The Dell P1130 Trinitron - Is it the best CRT you don't know about?!

[@adamplechaty]

And two weeks later, I just got this tube from local listing. The internal counter says it has 47k hours! And it still works and after some tweaks looks fantastic. What a CRT.

[@lulkLogan]

Note about that 2048x1536 "max resolution". That's just the max resolution Windows will give when you hook up the monitor, that it grabs from the monitors EDID. But the actual max resolution is way higher, if you go by the 130kHz horizontal frequency ceiling With CRU (Custom Resolution Utility), hitting that 130kHz limit will get you something around 2776x2082 @ 60hz. Of course the aperture grille won't fully resolve all those 2776 horizontal pixels, but the monitor will scan out that resolution. And it will look good. Though of course you will get more bang for you buck by picking a resolution within the aperture grille's dot pitch, like 1920x1440, and running a higher refresh rate. 2082p @ 60hz would only be really recommended for the occasional game that has a 60fps frame cap.

[@CubanLegend561]

I have a DELL P1130, thanks for this tip! :)

[@Wobble2007]

@@CubanLegend561 For me, either 1920x1440 @ 90hz for the ultimate image quality, or 1440x1080 @ 120hz for a nice balance of FPS and IQ, 120hz is great for FPS games, you can do 1280x960 @ 144hz too if you want even faster FPS, I also love how thick the scanlines can get @ 512x384 or 640x400 and even 640x480, the lower, the closer to 240p you get the thicker the scanlines, I highly recommend trying out games like Shovel Knight @ 512x384 or 640x400 depending on how low your monitor can go, there are monitors that are either 29, 30 or 31khz on the bottom end, this one is 30 and can do 512x384 @ 70hz for super thick scanlines and 640x400 @ 65hz for slightly less thick scanlines, either of which will look incredible is Shovel Knight, and also retro emulated games will look much better with native scanlines rather than software scanlines, even 31khz monitors that can only go do 640x480 @ 60hz will have nice scanlines at that resolution, though a fair bit less prominent.

[@scofozo]

the .24mm dot pitch most likely restricts it before the khz does, know what a .24mm dot pitch on a 21" display converts to in pixels?

[@realdragonrude]

Dude he got a dell

[@gerooo9095]

this monitor is the dream for a pc gamer! beatiful

[@Jamaniak]

I recently rescued a Sony CPD-G500 i came across at a recycling centre and have been running it ever since. Absolutely brilliant monitor, its lost a bit of brightness and could do with a re-cap but i love it. Running modern games at 1920x1200 is awesome.

[@DrKeez]

Hidden service menu on these if I recall holding the menu button down while also powering on, then you will now see service menu entry option within the default menu. In there you can do RGB color Gain/Bias adjustments, Bright/Contrast bias, geometry, etc with much more freedom. From there you can finally tweak that flyback screen-pot to get that bottom gray scale to true black while compensating contrast in the menu. Pressing up-arrow while powering on brings up self-test.

[@chopinhoven]

thank you for this great information , its mean maybe its better to use service menu over the windas ? my monitor little bit dim i need more contrast

[@oneMurilognt]

Wow, thanks, will try it out.

[@glyde570]

Good Trinitron monitors at a reasonable price are extremely elusive nowadays. When I was searching for a PC CRT I just had to settle for a 21" Viewsonic P815 in my area for $100. The Viewsonic is great (awesome colors, goes to 175 hz at 800x600, handles high resolutions well) but I really wanna get my hands on a high end Trinitron.

[@roveradventures]

I have two apparently from when my dad worked on PCs and now I'm doing the same as a hobby. IBM P260 Dell 1626ht The P260 has something wrong at the moment (worked then hissing) Dell works great but will NOT work with the DP to VGA adaptor for some reason. Yet works fine on my XP machine. 1600x1200 is lovely on them but the more I learn the more I wanna actually fix them/restore them.

[@nathanrussell2158]

I have the Dell Trinitron. Love that thing.

[@robinmasters150]

Hello Steve, too bad we never hear about iiyama and Mitsubishi diamondtron monitors on your channel. These were very mainstream in Europe and considered as the top of the line.

[@adamplechaty]

this!

