Old Trash or Treasure? CRT vs LCD: The Final Verdict

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Your gaming monitor is TRASH! This, actual trash, monitor out-performs it by exponential amounts… so why did we regress to LCD panels for so long? Here it is: The verdict. CRTs vs LCD and OLED displays for gaming and media consumption. After YEARS of hyping them up in videos, it’s time to put some hard numbers to it.
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Thanks to our special guests:
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John / @DigitalFoundry - / digitalfoundry
Steve / @RetroTechUSA - / retrotechusa
Linus / @LinusTechTips - / linustechtips
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👀 CRT Gaming playlist with previous episodes - • CRT Gaming
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TIMECODES:
00:00 CRT explained
02:10 What you don't remember
03:27 Clarity & Sharpness
14:46 Motion clarity
15:10 Black Frame Insertion vs CRT
21:17 Input lag & LDAT measurements
27:22 Usability
28:50 Getting the most out of your CRT
31:55 Linus' take: FW900 vs Modern Gaming Displays
34:30 Power Consumption & Heat output
35:43 How to get into the hobby
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[@RetroTechUSA]

Thanks for having me come on. I'm happy to be part of such a great video. It's amazing to see your CRT videos through the years. You'll find that fw900 one day. I know it.

[@shabazz18]

It's overrated. Spend @$400 on a 4:3 Sony for way more bang/buck.

[@aaronm.2790]

Seeing you pop up there with the big boys like LTT is amazing, Steve!

[@danielpope6498]

@@shabazz18 depends on if you are using it for modern games or not. If you want to play the latest games on your CRT, 16:10 is probably supported but 4:3 often isnt. On the flip side 4:3 is better for retro or just reasonably old games.

[@EposVox]

Buying another 4:3 isn’t going to accomplish my goals of high res widescreen gaming so… inherently that cannot be more bang for the buck lmao

[@davef113]

Steve is a legend. His video on the Olympus OEV 203 (aka PVM-20M2MD) which had the same problem as mine gave me the confidence to tackle the repair myself as well as do some preventative maintenance. This thing is freaking awesome. He also has a PVM-2030 video that I'll be referencing soon as I repair that gem of a monitor. Disclaimer/disclosure: I have years of experience repairing... just about anything... except CRTs. I have all of the tools needed to tackle the job I did and experience replacing the parts on the CRT (ie: capacitors) that needed replacing. CRTs are just legendary for being one of those things you don't touch unless you know what you're doing. With my experience and Steve's tips I was able to do this. If you have minimal experience repairing electronics or anything for that matter I do not recommend attempting a CRT repair.

[@37Kilo2]

Problem is, everyone who is selling a CRT thinks they have the greatest model that every retro gamer wants, and therefore is asking hundreds. I keep checking local listings, but people are smoking crack.

[@RFLCPTR]

dont look up "crt", just look up for the cheapest "tvs" or "monitors" and you'll find a bargain

[@danielpope6498]

@@RFLCPTR the problem with that, is the CRTs that you want were really expensive back in the day and your average person didn't have them. I have some old crappy ones just sitting around and I have no interest in using them, the ones I use are the ones people charge huge money for now

[@eol6632]

Yep, I see these assholes on craigslist all the time. Selling a junk 1985 floor model tv, calling it perfect retro game tv for 200$.

[@BJtheBassist]

I have the greatest model.

[@RFLCPTR]

@@danielpope6498 At least in my area I could find some Sony Trinitrons in good condition (didnt pick any up yet as I still dont have my own flat)

[@TuiCatNZ]

We have all been robbed. If we had the same graphics processing today in the 2000's gamers would have held onto CRT's with a death grip.

[@juanme555]

Intel save us please 😰😰

[@realamericannegro977]

😁

[@ShadowLady1]

Oleds are better

[@sickbastard82]

​@@ShadowLady1yea better ,pff

[@eitkoml]

I have so much regret over throwing away my old CRT monitor.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

"it's a hobby, right? Have some fun." Is advice that all of us in the gaming space should take to heart. I watched this video 2 times back to back. Really great stuff. There really is something about playing on a CRT. Yeah the size and weight is a pain in the ass but even a crappy CRT provides a fun and nostalgic experience.

[@juanme555]

Also, in many 2nd and 3rd world countries, there is a bunch of low and even lower mid end crt's still brand new being sold by pennies online quite often, this was definitely the case last year in Argentina, bunch of HP 17" CRT's brand new sealed being sold for 9U$D.

[@thumbwarriordx]

Image clarity at relatively low resolutions has always been insane on CRTs. A CRT was basically the best way to get value out of raytracing on 20 series GPUs. They ran pretty good at 720p/1024x768 and on CRTs actually looked great doing it.

[@fiece4767]

I bought myself syncmaster 997DF crt and now i have 1070 but im not sure if DP to VGA adapter gives me as good image quality as 980Ti with DVI-I to VGA adapter would. Should i sell 1070 and look for 980Ti? Maybe my crt just got weaker idk but if its worth a try, im selling 1070 anyway cus i need stronger gpu.

