How many of you are actually still using CRT TVs?

[Ziggy]

Oh yes, I know. Actually, I bought my 13" Sony consumer TV and 13" PVM from eBay. And I check eBay from time to time to see the going prices on things. The smaller screens that I have are ship-able, I even have all the materials on hand that I would need. Hmm, maybe I should just go for it. The hard part is deciding what to part with. Here's what I have...

13" Sony PVM - Definitely staying.
13" Sony consumer TV - Staying, unless I can get another PVM.
13" Sharp TV/VCR combo - Got it for $5.99 at a thrift store.
19"-ish Panasonic TV/VCR combo - Use to be my workbench TV, but it's a little large for that.
27" Sony Wega - Definitely keeping.
27" Samsung flatscreen - I was keeping it as a backup to the Wega, but I don't know know because...
32" Sony curved TV - Scored from the side of a road and works great, but it's so large and I can't really lift it by myself.
3x 16"-ish PC monitors - I don't know what the spec says the size is, but they measure about 16" diagonal. One is a beige Dell bubble that I got from the side of the road, I'm not even sure if it works because I never tested it outside of a quick power on. The other two are black/silver flat screens, one is a Compaq and the other is an Acer or something.

I have a remote for all of the consumer TVs, too!

I also have a 22"-ish Sylvania flat screen that's on loan to someone, but I don't think I would want to keep it.

Hmm, I suppose if I really wanted to save space I could get rid of both the 13" and 19" TV/VCR and use the 13" Sony as my work bench TV. Currently the 13" Sony is only being stored as a backup to the PVM. It was just nice to have the TV/VCR combo at the workbench because I would occasionally play VHS tapes while doing stuff. The purpose of having a TV on the workbench is to be able to test mods and repairs right there, otherwise I'd have to go back and forth to where the other TVs are located. Hmm, but my new workbench has a PC setup built into it. I could just play DVDs and (gulp) think about finally parting with my VHS collection.

The 13" PVM and 27" Wega are definitely staying, I think of those as my "main" screens.

The 27" Samsung only stuck around because I was saving it as a backup to the Wega if it ever dies (I'm thinking many years down the road). But now I also have that 32" Sony Trinitron. I should get rid of either the Samsung or the 32", but it's really tough to decide between them. My first choice would be to keep the 32", but it's really hard to move by myself and I never bothered to try lifting it by myself. The 27" Samsung I can move and lift by myself, so I have to take that into consideration. I really can't decide which one to keep!

And the PC monitors, I can't decide either. The beige one would be nice to have because it's the only beige one I have. Maybe one day I can finally set up my beige Windows 98 desktop again, and it would be nice to have a matching beige monitor for it. But I'm not even sure if it works, or how good it even is. The other two work great, and one is just a backup to the other. I know some of those old Dell monitors aren't the longest lasting in the world, and it's not stamped Trinitron, so I'm kind of hesitant to keep it fearing that it'll be the first one to die and then I only have 1 PC monitor with no backup. But again, it's my only beige monitor! I'm afraid if I get rid of it now, if/when I get to set up my Windows 98 desktop it might be too expensive to get another beige monitor. So I'm just not sure which one to part with!

[Jagosaurus]

Ziggy has the motherload!!!

We discovered awhile back I saved basically the same model 27" Samsung from trash pile... but my model is missing s video unfortunately. Has composite and component (no progressive). I've thought about getting a Koryu for s video to 240p component for both this & my potential future OSSC set up.

That said... I'm probably just better off hunting another flat CRT, in 20 inch with composite, s video, & component. Did they even make 15 to 19 inch sets in this set up? Seem to start at 20". I like the size of my 17" VGA CRT a lot. Hard me to justify moving the 27" with me if we move this summer.

I'm a big fan of the flat CRTs personally. I know they can have geometry tweaking needed, but using my 27" RCA Tru Flat for 10+ years got my used to the colors and IMO best of both worlds look.

