This Monitor Changes Everything

[@Nostalgianerd]

This isn't sponsored by Checkmate or Steve or anything like that. Steve is a lovely guy, and I'm a big fan of this thing. I love that you can just have this sitting on a desk, with all your favourite systems connected up, and they're all good to go at the press of a button. Stay tuned on updates as I use it at instagram.com/nostalgianerd/

[@dzhang4459]

So like any TV? But why would I want this monitor when I have every system from 2600 up to PS3 installed on my PC which I can output to anything I want? Such as a proper CRT television/monitor?

[@shponglefan]

@@dzhang4459 Nobody everyone has everything emulated on a PC. Some of us have older systems which having a modern monitor to connect to is nice to have.

[@JamesTK]

[sponsor] is the best sponsor any youtuber has had ever

[@franklincerpico7702]

Is there any way to purchase this in the USA?

[@EricGranata]

Pretty cool 😎

[@tylerlloydboone]

A guy makes a good monitor for retro gaming. Nostalgia Nerd helps him out and shows it off. Then comment section goes ape shit. LOL. looks like a great idea and a product for non diy people. ❤. Respect

[@davidb.6681]

Look at when they commented. 5 minutes within the video going up. They didn't even try to watch it. Just immediately accuse him of being paid and acting like this is being forced on them. All they did was prove they didn't actually watch it lol

[@Nostalgianerd]

I honestly think folks like that couldn't envisage "helping someone out" in their entire lives.

[@xXRustyShacklefordXx]

​@@Nostalgianerdit's not my job to shell out 600 bucks to "help someone out".

[@Nostalgianerd]

@@xXRustyShacklefordXx No one said it was.

[@mlaflamm74]

@@xXRustyShacklefordXx nobody force you to buy it. This is simply not for you, just move on.

[@olaufr]

This is a dream monitor for all retro system users, I always wondered why nobody made one before, but now Steve made one and I am quite sure the concept will be a huge success over time.

[@Wobble2007]

I was hoping it would be good for retro games, as I was interested too, but this is a matted screen, and matted screens just have such horribly washed out contrast and colours, not to mention looks nothing like a CRTs glass screen, these are also 60Hz LCD's, which have abysmal motion clarity, 120Hz would have allowed BFI, these are two details that really should not have been overlooked if you are trying to imitate an old CRT monitor, retro games just don't look good on a 60Hz matted LCD unfortunately, these screens are only good for office based use, word typing, web browsing etc. For something like this to work as a CRT alternative, you really need these few boxes ticked at least: motion clarity, good contrast, black levels and colours, an office type screen like this is really not gonna cut the mustard I'm afraid, OLED is really what you want if you want a good CRT alternative, and there are plenty of decent ones available now, even 4:3 OLED screens are available.

[@olaufr]

@@Wobble2007 Personally I am not looking for a screen trying to imitate CRT screens, I am looking for a modern flat screen with all the connections required to connect any retro system, and this is exactly what this screen is doing.

[@Wobble2007]

@@olaufr Ok that's fair, though not sure why you would buy a monitor that is designed to be an alternative to CRTs if that's not what you are looking for, you would be much better off with a good modern screen if that's what you are looking for, preferably OLED, then all you need is a GBS-C with all the inputs under the sun (about 50 quid), you will at least be able to see what's on the screen when there is motion this way, as LCD 60Hz is just not what you want for retro games, better yet, get yourself an OLED monitor with an OSSC Pro if you really want to push the boat out.

[@olaufr]

@@Wobble2007 Well first I need a 4:3/5:4 screen for retro hardware, these are not easily found nowadays. Second, the screen needs to support specific frequencies used by retro hardware which also is not a given. And third, I highly prefer an integrated solution like Checkmate, which is built and tested for the job and has additional goodies such as sound, pluggable cards for current and future expansions etc. This is why for me this screen sounds perfectly like what I was looking for. About the 120Hz option you are mentioning maybe that would be a good option, you seem to think it is a real plus, we would need more opinions about it, so far testing of the monitor has not shown there was an issue in this area.

[@Wobble2007]

@@olaufr 120Hz would allow for BFI algorithms, which is what you want if you want to play games designed with CRT's 1:1 motion resolution in mind, then again, if you only play RTS games, or static based games, and not games like platformers, FPS, SHMUPS, this won't matter.

[@dwinterx]

Looks like an amazing bit of kit, and it's lovely to see Steve being so knowledgeable and passionate about his product! Great stuff.

[@StingyGeek]

Thanks for looking at the product. It's a unique product which someone who cares about retro has obviously put a lot of time and effort into producing. If you need/want it, at least you now know about it.

[@Josh-m5u]

I just wish steve would rerun some of the previous cases he has done

[@bennetfox]

I love how this guy came up with a monitor that you could throw just about any source at it and it looks awesome!!! I would love to have one!!

[@dreamshooter90]

If the nukes drop and you have a stocked bunker, you want this for hook up the tech you've gathered from the wastelands of the old world.

[@TechGamesAU]

I’m seeing a lot of comments claiming there’s salty comments on this video, but I’m not seeing a single salty comment. Everyone is supportive of this.

[@XMansive]

Cause downvoted comments get pushed all the way down the comment section

[@KingLich451]

450 pounds for this hot dang thats cheapest

[@TheDaleyChannel]

I have been a backer of this project since the start. Steve has been awesome, kept us all informed on progress and the enhancements he has added. This project is amazing in terms of features and especially the attention to detail and quality. Steve (and Appy) has to be commended on what they have achieved, it is my perfect monitor... I ordered two, one black and one white. When looking at this, you need to think of it as a system, not just a screen. Steve has lots of plans!

