CRT, LCD, Video Inputs, Lightgun HD and More Guides

[Amplibax]

This is an awesome guide CRTGAMER.

I have a question for you. I am searching for the perfect TV for my retro game room and I was wondering if you know if any of the Sony Wega TVs has VGA inputs on them. I can see many of them DVI, but VGA would be ideal for the Dreamcast VGA box I have. I can see most of them have S-Video and Component, but it would be amazing to find a CRT tv that has, VGA, Component and S-Video.

Thanks!

I have not seen a HD CRT Wega with a VGA input, maybe there is one out there? I use SVideo for the Dreamcast for the HD, VGA thru a CRT computer monitor for House of the Dead. Adaptors may not work either. I have tried a VGA to HDMI adaptor with a laptop and Dreamcast, did not work on my Wega.

Alright that's what I figured. In the mean time I chatted with one of Sony's Tech Support reps to ask if he knew if any of the Wega's had VGA and after about 20 minutes of researching he told me no. It's annoying to have to use 3 different TVs/monitors in order to get the best quality out of all my consoles.

I found a Sony WEGA KV-24FS100 on a local classifieds site for a decent price so I'll be using for that for most of my retro consoles. I'll have my SNES, Genesis and Saturn hooked up to it through component via the scart box I bought recently and the rest will be through s-video minus the NES which will be through crappy ol' AV. I'll have to see if I can score one of the higher end Wegas eventually.

[CRTGAMER]

CRAP! CRAP! CRAP!
My beloved 4:3 HD CRT just quit working, a pop then the power light kept flashing. I kept getting seven flashes on the standby power light followed by a reset click and then seven flashes again. After sitting for an hour it worked again, watched a movie and played some games. This morning I am back to the Sony Red Light Flashing Death again.



A maybe fix
This site offered an inexpensive solution:
http://k0lee.com/2011/05/fixing-a-sony-wega-with-6-or-7-blink-code/



I'm not too sure replacing the IC Chips for the power supply would even work. First moving the 200 pound Wega CRT out, disconnecting all the cables and discharging the high voltage HD Tube. Then waiting on the chips from an online purchase and desoldering the old chips out of the PCB. The other option is buying a used HD CRT at the Thrift store, a risk if everything works reliably in the long run.

Time to finally Widescreen
A replacement LCD has a reputation of Dot Crawl issues, so I start researching online for LED and Plasmas. Another headache is finding one with the now uncommon SVideo input. Component input is also starting to get scarce, most only have one input and multiple HDMI inputs. This does not help my Laser Player, PSX, N64 or even the spare RF input for the Atari 5200.



I went to Wallymart early this morning and tested a Dreamcast with composite for a 480i view. Actually had good results on both a LCD and and LED. I know VGA would look beautiful with a Dreamcast, I'll have to bring the VGA box when I really get ready to buy one. Also I'll bring a PS2 with Component cables to be sure of no Dot Crawl. I'll compare what Costco and Frys have and look up all the specs. Some features to watch include 1080p, 120hz, SVideo, VGA 640x480 for the Dreamcast and of course if the HD will fit the wall unit. I am not optimistic of getting all the features in one unit, especially the rare SVideo input.

Size matters
Especially when going from 4:3 to 16:9. The same 32" widescreen loses about a third of total viewing area. Luckily most of the non CRTs have the speakers on the bottom or back. So I can go to a larger 37" and not lose so much vertical while gaining width. 40" will fit if mounted with the edges protruding pass the edges of the wall unit.

The positive
I hate having to stretch all my retro games to widescreen. However there are some games on the PS2 that do go widescreen and I can finally enjoy Grand Turismo and Tourist Trophy in a full 1080i widescreen pic. DVD movies with anamorphic will also get the complete screen fill, this time at 16:9. For SVideo, maybe a HDMI, Component or VGA convertor may do the trick. I already have a SVideo to VGA convertor for the N64 that does work on a computer monitor.

------------------------------------------------------------------

I added a chart to the OP show calculations for various screen sizes of widescreens. Here is a great link that gives an instant compare for both 4:3 and 16:9 HDTVs

Compare Television Sets
http://www.cavecreations.com/tv2.cgi

[CRTGAMER]

Research Nightmare
In searching of LCDs, LEDs and Plasmas, I only found one LCD that has SVideo input! Looks like I would have to get an upscaler to go either Component or VGA if I do invest in the new screen. Another headache is Analog Stereo output is also becoming obsolete to just Optical output for the auxiliary amp. But I am not about to get rid of my uncommon Aiwa A35 Amp bought from Japan, it sounds too sweet with the DSL Bass. There are Optical to Analog RCA output so not too big a deal. Another option is just get another HD CRT for the wall unit and go huge and mount the flat screen on the wall.