[sevin0seven]

I still have my CRT's TVs. Seven of them to be exact:

34" Sony Wega Wide CRT TV (with HDMI input)
32" Sony Wega CRT TV (4'3) (also with HDMI input)
13" Sony Wega CRT TV
10" Sony Tri-Tron CRT TV
24" Toshiba CRT TV (The one you see in Gamesack's background)
20" Toshiba CRT TV (Same as above, but smaller)
32" Sharp CRT TV

*I'm actually trying to get rid of them all to a good home. All works well and in very good working condition.

[Jagosaurus]

Quite a collection sevin. Are they stacked in a CRT shrine? Serious note, how do you & Ziggy store them?

So... I know I've asked before on this thread somewhere.... after a long time digging I did confirm below specs existed in the US... I wasn't sure they actually were released outside of commercial settings... criteria:

- consumer grade CRT
- not studio or medical monitor (PVM, BVM, etc)
- EDTV (480p support)
- Progressive 480 but not HD res
- 4:3 not 16:9

and I got model numbers of the 27" & 32" variant....



Samsung TXN2745FP
Samsung TXN3245FP

I'm surprised they're not Sony. Guessing Sony had 480i sets, 480p commercial, & jumped into HD CRTs early. Above specs are a weird between timeframe for average consumers. Should note I've seen several small LCD or plasma EDTVs.

Unfortunately my Samsung CRT is 480i only. Ziggy, what remote model # are you using for your Samsung & have you accessed service menu?

[Ziggy]

Serious note, how do you & Ziggy store them?

Basement. I wouldn't be able to keep so many around if I didn't have a basement. I built an 8' long shelf to hold a lot of my crap and it's currently holding some CRTs. Also in the basement is an old dresser that's about 6 or so feet long and 2 or 3 feet tall. It's not Ikea, it's made of real wood, so it's able to hold my two 27" CRTs. The PVM is upstairs where I actually use it.

The 32" monster is currently in the garage because I don't know what I'm doing with it. I need to use a hand truck just to move it around, and going up and down the basement stairs with it isn't an easy thing to do by myself. I had moved it into the garage because I was thinking about selling it, but I was having second thoughts. I would actually like to get rid of the 27" Samsung and keep the 32" Sony instead, but I'm afraid to put it on top of the dresser because of how heavy it is. As beefy as the dresser is, and it's been no problem holding the two 27" TVs for years now, I'm afraid to press my luck putting the 32" up there. Also, I cannot lift it up there by myself. If I put it up there and then start to notice the dresser stressing, I'll need someone to help lift it back down. So yeah, still not sure what I'm doing with it. Maybe I'll just keep it in the garage for now.

I'll be moving eventually, but who knows how soon. One of my highest priorities in a new place is having a good basement. I figure it's possible to add a garage if the house doesn't have one, and I can do a lot of home renovations myself if I'm not happy with it, but I cannot add a basement to a house that doesn't already have one. If I somehow end up with a place with no basement (I don't know how future Ziggy would ever let this happen, but let's say it does) then I would have to get rid of almost all of the CRTs. And I'm really hoping that when I do move that I wont have to first move to a temp place first because then I'll have to put a lot of stuff into storage. And since it's mostly electronics it'll have to be climate controlled storage, which is very expensive.

But there must be something wrong with me. I don't know anyone else that has the above problems!

I'm surprised they're not Sony. Guessing Sony had 480i sets, 480p commercial, & jumped into HD CRTs early. Above specs are a weird between timeframe for average consumers. Should note I've seen several small LCD or plasma EDTVs.

So I've heard that those sets digitize the image, and people frown at that. I mean, even if it's digitized to process it, it would have to be converted back to analog to be drawn on the CRT so what does it matter? As long as the processing doesn't add any lag, then I can't see how it really matters.

Unfortunately my Samsung CRT is 480i only. Ziggy, what remote model # are you using for your Samsung & have you accessed service menu?

My Samsung is also only 480i. Why do you want it to handle 480p? I can get the remote model number later today. And no, I haven't accessed the service menu. Never had a need on that TV, actually. Although it's been a few years since I've powered it on.