[@LoveatFirstHike]

I remember the video from last year, cool to see this project come to fruition!

[@lucky88shp]

This with OLED would be PERFECT!

[@El_Chompo]

IPS is still really nice. Sometimes I like my IPS more than my OLED laptop screen

[@yeezet4592]

Oled screens with weird sizes are very rare. IPS have tons of variance

[@colbyboucher6391]

​​@@El_ChompoSure, but what OLED haa going for it is that it mimics CRTs in some ways. Extremely quick response times, good contrast ratios, even the fear of burn-in!

[@El_Chompo]

@@colbyboucher6391 thats true

[@MikeDawson1]

respect to the creator for making gear for retro stuff, but I would never buy an IPS panel for that

[@rgbcrafts]

That's fully packed for sure. The only downside of GBSControl it's that it can't generate scanlines to 480p resolution so far.

[@astralfields1696]

I emulate my retro stuff but this is cool. If somebody is hating on this product they are definitely subbed to the wrong channel.. just sayin. For people who own a lot of real retro consoles, VHS player etc etc this can be really good.

[@teksyndicate]

The ports are so awesome... if only we could get something like this on a modern CRT

[@Xaltar_]

A monitor for retro systems designed by someone who worked for Amiga? Seems to fit the "Nostalgia" vibe pretty damn well in my book. There will always be those who hate for the sake of hating, more often than not, because they are not the target audience. This monitor isn't for me, too much of an expense for the tiny bit of use I could put it to but I can fully appreciate how useful (and worth the cost) it would be to someone with more retro systems on hand. Just because I don't need one doesn't mean I am going to say negative things about it. I watched the first video about this thing and was impressed then, I am even more impressed now. If I had some more disposable income I would be ordering a fully loaded one just to play with it. IMHO the scaler is a must for anyone wanting this for broader system support. This is a low production, custom product being developed by a very small team. The price is actually incredibly reasonable considering. There is a vast chasm between mass produced products and small volume ones in production cost. A lot of the haters complaining about price have no concept of the amount of development that has gone into this and how much that costs. We are not talking about LG/Samsung/Sony etc here who can afford to drop billions in R&D then produce millions of a product to make the money back. Economies of scale 101. Awesome follow up, thanks :)

[@e8root]

I agree with you BUT the issue here is that vast majority of retro games are fast paced 50/60fps 2D games where you need CRT-like motion clarity or everything will blur. This is sample&hold display with zero effort put in to making it strobe even a little bit. If panel goes to 250 nits you could introduce quite a bit strobing before brightness went to unusably low levels. Of course without increased blanking times and especially for some random IPS panel without proper overdrive you would get some cross-talk but experiences with such displays on PC still show vast improvements in motion clarity even with some compromises. And for MISTer you can use scaler to add more blanking making image quality for MISTer specifically much better without additional cost. It is what is disappointing. I know it can be done and I literally see effort put in to making custom PCBs. Why not put a little more effort and directly control backlight to get this thing to be actually better than what I can already get hooking up MISTer to any IPS panel that I have? Or using RetroTink or OSSC? It literally makes zero sense to me such an obvious feature was not implemented for such product.

[@paulklasmann1218]

He did not work for Amiga or Commodore. He made the aftermarket A1500 cases into which they installed A500 boards.

[@SerErris]

@@e8rootwhy not directly make it pled panel and avoid all the hassle with reaction time? Not sure if people would pay, it it is anyhow just a monitor with a scaler build in.

[@slaapliedje]

​@@SerErrisHe mentioned there was a huge extra cost for oled panels in the video. That he would have had to order a lot of them, since that ratio of panels are not really made for OLED.

[@uponeric36]

@@e8root Yeah it's no CRT, but tbf the people who know the benefits of CRT go out of their way to get one lol. If you have the space and live in the right area, a CRT TV to PC setup is cheap, and you can even still find some CRT monitors, though it's much harder.

[@mrburns366]

This is really FANTASTIC. This with an 4:3 OLED who be GOD TIER! I hope one day that display technology catches up so that we have the motion clarity of CRT on modern displays. I'm tired of hording on CRTs and trying to keep them operational. lol.

[@ares395]

'motion clarity'

[@bencanty980]

This looks absolutely AMAZING!! Just what I was looking for to enjoy my extensive PS1 collection in a no-compromise, retro format!

[@xwizitrod]

i know its insane to ask, but if this had CRT tech inside it, i would pay an insane amount for it. But LCD in 2024, i just cant anymore

[@KrauserKahn]

CRT Tech is dead, no new CRT screens are being made (apart from very specific and niche markets like aviation, or in some countries like China where they are reusing old parts). CRT is very labor intensive, very costly and also fairly dangerous, so nothign a random should be doing in his garage

[@xwizitrod]

@@KrauserKahn everything you say is correct But it doesn’t stop the heart wanting what the heart wants 😭

[@Nianfur]

I would go for a new CRT for sure

[@SpinningSandwich]

An OLED panel would be so close to CRT response time that it wouldn't really matter. Don't think there's economic scale to produce 4:3 OLEDs, sadly.

[@sandwich2473]

​@@SpinningSandwichit's the phosphor array that I want I suppose a high enough dpi oled or micro led could emulate it Pixel perfection isn't the goal

[@frankowalker4662]

That's so impressive. Especially the RF.

[@75slaine]

Delighted to see this has come to delivery. I'm really interested in getting one. It would really tidy up my small workspace with everything baked in.