[@SviatoslavDamaschin]

@@fiece4767 Do you like your 997DF? Does it clocks 120hz@768p?

[@johnathanpearson3203]

I use a 980ti with my crt and it's great 👍

[@azhighwayz2310]

Still a treasure. I bought a Sony GDM-F520 (similar to the SGI G520 but with a .22mm pixel pitch vs .24mm), when I lived in Japan and built my first computer. Recently pulled it out of storage along with a lot of other stuff in San Diego and moved it across the US. Out of curiosity I hooked it up and started gaming on it and was completely blown away by the picture compared to my 32" 144Hz LCD display. Since then I've been researching how to make the most out of modern graphics cards and the CRT. I found a really good DisplayPort to VGA converter that supports high refresh rates but a lot of games don't support 4:3 anymore. Until I can afford a decent OLED monitor, or they come out with a good short throw laser projector without so much input lag, it's my display of choice for gaming.

[@Nick930]

I'm getting some major "Avengers - ASSEMBLE" vibes from this. Nice work EposVox! PS: Mad respect for having BF1942 and BFVietnam installed on your computer in your start bar.

[@EposVox]

YAS

[@4h0w1e6]

I own CRTs, love them, but I really appreciated your point about the quality of CRT effects on good modern displays. I like that you can fake raster and vector on the same screen.

[@Willowposting]

I find it amazing, tbh. Obviously it won't ever truly be the same as all those working physical parts, but it gets so damn close and looks so damn good if you're using a solution worth its salt. Great stuff, really love it.

[@friedzombie4]

This video is criminally not getting picked up by the algorithm. I've been floating in your circle for quite some time now and absolutely love your content. I may have been using a Haupauge Dual TV Tuner via Composite in Flash Media Encoder to JTV back in 2007 but you perfected the craft. I picked up a 36FS100 for $20 in 2019 and boy and I glad I did. It may be 240lbs but it has dual Component and S-Video with a manufacture date of Feb 07. Absolute banger for Lightgun content.

[@MistyKathrine]

13:20 I remember in the early 2000s when I was in high school I asked my mom to get specifically 13'' CRT TV, because I felt they were the best size for gaming at the time, I used that TV for my console gaming for a long time, and still have it in my room. I haven't used it in awhile though since I now have a C1 OLED, but I definitely prefer the 13'' CRT for most things over my 32'' LCD.

[@grandadgamer8390]

Got Sony Trinitron 4:3 and late Samsung 16:9 CRTs in gameroom. Game on them alot. But recently I've been watching all my classic TV shows on them. An aspect that is often overlooked. Great vid 👍

[@EposVox]

Heck yeah!

[@loganjones4650]

Amazing video with accurate info, Vox! To keep CRTs from being tossed out, me and my friends are working on a website and Facebook groups dedicated to rescuing CRTs and selling them to each other for cheap/free!

[@wiegraf9009]

I never have had an FW900 but I did find a 21 inch Diamondtron PC CRT when I was in Europe that of course still can do 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratios. It hooked up to my PS5 just fine, and it was a huge relief to finally have zero input lag playing Elden Ring after struggling with an old LCD TV in my Airbnb! Was also much nicer for watching F1 races because of the massively improved motion clarity! Downside was that I had to carry it down two flights of very steep Dutch stairs at the seller's house. It was definitely not light!

[@EposVox]

Probably a rebadged FW900 then, Diamondtrons we’re just Trinitrons sold under a different name

[@wiegraf9009]

​@@EposVox Nah this one was a 4:3 screen, not 16:10 like the FW900. I just used part of the screen for stuff that had to run in 16:9 like the PS5, still plenty big (that's the beauty of CRTs!). Still had a ridiculously high "native" resolution because it was used for high end photography work. EDIT: IIRC its max horizontal refresh rate was still lower than a FW900 as well.

[@EposVox]

OH you just meant it can show 16:9/10 within the 4:3 bounds, I see. I thought you meant the tube was still that ratio

[@wiegraf9009]

@@EposVox Yeah! Sorry for the confusion 😅

[@dexheavy85]

Samsung is stopping LCD production. QD-OLED only from now on. If they get 27" 1440p 170+ Hz displays for under $500, LCD monitors are as dead as CRT. Just like that overnight. Color fringing due to the subpixel layout can be fixed with software. One thing about CRTs I need to say. I really enjoy playing old console games on them. I wouldn't miss LCDs when they get replaced with QD-OLED.

[@User9681e]

They definitely aren’t stopping making lcds oleds no idea where you heard that

[@LinusCatTips]

Was a blast coming on :D

[@EposVox]

Thanks for joining!

[@Wobble2007]

You are one lucky sob scoring an FW900 Linus, I've been hunting for one for over 3 years now, lol, I've not given up though, it will happen one day i'm sure.

[@ExcelsiorTech]

I really miss CRT. The 17" 4:3 studio display I had with my G4 PowerMac was the clearest and best picture I have ever seen (despite the stupid apple lock-in to only be able to use it on an ADC video card).