[Jagosaurus]

Makes perfect sense on the basement. Really very few basements in East or SETX. Have to get further north towards DFW & some over in TX Hill Country. I think Rogan now videos his podcast in an Austin wine cellar/basement. My house growing up was probably only 5 feet above sea level LOL. That coupled with very high humidity and ground water table kills the idea quick for most areas.

Yeah, mentioned we're likely moving too (just across my side of town). I've been spying CRTs on FB Marketplace. I don't even have FB but Mrs Jago does. I'd like to find a 20" CRT with component and s video, but they're getting harder and harder to locate. Also, lots of folks don't post pics of back of TV . I'd then offload my 17" VGA CRT I use for 480p and the 27" Samsung CRT I use for 240p & 480i. The Mrs actually told me to keep the Samsung... but I'm the one moving it .

Also... no joke on furniture to hold it... it's a struggle. Most everything made of particle board these days. My eyes are peeled for a sturdy, yet smaller, CRT ready stand.

On the 480p consumer CRT front... really 7 parts why I'd love one...

1. The novelty and fact I remember reading up on EDTVs for a long time. Lots of mixed info on if they actually existed in US in non HD, non LCD forms.
2. Quality boost for 6th gen (and Wii) consoles
3. Progressive scan DVD use. Been eyeing some older full screen DVDs on ebay lol.
4. Don't introduce some of the gaming (latency) downfalls that came with HD CRTs (movies look awesome on them!)
5. Generally speaking, early plasmas and LCDs were rough. Assuming the EDTV sets would be too.
6. Don't have get full BNC and SCART crazy which comes with the PVM/BVM commercial territory
7. Silly use case but... my OGXbox virtual EEPROM is set to always be in progressive only when using component. I have to switch to composite or s video for it display 480i*.

* ... this is probably worth it's own mod thread. I had reddit helping me and even went in and edited the config.xlm code myself to no avail. Another reason for me to mod a second OGX and go standard res or mod a Wii . Trying not to accumulate more before our move though. Maybe a late 2021 project...

So... I do think I'm going order a Koryuu. S video is a dying breed and I've always been a sucker for it. Weird convenience and preservation thing for me at ~$98. It'll let me add s vid (and composite) to any future OSSC or similar setups and also allow me to use: console > s vid > Koryuu > 240p component > Samsung CRT ... essentially adding s video to any CRT TV (or PVM/BVM if you have one) set with component but lacking s video.

Koryuu Images
http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/images/d/d6/Ko ... -front.jpg

http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/images/0/09/Ko ... t-back.jpg

http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/index.php?titl ... uu-top.jpg

[Ziggy]

So there's a long story that I wont get into, but my basement has been unusable for the past 5 or 6 years. Among other things including a few set backs, I was moving my workshop into a larger corner of the basement that I was partially finishing. I also added a few partition walls to make a proper "room" for my gaming/band/storage room including running new electric for outlets and lights, painting, insulating, et cetera. It was just so slow going for a while, and like I said I had a few set backs. But I'm finally almost finished with it!

Yesterday I put up some shelving above the dresser that holds my two 27" CRTs, which should be the last construction type thing I have to do in there. I had the 27" TVs covered for years (to protect them from dust) and yesterday I pulled the covers off for the first time in years. I just couldn't resist powering on the Wega, or unboxing some of my game consoles to put on the newly constructed shelf (I have duplicates of these consoles upstairs hooked up to the PVM). And then I that point, I just couldn't resist firing up the NES for a few minutes.

This NES has been boxed up for years and amazingly it started right up without having to be cleaned. Also, the TV looks better than I remember it. No geometry problems, and I forgot how much better composite looks on this TV. There's virtually no dot crawl. I had to snap a few pics, naturally...

Ziggy, what remote model # are you using for your Samsung & have you accessed service menu?

This is the remote that came with the Samsung. I actually bought this myself new from Best Buy (it was a Christmas present for my brother) so I know for sure that this is the remote that's suppose to go with this TV.

Model # AA59-00316D

Makes perfect sense on the basement. Really very few basements in East or SETX. Have to get further north towards DFW & some over in TX Hill Country. I think Rogan now videos his podcast in an Austin wine cellar/basement. My house growing up was probably only 5 feet above sea level LOL. That coupled with very high humidity and ground water table kills the idea quick for most areas.