[@Kraaketaer]

I love this product, really great to see it come to market. Both the concept and design are wonderful, they hit pretty much every key point for a product like this. I'm turning into a bit of an OLED purist, and I'd love to see an OLED version of this come out in the future, but sourcing panels is obviously a major challenge, so that's hardly a surprise - and no doubt that would move it from "I could afford this if I really wanted it" territory and into "I'd have to save up and make a few sacrifices" territory with my current financial situation - but all the more tempting still. I really hope these sell well and you keep developing the concept, as it's got so much going for it.

[@johnrickard8512]

This is a brilliant device! I wish there were a version that could be mounted onto a standard VESA bracket. That would put this thing in an unparalleled position of utility and fun factor!

[@smartperson1]

18:40 it's funny to hear how slow the music was in PAL regions.

[@DisasterxUs]

I was about to comment that. Had no idea it slowed the music too

[@smiththers2]

I feel like it's way slower than it should be lol I think it's a 50hz thing but still.

[@Wobble2007]

10 less FPS for higher resolution (240p PAL50 vs 224p NTSC60, or 640x480i NTSC vs 720x576i PAL), PAL60 was the best, you got the higher resolution and refresh rate through RGB, NTSC was usually composite, so PAL had some big advantages.

[@TheRenegade...]

​@@DisasterxUsBefore it was possible to control frame rate in software, they made PAL versions of NTSC machines by underclocking the machine by 5/6, which slows everything down by 5/6

[@arlasoft]

@@TheRenegade... Well, it does if the programmer doesn't take it into account. It's pretty straightforward to make a PAL game run at the same speed, music included, as the NTSC version. You just have to design it that way from the start, but many developers evidently couldn't be bothered.

[@voffie]

Cant wait for my unit to arrive!

[@GameplayandTalk]

Wow, the HDMI passthrough is an excellent idea. It makes me want one of these even more!

[@SeeJayPlayGames]

14:54 you can probably fix the resonance issue by modifying the monitor to have a bit of Dynamat (or similar) on the inside, around where the speakers are mounted. Works for car audio, and I don't see why it wouldn't work here.

[@MrThedennisblack]

Thanks for sharing this information! I missed the first video about it and had no idea something like this existed. I love that there are people making real products for the retro community.

[@e8root]

Too bad it has 2 frames of lag and no backlight strobing. Connectivity is great but it should really be designed with FPGA scaler driving panel directly and not GBS and using laggy scalers like you find in most 4:3 IPS panels. I would only really recommend it for someone who focuses more on aesthetics than performance.

[@collinbeal]

​@@e8rootthe video states that the lag is over the HDMI out, not the panel.

[@e8root]

@@collinbeal In video C8VrTpn4Ua4&t at14 minute mark there is test of analog inputs. Signal goes to PVM and out of it to Checkmate monitor. PVM does not add any lag - you can make chain of tens of PVMs and all will be perfectly synchronized. Here on average CRT is 2 numbers behind changing +1 each frame. At times there is difference of 3 and this is even when number on CRT is below in the camera frame - you have to include camera's sensor and how it scans from top to bottom. In my testing between CRTs you could easily make one measure faster than the other by putting it above. Lag of these monitors is just no not good by any metrics and the guy knows it. He is just ignoring such details using good old metrics of lag of old HDTVs where 2 frames of lag would be on the lower end where it came to input lag. We all know 2 frames of lag just suck balls - especially for fast twitched retro games. So compared to even VGA CRT + GBS you get scan doubled and then upscaled image with two frames of lag, sample & motion blur, blur from slow pixel response times, and high black levels with additional IPS glow off angle. But the monitor is thinner, lighter and you don't need to have scaler and/or MISTer connected externally... yeah, VGA CRT + RetroTink 5x is cheaper option also. And you get remote control too :)

[@darren6202]

@@e8root Damn 2 frames you say! fk me i'm not buying that product then. I mean if the strobe lighting issue wasnt really an issue (which it isnt) i'd have bought one! BTW, as previously stated, actually watch the fking video before posting negative comments. Dicktard

[@LangleyNA]

Neat product, Steve and Nostalgia Nerd. I am happy hardware like this can continue to be manufactured, and with increasing support for and attention to quality-of-life features. Long live alternative options, to all things, and to widescreen format domination.

[@SockyNoob]

About damn time a proper retro display is made.

[@tmay2420]

Seems like a cool project, and has evolved a bit from the last time you showed it off. If this was a high refresh rate OLED with black frame insertion, it would do a much better job of emulation the CRT look and feel, and at that point it would likely be an impulse-buy for me. Without that, I'm happy with my standalone MiSTER and VGA CRT for now.

[@Mystic-Voyager]

cant wait to get my hands on mine

[@4udio_Vortex]

I like the idea 1000% and the final product seems fairly well designed. My concerns: the plastic the components are housed in, based on what I physically see, seems... cheap? Or low quality maybe? Like, it looks too flimsy or flexible compared to what you might see on a standard CRT. I say this because the monitor does seem pretty lightweight but even so, it still has wobble to it like it weighs far too much for the plastic to hold it nice and sturdy. One thing I always despised was a TV mount or stand that allowed the screen to "wobble" at the slightest bump or chair movement. Anyway, other than the housing (the speakers seem a bit harsh because of this as well) I really like it.

[@ares395]

Standard crt has 30kg of mass to hold it in place

[@powerdude_dk]

I didn't know such a monitor had been made! That's awesome!!!

[@yopachi]

Okay, I see some salt in the comments section. Why would anybody be upset about this products existence? It's one of a kind and weighs a feather compared to the alternative. I have both. My tubes are getting dim boys

[@shponglefan]

The upside is any comments help feed the algorithm, so the naysayers and trolls are helping out in a weird way.

