Problem with CRT TVs hurting my eyes

[Brad251]

I have owned a lot of SD CRT TVs over the past several years and many of them have hurt my eyes. More specifically, normal contrast and brightness settings would strain my eyes to much on these sets and the only way I could tolerate viewing content on them was to turn the brightness and contrast down low to the point where the image was dim. I currently have an I'Art (av-24f704) where I have this issue. I have also experienced this on two silver Trinitrons, a Toshiba 24af45, a 27" I'Art with curved speakers (this one was the worst as far as hurting my eyes), etc. I recent owned a JVC D-Series (av-27d201) from 2000 which didn't strain my eyes at all and had a great image. I also have a Samsung SD CRT from '96 was causes very little strain. In my experience, 90s shadow mask sets are easier on my eyes as my childhood CRT sets caused no eye strain. I have adjusted the brightness and contrast using Artemio's 240p suite on all of these sets but it didn't help. Is there anything I can in this situation?

I am aware that lowering the screen knob might help but what else could I do?

[gray117]

Are you playing 240p or 480i content?

I can't stand interlaced (more choice than pain mind you), but fine with double scan/240p.

If it hurts in all cases your best advice is to avoid it: eye strain or whatever other ache is not worth it. OSSC/crt filter effects, decent contemporary screen, and don't look back.

[Xyga]

Had this problem at some point in the early 2000's iirc, but that was essentially because of 480i games flickering, no matter the type of CRT used, even though the strain varied a little from one to another.
Maybe an Extron flicker filter would have helped if applying there?

If it's not that, well dunno, I doubt even special filtered shades would help (those typically filter LED blue light anyway)

[Kez]

Maybe go see an optometrist.

It could be you are just looking at screens too much in general.

[Syntax]

Change the color temp to 2700K – 3000K and avoid 480i content. It should help alot.

If you can still notice a vibration in the image on screen get another TV, ive had a few that are just too unstable to use and hurt my eyes but others dont even notice it.
Poor linearity hurts me too.

[naz]

I found the internet recommended "full contrast-lowest brightness" settings is the worst for my eyes. It looks great, but it hurts the muscle above my eye. I read that the reason for this is the eye has to go from bright to dark too often and too extremely (similar to having a tv/monitor against a dark background).

So I ended up with a lower contrast a a bit of brightness (something like 70% C and 30% B) and a warmer color setting, which works ok for me (I play mostly 240p games on a sony trinitron).

Also helps having a light behind the tv or above.

[SNK-NEO-GEO]

Here I thought that I was the only one with this issue...I started having the same problem as you about a year ago (getting old, I guess) specifically on my 27" and above arcade candy cabs CRT and LCD..I sold most of my cabs, have two left..I think that you are correct, it has something to do with the brightness and how close you are seating from the monitor. what seems to work for me is getting 19" monitors or seat back at least 4 feet away from the 27" RGB monitors. I also got my eyes examed and the doctor could not find anything wrong with my eyes and everything was normal.. there are also over the counter eyes drops available that helps with eyes strain. The doctor will prescribe you an specific eye drop based on your exam, for me was that the strain was/is causing my eyes to go dry and the tears drops work well.. some monitor are worse than others with brightness, you just need to see which one is available and better for your eyes.

[orange808]

Xyga touched on it in another thread, but OP might try getting off the "absolute sharpest image possible" path and get an older curved tube consumer CRT display. Maybe even try one that you didn't read is the "bestest" at neogaf. 480i looks very natural on them. I keep one around for PS2.

[Brad251]

Xyga touched on it in another thread, but OP might try getting off the "absolute sharpest image possible" path and get an older curved tube consumer CRT display. Maybe even try one that you didn't read is the "bestest" at neogaf. 480i looks very natural on them. I keep one around for PS2.

I have a curved Samsung CRT that was made in '96 and it is much easier on my eyes. It saw a lot of use so the colors are a bit dull on it. I also used to have a 27" black Chassis JVC D-Series from '2000 that didn't hurt my eyes at all but it had a a really bad geometry problem where the center of the screen was squeezed and the edges were stretched. Using the service menu and replacing caps in the vertical and horizontal deflection circuits didn't fix the problem so I decided to get rid of it. Those 27" D-Series models with the black chassis were known to have this geometry problem. Ultimately I think I will be sticking with a 90s 19-20" CRT. The only thing is that it is hard to find 90s sets that haven't seen 10,000 or less hours of use. I should be able to find one eventually.

