Why You Need a CRT for Retro Gaming

Can't believe this was just on the curb in front of someone's house! I recommend searching on Craigslist (or something similar like OfferUp) for good deals. There are lots of people giving away these old TVs because
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[@HowAboutThisAsAName]

My Dad bought me an S-Video cable for my PS2 when I was growing up. Thanks Dad :)

[@LeonSKennedy7777]

Great dad! When we were kids, even through the Wii days, we never gave a thought to video quality. Only used component. If only we’d know about S-video back then like you!

[@lemons2300]

​@@LeonSKennedy7777 I think you mean composite

[@armorwolf7934]

@@LeonSKennedy7777 ya component and s video good composite sucks

[@EvertvanIngen]

😂😂😂 amazing

[@SeaSlug]

Goat . I never used s video until the Wii .and I had a component cable for the Wii before s video. I only got a video because it had composite and s video at the same time for using a capture card back during the early let's play on KZbin days.

[@megamanfan3334]

It's not just the rounded pixels and scan-lines, even the saturation and colour display of retro games looks way better on a CRT TV, I wish a company somewhere in this world would start manufacturing CRT TVs once again.

[@millabasset1710]

Blame corporations and making everything on the cheap. I know OLEDs peaked in 2018 and have better blacks, but a CRT operates on light, there is no processing speed baggage.

[@Motuochez]

Loved the little CRT 3D animation at the beginning, that was amazing haha. Also I definitely agree, CRT gives the pixels a more softer and natural look, like in the emulated version the stick looks very pixelated to my eyes. Also because CRT gives it that rounder and blurrier look, you can't really tell the jarring difference between the models and the pre-rendered backgrounds, like the one where Link is laying down on the bed.

[@raichubender8995]

Been digging into CRTs and how color works on older displays with 'crappy' cables. I've gained a newfound appreciation for games that look ugly when displayed on a modern flatpanel display with blocky pixels or blurry splotches. Turns out these pixel sprites and blurry textures actually contain a lot more detail that is basically not there on modern displays or emulator output. They will look bland, dull or just weird and give older games that 'dated' look and feel. CRTs are a lot brighter and more vibrant by nature, so any dull visuals would likely look a lot more pretty. Also, artifacts and color blending on composite and S-video created more colors and pixel artists would use clever tricks to pack as much detail into tiny sprites and tiles that just isn't there when simply playing through and emulator. They're literally not intended for anything others than CRTs, which a lot of people for some reason fail to grasp... First time I really noticed this was when I played the NES Battletoads on XB ONE via Rare Replay. When I turned on the CRT simulation filter, the 8-but visuals instantly looked a lot prettier, albeit blurrier. It felt like the boring, grid-aligned four-color tiles suddenly displayed a lot more color and visual variety. When you look at the tiles with the filter turned off, you can notice that there is something 'off' about these tiles. Like "why would they place that pixel there?" "How is this supposed to resemble a rock wall?" "These colors seem arbitrarily picked and clash." Then you see it on a CRT the way it was intended and everything just clicks.

[@HULKHOGAN1]

That’s a nice bit of investigation and an interesting read! Thanks for sharing

[@doom5895]

You need a real crt not a filter

[@overnightdelivery]

@@doom5895 Well sure CRTs are the best. But if your just casually playing on an emulator imitation scanline filters look way better than not using them. Or else all games look like Minecraft with huge blocky pixels.

[@ghostbombl8034]

Those cables can be important for effects, like sonics waterfalls,they need the yellow cable to do the effect.

[@daniloberserk]

Speaking for someone who's actually has an CRT setup, nowadays you can ave INCREDIBLE results using something like the CRT Royale NTSC composite Preset shader. Still, there's LCD motion blur caused by sample and hold effect. But there are ways to solve this issue to if it bothers you.

[@bobmorane-mediapreview5296]

CRT is life for retro gaming !!

[@alpzepta]

except when they raise the price

[@curtisjulian2652]

a trick: watch series at flixzone. I've been using it for watching loads of movies lately.