[@groovesalad89]

Glad to watch one more of your videos on PC CRTs. P1130s are awesome. I'm using DELL P1130 + F520 + G520 as triple monitor setup via Nvidia Surround. HP P1130 is awesome too ;) Hope to see some more PC CRTs recapping and WinDAS content on your channel. All the best and take care!

[@tvndno6023]

Dimontrons are better

[@RayceARoni]

Thanks for sharing, Steve. Always appreciate exploring tubes, even if its a quick one.

[@MightySquirrel724]

Nooooo, my secret is out 🤣 I have a couple of these, in gray. They're a little older than these, but the tube/picture is just as good

[@ericchang3531]

agree I have one looks amazing with dreamcast vga in, also put a later model vhs/dvd player (DMR-ES46V) upscales to hdmi and then converted with rgb cable and its nice too!

[@AdamRedmond88]

Hooray! I just picked one of these up from the neighborhood freecycle group. :)

[@typeraver]

I miss my P1130, ended up failing and selling it off cheap for some other enthusiast to repair. Now i have an IBM P202, also a sony trinitron screen, but that now has vertical issues (not stretching to the bottom of the screen). Im in two minds about opening it up and giving it a clean. When I got it, it was very dusty. So im hoping if i can blow away any residual dust off, and hope it possibly clears it....

[@exturkconner]

I believe the "B" coating is literally just B for black. And it's just a paint coating. The non b coating ones were bare metal and in theory could oxidize. The black coated ones had some protection against that. But I believe in practice the bare metal ones never did oxidize so the black coating ones never added anything to the equation.

[@dingo535]

I use just a traditional dell crt computer monitor that I use for a variety of gaming, mostly retro but not exclusively. Top resolution is 1280x1024 but I think it looks quite good.

[@reprobite]

Am I the only one that loves the Dell housing?? I have this monitor but I have the Sun variant.

[@NeonMako]

I love it too. Feels like something you'd see displaying info in a 90s sci fi like DS9. Got a Dell M782P that has a near identical external shell and is in remarkably good shape, glad I have such a literal window into the past, even if not as high spec as these Trinitrons 😂

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

It's hilarious, these used to be EVERYWHERE but now they're super uncommon. Wish I would've grabbed one years ago, but at least I found a 20in Diamondtron.

[@2kBofFun]

I do understand. Only in very specifc situations a beast like this is nice to have, like early high-FPS shooters. I am still really glad I replaced it with a HP2065 IPS 1600x1200 CCFL screen. Imagine you had to do all your computer work on this last 20 years. My brain and eyes are glad LCD exists. I see the benefit of a TV for retro consoles, but I do not see the benefit of a CRT monitor for computer use. Reading text on scanlines is a pain, not to talk about geometry and focus.

[@StRoRo]

My old work was full of these monitors.

[@lulkLogan]

Well, monitors that looked like this. But not this monitor Dell used the same style housing for both their Trinitron and their cheaper generic models. Unless your work was big into graphic design or video editing or something like that, it was probably a bunch of the generic Dells (like the e773c)

[@StRoRo]

@lulkLogan maybe, it was a government owned nonprofit company though. So lots of wasted money.

[@Charlie-Cat.]

I remember this Dell unit Steve. I think my cousin had it on her desk once. I'm not 100% sure it this happens to be the model, but I feel that it is bro. Nice choice as always. 8^) Anthony...

[@PowerHaters]

Wow crazy vertical and horizontal frequencies

[@BloodiTearz]

Its my daily monitor for mister, but i still prefer the Lacie electron "22 its hooked up with my other retro consoles.

[@darkovidic6885]

Great job done here with crt machines, congrats guys. Until recently, I had a sony trinitron 21" cpd e530 and cpd g520. Although in principle a weaker model, the e530 had better image sharpness (even at 1920x1200 the sharpness was good) probably due to fewer operating hours. Manufactured in 2003 (g520) and 2004 (e530) . Recently sold it and now of course I'm sorry. Now I'm left with a nokia 447 pro 17" from 1999 as a solid consolation

[@AlexandrTVOfficialChannel]

Ive got a Phillips 107s which works pretty well

[@jonsmidt8596]

Thanks for the vid, Steve! I've got the HP p1130, which is uglier than the dell IMO! I'd love for you to do a deep-dive on WinDAS, I find it a little intimidating.