[@deckofcards87]

Amen. I never had a G4 but I do own an iMac G3 and it's display is gorgeous

[@modulusshift]

They made a convertor to use a standard DVI input on those, and I've actually got one, hoping I run into that monitor someday haha.

[@axi0matic]

@@modulusshift Pretty sure that convertor is digital only. It will let you use an ADC LCD monitor with a computer's DVI output, but won't pass through VGA signals to drive Apple's ADC CRT.

[@modulusshift]

@@axi0matic I should really check to see if it would take in DVI-A. I've heard that the power draw is also greater than that adapter can support, but that might also be worked around.

[@axi0matic]

@@modulusshift It doesn't, and I don't see how you could 'work around' the lack of power from the adapter, if it proved insufficient. The other snag is that all the display's geometry controls are done in software from the connected Mac, via the USB lines that are also part of the ADC spec. Realistically, the only way to use an ADC CRT display is by plugging it into a G4 or G5 tower that has an ADC video card fitted. Alternatively, the graphite VGA monitors were also attractive in their own way, and use a standard VGA cable (though I believe the 21" version needs to connect to a Mac via USB to access its geometry controls).

[@larrytaylor2692]

Yes I have two Sonys and my parents are constantly telling me I need to throw them away and I get so angry because they don’t understand why I love them

[@DKTronics70]

I love CRTs, and still have 15 CRTs, from different markets of the time - commercial, pro, dedicated to the platform. From a gorgeous Commodore 1701 CRT for all my Commodore hardware, C64s, C16, Plus4, Vic-20 etc... A couple of Amstrad CTM644 monitors for a 6128, and a CPC464. Acorn AKF30 RGB Monitor for my Archimedes A3000. Atari SC1435 - for my ST 1040STF. Philips CM8833 Mark 1 and 2 - for all my other retro hardware, composite, and SCART. Sony Trinitron PVM 1442 QM - this is for a Mister FPGA. Also have a few commercial Sony CRT TVs, 14", and 28" Trinitrons. These are 100% for retro hardware, and a Mister FPGA. I don't think I could drop my LG C1 OLED TV - connected to my PC for gaming, and use a CRT SVGA Monitor instead. The C1 is gorgeous, and looks amazing at 4k. A lot would have to go if I went with a SVGA Monitor, such as the OLED, VRR, Nvidia G-Sync, 4k resolution, etc... Plus space, the C1 only takes up horizontal space, it's depth space is only a few inches. A relatively small SVGA CRT would need a fair bit of depth space due to the length of the tube.

[@-VexyRS]

This video has STUPID high production value, and I can't believe I watched it for free!

[@meatbyproducts]

I miss my old 21" CRT 1600x1200 monitor. I have a crazy huge 400 pound CRT in my garage that I am going to hook up again. It was a monitor for video editing in the early 2000s.

[@meatbyproducts]

The giant monitor is a 36" Monovision DM-7752s it is 1024x768 60hz I am going to try to get it into my office this weekend and do a video on it.

[@agfa1854]

@@meatbyproducts Monivision monitors are amazing! Can't wait to see that video

[@PixelPhoenix]

This is some excellent work, EposVox! Steve, John, and Bob are such awesome dudes and fantastic resources for all your CRT needs. I've been running a lot of my retro consoles with everdrives and ODEs to my 20L5 for some time now (Gamecube has the GCLoader, PS1 has the xStation/PS1Digital, you get the idea), and everything is hooked up to it via the gCompSW. Scanlines just work so well in hiding dithering for the PS1 in particular, and scanlines drawing over the edges of the pixel grid for 2D games allows them to appear smooth and provide extra depth in shadows - not to mention color reproduction is superb. I started getting into watching DVDs via a dedicated component region free player, and even THAT is remarkable. I only wish more people talked about that as much as they do for games! Sometimes our brains make us forget what it was like to view things through CRTs before the switch to LCDs, but when you see them in person, it suddenly clicks and you go "yeah, now I remember!". Just...maybe not to the extent of a PVM or BVM quality monitor, lol.

[@-Gunnarsson-]

I remember when we got our first LCD in early 2000. I was just pissed that it used 60hz. And it felt laggy.

[@sjurursteinholm5368]

13:55 That joke got me good. Bob deinterlacing 😆

[@erikm6785]

It's a shame that CRTs are no longer in production. Unfortunately, we can't hold on to them indefinitely. I remember the transition from CRT to LCD in 2009 after mine was struck by lightning and stopped working. I immediately noticed the difference. When I moved around on a strategy map, I would see blurriness and "choppy lines" on the LCD screen, which left me feeling somewhat deceived. Additionally, the image felt more "flat" because CRTs had a curved, thick glass that added a certain "3D" effect/depth to it, and the colors seemed more "washed out." However, on the positive side, LCDs are thin and easy to carry. Yeah... Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Japan, where I found that they still have many arcades with CRTs. Unfortunately, some of them had burn marks, but others were still in great shape. I visited "Super Potato," which had a whole section dedicated to CRT arcade machines, and I got to play Street Fighter on one. It was undoubtedly a better experience on CRTs, and I felt drawn into the game.