[@e8root]

People might get upset because 'advertisement' for this product only talks about features and advantages ignoring why you should still bother with 'alternatives' like big bulky heavy CRTs. And technically these Checkmate products are not providing you with perfectly sharp motion like any CRT would and there is no mention about color accuracy either. You say tubes are getting dim - for all the CRTs I used for multiple decades at this point I don't remember there being an issue with CRT tubes getting particularly dim. At worst cheapest 17/19 inch VGA CRTs from 90's can be by itself quite dim - but still not dim enough to cause you issues if you know what you are doing configuring MISTer FPGA scaler or RetroTink. Trinitrons, Diamondtrongs, most 00's CRTs and of course all professional 15KHz CRTs and most TVs are quite bright and chance of ever getting "dim" CRT like that or it getting too dim are pretty much zero.

[@timhooglandyt]

Because people are dumb and cheap asses. It's a solid product.

[@Ferrari255GTO]

@@shponglefan from what i've heard the algorithm changed and it's less effective now to leave comments. Either way people cryng about sponsors is so god damn stupid it's not even funny

[@Wobble2007]

This is not a good CRT replacement, this is a matted screen, matted screens just have such horribly washed out contrast and colours, not to mention looks nothing like a CRTs glass screen, these are also 60Hz LCD's, which have abysmal motion clarity, 120Hz would have allowed BFI, these are two details that really should not have been overlooked if you are trying to imitate an old CRT monitor, retro games just don't look good on a 60Hz matted LCD unfortunately, these screens are only good for office based use, word typing, web browsing, that kind of thing.

[@MitchellAzevedo-e3x]

Bottom line, this thing is nothing like a cathode-ray tube beatifully emitting the phosphorus glow of electron beams. It's a damn IPS LCD!

[@Ab0x]

And it's hundreds of dollars more than anything you could get on the market. This is just another piece of retro hype that only a select few can afford. Like the Analog Pocket.

[@alucart1984]

I am glad I backed this!

[@hideokojimajr]

I'm split on my support on this. Mostly because I added just about everything to it and tripled the original pledge. 🤷‍♀🤷‍♀

[@alucart1984]

@hideokojimajr the pledge was just for the case with connectors without a panel. I feel like what has been changed has significantly increased the value of this product. Yes to get everything, it is expensive, but the value is there. The panel looks amazing.

[@hideokojimajr]

​@@alucart1984 for sure. i guess what i meant was i didnt REALLY think about the total when i made the pledge.

[@RetroGamesBoy78]

Pretty impressive! as someone with 20+ consoles/computers, I think I might just need one of these in my life! What's the RRP?

[@alucart1984]

​@RetroGamesBoy78 if by RRP you mean recommended retail price I am not sure what the RRP would be. You can go to the website to price it out with the link in the description.

[@Jaw0lf]

This is a brilliant monitor, you can connect many consoles and computers without the need of convertors and extra cables. They can all be connected and you have one screen to play everything. So pleased to have backed this one, it is stunning and very very capable.

[@e8root]

Not so brilliant if you consider it has 2 frames of lag due to using LCD controller that adds lag and it has no backlight strobing so moving objects/backgrounds in 2D games will look very blurry. BTW. Backlight something is something you can easily add to almost any LED based LCD monitor if you possess minimal (read: amateur) engineering skills. Fix/improve these two issues and it would easily be five star product. Otherwise it at most saves you some cable/converter mess on the desk compared to cheaper options like getting 5:4 IPS or even better 4:3 IPS and at most I would give it 3/5 stars for that and the looks. Also personally I find VGA CRT + RetroTink-5x to be more convenient to use - easier to connect and reconnect your numerous retro consoles to dongle sitting next to monitor than on the back and remote control is very nice.

[@sapperlott]

Looks like I'll need bigger Christmas stockings 🧦

[@DaboooogA]

I wish this guy all the success in the world - not just a product to cash out but one crafted with passion. The Wi-Fi control feature is absolutely amazing.

[@cpaek72]

I have one on order and had no idea that there was an amiga module coming. Can't wait to order that one Steve. Thanks.

[@kooijbas]

Awesome product (and that Pinball Fantasies soundtrack is a work of art)

[@DevDanny]

I wish there were 4:3 OLED screens to go along with this, maybe someday

[@TheRetroMess]

18:43 This reminds me of the first efforts to make flat panel TVs that still had analog RF receivers. I had such a receiver in my old Macintosh Performa 638CD and it looked a lot like this. I think some kids won't know about this because they grew up with actually good LCD TVs with only component or SCART in and don't realize composite CAN look better than a blurry/blown-out static-y mess a lot of found footage films or retro video filters show you.

[@webfischi]

I have so many 5:4 monitors at home, this would be a waste of money for me. A few years ago I got mysself a 20" 4:3 monitor 1600x1200 resolution, I'd expected something like that, but to my knowledge there is none in production, 17" and 19" 5:4 are very easy to source. You should get small 16:9 OLED panel and fold the edges over.

[@timmturner]

Would have been nice to have someone like this in tube, you work with what you have and this is nice regardless.

[@AntonSlavik]

Someone ran a Kickstarter, said they were going to do something, and then finished doing that thing? This is just surreal. Am I dead?

[@MontegaB]

Amazing product, thanks Steve!

[@AG-xz7ne]

I saw the thumbnail and thought this was a modern CRT then was disappointed when it wasn't and wondered what was the point of this product. Then at 5:30 he turned it around and I was like ahhhh ok.