[@AdamRedmond88]

+1 on WinDAS

[@chopinhoven]

+1 on windas

[@10MBorLess]

I already have 4 pvms but didn't know I needed a dell till now

[@tommymiller9865]

Thank you for once again driving prices up

[@chopinhoven]

thank you so much for this information about this monitor , i wish you make a video about how to calibrate this monitor and make the contrast higher and better ,

[@godashram]

I have a pair of the HP variants. Haven't fired them up in years, but still are great screens.

[@adamplechaty]

Is it possible the internals, like the flyback, could be compatible with FW900?

[@kersencranwill9820]

I just purchased one of these and I absolutely love it! However, there is a fairly deep scratch on the screen towards the middle that is very noticeable while gaming. Is there any Safe way of removing the scratch? It’s a 2003 model

[@brandtzeigler]

I got one for free but it's got some lines when on, some color issues and it was in a garage so the antiglare looks to be exhaust stained. Not sure how to go about fixing these issues but want to make sure I fix it.

[@ManOfAttitudeLP1998]

I've had an HP P1130 basically the same in a HP Chasis

[@_BELMONT_]

Another great video steve! Thanks for taking us along for the ride!

[@ninehundredollarydoos]

I've got a Sony G500 that I use for my Socket 7 MS-DOS gaming Rig and also my Slot 1 Win98 PC via the two sets of inputs. , it works pretty nice with earlier games like Police Quest 2 but also later games like Unreal. I've also got a G420 I found on the side of the road spare as a backup. Thankfully it seems like most PC monitors are overlooked so the prices aren't the worst especially if its on a classified listing but some Sony branded ones have silly prices on eBay.

[@Wobble2007]

Have one of these, and it's a beautiful monitor, far better than any QD-OLED or WOLED monitor and will even outclass RGB-OLED monitors, I have the Sony E530 too, which uses the same tube and is identical baring the USB hub built into the G520 model, you have to see in person just how incredible modern and retro games look on her, @ 512x384 you get thick high-end BVM type scanlines, and at 1920x1440 90hz you get the most incredible image you will ever see, well that is until around 2027/2028 when 8K & 16K dual-stack RGB-OLED monitors hit the market.

[@Tom152104h]

Are there any Trinitron CRT PC monitors that do not need windas software to calebrate? Many years ago, I used to own a 21 inch viewsonic CRT monitor that had a trinitron like tube in it and could do very high resolutions like this dell. I regret getting rid of it before the whole CRT being rare thing!

[@jonm8491]

Ya'll need to stop posting these, it's causing the market to skyrocket to stupidity lol Rant Aside, nice video and I love my P1130! Lots of Retro Gaming Involved over here!

[@mariokart8715]

Just like resellers are driving the retro game prices up. They also need to stop posting too.

[@delightedbylight9893]

I own 2 of those :) I am lucky i can still get as manny i want from my friend's warehouse :) I have the Japan version and Mexico one too, both perform well :) Too bad i messed with the focus and now i can't super fine tune them because i dnt have a gauge :) Nice video presentation, Well done ! Wish you well !

[@jamesbutcher708]

Before HD was available at home for most I would hook up a Samsung digital OTA tuner to my dell CRT via vga. Thought I was bleeding edge.

[@micksterminator3]

I grew up with a Dell E773c. I used to run emulators but didn't know about matching og resolutions to get scan lines. It's still sitting in my parents garage, I definitely wanna get it set up in the game room

[@mariokart8715]

Please let them know about that.

[@lulkLogan]

@@mariokart8715 yeah for real, make sure they don't throw it away on accident e773c was most basic of basic monitors. But they still look great for games. Rich color, sharp. They're just kinda small and low-res. 1024x768 @ 85hz is kinda their sweet spot. Maybe 1152x864 @ 80hz. So modern PC games will look a little blurry and low-detail on them (but still good IMO) And of course they're still fantastic for 480p consoles like PS2 and Gamecube

[@andrewtucr]

Why didn't you adjust the screen bounds for 480p? The image isn't supposed to be underscanned at all. With PC crts, the geometry needs to be adjusted for each supported resolution. The hardware keeps track of multiple screen configurations.

