RGB as standard if you are outside NA.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

You can still find cheap PVMs if you hunt hard enough. I have a friend in VT that got a few for basically free when their local PBS was cleaning out old stuff

[@ArmandoDoval]

"Unusable" is a weird thing to say. There's way more 240p titles than 480i titles, and the PSX core has a 480p hack for 60 FPS 480i games like Tekken. I have my MiSTer hooked up to both a 36" Trinitron and an LG OLED C3 and even with just 1080p scalines (no Retrotink4K) the OLED looks better imo - more saturated colors and deeper blacks. If your TV isn't an OLED then yeah a CRT will definitely look better and you might as well pick up a cheap one. To be honest though I've found RetroArch gives me a better quality of life for PSX than MiSTer regardless of the display. PSX games almost always have at least 1 additional frame of input lag compared to older consoles from having to draw to a framebuffer first and games that run at 30 FPS (i.e. almost all the 3D ones) have at least 3 or 4 frames of lag (depending on whether your input falls on an even or odd frame) from running at half the frame rate. RetroArch can completely eliminate that lag with runahead/preemptive frames which makes 3D games feel way more responsive, and fast forward is more powerful than CD speed hacks since it also helps with long spell animations in RPGs or unskippable cutscenes.

[@bnr32jason]

​@@ArmandoDovalI have a few OLEDs (83" C3, 48" C3, and 42" C2) and a RetroTink 4K and while the MiSTer looks great on an OLED due to the black levels, brightness, and modern color saturation, I still choose to play retro games on a CRT 95% of the time. The only situation I choose to use the OLED is the 83" for multiplayer games so we can all sit back on the couch and enjoy. But IMO the overall look and feel is better on my 20" PVM, 14" PVM, and my 29" arcade monitors, even my 27" consumer Trinitron set.

[@KokoTheGorilla69]

Unusable 😂😂

[@Reprogrammed_By_SEGA]

​@@ArmandoDoval Many games use 480i for menus and the 480p hack is not reliable as many games don't like it which makes the graphics to break. Games like Ridge Racer Turbo experience graphical problems and slowdown with the hack too. So yeah in my opinion the PSX Core is good but it was left unfinished and the amount of broken games is stacking up on the GitHub Repo. It isn't better than the best software emulators.

[@Toaster05]

The cheap CRT ship has already sailed and has dipped below the horizon. In my part of the world you rarely see a CRT locally and even when you do the word has got out that nerdy types will pay money for that dusty old tv you have kicking about in the attic. I've been looking on and off for over a year and even basic consumer units have a price tag that would make an onion cry.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

If you are in a city you can still basically find them near to free in Facebook marketplace

[@Toaster05]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Maybe in your part of the world! The word is out now and the prices are just going up and up. Even a crappy consumer CRT gets the seller all frothy at the prospect of making money on it. We have some proper shitty UK brand tv's that sell for £100+ trying to find a Trinitron is think of a number and double it.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’m in Chicago. Trust me. I’m part of “the world”. I just checked. 20” Sony trinitron consumer tv three miles away. Works. $20 plus haul it

[@ArmandoDoval]

I got 2 Trinitrons off Facebook Marketplace in Florida. One was free and the other was $40 (but I had to drive 2 hours to pick it up.) Yes, a lot of people have caught on and have jacked up the prices, but if you check every day you'll see a cheap one within 1 or 2 months, often from older couples that have just bought a flat panel.

[@Toaster05]

@@ArmandoDoval Just set my location to London (my closest city which is 30miles away) and found a grand total of four crts and they are all low grade units that would need a lot of tlc. Mileage varies when looking for CRT's.

[@megan_alnico]

The CRTs I used as a kid were terrible. They had washed out pictures that weren't stable with terrible colors and image stretching at the corners. And the whine! I'm older now and my ears aren't as sensitive but at the time that ring was maddening. VGA monitors were the first time I actually thought a CRT looked good. Even that had stretching because of the curvature of the screen. But even then contrast was a huge issue. I look at all of these surviving televisions though... the trinitrons and stuff and I have to admit that they do look pretty good. But it doesn't hit me in the nostalgia because I guess I wasn't rich enough to grow up with that.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Coil whine was def a thing

[@MarquisDeSang]

I don’t want a CRT, I just want a good CRT filter for my gaming monitor. The only good CRT filter is MAME and Analog Duo. The only good CRT are the low-rez arcade monitors

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

MiSTer has plenty of good CRT filters though

[@MarquisDeSang]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I may jump on the FPGA with Mars, if it ever releases

[@partirbukadera]

Any CRT gives you better colors and response time, get the real deal

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’d just get a MiSTer now but that’s me

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Def better response but many modern TVs get very close