[@HerculesMays]

Man, it'd be a dream if people discovered a more affordable way to make CRTs so we could bring them back. I'm always sticking with tubes, but there's no denying they'll get more and more rare in the coming decades

[@Cobalt96720]

​@HerculesMays When Prysm.inc's LPD patent expires there will be the closest thing.

[@forbiddenera]

This.

[@Cobalt96720]

@@HerculesMays LPD monitors/tvs patent expires 2029

[@uponeric36]

The moment this is strobbed with an OLED or better panel it will really make sense. As it is, it's like all in one retro gaming enthusiast video convertor setup that's super sick, but attached to a mid panel. Viable alternatives include buying video chains for the systems you actually plan on using and hooking them up to your best monitor, or getting an actual CRT TV or monitor. Like, if you can get all those inputs on the back of that thing converted to VGA, and use one CRT monitor. Ofc, you lose out on the convenience and compactness of their setup, but also the picture quality will be better in every way on the CRT.

[@crestofhonor2349]

For most older consoles I'd stick to those scanlines. They look very nice. Not too surprised about the price though

[@Barteks2x]

This is actually a project I had as an idea in my head for quite a while now and I've also been thinking about possibly doing something quite unusual - making an LCD/OLED driver circuit that quite literally emulates a CRT, and changes subpixels on the panel as if it was a CRT electron beam, in real time. Definitely seems implementable with OLED but would require customization that may be quite difficult/expensive to get.

[@kwaddamage8286]

you mean to tell me it doesnt have a DB13W3 (13W3)? HOW AM I GOING TO CONNECT MY SPARCSTATION?! for real though i wish i could afford this. this would genuinely be something id use for the rest of my life

[@AppliedCryogenics]

This thing is firing up my inner geek! I wonder if anybody else would be interested seeing an LCD or OLED that has a slightly-convex face like an old CRT.

[@KanalFrump]

in principle you could make a reasonably good Trinitron mock out of a curved OLED screen. I don't think anybody are doing LCDs that bend.

[@lennartniemela4361]

Maybe it'd be possible to add a bent glass screen on top of a flat IPS screen to get that effect?

[@sunderark]

@@KanalFrump i was actually thinking about that for the longest time.

[@chrismifsud7154]

Quick suggestion..... That OLED/Controller would be really useful as a Gotek display/control.

[@jettesides420]

glad to see it ready!

[@Nick_Ryder]

"Back in the day I would have used that composite on my Amiga in interlaced.....it is something special." We must protect Steve at all costs.

[@3d1e00]

For a few moments I thought this was a rear projector laser dlp. My heart literally jumped. Still this looks amazing.

[@RadRat78]

No luma/chroma?? =) The FGPA is basically integrated circuits that are editable (!); *NO* software emulation. If you change the FPGA circuits (by installing a core) to that of a Commodore 64 computer, then it *IS* a Commodore 64, running in *hardware.* Combining these two things, the Checkmate and FPGA, is hugely *brilliant.* In fact, the retro scene is so big these days (which is just awesome!) I'd not be too surprised to see CRT and tube monitors/TVs put back into mass production as a specialty item.

[@JaegerYukari]

This is really cool. I'll have to wait for the more in-depth reviews to see just how good that panel is (as it's an IPS and not an OLED panel), though I can imagine a 5:4 OLED panel would be hella expensive considering that's a ratio format that just isn't made much anymore. Being able to have things plug and play like this really takes the headache out of stuff. The most interesting thing, to me, though, is that mister setup and just having everything all-in-one within the monitor.

[@TLang-el6sk]

As much as I like the idea of special "Retro" display. There are some things that really concern me: As far as I understand the developers have decided to use a 5:4 panel. This is absolutely foreign to any old home computer/console. These all were based on TV standards, and the TV image is 4:3 since several decades no matter if NTSC or PAL or SECAM. 5:4 just was a very short footnote in in PC history (17" 5:4 LCD monitors with 1280x1024 resolution) and is a complete alien when it comes to TV standards. So you either have a) a distorted image (if using full screen) or b) black bars on top and bottom or c) cut away a part of the picture on the left and right side. I don't understand the statement on the Checkmate homepage regarding PAL countries have 5:4 image. This is simply wrong! I live in a PAL country and the standards are either 4:3 or 16:9 for TV. As you (hopefully) may have noticed PAL and NTSC TVs and monitors (like the Commodore 1584) use the same picture tube no matter if PAL or NTSC (or SECAM). The picture is always stretched vertically and horizontally to fill the visible surface, so NTSC and PAL HAVE the same aspect ratio. The vertical line density of course differs, so the pixels have a different aspect ratio, but NOT the image. Furthermore, the web site states that the 17" and the 19" monitors have the same size. How come? If this really is the case, the 17" should have a significantly wider frame around the panel. And last of all, I would like to see some substantial technical info.

[@trilbyrollers]

Yes agreed, the information on the Checkmate homepage is confused. How can you get as far as selling a monitor and not realize that regardless of NTSC or PAL resolutions and scanlines, the aspect ratio was always 4:3?!

[@shadowtheimpure]

@@trilbyrollers I would assume the issue is a decided lack of low latency high quality panels in 4:3 aspect. So, they went with the next best thing.

[@trilbyrollers]

​@@shadowtheimpureI agree that is probably the case. It would have made more sense to state that on the website rather than claiming that PAL is 5:4. Also I hope the scaler does the right thing and inserts some black bars rather than stretching the image incorrectly....

[@shadowtheimpure]

@@trilbyrollers I believe it gives you options to suit your preference. The firmware is VERY robust.