[@khalidtrevor9449]

@Curtis Julian definitely, I have been using Flixzone for years myself :)

[@mrsir5784]

im watching this on my brand new crt flat monitor I play emulators n64 or whatever gamecube looks absolutley amazing ten bucks I Paid brand new in box its a compaq 7600 looks super crisp and it was made in 2013 so im hoping it will still be around in ten years

[@mrsir5784]

I also have a nice 36 inch hd samsung dynaflat tv which is amazing does 1080i or 480p im gonna look around for some trinitrons for a backup if that one ever dies my brother has the 40 inch sony trintron biggest crt ever made helped him move it thing ways 300 lbs maybe I can get that off him one day so damn good man things were made for quality back then not quantity

[@GoobyGooby]

I love CRT's so much. I have a LG HD CRT that goes up to 1080i and a 480i toshiba, they are such great displays. I really dont understand why the first thing someone asks when I show it off is "how are you going to get rid of it?" No im keeping these for life (or until they break)!

[@ManOfAttitudeLP1998]

Yeah man I have an HD CRT by Philips and a PC CRT and will keep em till I die

[@MANNYMODS]

@@ManOfAttitudeLP1998 don't hd crts have input lag tho?

[@ManOfAttitudeLP1998]

@@MANNYMODS Not for 480p to 1080i where I use them

[@ManOfAttitudeLP1998]

@@MANNYMODS I also have an Bang and Olufsen for Lightguns and 576i and 288p gaming

[@MANNYMODS]

@@ManOfAttitudeLP1998 oh cool

[@someguyoninternet802]

I also got that lucky moment! Me my dad and my grandpa was helping my grandpas friend and I ended up coming home with two windows xp pcs, a screen, a keyboard and a small CRT tv

[@hectorvelez1546]

this reeks of nostalgia ...i love it

[@retrorestored]

Congrats on realizing how amazing S-Video is! I heard about it growing up but I never realized how much better it was. Just switched all my consoles over a few months ago. 🙂

[@ogSquink]

0:30 the high pitch shriek starts lol. that's a CRT for you.

[@ogSquink]

ok, hell, I couldnt even make it through the video. I love retro gaming but man, CRTs are seriously just awful. I don't know how anyone can put up with that high pitch wailing.

[@eyesack_bones]

@@ogSquink it goes away after a little while, I normally boot mine up and wait a couple of minutes before playing

[@dwaynethemineraljohnson412]

@@ogSquink how are crt's awfull only becouse of the pitch you like playing your retro games on a flatscreen tv and it looking realy blurry and havin noticable input lag

[@gta_s4531]

@@ogSquink OK Gen Z LCD Tv Peasant

[@gordonfreeman5958]

I hear nothing, the one advantage of aged ears :D

[@andyfritter]

Your bed setup is a dream! Love it!

[@yesterdays-tech]

Wow! That's a staggering difference between cables. You don't realize how soft or how much sharper it could be until you see it.

[@W3S3333]

I actually like the regular cables over the S-Video for my Saturn. On my CRT the transparencies actually appear transparent! They look horrendous on an HDTV

[@benaravensfan]

I have a 13 inch CRT on my table. They had it in the basement of my day program. When they were in the process of moving to their current building, they said that if no one takes it, it is being put out for bulk trash. So, I took it.

[@JAM609]

I’m in a phase where I like old games better than new games and they look poopy on an hdtv. Picking up a crt soon

[@rsolsjo]

Looks like there's slightly less "bloom" with s-video.

[@aarontrupiano9328]

s video makes a noticeable difference even watching a dvd

[@excadrillo99]

Welcome to the wonderful world of CRTs! Try getting a PC CRT next, you'll be surprised by how great they can look

[@alexvids9232]

Those are way more rare.

[@todesziege]

PC CRT's can often do really high resolutions too (like, quite a bit higher than 1080p), if you want them to.

[@excadrillo99]

@@todesziege 1600x1200 boi

[@todesziege]

@@excadrillo99 1920x1440 boii

[@excadrillo99]

@@todesziege Unfortunately mine doesn't go that high, but if I ever find a FW900 I'll let you know XD

[@dad7275]

Glad you found that little crt. I've got a 32 inch Sony Trinitron myself. My Sega Saturn is hooked up to the s-video. I bought mine with retro gaming in mind and have not been disappointed 😁👍

[@revupofficial]

That's the second best CRT you can get after the 36" one. Great job!