Still Alive
Blah Ha! Ha! Ha! My Wega HD CRT is still working! The two times it didn't work, I unplugged and let it sit for an hour. Plug in and it works again! I know I'm on borrowed time on this HD, hope it will last. A 4:3 HD CRT Wega is hard to find locally, impossible online considering the 200 pound shipping cost.

[AppleQueso]

Replacing those IC's SHOULD work actually. It's definitely worth a shot since it's like $20 max for the parts. I suggest keeping the fix in mind for when your TV inevitably stops turning on at all. In the mean time, do whatever you can to NOT turn your TV off when you get it on.

If you still end up looking at a new tv... try looking at display models and stuff that stores often sell off. You can often get great deals. I got a 46" Samsung LCD for about $350 that way. 1080p, 120Hz, definitely not bad!

Composite looks decent on my LCD... until you start moving. Metroid Prime is headache inducing when you try and move around. Ps2 games look great via my backwards-compatible Ps3, even with the upscaling turned off. I'm assuming anything else component should look great too.

[CRTGAMER]

Replacing those IC's SHOULD work actually. It's definitely worth a shot since it's like $20 max for the parts. I suggest keeping the fix in mind for when your TV inevitably stops turning on at all. In the mean time, do whatever you can to NOT turn your TV off when you get it on.

If you still end up looking at a new tv... try looking at display models and stuff that stores often sell off. You can often get great deals. I got a 46" Samsung LCD for about $350 that way. 1080p, 120Hz, definitely not bad!

Composite looks decent on my LCD... until you start moving. Metroid Prime is headache inducing when you try and move around. Ps2 games look great via my backwards-compatible Ps3, even with the upscaling turned off. I'm assuming anything else component should look great too.

From looking at various screens, LEDs seem the best solution for crystal clear quality. Plasmas have a great price, but reputation of a short life. I would dread hanging a 50 inch only to have to start over again in a few years.

I just turned it on again today and no problem, fired right up! So now the HD CRT only gets a power up only once per day. No turning off while blogging such as right now, I now only turn this baby off when I go to sleep. Something is bugging me that maybe a relay might also be bad, the click does not occur during the fail, a real puzzler.

I'll definitely keep the chips in mind, I'll order a couple if I ever get a non start again. A meticulous job to perform in desoldering the old ones. I will definitely get the sockets before popping the new chips on. Also since the solder job is a risk of completely killing the HD, it will only be done if I can't do the once a day power on anymore.

[pakopako]

And don't forget overscan.

My 3-year old ViewSonic N3751w just recently died and I'm sort of glad. It had great visuals, supported PiP so you could watch TV while playing games, but had horrid overscan to the point where I would only see half of the station's corner watermark.

[AppleQueso]

Replacing those IC's SHOULD work actually. It's definitely worth a shot since it's like $20 max for the parts. I suggest keeping the fix in mind for when your TV inevitably stops turning on at all. In the mean time, do whatever you can to NOT turn your TV off when you get it on.

If you still end up looking at a new tv... try looking at display models and stuff that stores often sell off. You can often get great deals. I got a 46" Samsung LCD for about $350 that way. 1080p, 120Hz, definitely not bad!

Composite looks decent on my LCD... until you start moving. Metroid Prime is headache inducing when you try and move around. Ps2 games look great via my backwards-compatible Ps3, even with the upscaling turned off. I'm assuming anything else component should look great too.

From looking at various screens, LEDs seem the best solution for crystal clear quality. Plasmas have a great price, but reputation of a short life. I would dread hanging a 50 inch only to have to start over again in a few years.

I just turned it on again today and no problem, fired right up! So now the HD CRT only gets a power up only once per day. No turning off while blogging such as right now, I now only turn this baby off when I go to sleep. Something is bugging me that maybe a relay might also be bad, the click does not occur during the fail, a real puzzler.