[@slaapliedje]

My understanding is that PAL is 5:4, it had more horizontal lines than NTSC. But people should also realize, this monitor is not just to emulate TV resolutions, it can also be used for Retro PCs. And 1280x1024 is perfect for that. Though, I want to say at 19", I am kind of surprised they can't handle 1600x1200.

[@devleadse]

Excellent video👍This will be a perfect companion for my UnAmiga, Looking forward to getting my hands on one🤩

[@artofnoise5013]

I'm an American. I want my Freedom Ports! (kidding) Seriously that explanation about being able to get an RGB to SCART cable was helpful.

[@frostwise87]

steve looks like a sound guy. bloody brilliannt product!!!

[@nagualdesign]

Perhaps you should consider investing in a 2nd microphone.

[@CompComp]

I would love to have one of these. I'm terrified my tubes are going to last much longer. Also, I would love to see a lower cost standalone "Checkmate converter/scaler." Like the slot 0 board in a stand-alone case for supplying our own screen.

[@Nebulous6]

What an ambitious project. Gives hope to people with a wide variety of 80s gear that needs a display to replace dying CRTs. I really like the wide viewing angle.

[@e8root]

CRTs are less dying and it is more like people think they are worthless and throw them in to a trash. Lots of wasted CRTs. These days prices of CRTs are rising quickly and its harder to get hold of one like it was in the past where people thanked you for driving to them and getting perfectly good CRT for free. Still lots and lots of good condition CRTs and prices as high as they are are still much lower than what is being presented in this video. Today is as good day to get CRT as any - it will be much worse tomorrow...

[@Finarvas]

​@@e8rootbest time to get a crt was 15 years ago

[@e8root]

@@Finarvas For retro consoles/computers it today is as good time as any. 15 years ago you could get SONY GDM-FW900 for like 100-200 bucks and it was much better option to play new games than anything available on the market at that time. It took some time until anything got good enough to be an alternative. Recently I got 27 inch 1440p 360Hz QD-OLED and while I need to run games at much higher frame rates to even approach CRT-like motion sharpness and if I start nitpicking it is clearly not it even at 360Hz but overall quality is much better. All for just over 800 bucks while FW900's prices went past that (usually) already few years ago for smaller 22.5 viewable inches which you need to from time to time maintain. That said I must say even new games run and play great on this FW900 monitor. Slightly less size and 4:3 ratio and 21 inch Trinitron you can still at times grab for virtually free or relatively cheap and have a blast even with new games. It certainly is an experience and one which gives good idea how much of "retro in retro" was due to CRTs and why you need CRT to have the same feelings. We just cannot say CRT are the best. They are not the best anymore - there are for modern games better options. Retro stuff is very CRT-centric and you cannot run e.g. Super Mario Bros at 360fps so it fits CRT less. Then again if I hook up Playstation5 to my trusty SONY GDM-FW900 and start playing 60fps games on it then guess what: in motion sharpness this setup wipes the floor even OLEDs with 120Hz strobing while running just 1920x1080p 60Hz. It beats any backlight strobing implementation and any black frame insertion OLED in both motion clarity and in how flickering (while still bad) is much less tiring to eyes than any modern alternative. Also zero input lag. So yeah, in some things CRTs can still surpass modern displays. Of course you are somewhat right saying that prime time for buying CRTs passed. Today we see much worse availability and prices are quite high. It all will get worse tomorrow so is best time for getting CRT being in the past mean anything for today purchase? Most truthful statement IMHO is: better time to buy CRT is today than tomorrow. And this I hope we can all agree.

[@Nebulous6]

@@e8root True. If people would stop throwing Trinitrons out, it would certainly help.

[@Wobble2007]

@@Finarvas 5 years ago, you could get an FW900 for under 500 quid, gutted I missed it by a gnats hair, I was just in time to get a brand new boxed Sony G520 (21" 2048x1556p 85Hz) and LaCie Blue IV 22 (22" 2048x1556p 92Hz) for £75 each, got them from a colour lab 3 years ago, and my days do they look good, Alan Wake 2 with ray tracing is stunning on the LaCie 22, the motion resolution allows you to see the path tracing details when in motion, which is unbelievable.

[@plechaim]

Looking forward to getting mine

[@sarabihyena]

a 4:3 oled is something I desperately need in my life

[@DavideNastri]

This looks glorious and a great choice to enjoy retro today!

[@Nikku4211]

How well does this monitor handle switching from 240p to 480i and back? Or 480p?

[@e8root]

Judging from video 6vQdOQkdiOM it should be ok.

[@jamescampbell8482]

If you were to buy OLED panels you would want to set them up with a 540 HZ refresh rate so that when you drive them at that refresh rate you get two milliseconds of image persistence. That would give you a display that's almost able to perfectly emulate an old picture tube in terms of motion

[@akiraokami]

If the OLED version ever comes out, this will be a must-buy for me, until then it'll just be a "nice to have" buy.

[@Wobble2007]

Same, day 1 buy, it's what every retro head is waiting for, the magic 4:3 OLED with rolling scan, especially if it is a 25" 4:3, as the high-end CRT 4:3 monitors only come in sizes up to 21 inches (some a little larger closer to 22"), don't get me wrong, 21 inches in 4:3 is pretty big, especially when close up on a desk, but a 25" 4:3 OLED would be incredible, especially if it's a Tandem-OLED with RGB-Strip subpixels, rolling-scan for good 60Hz motion clarity, and all the features this otherwise amazing Checkmate monitor has, it would be incredible if it just had a decent panel.

[@neurokinetik]

@@Wobble2007 Yeah, 25" for cabinet installs.

[@ZhaoHaiBuda]

OLED with true RGB subpixels.