[@x1ic1x]

No lag mostly is my most important reason :) bought a vhs/dvd combo Sony for for $10 from Goodwill like in 2012 I think composite looks like crap on my 4K tv

[@Red05x]

Everything looksBAD on a 4K. Motion Resolution makes averything 300p, as much.

[@threadschanged4252]

i find it funny and kinda frustrating how in America u can pick up a decent tube TV at a yard sale but over here in Ireland for some reason u can only find obscure brands for double the price + postage that may or may not function

[@niallmclarney]

Yeah I get what you mean . I'm a delivery driver working in limerick and I delivered to this house and the guy had a 28inch Sharp crt sitting outside the back so I said to him if it's still there when I deliver again I'll take it so 2 weeks later I delivered to him again and it was still there so I put it in the van,, happy days

[@MrVibeless]

Any chance we could see some more CRT footage. I find it fascinating how good it looks. I paid a pretty penny to have my N64 HD modded for modern tvs and the results ,though better than before, are really disapointing to me. My TV still does funny things with the signal which results in strange pixelated mess and distortions no matter what setting I use on the ultra64 mod or my LG OLED telly.

[@revupofficial]

I have 2

[@NewGabeOrder]

I mainly use them via TV/VCR combos. Whenever I want to record fighting game matches I just use the built in VCR and video tapes with a recording security tab each. Also, no lag is perfect. However, playing beatmania IIDX can be funky unless widescreen displays are used, as the games were originally designed for 16:9 displays instead.

[@cfreddykrueger9164]

Can definitely tell a noticeable difference between the two! CRT’s for your retro consoles are the way to go in my opinion if you have the space. I would love to see someone with an RGB modded N64 + HD Retrovision component cables into a CRT that supports component. As for me I’m going with Voultars RGB mod and the rad 2x. Just got the mod chip soldered in. Now I’m just patiently waiting for the Rad 2x. I was split between the rad 2x or the retro rink + hd Retrovision cables with my RGB modded N64. The route I went was a little cheaper. The Ultra HDMI mod is obviously the best but it’s super expensive, complicated to get the kit and looks to be a moderately difficult install for most people. I’ll end with this. CRT is KING! Great video by the way 👍

[@rubenjorge13]

Seriously, crts are extremely smooth, even ocarina of time, wich ran at 20fps back in the day, looks completely smooth. Long live to crts!!

[@Red05x]

This is very, VERY True. Almost PS3 Games on my CRT look smoother and some of them look even better. There are some that were made for HDTV (Uncharted Games) and look better on it but almost all other games I've tested (Killzone, Resistance, RE5, MGS4 [This one look the BEST on a CRT], almost all indies... etc.) look better on CRT.

[@bowi1332]

I remember playing all my N64 games on a white kitchen CRT TV. (Obviously a small one.) I also did this for a lot of Wii games actually.

[@RetrofIex]

I just picked up for free a throwaway CRT that looks similar but very large : 32”. It’s a similar offbrand Trinitron clone by a company called Apex. It has two S-Video and Component inputs on the back and a Side (Not front) A/V input, which is nice because you don’t have the cords sticking out the front. Has a very similar sharp and vibrant picture tube as the old Daewoo here. I feel if you acquired this one you would appreciate it

[@alexvids9232]

I will be collecting a few monsters this week.

[@MTSGaming]

bro the intro looting a crt tv had me dying

[@RGmodsitalia]

Have 2 21" flat,(one of them is a SONY TRINITRON, the second one is a Philips that looks exactly like yours!), one 40" that is really heavy..they are the best for retro! Awesome video my friend!

[@revupofficial]

Nicee! What size is the Trinitron?

[@ThatWhiteHand]

I just got mine for free too in my neighbourhood! It baffles and saddens me how people just toss these things out... oh well, more for me.

[@jassykat]

it's true. Olds games were designed to be played on old TVs.