[@rett.isawesome]

I finally have something to show my wife when she asks why I keep lugging my CRTs with us every time we move.

[@EposVox]

"I have a professor's note! It's okay!"

[@b0nz0beavis]

Dude, your vids are AAA. Thanks for the informative and visually pleasing content. Think I’ll rewatch on my HD CRT. Love the shots where your talking into the camera and added simulated phosphor glow.

[@TheBackyardChemist]

If QD-OLEDs would have something like a 480 Hz black frame insertion they would break the sample & hold problem for sure.

[@EposVox]

Hopefully by 2029

[@mahdiyussuf9804]

I've been a CRT mega fan every since the early LCD monitors started to replace CRT monitors back in the day. I had a xbr960, loved the depth and motion clarity but besides weighing a ton and being hard to handle, it also had geometry and focus problems. Nowadays I use CRT vga monitors and I got tons of them lmao

[@ChazMcClure]

Dude one of those widescreen hd crt tv's has been a distant dream for years lol. I seemingly cant find any close, and when I do they are 300 plus dollars.

[@Ballowax]

I feel most LCD TVs from the early 2000's do have their charm that is different to a the charm of CRT monitor.

[@mahdiyussuf9804]

@@Ballowax I'm not sure what charm they have outside of nostalgia. They really look bad 😅😅 And LCDs haven't gone away!

[@Ballowax]

@@mahdiyussuf9804 that's where the charm comes from. It's the imperfections in the old 640x480 LCD panel of the day. It's like the nostalgia you get from an RF signal on 13 inch CRT with a low horizontal resolution.

[@mahdiyussuf9804]

@@Ballowax I guess that's true, and I'm sure more would feel that way as time goes on haha

[@julien2983]

Great info! I got a 32" trinitron kv-32fs120 for $0, it's massive, weighs 99lbs, and I love it to bits.

[@realamericannegro977]

Thats light for a crt of that size

[@BBKDRAGOON]

absolutely awesome video dude! time to go looking for a CRT

[@BKDDY]

Even new "retro-style/pixelart" games look better on CRT.

[@LeonisYT]

I actually hook up a CRT TV to my computer to play slippi (ssbm netplay)

[@DadLadsGaming]

Excellent video mate Great guests, thanks for the effort in doing this👍👍

[@EposVox]

Thanks for watching!

[@lovemadeinjapan]

CRT's don't use much electricity. My 12 inch monochrome: 20W, my 14" Trinitron: 35W, my 21" Trinitron, 45W. That is all very reasonable.

[@laserfights]

awesome video. i have a lg c1 and i normally dont bother to turn bfi off and on, but i think i'll have to start messing with it more after seeing this. also if anyone wants to mess with it themselves, there is a black frame insertion ufo test that shows it off pretty well, i don't believe you need to have any special support from your tv / monitor to see it in action

[@TravisSurtr]

I forgot to mention - you gave me my first exposure to Sony BVMs (and professional monitors in general) on your BVM setup video back in July 2020. I really need to thank you for that - this has become a major hobby of mine since then. I don't know why I wasn't subscribed, but I am now

[@EposVox]

Heck yes!

[@visual7150]

Now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if this is why I remember the ps2 games looking WAY better than they do now. I always thought I was just remembering with rose tinted glasses, but maybe not.

[@pcphilanthropy]

Great work! Always love your in depth content!

[@sickmind33]

So you're saying a modern CRT display manufacturer would make some bank today?

[@EposVox]

Nah they’re expensive to make, niche market, hella expensive to ship, and AFAIK illegal to manufacture anyway

[@sickmind33]

@@EposVox well shit there goes my master plan

[@wiegraf9009]

@@EposVox Not illegal to manufacture. I think there is one specialist manufacturer still out there. The tooling necessary to manufacture them is super expensive and the business case given their bulk and weight is definitely not there.

[@MistyKathrine]

@@wiegraf9009 Yep, there is a company in the USA called Thomas Electronics that still manufactures and repairs CRTs, mostly for aviation and millitary use. I guess it makes sense that their primary market would be aviation and military as they are the only ones who be willing to pay the high costs associated with the manufacture of CRTs these days. About the only consumer grade stuff they seem to do is refurbishment for popular Sony and Panasonic CRT models, so if you did drop 3K+ on an FW900 that needed refurbishment, they would probably be a company worth contacting.

[@cannonaire]

Great video ! Although I was mildly disappointed you were in UT2004 but didn't have the Redeemer out when you said "redeeming qualities" at around 3:20.

[@EposVox]

Heck

[@DiskCart]

This is THE VIDEO man. Thankyou. You are helping people and really more opening eyes to what could be. also thankyou for the shoutout to retrorgb absolutely amazing. my socks have been blow off.

[@DiskCart]

you have fucking nailed this man.

[@DiskCart]

jesus man how much time did you spend on this. this is valuable

[@pdlbackup]

I honestly miss CRT's. I have one and it still works, but it makes a spark sound every once in a while so I'm too scared to use it. I really wish I could though. At least I still have a few CRT tv's which I sometimes use.