Yeah, I get how basements are uncommon and not practical in some regions. On Long Island, you can barely get away with having a basement in the summer time. You ABSOLUTELY HAVE to run a dehumidifier 24/7 during the summer months. And even then, it's a fighting battle to keep the humidity down. During the rest of the year, the dehumidifier kicks on every once in a while (more when it rains) but it's much less of an issue. But I know from a few years I had a crappy dehumidifier that wasn't doing a good job that your stuff will get wrecked in a basement. I had a lot of things go moldy or rusty.

The Mrs actually told me to keep the Samsung... but I'm the one moving it

LOL. I just lifted those two 27" TVs in the above picture so I could clean the top of the dresser. Lifting them down was no problem, and I'm thinking, "Oh, these are easier to move then I remember! I must be stronger now!" Then lifting them back up on top of the dresser (which is higher off the ground than a typical TV stand would be) I remember just what a pain in the ass they are. It's no so much the weight, it's the size and shape of them and there's no really good way to grab hold of them. Those two 27" TVs at least have so good hand holds, and it's a little bit of a chore but I can lift them up onto the dresser without much fuss. But my 32" CRT just has no good hand holds. Whatever it weighs, I can probably lift that much by myself, but it's the size and shape of the TV that makes it impossible for me to lift by myself. The girth of the TV is too big for me to really get my arms around, and there's no good hand holds on it anyway. What a pain in the ass.

Also... no joke on furniture to hold it... it's a struggle. Most everything made of particle board these days.

The dresser I'm using as a TV stand is pretty sturdy. You can now see in the pic I posted, between each bank of drawers is a vertical piece of support. With the two TVs already up there, I got up and stood on top of the dresser. I shook my weight around and it seemed to hold it without any issue. So I know it can hold the weight of the two 27" TVs plus an additional ~185 pounds. And the caster wheels I put on there are big and beefy and I'm sure can exceed whatever that weight is. So I'm thinking that I can put the 32" CRT up there.

My fear is that if I'm on the verge of structural failure, it could be a day or a week or a month before it collapses under the weight. So I could put the 32" up there and it seems fine. Then I go down stairs one day and my two best CRTs are on pieces all over the floor. But I think it'll be OK. Especially if I put the 32" on the left side of the dresser, where there's more vertical support.

My eyes are peeled for a sturdy, yet smaller, CRT ready stand.

Those really large Wegas came with their own stand. I think because Sony knew if they left it up to the consumer to pick their own TV stand that, despite any warnings, people would put it on something too weak to handle it. Whenever I see one of those up on Craigslist or something, they always have the stand included. Aside from that though, I think it would be really hard to find an old CRT ready TV stand at this point. Everyone has HDTVs, and have gotten rid of their old TV stands years ago.

Are you handy though? You could always make your own stand. People are always put off by making furniture because they feel like they can't make some ornate heirloom thing, but it doesn't have to be. You can make a simple yet elegant piece of furniture with very little effort. I actually just made a new computer desk using 2-by material, plywood and some leftover flooring. It came out surprisingly well, and it's super sturdy.



Modified from the plans found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_xJD_aylYw

I had leftover Pergo flooring that I used for the desk top, which is kind of perfect because of how durable it is. But the simple alternative would be to just use a better piece of plywood (A grade, if possible) and then stain and clear coat the top yourself. I just wanted to keep the cost down and use as much material that I already had on hand. The plans are for a workbench, but this can easily be adapted into any kind of desk or table. Or perhaps even a TV stand! You could easily add 1/4" panels to the sides and back to close it in. Or add shelves under it. It's super sturdy (I even did the patented Mathias butt slam on it) and yet fairly easy to make. Or hell, there might even be good plans for a TV stand on YouTube.

On the 480p consumer CRT front... really 7 parts why I'd love one...

I really wanted a 480p 16:9 screen for the Wii. The PS3 though, since everything is 720p or 1080p, I prefer an HDTV.

So... I do think I'm going order a Koryuu.

Do it!