[@RetroTechUSA]

Because I didn't want to.

[@troybranch9720]

I have a Hitachi CM721F max is 1600x1200 @75 any resolution I change it to it always says 75hrz on the monitor. Not sure why I don't get a higher refresh.

[@Electrotat]

EIZO FLEXSCAN T67S same tube bro

[@agfa1854]

Nice overview. I own both the P1130 and FW900 and calibrated them. Have you run WinDAS before? I use it on windows 10 just fine.

[@jonsmidt8596]

Did you follow a guide for WinDAS?

[@agfa1854]

no I got help from friends I met on a messaging platform that begins with D (youtube won't let me name it lol)@@jonsmidt8596

[@phil_matic]

with 2048 x 1536, what's the refresh rate?

[@Kaelidoz]

If you can find a modern Mitsubishi with a diamontron that sports the "superbright" modes, that'd be neat to show off as they're really f bright lol. I gifted one to a good friend right after playing Horizon zero dawn for 100h on it.

[@Curt_Sampson]

6:32 _"The native resolution is 1280 by 1024."_ What does "native resolution" mean on a CRT monitor?

[@CozyCathodes]

It was born there

[@valurautakattila]

Probably the max resolution that's under the resolution of the tube itself, which means every individual pixel looks clear instead of slightly blurry.

[@UHF43]

In an LCD monitor, to display an image of a lower resolution than its native, upscaling is needed and that's what introduces blurriness. In a CRT, scanline separation becomes bigger because it needs to fill the same area with less lines.

[@lulkLogan]

he was just reading off an online spec sheet I'm guessing. CRTs don't have a "native" resolution though manufacturer's would provide a "recommended" resolution, though that doesn't really mean anything either. Especially when it's 1280x1024. That's not even a 4:3 resolution, it's 5:4. So if you actually wanted to run "1024p" on this monitor, it should actually be a 1366x1024 custom res.

[@UHF43]

@@lulkLogan @lulkLogan 1280 is the max. horizontal lines that the monitor is capable of display. It may accept input signals with higher resolution, but that won't make for a better picture.

[@JB____________]

Fantastic Video :)))))

[@infamousacidrain]

I have an m782 which looks a lot like that one but slightly less capable. 17” and I know it will do 1600x1200. Maybe higher.

[@Luke4409]

I actualy have one of these. Picked it up for like $20 a few years ago from some guy on Craigslist. Image has a noticeable blue tint though and there isn't anything obviously wrong in the settings so that's a bummer.

[@DrKeez]

Blue drive is too high, tweak in service menu.

[@Luke4409]

That's what I thought too, but I don't think these monitors has a true "service menu". I tried turning the blue like all the way down in the user menu that was shown in this video and that made it way bettter but was still a bit off. So I imagine I'd have to use WinDAS like was mentioned in this video.@@DrKeez

[@battleprogrammerm5410]

The Dells look a lot better without the swivel base on the bottom

[@juanme555]

would you consider doing a video properly showing off the best looking MODERN games on CRT's ???

[@delightedbylight9893]

You can play annything you want on it ! I play Apex on it and mr Dell is fast as fuck when i pann my camera :)

[@juanme555]

@@delightedbylight9893 Me too but it saddens me a bit to see so many GREAT crt monitors with strong specs being used for old basic games when they were meant to be used for the best games avialable. Personally, i think Resident Evil 7 is the best looking game on a CRT ever, this P1130 is an absolute monster, would love to se RE7 running at 1440i on it.

[@delightedbylight9893]

@@juanme555 happy to hear that, all modern games work on Dell P1130 via Dp>Vga. The experience is epic. This beauty is amazing. What i am always thinking about is that all my friends tell me that CRT Ruins your eyes but i don't know what to think about that. If i play on 180hz NanoIps Lcd in 2-3 hours my eyes hurt. When i play on 1130 i can play for 10-12 hours and have no problem with eyes hurting. So i dn't know witch to trust, my own eyes or other people's opinion.

[@mistamontiel00]

I've had that jotted in my hitlist. But is it really a 17" only? I can't no less than 19 and my Dreamcast sings on my rough (drops+regains focus most random times) 21" Hitachi from 1997

[@reprobite]

It’s 21 inch

[@chopinhoven]

i prefer this model p1130 over the fw900

[@InfiniteClouds]

Did you just say this CRT PC monitor has a native resolution?