[@mattffolliott-powell5105]

It sounds like your fly back transformer is failing. It’s basically a high voltage transformer - sometimes the plastic casing and resin can fail and you get arcing. Don’t use it! 😊

[@Adamchevy]

Great Video! I grew up with CRTs and have been wondering when OLED tech or some type of tech was finally going to look good to my CRT eyeballs. I just barely repurchased a Dell P992 , and have been using both a 4:3 and 16:9 HDCRTs for many years. They are still my preffered way to game for any system. Thanks for making this amazing video that really helped my brain understand why my eyes have been underwhelmed over the years.

[@GuyManley]

Really good video. Make me wish I did take my old Dell CRT to college with me. I still have the LCD I bought then so I'ld probably still have the CRT today. I liked seeing all the guests and getting their thoughts on the subject. Surprised LRG wasn't on this, he did a video on how to film CRTs.

[@blurplereign1035]

A little late to the show, but I wanted to point out to anyone still looking for CRTs, I've had a good bit of luck at thrift shops and other donation based type places. Then tend to not know what they've got, at least as far as second hand market value, since the average person has absolutely no desire to bring a CRT back home. My current favorite is an unbranded 17" 1280x1024 that gets up to 85hz, which I was able to pick up for $5. I figured at that price point, even if it didn't work it would still, literally, be worth it's weight in plastic, glass, and circuitry. I've found that 75hz+ is pretty much a necessity with these as at 60hz the flicker is quite pronounced and disruptive. Great video! :)

[@theplasmatron3306]

I'll take all the old technology you guys have and turn it into a museum collection.

[@tdeseve]

CRT tech was actually more advance than current tv's

[@FreedSeed]

Thanks! This was the make or break for me on QD-OLED About the adapter, shouldn't I be getting a DP to DVI instead of VGA? Does DVI have some latency drawbacks compared to VGA? I'm also wondering how much does the adapter add to the latency measurement compared to native output?

[@floridaman7206]

Loved the video. I got my dream crt tv a few days ago now I’m looking for a better crt monitor. The one i have now is a dell e771mm. It looks good, but can’t do high refresh rates or resolutions

[@RetroFan]

CRT has zero display lag. The image is instant as there are no pixels. I was born in 83 and grew up on it. I remember playing my 360 through hdmi and could feel it wasn’t smooth as on my crt through component. Plus the color and contrast is beautiful.

[@philharmonic2251]

Just fantastic. I got into crt displays again about 7 years ago for retro gaming and it's great to see more people getting back into them. Shame about the scalpers these days but it's still awesome to see greater recognition for these old beasts. Hopefully this will lead to more of these gems being rescued, repaired and maintained. Thanks Prof!

[@pcislocked]

Great video. Now I wonder if it's worth using CRTs on competitive gaming and whatever due to their advantage on latency. Probably not, idk i have terrible aim anyway

[@tikkasen_urakointi]

Display latency is absolutely a valid reason to stick with a CRT display. Replacing a digital flat panel display with an analog CRT and a USB keyboard with a PS/2 one can easily reduce the combined I/O latency by 50 milliseconds, which is not a small amount. Latency is a thing that very greatly affects the user experience and one reason why modern computers feel so slow. Even when using a software that is very optimized, new computers still feel less responsible than 20 year old computers.

[@Mami.The.HL1]

(ms) | |---|---|---| | USB | 10-15 | | PS/2 | 5-10 |

[@la_straps]

im sure this has been asked but what kind of vga to displayport cable is used in the video. im trying to find alternative solutions but the dp adapters i’ve used are all limiting my resolution

I like the format of this video. It's long, but it really works.

[@momosbreath9713]

I tried using my old AOC 17 crt from 2005 and upon initial boot the image was so blurry and it took some time until it fixed itself. But yesterday while on use it sparked in front arching towards the metal feet of the table. It happened only once though. Is this normal for an old crt and will go away, or is it finally dying?

[@598gh]

I just got myself into the hobby with a 14" Samsung SyncMaster 591v for a measly 10 usd and I couldn't be happier. It's small yes and not all modern games support it, but when I fired my emularors and old PC games on it I was stunned, I fell in love with the image that I got and hopefully get an ossc in the near future to produce scanlines for games that need them. I find games with pre-rendered backgrounds especially(like Resident Evil and FF7) to suffer from the lack of them. Overall I'm very happy about it.

[@TaroKunLife]

Dreamcast had higher resolution graphics over the PS2. It's sad that the Dreamcast lost. :(

[@EposVox]

DC only did 480p if you had the VGA cable and only in some (albeit most) games. It couldn’t do 720p/1080i and PS2 could do 480p in a lot of games

[@BJtheBassist]

@@EposVox Dreamcast COULD easily output 1080p, but it wasn’t a standard at the time. And don’t get me started on how Sony skimped on the hardware…

[@EposVox]

I mean… that’s like saying the Gamcube COULD output 3D because the hardware was capable of it - if nothing was ever built to utilize it and it wasn’t a thing at the time, that’s not worth anything lol

[@wiegraf9009]

Yeah this is definitely not true. Sorry but the PS2 is also capable of 480p.

