Since in my quest for CRT knowledge I came across shmups posts so many times, I thought I'd better join the community
Short version:
I’m looking for a CRT TV for primarily retro gaming (the whole NES through GameCube/Wii era) and occasionally tv broadcast (my IPTV decoder still has SCART output heh). Viewing distance is ~3 meters.
Also, at the end of this post I’ll request some info on how to check/compare CRT tv’s.
My wishes so far are:
- 25”/63,5cm size
- 2x SCART
- front/side av input, preferably including s-video
- 4:3
- 50Hz
- 16:9 enhanced mode (vertical compression)
- front/side panel controls (at least switching AV channels and volume)
Things I’m not sure if I care about much really:
- flat screen or curved
- aperture grille or shadow mask
I’d like to hear tips and experiences which could aid me in my quest
And, my apologies, for now it’s getting a bit of a lot of text
So far I kinda notice, at least here in the Netherlands, that most 4:3 CRT’s seem to be 21” or 28/29”. 25” is around, but not as much. Also, s-video and 16:9 enhanced mode seem to be quite rare (though it’s often hard to find info for specific tv’s on the latter). I guess there was only a relatively small window for 4:3 tv’s to have s-video and 16:9 enhanced mode, since by the end of the 90’s widescreen tv’s were becoming the standard.
I’ve been searching and asking around and everyone seems to have their opinion and personal experiences on the subject. So it’s hard for me to judge what really is a general consensus, or just a personal opinion/experience (of course every opinion/experience still adds to the overall collection of information, but it doesn’t necessarily say if a certain tv or brand is good or bad). Also it seems to matter (a lot?) from which factory the tv came, and which parts (chassis) was used. Love to hear the stories to confirm or deny any statements! (heck, would love to hear/read any ‘history lessons’ as well
)B&O’s MX range seems to be considered the holy grail. While I do like the very sexy looks, 21” is too small and 26.5” too big for me. Also the whole special remote control and everything doesn’t appeal to me. Everything needs to be simple, and practical (and as stated, I want to at least be able to switch AV channels without remote).
Also I see a lot of talk about Sony Trinitron’s, but unlike B&O opinions seem to vary. Some seem to suggest that Trinitron in earlier days was way ahead of the competition, but for end 90’s early 00’s models there’s little difference (and perhaps mostly a matter of personal taste). Not sure, but could also be that, due to lack of B&O in America, Trinitron is ‘the’ alternative over there (and I’ve seen Samsung D series passing), hence a lot of talk about it. Though the aforementioned popular US models were not released in Europe, not sure if we had anything comparative.
I actually have a Sony Trinitron (KV25FX20B, ~2000), but it has a SCART video issue. Might be fixable, but currently the CRT tv is next to the 3D LCD tv in the living room, which is also a Sony. I don’t use them at the same time a lot, but I have noticed it’s kinda annoying they both respons to eachothers remotes. So for practical reasons I’m not looking for a Sony CRT.
Concerning (premium brands?) 4:3 CRT TVs availability here in the Netherlands, it seems to be mainly Philips (and B&O, but as stated not interested in that) what I see being offered secondhand. I found this website which has quite some models listed:
https://icecat.biz/nl/search/crt-tvs
Anyone know any other sites like that?
Concerning my wishes I seem to have to be on the lookout for:
- Philips 25PTxxxx
- JVC AV-25xxxx
- Panasonic TAU TX-25xxxx
- Thomson 25DG
Any other tips/suggestions?
Additionally, a side story, when I moved out back in 2004 I was looking for a 29” 50Hz CRT as secondary TV (bedroom) and for retro gaming (I put it in the living room when I organised game parties with friends). Not much options back then already, if I recall correctly (with s-video and comb filter in this case), and ended up importing a JVC AV-29FT1 from Germany. Weirdly it didn’t have an audio out, for which I needed to use a special scart adapter. But other than that I have enjoyed the screen when I/we used it (not super much, but still, it had quite some Mario Kart Double Dash 8-player sessions!). It’s in the storage since last year since we reorganised the house and don’t have a practical place for it anymore (moved 2 times since buying it). I snatched the 25” Sony Trinitron when my parents sold their house a couple of years ago heh.
But in that regard I would kinda like to get a 25” JVC, since then I have an extra remote I can use (the 29” remote is still in excellent condition). But they seem rare/non-existent over here, so the easiest obtainable option seems to be a Philips.
Still, I am curious to compare my Sony KV25FX20B to the next 25” CRT I’m hoping to get. What’s a good way to test? Or what are good check points? And how can I take proper photos of it?
Thanks!