[@zer0b0t]

Some people do RGB mods and it's supposed to look amazing but I believe it's dangerous and it can't be done with any TV

[@zer0b0t]

@lol lol it's high voltage, make sure the TV can be modded safely

[@MrVibeless]

Wow People have been yelling at me for years saying I've got massive nostalgia goggles for the old N64. Your video proves CRT is the way to play N64. I'm really excited cus I'm planning to pick one up tomoz. Thanks mate

[@cristoferxcruz]

Nice, pretty good quality and you got this free! I picked out a couple toshiba CRTs 14" and 27" recently and they have some slight convergence issues.

[@9ALiTY]

I really wish I could get a Working CRT for Free.

[@matthewnations501]

OOT is my all-time favorite as well. Great video!

[@luiscortazar6291]

I'm so jealous. My CRT is composite only. Still looks good but I'd love S video and component support.

[@RetroVillager]

Its hard to look at my LED monitor again after a couple of hour gaming on my CRT. Color contrast are so darn good on CRT.

[@Yonumsiki]

N64 really looks fantastic on this CRT

[@trans_t0luene]

I have 2 old TVs, one of them is from 1983 and is used for my NES, and the other one is newer and has pretty much all of my other consoles hooked up to it. My Wii uses S-Video rather than my N64 though, since I don't have the money for another cable yet 😅

[@PaperBanjo64]

Nintendo 64 has such poor video quality due to anti aliasing that S video barely looks any better than composite, if you have a Super Nintendo however it makes a huge difference.

[@revupofficial]

Sounds great!

[@Red05x]

@@PaperBanjo64 Really? Didn't know that. Thanks.

[@vhsorion]

what are the settings on that set? i have a Daewoo as well

[@onetwo6039]

Yeah I got my N64 RGB modded and it looks good, but for the money I don't think the value was justfied. I should have just stayed using s-video and saved the money. Wasn't a huge draw dropping difference IMO.

[@suicide19915]

I actually still use one of these, though I think mine is a Magnavox. Cool find.

[@Whurlpuul]

Man fuck HD, all the letters we need are CRT and N64

[@user-rd5wj2mm8n]

Looks legit. But. While svideo is no slouch, IF this TV supports component, THAT is what you want to be using.

[@Flux799]

I still use a crt in my house. Never had the need to upgrade.

[@RetrofIex]

Thats really cool

[@apuspeak8764]

I played the emulator on my dad's CRT monitor PC back in 2004.

[@justakid823]

its insane how smooth the gameplay is

[@adidas1984x]

I have 6 crts in my arcade cabinets . Nothing better then old school

[@RetrofIex]

Hey Sean, I actually came across an old Best Buy catalog from 2003, around the time this Daewoo model was new; they ran for $139.99 brand new. It was definitely a budget brand, but you can’t argue with the picture. Did you still have any CRTs left?

[@LeonSKennedy7777]

Are you me?? I literally found a 20-inch flatscreen tv which looks identical to yours and did a double-take to grab it. Was looking into buying an S-video N64 cable to improve upon the trash composite quality 😂. Also loved your analyses of everything. Instant sub.

[@bowi1332]

As I look at you video, I'm comparing with a Sharp LC-15S5U and I have to say it looks like a mix of your CRT and your LCD panel. (No scaling/interpolation, but brighter.) You see, the LC-15S5U has a native resolution of 640x480. It also line doubles the N64 video correctly and pretty much without adding any lag. (I can't perceive any lag.) I'm using composite right now, but I'll swap to S-Video as soon as possible.

[@esotericsean]

Interesting! I definitely want to get a better CRT someday :)

[@bowi1332]

@@esotericsean Mine is a filthy LCD though... It not a CRT. I can't have a CRT anyway. It's too big. 😅

[@Red05x]

Very good video, Man. The advantage of the CRT Displays aren't only the Scanlines or how older consoles look on these TVs but also Motion Resolution. Zelda on the LCD looks very good to be honest but, try to compare them side by side while motion is on the screen... No matter the method the Emulator is using or the fps., even today, can't beat CRT TVs. Also the colors are more "natural" on a CRT. Anyway, the only HDTV which deserves to be compared to a CRT are Plasma.

[@revupofficial]

Cuz they were made in mond of the colors on the CRT so they made those colors look best.

[@Red05x]

@@revupofficial I've seen that even the latest content look best on a CRT TV. HDR content looks good on a HDR Display BUT on a CRT TV, SDR content looks the BEST!