[@BJtheBassist]

@@wiegraf9009 on 2D games. Oh of course some games had Progessive scan, but they were sprite based or had heavy dithering and what-not.

[@EBCHILL2]

PS3 on the Retrotink 5X is really nice too, of course PS3 looks great on CRT too

[@LeonisYT]

Been trying to find one of these for under 100 bucks.. pretty much impossible now

[@EposVox]

Definitely not impossible, nearly every CRT you saw in this video I easily found free or well under $100

[@ToploadedGaming]

@@EposVox Seconded, they are out there. I find sony Trinotrons all the time. Flea Markets, Good Wills are a great place to start, also, ride around your neighborhood Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun, Whatever the day after garage sales are in your area, and see all the tvs that are at the curb. even CRT Computer monitors. Hell, I found a 4:3 Sharp SDTV LCD which has next to no lag, which is ideal for my vesa mount setup at my streaming desk, I can beat Tyson on Punchout, so next to no lag on a lcd lol, free tv.

[@billyelliotx]

Easy to find, at least in the US. Standard definition TVs are free left and right on FB marketplace. CRT monitors, again pending model types, are easy to find too and usually won't be free but you can find basic ones for $50 or so pretty easy.

[@LeonisYT]

@@billyelliotx @Toploaded Gaming the good will on my area does not carry electronics anymore. They consolidate them all and determine whether or not they can be sold at their sister store "the grid". If it's "too old" it gets recycled. Also, I have CRT TVs already. I'm specifically looking for the monitors. Believe me when I say that I've been looking for months in my area. Fb market, Craigslist, used electronics, yard/garage sales, etc. Found nothing so far within 100miles

[@PixelShade]

Living in south of Sweden I have found it INCREDIBLY HARD to get hold of a decent CRT monitors locally. I have been looking for nothing special but preferably something built ~2005... After 3 years of search I finally found an unassuming, bog standard, beige Compaq CRT monitor from 1997 for 10$. It's not what I wanted initially. But I couldn't be happier I can do anything from 640x480@85Hz to 1280x1024@60Hz.... but man, even at 60Hz, it looks and feels FAR better than 120Hz on a modern display. I will be using the GBS-C upscaler to upscale 240p 15KHz content with added scanlines to the display. :) That way it will look very close to a BVM as well.

[@rahckut8634]

Not to mention im a huge 4:3 fan.

[@mhenrique4860]

Me too! 16:9 are not "widescreens" ! 16:9 screen are regular screens (4:3) just with the height cut off to save costs! Image how massive it will be a 65 inch 4:3 tv!

[@americanman5270]

I remember playing Runescape on crt computer monitors in 2008 at the local library (I was 10). A few years later at home my stepdad moved the entire computer setup under the giant living room TV so when id play Runescape it was on a flat screen and i thought the game looked worse on the flat screen and i could never quite put my finger on it. Great video! Takes me back to my childhood playing Star Wars BF2 on my 13 inch CRT VCR combo TV. Good times!

[@zhaf]

I think I still hav a Sony CRT Tv in the basement somewhere. Maybe I should dig it up.

[@XxDeViLBrInGeRxX]

Kinda miss my old CRTs, specially when i had my 24inch TV where i used to play Time Crisis II with the Guncon on my PS2, how do i regret selling those two later now, sigh...

[@danielpope6498]

I really do need to fix the brightness issue on my CRT and get it up and running again. I even got a bonkers high end VGA cable for it, heavy gauge wires, individually shielded. But I haven't been able to properly enjoy it because the brightness has fallen off so much.

[@noelnico1136]

Thanks alot :)!!! Just starting to getting into the infos, awesome thoughts. Btw plasma tv also has a 3ms response if I recall it correctly (and those are being sold for 300$ circa). Quite consuming btw :)..

[@blueversace4447]

Were your readings on the Samsung with HDR/local dimming disabled/VRR disabled? I didn’t catch anything about that. Should be much lower times?

[@EposVox]

GSync off and on didn’t make a difference. HDR was already off, it doesn’t have enough DR for HDR to be worth using in the first place

[@blueversace4447]

@@EposVox Thanks for confirming. Wow, that’s really impressive then by the CRT. Hopefully we can get some faster OLEDs soon enough

[@DhinCardoso]

I already have 5 CRTs, but after that I am thinking to bulk up more 5 - unfortunately in Brazil there is not a single View Sonic CRT for sale...

[@Gigagamer74]

If monitor manufacturers don't revive the production of 24 inch CRT monitors specifically for gamers, I will be very surprised.

[@daty2k1]

A wild @Dachsjaeger appears!

[@ChristopherAndersonPirate]

I think I got lucky. A small town here in Wisconsin was doing a recycling event and everyone threw out old stuff to their curbs. I saw so many CRT TV’s. There was a mountain of pc parts and crt monitors but they were all gone before I could check them, think the city got to them. But I found a component and S video Toshiba CRT TV, an RCA S Video TruFlat CRT with dvd player built in, and the holy grail Sony Wega Trinitron 32”. It weighs nearly 200 pounds.