[@smiththers2]

I remember seeing this in your first video and I'm so glad it made it through the kickstart phase, I'm not able to afford one for a bit though. Good job!

[@BladeEXE67]

This is a good alternative for people who can't afford to buy a functioning Trinitron or a Retrotink 4k but they need to source better pannels. I really hope this sells so the second revision actually has a chance for an OLED screen.

[@BADC0FFEE]

If you can afford this you can a trinitron or a pc monitor though

[@relo999]

You can still get a decent Trinitron TV for around 5 euro, if not free, if you're willing to look for it. Even PVM's tend to be quite a bit cheaper still.

[@BladeEXE67]

@@BADC0FFEE A decent Trinitron is the same price or more with the downside of worse connection options.

[@BladeEXE67]

@@relo999 I don't know what kind of fantasy world has such cheap CRTs, but on Ebay they start at around 200€ up to over 1000€. Even the cheapest quality TVs sell for an absurd price. The retro market is fucked.

[@shponglefan]

@@BADC0FFEE If you can even find a Trinitron. They aren't readily available everywhere, and shipping them is a big risk.

[@Valoric]

That is incredible. Nice work

[@andresbravo2003]

15:19 at least you may featured Rise of The Robots on this Monitor.

[@2BuckFridays]

any word on backlight strobing? Main draw for hoarding CRT monitors for me is the motion clarity. Really want a nice modern 4:3/5:4 monitor to replace CRTs but if it's blurry in motion then it's DOA to me. Shame about the contrast too, but that's an IPS for you, besides, I can live with gray blacks I guess ohhhh and the matte display is a huge bummer. Glossy all the way! really satisfying to see all them ports on the back though :)

[@retroobsession7519]

I ordered 1 of these as soon as I heard about the kickstarter campaign. I have 2 dozen odd retro systems and this provides me a way of displaying pretty well every one I have. It allows me to have a '1 screen does all' solution on my desktop. Previously I have been using 20 year old lcds but they are just plain wearing out and breaking down. They also lack a lot of connections that I need. I am really looking forward to receiving mine shortly.

[@RickR69]

This is rad and I like that Steve is an engineer and is open and honest with all the info rather than some sales Always Be Closing uncanny valley douche. Good stuff.

[@GigsTaggart]

Some actual numbers on input delay would be important when you do the full review

[@musicalbacon2]

Looked into the other video from a year ago in the description. You have a choice of screen types at check out, the nicest one is called “the unicorn” and has a 1ms delay

[@PadPoet]

@@musicalbacon2 That's pixel response time, not input lag.

[@GigsTaggart]

@@musicalbacon2 yeah the panel latency is pretty irrelevant to the input delay. It's all the upconversion and different stages that add up.

[@TheRestartPoint]

they could measure this really easily with the "MiSTer Laggy" device. My LG C4 tv is 10ms at center of screen (2ms more than a CRT). Display lag is a priority for me.

[@sixtyfps]

​@@TheRestartPoint Seconded. This would make measurements dead simple.

[@GarethFairclough]

There is, indeed, a black knob. I saw that cheeky look to the camera!😜

[@Manglitter]

Have followed this project for years. Screw the haters. This video fully sold me. Order placed. Last name dozier Can’t wait to get it Steve

[@e8root]

'Haters' as you put it are mad because there is no mention of why CRTs are still your best bet. Selling product by only focusing on advantages and convenience making it sound like other than pros that are showcased there is no cons sound dishonest. And yeah, CRT quality these monitors give you not.

[@trappedintimesurroundedbye5477]

what are you crying about? i seriously can't comprehend why you seem to be crying. I'm sure this guy was just making a statement and doesn't care about your emotions ​@@e8root

[@Obraxis]

@@e8root No more CRTs lad, and they're dying off slowly. This is a great project to help keep the spirit of CRTs alive, with all the older, and modern interfaces. Not sure why you're being so negative, when this project is a net positive for the retro community.

[@jonah1976]

Hook it up to your Intellivision Amico.

[@e8root]

@@Obraxis If I am negative it is because it is useless product without it having backlight strobing. It is CRT-wanna-be with image quality that isn't any better you can have anywhere else. And before anyone says "there are no 4:3 panels with backlight strobing" I will say "are you waiting for Nintendo to make one?". It is possible to make one yourself - and then for the price I would say it is an excellent product that actually helps keeping retro spirit alive and is absolutely positive force for retro community. Make it more expensive for additional manual work and part cost - I would be fine with that. Otherwise I will say its meh product which has some nice convenience features but otherwise misses the point of having CRT - which isn't for looks of having no black bars on the sides but for having amazing motion clarity. You ain't getting old 2D scrolling to look anywhere sharp on these monitors. Heck, you have better luck hooking retro consoles to modern TV (through appropriate scaler like RetroTink 5x) and using its backlight strobing/BFI - though not ideal by any means and worse than what could be accomplished focusing on this aspect specifically it is better than some basic sample&hold LCD panel.

[@SrtRacerBoy]

This would be amazing if they did a colab with retrotink to add their crt filters. And OLED.

[@TheAdventuresOfJimiJaden]

I’ve always wanted a retro monitor so I could feel like an old grandpa learning how to use a computer for the first time, or a worker at his office doing the same thing. Looking forward to getting this, thinking of using it when I’m making my films and for work, might also even use 2 computer systems. A Macintosh for my film work, and Windows 95 (MiSTer) just for basic essentials and shit.

[@ChrisPresnell]

Love the blend of old tech and new tech. Will be picking one up in the future. Thanks for showcasing an entrepreneurial effort to deliver what people want.