[@xenosaga1348]

Excellent video. Is that a fishing rod in a few pics? Never went fishing other than in a video game.

[@esotericsean]

Yeah! I love going fishing. Used to go a lot with my dad as a kid.

[@voltz15]

I do miss my N64 copy, but I've had that replaced with the GCN version for quite some time now. Using a computer crt via ossc

[@rolandbaron5813]

CRT's are made for retro gaming & modern hdtv's are made for modern gaming

[@joshuamorris2908]

Right!

[@Gambenoful]

I love CRTs. I have a 32'' Sony Wega with 240p and I run all my retro consoles on it. I know people love OSSC and Emulation but nothing looks better to me then original hardware running on a TV at 240p or 480i

[@zach.hanford]

I had a 36" Sony Wega before I moved(that my brother had purchased for $100... crazy) and I left it behind because it was an absolute behemoth to move. I didn't realize at the time what I actually had on my hands, and now I desperately want it back. Looked up the price on those, and whoa. There's no way I can convince my wife to let me spend that much on a 15 year old TV.

[@user-rj6kx8eh5y]

The latest crt models that were made had hdmi ports and dp port

[@phalanxHH]

I use CRT even outside of retro gaming. I use it every time to watch TV.

[@yoshifan5384]

I watch alot of vhs movies on my crt

[@tanner4144]

Wow rly fricken good job describing this

[@gouzanzei254]

I just got my CRT TV from my cave and use it for ps2 and gamecube games. It feels amazing, like in the old times, and the games look great. I understand why we loved those games before, but played on an hd tv they look washed and tired. CRT forever.

[@reggiebuttsmash2321]

This was a great asmr video

[@waynetemplar2183]

About 2 years ago I slung out a large top-of-range flat screen Panasonic TV which had a ton of different ways to connect devices (SCART, RCS, S-video). About 2 months ago I got into retro gaming and am now having serious pangs of regret as I struggle to get a decent image from my N64 on my modern flat screen TV

[@vinnievincent85]

I dunno about your country, but in my country it was super easy to find crts on facebook marketplace.

[@TheFlyguy217]

Love it love it love it I love it! more videos please and thank you

[@beamboy07]

Plot twist the tv walked outside to get fresh air

[@eteres-n6g]

today i revived my hd crt tv to play xbox 360 and xbox one at 1080i..look soooo beautiful

[@ghostbombl8034]

I use scanline generator, than scale my mame game,than pre scale it to match the scanline generator, at the same time blure it, than i use a second prescaler with filter to scale and blend in the shaders.Than i go to my fly back transforrrmer to focuse the game back to sharp.This rounds all the shades into that,3d,, thick shiny reflections perfect depth.than I adjust each game refresh to my tv so it sync beautifully, for that insane smooth, stopover effects that games has,with,smooth,bloom after glow like Parkman any other fast moving game.they had a very slight,m,tail.incates great syn.

[@BananaMana69]

Back when the term flat-screen meant a flat piece of glass rather then curved, and not a paper thin, flat, TV screen like we have nowadays.

[@Richdadful]

Gmes post 2007-08 started looking better on LCD. Else it was always the reverse.

[@fabman01000]

Nice vidéo my friend, crt is life 🤗

[@mattjrk5679]

Unless your playing competitively in Smash bro. You don’t need a CRT. Just get a GCHD for a monitor and it looks far better than the scan lines with no delay . By no delay it’s nearly the same as a crt

[@user-vb5vv7kt1j]

childhood in 90s〜2000s.

[@EvertvanIngen]

Don't you just love RGB Scart

[@qislegit.donttrustthemedia6232]

Random tip for the day: *Don't use texas toast to make French toast*

[@rileydyck261]

Ok

[@sticktails7553]

May I ask why?

[@HalfMonty11]

@@sticktails7553 screw that guy. Texas toast French toast is great. The only thing I can think of that might go wrong if you are a dummy is you could undercook the middle of the bread because it's thicker... but just don't do that and it's good. Or don't super soak the bread in egg, just a quick dip.