[@asmiralo]

i've had a vintage sony crt for 4 years it was tucked away in a closet in the house till i came across it one day and decided to hook it up with a hdmi to vga adapter and it was too good till i noticed severe degradation in my eye sight, i have 240hz 1ms screen and it still doesn't even come close to the responsiveness of the crt

[@greymurdock2]

This is a cool video love it when old stuff has resurgence based on quality that the newer stuff doesn’t have I am an audiophile and there is a similar resurgence of old stereo and old horn speakers people are really sound better in a way the newer stuff on the market can’t but in the end it all comes down to preference

[@BANCLAMOFFICIAL]

We NEED new crt monitors

[@Ballowax]

so EposVox, how do you split this analog video feed from 1:05 to like 20 different monitors at the same time?

[@agfa1854]

you need a distribution amplifier

[@Ballowax]

@@agfa1854 but is it worth it?

[@ghoststriker7]

Thanks for the video I was going to toss my old crt tv but probably keep it as long as I have retro consoles

[@plasmatix9416]

Hello there, AMD has the fun option of giving me an Interlaced signal still via HDMI, and all I need is a viable adapter. Current one I have makes the CRT freak out, but do you have any suggestions on a HDMI→VGA converter? Should I use a powered one?

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

Love some CRT knowledge, such a fun technology. I love using a pc crt for modern retro games, especially boomer shooters. Emulation also looks incredible on it. Got most of mine for free or less than 50 bucks. Play with what you can find and upgrade if you want to. PC CRTs also get dang close to PVMs and BVMs if you dont want to pay those prices either. Fantastic video and great guests.

[@mrlopez7173]

What about the in between? The good old plasma tv .

[@thomasstorgaard9750]

Fantastic video on CRT for gaming and watching VHS tapesand DVD´s on! I showed my oldest son a clip from Black Hawk Down on DVD on our Philips CRT this summer(I think) in Dolby Digital, and I asked him, if it was not a good picture despite not being a HD or 4K TV. He agreed with me on this topic. Perhaps we will see a (limited) revival with CRT TV´s , not on the scale of vinyl records, but still sufficient enough to have brand new CRT displays with some of the more modern features/functions of modern televisions.

[@b0nz0beavis]

Anyone know if dual GPU can be used to render modern games at 4K on say a 3000 series, while a 900 series downscales and outputs at 1080i? Are there other lag free and lossless solution involving other external device? Cheers

[@delightedbylight9893]

yes there is a video about this topic on yt. a guy using dell p1130 monitor hooked at 900series but utilizes the 30 series for render. mindblowing

[@b0nz0beavis]

@@delightedbylight9893 I ended up just grabbing a secondhand GTX 970. The result was indeed phenomenal, but there are a couple issues that make 720p a better option for me. 1080i has an extra frame of lag and the dual GPU setup causes GPU overheating issues. Did look excellent though and I’m sure a few set up tweaks could reduce the issue with heat.

[@b0nz0beavis]

@@delightedbylight9893 I ended up just grabbing a secondhand GTX 970. The result was indeed phenomenal, but there are a couple issues that make 720p a better option for me. 1080i has an extra frame of lag and the dual GPU setup causes GPU overheating issues. Did look excellent though and I’m sure a few set up tweaks could reduce the issue with heat.

[@MKR3238]

my 175Hz QD OLED is still not as sharp in motion as my fw900 was at 100Hz and that was even one of the slower phosphor CRTs :(

[@Wobble2007]

The new QD-OLED is nice, but falls massively short when it comes to input response, motion, depth, and the colours on my Sony G520 are a lot more vibrant and richer than on the QD-OLED, shadow detail is much better on my CRT monitor too, when we have 1000Hz 8K QD-OLED, I think they might at least be superior for modern gaming, until then CRT is still king.

[@hypnoz7871]

@@Wobble2007 Man are you nuts ? CRT are superior in motion clarity and for classic pixel art, but QD-OLED is a whole new game : infinite contrast, ultra high bightness with HDR1000, only 3ms input lag for good models (lower than what the most sensisitive human can detect), high refresh rate (not 1000hz until 2030's), and big huge fucking size. Everybody who see what a QD-OLED can do is blown away for a reason. Also you are delusional about CRT being better at color. Go see the gradients and DCI P3 scores on rtings of the best modern screens and get back on earth.

[@Wobble2007]

@@hypnoz7871 I have a C1 and a QD-OLED, it's not even as nice as my Pioneer last gen plasma let alone my LaCie Blue 22 IV CRT, QD-OLED is miles off from high-end CRT, you clearly haven't used a LaCie Blue or a Sony G520 or other CRT on that level if you believe QD-OLED is anywhere near CRT level of quality, that said even though CRTs are miles ahead, QD-OLED is incredible, just not as incredible as Kuro plasma or high-end CRT monitors, give QD-OLED another 5-10 years and it will be a lot closer to CRT quality, better yet, wait for self-emissive quantum dot.

