TATE-ing sticky FAQ?

[dpful]

Mod's,
This comes up so often, that I thought it deserved a sticky. Does it?
Here's the what how on tate-ing your TV

WHAT IT MEANS-
Turning your television on it's side so the home ports match the arcade games with their vertical oriented monitors. The home port needs to have the option in the software. YOKO means horizontal monitor, TATE means vertical. Apparently, most Japanese releases have a tate option, lot's of US and European releases don't. Games play great in their original formats, so tate-ing is always prefered over black bars on the sides of the screen or a diminished play area.

DANGERS-
Parts of the television aparatus that aren't held secure or aren't designed to hold their own weight could physically break. Apparently, most TV's are tough. Some are wimpy. If the TV's case does not have a flat and ballanced surface to stand on, it will tip over or roll off the table. Perhaps some foreign debris or dust buildup inside the TV could shake or move around and break something.

SIDE EFFECTS, SKEWED COLORS, and DEGAUSSING
The only negative side-effect of tate-ing your television (besides rare but possible internal damage) is the phenomenon of a 'green screen' or skewed colors. This is a physical manefestation of the earths magnetic field on the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube- the screen). In order for a color TV to display the proper colors, the CRT needs to be 'degaused' or demagnetized. Inside your TV, around the perimeter of the screen, there is a thick cable called a 'Degaussing coil". It demagnetizes the screen the moment you turn on the TV, before the picture comes up. The thing is, the coil gets immediately hot and would go ahead and light itself on fire if it weren't connected to a 'thermistor', which is a component that slowly turns of the voltage as it heats up- so it goes like this= Turn on the TV> Degaussing Coil does it's thing> Thermistor turns it off, and keeps it off until it's completely cooled down AND the TV is turned on another time> Screen lights up properly.
The thing is, the TV gets degaussed RELATIVE to it's positioning in the earths magnetic field, so any changing of the television's position will have an effect on the screen. Sometimes, just changing a TV's lateral direction will make it go green. Also, OTHER magnetic fields exist, too. A loudspeaker or other stong magnetic source set next to a TV will screw it up. Also, the degaussing, or demagnefication, must be greater than whatever magnetized the TV in the first place. For example, an older TV that's been sitting in the same position for a long time may become more 'fixed' to that position in the earth magnetic field than it's own degaussing coil can undo. In that case, you simply need a stronger coil. They can be bought. You can also use a bulk tape cassette eraser. You can also just use a magnet stronger than whatever did the damage to 'wave the colors away' like a magic wand. You can also rip a coil from an old TV and just plug it in and go to it (Just make sure you pull the plug before it lights on fire).
So, to sum it up....
1. The 'green screen' is temporary, under ANY curcumstances.
2. Wait for your thermistor and coil to cool down (it seems to take anywhere from 1 to 30 minutes for the degauss circuit to reset), then turn ON the TV *in the exact position in which you'd like to watch it*, and it will degauss in the few seconds before the picture comes up. Repeat the process when you want to put your mothers TV back down.
3. If the colors are still askew, you've simply got to find a better way to demagnetize the CRT. Also consider that your degaussing coil might not be working at all.

Again,
pre-requisite= Will it break? Will it balance?
then,.....
1. rotate
2. wait
3. turn on
3 1/2. if it still looks green, find a way to degauss.
4. enjoy





Is that everything? It's the technical stuff that nobody ever seems to know (I've just learned it from the internet myself). Any corrections? A little too long winded?

[oldmangray]

Thread revival !

So yeah, I'm looking for the best way to play TATE on my japanese 360. I've got an old 4:3 CRT I can flip on its side but I was wondering whether it would be better to buy a nice monitor instead. I've been looking around a bit but frankly, the more I check into things, the more confused I get. So this is basically a plea for help. Any advice would be greatly appreciated !

[spadgy]

I run my j-360 for a Tate'd CRT (going into the TV via RGB). Now, there is some jarring of the game sprites as they move, so if you're fussy a nice flat HD screen might be the best option. Only Mushic Futari has any options to help counter this much as far as I know. In fact, I notice it more with horis. With the tate-able vert games it seems less of a problem.

Overall, I've never found it too bad, and it certainly doesn't impede playing. I stick to a CRT (a PVM) as I use it more with PCBs/my supergun.

In terms of CRTs handling the tating; as long as you don't rush it, they are fine in my experience. I've never had a problem.

[oldmangray]

Thanks for the reply ! I guess I'll test the waters with my old telly first and see where it goes...

[whoozwah]

I connect my Jbox to a CRT monitor using the 360 VGA cable and a gender changer to make the connection (to be replaced with the SLG3000 when it comes in the mail.) Running it in 640x480 with some tinted acrylic I put in front of the monitor. Totally crisp.

[Evilmaxwar]

I connect my 360 on my VESA mounted Computer monitor, an ASUS VW266, works splendidly. If you want to tate on an LCD VESA mount is they safe and efficient way.

[BulletMagnet]

Pardon the bump, but I've got an inquiry, and this seemed like the place to put it...

I recently rescued a discarded CRT from the side of the road, and would like to use it in semi-permanent tate mode. It's only got composite input so the display isn't going to be optimal, but it's a nice big screen, definitely an upgrade from the Commodore 1084 I've used previously. I've left it in tate for several days now, sometimes plugged in, sometimes not (does this make any difference?), but there's still "bleeding" going on with the colors - even with the same composite connection, the 1084's picture still looks better.

From what I've read here and elsewhere, it sounds like leaving the TV "alone" in the vertical position for awhile before switching it on should fix this, but so far the colors have stayed skewed - am I doing something wrong as far as the degaussing is concerned, or am I barking up the wrong tree?

[spadgy]

Hmmm. I can't imagine that it's anything to do with the rotation if it's been Tate'd for a while (did you give it ten minutes before you powered on the first time you rotated it?).

Perhaps it's just that your new find is on its way out?

Living in London, I see dumped CRTs all over the place right now (as flat screens become more affordable) - I'm often tempted to take one home; like saving an abandoned pet!