[@sticktails7553]

@@HalfMonty11 thanks b

[@zero9112]

That sounds disgusting

[@eyesack_bones]

I wish I just drove past one on the street for free. I bought one but it didn’t have ACR so I couldn’t use it with my n64, and I ended up having to buy another for £60 lol. Nightmare scenario, but it was worth it to play these classic games as intended.

[@Westile]

Just finished Stone Temple on my CRT, did a sequence break so I looked up a guide to see how its properly done, seeing footage of it being emulated looks like a different game entirely and the games outright look worse.

[@timbaklon]

I would like to disagree but you’re right last time I played golden in a led screen it was not as I remembered jajajsjs

[@EricGranata]

Best example I’ve seen where scan lines look best is Donkey Kong Country. Looks like trash at pixel perfect and a whole lot better (softer?) on a CRT.

[@rolan5948]

Yeah I wish hdtv’s had some sort of CRT mode for retro gaming but they’d look a lot bigger and increase on cost if they do I guess

[@revupofficial]

@@rolan5948 I think they should still produce a small line of maybe 1 or 2 different crts in mind of gaming. Including s video, composite, component, hdmi, and antenna ports for any console!

[@Itsfayd]

go buy the retro bit 64 controller on eBay it’s $25. it’s a modern n74 controller you’ll love it especially now that you’re playing the n64 more with that crt

[@TheFFxHD]

Bit late to the party here but what s-video cable are you using? And where did you get it

[@Boannski]

What camera are you using to film this video? It looks great!

[@swardmusic]

Prob '07 with that flat screen

[@GameboyZeroOfficial]

So Good!

[@pabllo2004]

Thanks bro great video , Im for sure bay n64 in future and CRT tv or monitor is must have!!!

[@retroforce6919]

If it had component option that would've been even better.

[@piccolosan19]

We need ocarina of time reboot and graphic update maintenance on your tvs is important to preserving their usefulness great vid

[@timvenus5186]

I did not miss the high pitch hiss though

[@zackittup]

Were you getting any checkerboard like noise with your s-video? I'm getting some and I think we got the same s-video cable.

[@jamesw5713]

Retro games before 2000 look like $*** when not on a CRT tv, it gave the image a kind of anti-ailiasing quality to it. On emulators and HD it looks blocky.

[@DeadmanDave]

You definitely need a CRT when using an NES zapper.

[@DaniDogenigt]

I don't care how good looking your arcade build is if you're not using CRT. It's not just this hipster hype thing to get the "authentic" experience, a tube TV just blends the colours and lines in the right way, an LCD is pale, sharp and cold.

[@pensadordomediterraneo2073]

I have a tube TV, now I just need a nintendo 64 and Zelda game.

[@KooriGraywolf]

That's great and all, but there's an annoying high frequency tone throughout the whole video, which I assume comes from the TV itself. I couldn't really watch the video start to finish because of it. Would've been nice to at least filter it out in post (the tone is at around 15.7 kHz) There was a retro game café near where I live with a lot of CRT TVs, and while the experience of playing the games on those TVs and on original consoles was great, I couldn't stand the high frequency screech in the room coming from not one but potentially multiple CRT TVs.

[@esotericsean]

Sorry about that! I must not be able to hear it anymore. I guess I’m old now cause I could definitely hear that as a kid.

[@KooriGraywolf]

@@esotericsean Reading back on my comment I really apologize if my comment came out as quite dismissive of your video :( the information is legitimately great and interesting but I guess I really was annoyed by the tone...

[@esotericsean]

@@KooriGraywolf That’s okay! I wish I had caught it when I was editing. Important for me to know about for the future :) appreciate it!

[@mourad80]

Does this s-video cable work with all CRT TVs?

[@shaebryan1413]

Whats that multicolor game boy on your shelf. That shit is dope

[@kingrhys9445]

When it comes to CRT brands how do Daewoo TVs compare to other brands? What is low end and what is high end? I live in Europe and I already have a JVC AV28T5SK 16:9 TV and I'm looking for something smaller and in 4:3 to replace it.

[@whisperingocean.]

We had one of these that lasted 11+ years.

[@j-mobxssmultiverse]

I still have that daewoo tv but the front AV ports doesn't work too well & it seems loose on the inside, regardless it still works

[@marcosmacoeove5915]

I fallow on Instagram bro.📷✌ Always cool stuff.