I'll definitely keep the chips in mind, I'll order a couple if I ever get a non start again. A meticulous job to perform in desoldering the old ones. I will definitely get the sockets before popping the new chips on. Also since the solder job is a risk of completely killing the HD, it will only be done if I can't do the once a day power on anymore.

I would honestly recommend just leaving it on, period, but I suppose if the problem seems to have gone away for now then it's not really a big deal.

If it gives you the blinks again though and you manage to get it back on, I wouldn't turn it off at all until you got those chips.

Know what's a pain? Having a dead one of these monsters. I honestly have no idea what to do with my 200 pound paperweight.

[CRTGAMER]

And don't forget overscan.

My 3-year old ViewSonic N3751w just recently died and I'm sort of glad. It had great visuals, supported PiP so you could watch TV while playing games, but had horrid overscan to the point where I would only see half of the station's corner watermark.

A good point. Hopefully that won't be an issue if I have to buy a flat screen, most new HDs offer zoom and screen movement adjustments. My HD CRT only allows for a roll adjustment, but the screen looks framed properly. Unfortunately when I try Grand Turismo at 1080i, the screen is squeezed to a widescreen format. A pain with the 4:3 HD tube. Same with the cable box, so I set that to 480p to get the Full screen view. A minor disappointment not utilizing the higher resolutions, but for the Retro 4:3 screens the HD CRT Wega is a great pic.

I would honestly recommend just leaving it on, period, but I suppose if the problem seems to have gone away for now then it's not really a big deal.

If it gives you the blinks again though and you manage to get it back on, I wouldn't turn it off at all until you got those chips.

Know what's a pain? Having a dead one of these monsters. I honestly have no idea what to do with my 200 pound paperweight.

There are monthly electronic recycle drop offs in most cities.

Unlike leaving a PC on and putting the monitor to sleep, there is that HD screen to contend with. If I leave it on, a risk of a screen burn from the input logo that appears when say a DVD player is not turned on. Not to mention the electric bill from leaving a large tube powered on continuously. I'll go that chip replacement route if the HD dies. Strange that two pins on each chip are not soldered to the PCB. I'll be sure to cut the replacement chip socket legs, maybe post a guide if I end up doing this.

[CRTGAMER]

The Wega died again, an easy fix without moving the 200 pound behemoth.

http://www.jammersix.com/archives/sony- ... ow-to-fix/

Start by unplugging your TV set. Next, simply direct a hair dryer (on high heat) through the vents along the lower, back corner of the right side of your TV set. Here again, “right side” assumes that you’re looking at the TV set from the front. Let it blow through the vents for a good 2-3 minutes then plug it back in and fire it up. If you’re lucky, it will function normally.

When I tried this yesterday, it didn’t work at first. After a bit more blowing, however, the TV powered up and continued to work for the remainder of the day. This morning, it turned on just fine, but then failed to turn back on a short while later. We then tried it after lunch and it worked fine again (all without firing up the hair dryer).

It’s unclear to me why this works. It may be that the humidity sensor is going bad and had become, or perhaps there’s a problem with dust somehow interfering. It seems unlikely to be the latter, as the heat appears to be necessary to get things back up and running.

Very strange but cooking the PCB thru the vent slot worked! I don't think there is a humidity sensor. I don't look forward to replacing the chips, might cause more damage with the solder work. Curious that two legs on each chip are not soldered but still in the hole. Perhaps part of the problem, but risky to try closing the loops.

Okay now I am leaving the Wega on all the time. Only problem is a text logo input appears such as Game or DVD. This will eventually play havoc on the phosphor coated CRT with a screen burn. Luckily my cable box when turned off puts out a black screen. The Sony HD detects the cable video signal thru the DVI input, so the screen input text goes away.

Close up of IC6501 and IC8002 from bottom of board. Note each IC has two unsoldered pins.

[AppleQueso]

those pins are unsoldered because they don't actually connect to anything. There's nothing to worry about with those.

I think one other pin on one of the two IC's doesn't actually make a connection either. I think it's pin 18 on one of them. That one IS soldered for whatever reason, but either way it doesn't really matter too much, kind of irrelevant info really.

It's not as hard as it looks to replace them. Too bad in my case it turned out that those IC's weren't my problem. (Pretty sure my problem was/is actually the flyback transformer. It'd cost way too much to replace that).

Make sure when you remove them, you do a good job desoldering them. Your only real worries replacing them should be accidentally damaging the PCB traces, which are quite fixable if you're in a pinch anyhow.