[@banjoguyollie]

been resisting forking out the money for one of these but.... ... yeah. money's gonna get forked out :)

[@kurtg5405]

I am not the best user case for this, but I am absolutely stoked for those who will get something out of this

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

Well this could be the answer to my not being able to find a CRT monitor for my DosBox battle station...

[@armorgeddon]

Especially for DOSBox though this is not the right monitor IMO since it can't do 72 Hz. Optimal for DOSBox therefor are monitors with FreeSync or similar, which can do 72 Hz and a horizontal res which allows for integer scaling to a res that maxes out the display space as best as possible without having to use blurry scaling methods.

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

@@armorgeddon why I've been trying to find a CRT but haven't had any luck so far. This could be a nice alternative/ good enough until I do find one

[@reiul9787]

Great job, it looks phenomenal. A 25 4:3 inches would be perfect.

[@StoneyKenobi212]

THIS IS AMAZING. OH MY GOD. THANK YOU STEVE.

[@joeykeilholz925]

Back to you steve!

[@MagnumForce51]

When ever the OLED version comes out, it should have a curved piece of glass in front to really simulate that CRT look. Optional of coarse...Might need swappable face plates if you want to go down that route I suppose. :P In fact, swappable faceplates (aka the frame surrounding the panel) would help with the border issue you get from displaying 4:3 content on a 5:4 panel which I assume the OLED will also be unless you actually manage to get a 4:3 OLED panel made. Plus if a input board for classic Macintosh stuff is ever made, a face plate for adding a classic Apple badge to make it look the part would be awesome too. :D

[@Benjamoose]

Honestly, I've been waiting for this very idea for the retro/arcade scene for years. But not just a curved piece of glass, a convex curved OLED, since we can now have curved monitor panels too. The dream is a 4:3, convex OLED with matching glass lens.

[@RyanMercer]

Cries in United States.

[@Nostalgianerd]

I'm pretty sure you can order from the US

[@RaysGamingChannel2003]

Will this monitor even work on 60Hz (NTSC) (100/110/127 AC)

[@Persun_McPersonson]

@@StarmenRock The political climate is going real skibidi right now, I think we can cry a little

[@caffeinatedlinux]

@@RaysGamingChannel2003 Around 9:50 he lists all the modes that it supports and he mentions NTSC.

[@matthewjbauer1990]

@@caffeinatedlinux Being compatible with NTSC is most likely so that Europe can use American stuff on the monitor.

[@requiemcollectiblesgaming]

Pretty amazing. Are these available not through kick starter?

[@tekk9995]

Backer nr 16 here :)

[@peyton_uwu]

I was very pleasantly surprised to see this monitor again! Very veey very excited about the RaspberryPi & "high performance SBC" slot-in cards 👀

[@zfrenchy1716]

can I use this monitor with an ATARI ST or FALCON ?

[@Nostalgianerd]

You absolutely can.

[@zfrenchy1716]

@@Nostalgianerd Can you show in a video ?

[@Madgitty2]

cannot wait to get mine

[@snufkinmatt162]

This video has only been up half an hour and the haters are out in force already. If you don't know what it's for or you think it's too expensive, fine. The number of backers on the kickstarter would vehemently disagree with you but I doubt they'll come and try to crap on your day. If you prefer a massively heavy CRT which is not portable, takes up a load of space and that could die any day, fine. This isn't for you. If you think Nostalgia Nerd should be doing a proper review, then you are deaf. He's says several times he will be doing one. What is wrong with people? Why are they so negative and quick to whine?

[@Nostalgianerd]

People love to whinge for attention.

[@xXRustyShacklefordXx]

"If you are thinking nostalgia nerd should do a proper review you're deaf" Oh yeah how dare we expect an actual review and not a 23 minute long infomercial

[@shponglefan]

@@xXRustyShacklefordXx He stated in the video that a proper review would be coming in a month. This is just a brief overview.

[@DanielW-x4v]

@@xXRustyShacklefordXx Also blind it seems

[@e8root]

Whining is something people soaked by ears from their lovely CRTs they still use - and won't consider anything other than CRT to be good enough to pretend to be CRT.

[@reptilez13]

20:00 oh it's using GBS Control. Makes sense, and I'm sure it's custom in some way. I have a whole deal with a GBSC and VGA Monitor setup. Looks awesome! Wish we had a US one, tho I do alright with a scaler and a VGA, having the inputs would be awesome for sure. Also, do the OLED and just have extra stock for like .... Some years? lol

[@retroftw]

It supports NTSC! You can buy one now.

[@exturkconner]

That's pretty hard cost to justify. I get that it's catering to a certain type of retro fan but it's brutal. You can get better resolution IPS panel in old 4:3 dells that have both modern inputs and composite,component, and svideo for sub $100.

[@snuf23]

Can you list some models? Sounds sweet.

[@exturkconner]

@@snuf23 Dell 2007FP. There are two models of the FP as a rule the FP B is what you want. It was a business model and that version is almost always an IPS display. The other version has the potential of being either IPS or TN. You used to be able to get these all of the time in the 10-25$ range but they became sought after. There aren't too many 4:3 IPS displays in the 20 inch size. So people who dig vintage content love these justifiable so. I use one not just for retro gaming but also for laserdiscs.

[@GarethFairclough]

Wow... im only just seeing this, and wow! I just moved to Germany and I'm after a new monitor due to my dell 1080p 24 incher (u2414h) got absolutely smashed to bits in transit. If this was available in this quality with a 1080p 24 inch size, I'd snap his arms off for it! That monitor is astounding! I wonder if there's a market for something like this, but more aimed at artists and professionals?