[@ghostazp3377]

@@hypnoz7871 they are nuts

[@Home_Rowed]

My CRT has damage on the anti-glare coating. Is there a recommended solution to that issue, do I try to remove the entire coating with some sort of chemical, or is there some way to repair or replace the coating? I use this CRT in a room without sunlight, so removing the anti-glare coating wouldn't be a negative to me.

[@wiegraf9009]

I had this problem on mine. The solution is to remove the coating as there is no way to repair it. You have to take off the front shroud of the CRT and peel off the coating layer like a phone screen protector.

[@nap8187]

@@wiegraf9009 not all CRTs use a film, most infact have a coating.

[@LLPsychosisLL]

I know there was something off about hd tvs.. I swore up and down back In The days of playing Xbox 360.. I could notice input lag on hdtvs rather than crt tvs.. is there a way for crt tvs to come back full force in this day with the enhanced resolution and graphics

[@rossmclaughlin7158]

Can you imagine how this battle would be if they had continued to make crt and develop and improve them over the years

[@IkuMiku96]

Daily driving a crt as my main monitor, as work monitor, colour, gaming. And is not considered a high end one too. Purposely run with letterbox on top and botton to run at 16:10, 1920x1200p at 60Hz usable modern resolution. With altered gamma, contrast and brightness, i was able to get good brightness curve with deep black even with room light off. Wished my current gpu can output interlaced, i miss running 1920x1200i at 120Hz, it was a beast at it and 120Hz kinda reduce the observed interlaced effect and less flicker too. To replace it, i wish for something like QD-OLED or OLED 4k monitor that is affordable.

[@bloxyman22]

Just saved a compaq mv700 and a viewsonic 17ga from some recycling center and they both so far seems to work great.

[@itskdog]

Just a note, the first flashing light warning says to jump to 23:00, which is *after* the second flashing light warning at 16:00. If someone skipped the first warning they've probably skipped the second one as well.

[@XxxionxX]

This is is wild that the algo hasn't picked this up 🔥

[@VideoJamesShow]

Bob Deinterlacing... I see what you did there

[@ugzz]

Great vid, tons of good info! I see in some of your shots you look like you have a ton of CRTs.. So how has your luck been with failure rate?? I have 9 CRTs across a few different setups, and i've had FOUR major failures in the past 2 years. Pincushion, sync issues, screen flicker, and vertical collapse. I used to yell "buy a CRT from the rooftops". Now i'm more yelling "Buy a CRT.. but only if you want to learn safety and repair.. or know someone who does.."

[@ezgoodnight]

Hey it's like the cinematic universe of all the nerds I learn from on KZbin

[@reggiebuttsmash2321]

Just the video I needed. I have 21 crts so this helps justify my insanity for them

[@BJtheBassist]

I literally sold my HP Omen X (1440p, 240hz, TN Panel) yesterday because I haven’t found a reason to use it for anything. I’ve got a 22” Diamondtron and a 21” Trinitron and DLSS thanks to Nvidia, so I can run either at a scaled 2048x1536@120hz! Oh, and no blocky pixelization or input lag.

[@delightedbylight9893]

i do the same soon, i feel like i have been lied to and today after 10h++ of research i know what is wrong with me and games. my eyes miss a crt! i will sell my benq zowie xl2546k haha esports bullshit and get a f-ing crt. i remember now why i was hitting all my railgun shots, it was the crt and the young sharp mind :) hyped af for crt 💓 planning to buy a p1130 found local

[@Yoshi92]

All I care about a monitor is input lag, ghosting and refresh rate (used to 240hz since 2020 or sth). Resolution I'm fine with 1080p on 24.5".

[@sonyx5332]

I would love to know the input lag on those SONY HD CRT PVMs (those that do 480p and up). I wish SONY made those HD CRT PVMs again (even if in limited numbers), 15" to 24" inches with a downscaler (to do 240p from higher resolution) and a upscaler build inside. One can only dream.

[@EposVox]

The PVMs/BVMs don't have any added latency. The normal consumer HD CRTs tend to have a fair bit no matter what you do

[@Willowposting]

​@@EposVoxyou have no idea how much I appreciate that you still reply to comments on this year old video, even if its not a comment I left myself (mostly because this one already answers my question lol).

[@JimmyJoeMcGurl]

Omg the DVD I always watch on my CRT is Transformers the Movie (1986)! Was thinking about it during this then saw Unicrons head floating by!

[@lighttecdark3504]

I love that people like this exist. Makes this world a better place ❤

[@EposVox]

Well thank you

[@Bottle_O_Glue]

4:38 Is that Retrobar that's being used for that Royale Noir taskbar?

[@EposVox]

That’s just Windows XP’s normal taskbar with a theme

[@Bottle_O_Glue]

@@EposVox Ah, I see. The modern Steam and what looks to be a modern recycle bin confused me. I thought it might be modern windows with some themes applied (I've done something similar myself) Thanks for replying :)

[@wiegraf9009]

Love my CRT monitor and hope it lasts a long time!