Retro CRT Gaming : Show your tubes!

[OpusX]

Its more than time for a CRT gaming thread.

I really do love “retro” gaming. I get its the old thing now, but its still the golden era. I have had a great time getting the whole rack up an running, but like many felt that the big 4k HDTV, though convenient, took something away from the experience. Re-enter the CRT TV.

Yeah they’re big, and heavy, but just that picture is just so warm, soft, and smooths out those pixels to to this rounded out anti aliased picture that just seems magical.

For me, to get a taste of that old CRT goodness, I went with a 9” tv. These were typically the kitchen under counter mounted types, and are a great size to just slot into your current entertainment setup.

The consoles are configured to use daisy chained Pelican AV switches, with the main switch also having a built in RF modulator. This actually allows both the HD tv (via AV) and the mini CRT to display at the same time, or of course be independent without any hard change overs.

Lets see those standard CRT, Trinitron, PVM, tiny 5” to big ole 43” (if you’re the one guy with a PVM-4300) 15khz humming beasts and the games you have on them!

Can’t forget the pics...

[Hobbes]

I picked up a 720p plasma TV for free recently. While not a CRT, they are known to provide a CRT-like experience. Sadly it does not offer S-video but I have a OSSC so I can connect a scart cable and add scan lines.

[Jonnydread]

I've been thinking about getting a big ass CRT and a PS2 so I can bathe in the glory of 2002 Dance Dance Revolution

[OpusX]

Ooo hadnt thought about pulling out the olde ps1 ddr mat yet

[Chaos]

If there's anyone local to me that wants a CRT Gaming TV let me know...I have a Samsung GT TV in my basement I don't use anymore that works perfectly...I even still have the remote for it . I'll have to get some pictures of mine but for reference this is what they look like. Has built in surround sound and speakers that fold up to cover the screen. These are designed to allow multiple game systems to be connected to it at the same time

[OpusX]

Thats hella cool

[OpusX]

Of course lets not forget the best reason to have a CRT. The Nintendo Zapper!

[moonweasel]

Current retro stuff, 29'' CRT for the PS1, and 2, just need a working light gun game, got the shooters, the arcade machine is no longer a CRT, the computer monitor was easier to get working.
Neat thing about the arcade machine, the marquee/header is actually from an arcade parlour I played in as a kid.

[lizardking132]

Funnily enough last year I was hunting after and finally got a nice crt monitor. I'll have to take pictures whenever I get the chance. I'm actually really surprised it works with light gun games off my Dreamcast

[OpusX]

Note to self, bust out The House of the Dead 2

[lizardking132]

It's pretty nice. It's some no name model I can't find anything on but hey it's a 19" monitor so who cares. Looks great when connected to my PC as well.

[homerj]

Nice. I love Confidential Mission & Crazy Taxi.

[OpusX]

Gotta love the native VGA support on the Dreamcast

[homerj]

Temporary setup until i figure out how i want to configure the game room.

[OpusX]

OH holy hell! Jaguar, 3do, Saturn and a 16:9 HDTV CRT. Very nice

[C26G]

Great thread! I've been lugging this insanely huge and heavy old RCA Dimensia around for over 20 years for the purpose of retro gaming! I'll take more intriguing images soon. She's wood trimmed, wood swivel base and the remote is huge

[homerj]

the_matrix_guy I’m not sure if you’re asking about the arcade stick in the second pic of my post or not. If you are, it’s a Pandora’s Box.

[the_matrix_guy]

homerj yeah I was. Lol dont know what happened there replying to the wrong post like a derpy. Nice Im actually looking for something not too expensive to play Tekken 8 and MvC collection on PC with my nephews.

[homerj]

the_matrix_guy it’s a plug & play emulation machine. I’m actually not sure if it can be used as an arcade stick by itself.

[C26G]

Ah, yeah I've been there. I've tossed so many cool things I regretted losing later on. This thing is to flippin' huge and heavy. It needs about four people to move, or a dolly and two people. I love some Nintendo NES action on it though

[homerj]

Same here. When i was young and/or broke i sold/traded/tossed so much that i wish i had now.

[the_matrix_guy]

I once found a sega genesis in the garbage while throwing out old furniture in my gf’s building. It was intact and in working condition. It even had Time Crisis inside lol

And on the flip side I gave away all of my MTG and Pokemon cards to my cousin when I was in 10th grade. Cards that I collected in my early teens and included multiple charizards and blastoises (maybe even 1st editions?) and then my aunt threw them all out one day while cleaning the house of old toys. Lol

[Riot]

Just grabbed this!

[OpusX]

Those are some heavy hitter kiosks!

[Riot]

I’ve got the Sega one pictured and a Wii one not pictured. I wish I could show you the game room that one is currently sitting in. It’s my buddies and it’s the type of shit you see on YouTube!

[homerj]

That is really cool! I’d love to have some kiosks but i just don’t have the room.

[glaman5266]

OpusX So that CRT is outputting to the HDTV? How is the image compared to a direct hookup from the console to the HDTV? Does it have the scan lines & stuff?

What I REALLY wanna do is outputting my computer to a CRT so I can watch current pro wrestling on it.

I'll post up my CRT setup in a bit. I use composite hookups, but it looks good enough for me. I also have a line on a widescreen HD CRT from my mother-in-law. It's good size and I'm pretty sure it's a Sony.

EDIT: I guess it wouldn't have the scan lines. would it? Those exist because of how the TV works... So how is the latency then?

DOUBLE EDIT: My setup. Xbox, PS1, SNES, Gamecube, N64 & my first 360. I have a Pelican switch box. I just haven’t put everything together yet. the white color bleeds just a bit more than I’d like, but it’s not terrible. The sound though is FANTASTIC for what it is.

[OpusX]

My composite AV swicth box also hosts an RF modulator. The CRT is fed by RF via 75ohm coax and the HDTV has shared composite video in on the compontent green/Y input. Same source, different output, for each tv.

[OpusX]

A good buddy of mine came over recently and we ended up rocking some games and taking about playing on CRTs back in the day. He says "I think my parents still have an old Trinitron" 🤤🤤🤤

So the other day he sends me pics of this thing and its a 36" Wega, KV-36FS10!! Trying to work logistics to get this beast, cause they said its FREE!

[moonweasel]

Enjoy lugging that around, 107kg/236lb. Sony did not hold back with tv's of that age and style. (Delivery guy back in another life)

[Meleager7]

this is similar to what I had setup, though I had a 27" Sony Trinitron 4:3 tube tv ....... unfortunately it is outside under a tarp right now under the gazebo since the summer, since we had a small reno in our basement, and there was no longer a spot for it, i'm bummed out, its such a quality unit and it's probably ruined by now. I'll probably recycle it in the spring.

[Hobbes]

I'll never forgot the poor UPS man, many many years ago, that had to hand-truck a CRT I ordered down my steep and icy driveway.

[OpusX]

Well holy hell its home! This is a big ole beast! I bribed my same buddy with some beer to help transport this thing and it was worth it. She does have some corner color and geometry issues that will need correcting, but thats for another day. Right now its just too fun even with the whole thing on a crap RF signal.