[komatik]

My reply appears to be a bit of the odd-man-out here, but I think people might be concentrating on the wrong thing. If the brightness and contrast of many different screens are so intense that it's stabbing you in the eyes and you have to turn it down, then it sounds to me like the real offender is that the room is the actual problem, not the TVs. The ambient light is probably way too dim and the wrong color temperature. Try filling the room with half a dozen 100w-equivalent (1600+ lumen) bulbs that have a 'daylight' (5000-6000K) color temp and see where that gets you.

Change the color temp to 2700K – 3000K

That's sorta the right direction, but I wouldn't recommend this. That's the color of ye olde incandescent bulbs, doing this will make the screen much more yellow/orange. If ambient color difference is your problem then warming your screen to match your bulbs can help, but it'll also drastically distort the colors and many games won't look right since the red-blue color balance will be off. What you should do instead is use bluer/daylight bulbs that are closer to the native color temperature of CRT TV screens (which were actually up towards 7300 most times).


Brad251: How many TVs do you currently have that don't hurt your eyes? It might help to see what their settings are.

[gray117]

... Idk ... if crts hurt your eyes I've got to re-iterate; just forget about them, the mania isn't worth the strain/damage. Your eyes aren't hurting because they're full of joy.

Extremes in contrast are one thing, but if it's crts in particular that are the problem I don't think it's the brightness/contrast that's causing the OP's difficulties here (these days).

... I remember several organisations mandating 70+hz checks on progressive pc crt monitors/windows settings; on the basis 50-60hz was too low if you were working on it for extended periods - let alone all day. I cringe to think anyone could still be pressing their nose up to an interlaced screen: You may be lucky, but you're probably not, even if you are not in pain.

Then again some people liked being kicked in the balls - each to their own - but it's worth a warning.

[Brad251]

... Idk ... if crts hurt your eyes I've got to re-iterate; just forget about them, the mania isn't worth the strain/damage. Your eyes aren't hurting because they're full of joy.

Extremes in contrast are one thing, but if it's crts in particular that are the problem I don't think it's the brightness/contrast that's causing the OP's difficulties here (these days).

... I remember several organisations mandating 70+hz checks on progressive pc crt monitors/windows settings; on the basis 50-60hz was too low if you were working on it for extended periods - let alone all day. I cringe to think anyone could still be pressing their nose up to an interlaced screen: You may be lucky, but you're probably not, even if you are not in pain.

Then again some people liked being kicked in the balls - each to their own - but it's worth a warning.

I will consider the health of my eyes but in general, 90s CRTs don't strain my eyes much, if at all. I recently had a JVC D-Series CRT from 2000 and it didn't strain my eyes at all. I do think that CRTs from the later 2000s used different phosphors in the sets and possibly had other internal differences that made the screen brighter. For example, I also recently owned a D-Series set from 2003 that had a very bright screen that hurt my eyes and it had low usage.

[Taiyaki]

Older crt's have a much weaker light output, so sticking to older tv's might help assuming the brightness/contrast is the actual problem (or trying ambient lightning as Komatik recommends might be worth a shot). If you have more nostalgia for curved then that's another reason to go back to those too.

Other than that you can try and examine what else is occurring with crt's that doesn't with lcd's. There's a lot of minute geometrical warping occurring all over, and even if the eyes don't necessarily catch it maybe it could play some trick to your mind if you're extremely sensitive? Or else maybe image stability, the picture in crt's tends to never be 100% completely stable (even with the best cables and on pro monitors), if you put your nose to the screen you'll see the image move in the most minute way possible in places. I think most people don't notice it even when sitting close but maybe that's contributing to what's actually causing the eye strain more so than the brightness levels?

[Bratwurst]

Could try playing with a heavy tinted piece of glass or plexi in between you and the tube. Or tint the tube itself! Limo tint is supposed to be 3%.