[@2kBofFun]

The model number suggests it is 11 inch, but unfortunately it isn't.

[@SamsungS-or1qf]

Too bad you didn’t try 240p/120Hz 😊

[@simpgang7859]

Most pc monitors do 480p minimum

[@agfa1854]

240p at 120Hz is the same scan-rate as 480p at 60Hz so it does work. Bad for most games though since anything 60fps capped will have bad choppy motion at 120Hz on a CRT@@simpgang7859

[@lulkLogan]

That's ugly on a 21" PC CRT, for two reasons. 120hz gives a double image effect in motion for 60fps games, so you'd have to use BFI to counter that, which really cuts down on brightness. And these 21" CRTs are just too high resolution for 240p. You can already see sharp scanlines at 480p, so at 240p it's just ridiculous. The lines of color end up being thinner than the black lines in between. End result is straining for the eyes. So if you're going to play 240p games on a monitor like this, best to just run a really high multiple of 240p, like 1440p or 1680p, at 60hz, then add a more subtle scanline filter.

[@SamsungS-or1qf]

@lulkLogan don't agree, my Sony 20" looks amazing at 240p(Retroarch) . No lag no problems, only sightly dimmer. Maybe you tried on old tube, mine has only 4k hours, CPD-G520P. Played through most of the old cps1 arcade games with a friend, no complaints ☺️. You need to check Lame Gaming videos on this.

[@lulkLogan]

@@SamsungS-or1qf I have 2 21" monitors and 3 19", so I know from personal experience. These displays are made to run up to 2048x1536. You can't have a monitor that high res also look good at 240p. The electron beam size is just too small

[@Kirby7601]

is trinitron owned by sony or dell?

[@adamplechaty]

Great video! Probably the ugliest CRT out there tho lol. Great specs nonetheless.

[@DanielSilva-nr2cd]

Oh great now the prices will skyrocket.

[@2kBofFun]

Just instruct your local thrift store to accept these again. They will start selling them again for a few bucks.

[@Hyperion856]

just saw this for free online and wasn't fast enough 😒

[@xTHETRAINx]

This is great news, I've been sitting on a warehouse full of these that I couldn't get rid of. Now, I can unload these to some suckers

[@jpVari]

Suckers?? Aren't we watching a video about it being a decent trinitron?

[@xTHETRAINx]

@@jpVari yeah but now I can price gouge people

[@ImaFattyCat]

@@xTHETRAINxlel

[@davidbenning10]

Do you still have these Dell Trinitrons available?

[@sebmeister67]

how dare you call my monitor ugly oh and actually its 131khz horizontal refresh rate cause i remember i tried all the resolutions and some went up to like 130.9khz

[@Ocelot35]

At least it's not white (yellow). XD

[@1977Bonifácio-man]

Never seen one of these, ugly outside but, ITS A SONY

[@tvndno6023]

Dimontrons are better

[@TaoistDivine]

This trinitrons ages very bad and after 10k hours or something like that they become not very usefull.

[@lanfeustdaytona4483]

Using a CRT bellow 25" for retrogaming is a waist except for old school PC gaming on "high res" monitors. In the 90s, there were no such little screens sizes in arcade. Even tv at home were bigger than 21"😉 It is way better to play on a big screen than a tiny one, don't loose your time...

[@Owlero]

Huh? Im using a 14" PVM on my desk, and its the perfect size. I can still see those beautiful 240p scanlines, and a larger set simply wouldn't work for my setup. Plus, larger sets are much harder to ship, and are more prone to interference. Bigger isn't always better.

[@crestofhonor2349]

That's not even true at all. Many people useb smaller than 25in tubes. In fact to watch this video I myself am on a 20in tube myself. Plus these are computer monitors, designed to be used at a desk and 20in computer CRTs already around 70lbs

[@user-of6jv7rk7s]

Not true at all. Grew up early 90s and I had a 19 inch in the game room and 13” tv in my bedroom

[@jonsmidt8596]

I have a PVM2530 (25") and frequently find myself wishing it was smaller. You're smokin' crack, man.