[Jagosaurus]

Really dig the basement setup. Random question, what type of DVD player on top right? Looks really familiar to one I had. Think it was an Emerson.

Desk looks legit. Nice work. I surprisingly found a CRT stand today at Goodwill thats really close to my stand I now regret giving away ~5 years ago. So my current CRT TV (new stand + 27" Samsung Dyna Flat) set up is fairly close to when I had the 27" RCA Tru Flat. Mrs Jago actually thought the stands were identical . Will post a pic tomorrow if I remember. Stand has a bit of a weird build where top surface is split down the middle but held by 10 bolts lol (4 under, 4 in rear). Seems sturdy enough. Keeping an eye on it though. As a bonus, has nice cable mgmt.

Worth noting my Samsung weighs around 100-110 pounds from specs I've seen. My 17" VGA CRT weighs around 30 IIRC. I pulled some specs on 20" flat screen CRTs and they were around 60 lbs. So the later CRT TVs were definitely beefer than VGA monitors. Fortunately, mine has handles/grooves also.

Surpringly while thrifting, there was another smaller stand that was a Sony CRT stand . Sony sticker and all. No TV. Goodwill in Houston area no longer takes CRTs. Hope that Sony CRT didn't end up in a dumpster. .

Currently using this CRT set up with my OGX as a MAME station downstairs. Finally found another OGX controller today for under $15 so 2 player TMNT . My kids are enjoying it. They also fire up some retro emus on there. Even now aging, OGX NES & Genesis emu is fine for them to enjoy some "old Mario & Sonic."

I'm actually watching a 4:3 full frame movie tonight via 480i component. My son asked why it looked a little blurry 4K spoiled.

Thanks on remote. Picking one up via ebay for 8 bucks.

[Ziggy]

Really dig the basement setup. Random question, what type of DVD player on top right? Looks really familiar to one I had. Think it was an Emerson.

Why do you and I have all the same stuff? YES! It IS an Emerson!

That was my first stand alone DVD player, I bought it to keep wear and tear off my PS2. I remember seeing it in the store and thinking that DVD players are now really cheap. But IIRC it was about $50 and this was around 2003, so that be like $72 in 2021 LOL. Not so cheap really, considering you can get a DVD player in 2021 for like $20. I also had an Emerson VCR that matched aesthetically. But unfortunately, that VCR bit the dust. Luckily, my Emerson DVD didn't see as much use because a few years later I got my first HDTV and got a new DVD player with HDMI to go along with it.

Desk looks legit. Nice work. I surprisingly found a CRT stand today at Goodwill thats really close to my stand I now regret giving away ~5 years ago. So my current CRT TV (new stand + 27" Samsung Dyna Flat) set up is fairly close to when I had the 27" RCA Tru Flat. Mrs Jago actually thought the stands were identical . Will post a pic tomorrow if I remember. Stand has a bit of a weird build where top surface is split down the middle but held by 10 bolts lol (4 under, 4 in rear). Seems sturdy enough. Keeping an eye on it though. As a bonus, has nice cable mgmt.

Nice! I can't wait to see a pic.

Worth noting my Samsung weighs around 100-110 pounds from specs I've seen.

Really? The 27" weighs 100 pounds? I figured my 27-inchers were more than 50 pounds, but I wouldn't have guess over 100. But I'm really bad at guessing weight.

I'm actually watching a 4:3 full frame movie tonight via 480i component. My son asked why it looked a little blurry 4K spoiled.

Was it a bad master? Or are we really that dated now?

Thanks on remote. Picking one up via ebay for 8 bucks.

No problem. I've never had a problem finding remotes on eBay. They're usually plentiful and very cheap. I think it's because manufactures must have used the same model remote for several model TVs, so they're usually easy to find on eBay. I have a remote for every CRT that I own.

Do you know how to get into the service menu on the Samsung?

[R_Oldgames]

WhatsApp Image 2021-02-21.jpeg (111.85 KiB) Viewed 12239 times

I still use it in my setup. I've tried every configuration posible to get a good image of mine RGB modded N64, but neither the OSSC, nor the Framemeister, did the job in my opinion. So I resorted to a Sony Wega 21