When do you use a CRT?

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Breaker
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When do you use a CRT?

Postby Breaker » April 25th, 2018, 1:57 pm

I'm curious where people draw the line between using a CRT or a "new" TV? If you have both, what systems do you have connected to each? Do you draw the line at a specific console generation, a media type, or simply personal preference?

I haven't had space for both, so all of mine have been hooked up to my HDTV. The lag can be frustrating, and with an upcoming move I'll have the flexibility to add a CRT.

I'm thinking of having anything 5th generation or older on the CRT, but might push that a little by specific console. Any suggestions?

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pacman000
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Re: When do you use a CRT?

Postby pacman000 » April 25th, 2018, 3:11 pm

I play my 2600 on my CRT. I don't leave the 2600 hooked up, but I do leave the switch box hooked up.

Other systems have A/V or HDMI cables; my CRT's A/V input's a bit worn, & it doesn't have an HDMI port, so I use a newer LCD TV for those.

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VideoGameCritic
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Re: When do you use a CRT?

Postby VideoGameCritic » April 25th, 2018, 6:28 pm

For me I use a 27" Toshiba CRT for everything up to the Dreamcast/PS2. Most of my Dreamcast games play via VGA, but for the rest I use the CRT. I played most PS2 games on the CRT, except for a few that support progressive scan. Everything after that is on the HDTV.

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Gentlegamer
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Re: When do you use a CRT?

Postby Gentlegamer » April 25th, 2018, 6:52 pm

Anything with HDMI is on LCD. Everything before that is on CRT.

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ptdebate
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Re: When do you use a CRT?

Postby ptdebate » April 25th, 2018, 8:52 pm

The line really has to do with analog vs. digital.

The consoles that put out an analog signal (i.e., pre-HDMI) are best played on a CRT. When you hook them up to a modern TV, the TV has to convert the signal from analog to digital. Certain TVs do it better than others, but no matter what, this process results in signal degradation.

Another option is seeking out an upscaler box. This is professionally made hardware that is dedicated to converting and upscaling that analog signal to full HD with immaculate quality and no perceptible lag. The only real option is the Framemeister XRGB unit, which is pricey at $400.

A third option is using a CRT for all your consoles. There are some nice HD CRTs out there that actually accept HDMI! They are hard to find, however, and very, very heavy.

A fourth option is to use alternative hardware. There are very good clone consoles for NES and SNES produced by retroUSB and Analogue that perform beautifully over HDMI. These consoles range from $200-$400.

The cheapest and simplest option is just to keep a CRT on hand for older consoles. But as you point out, there are often space limitations that prevent this. My tiny apartment can't accommodate such an indulgence. Therefore, I have dedicated hardware to make my SNES and N64 games playable on an HDTV.

GameOfThrones
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Re: When do you use a CRT?

Postby GameOfThrones » April 25th, 2018, 10:50 pm

CRT is great for light gun games which do not work on new tvs. :cry:

Herschie
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Re: When do you use a CRT?

Postby Herschie » April 26th, 2018, 7:03 am

Anything before Xbox 360 gets the Framemeister.


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