/vr/ /CRT/ CRT info wall of text

Hopefully all you'll ever want to know about CRTs.

-----------------------------------
Alternate wut crt is good organization

Generally, the most important thing when looking for CRTs is to find an aperture grill model instead of a shadow mask model. Easiest way to tell is the shape of the screen. If it's a flat screen CRT, it's aperture grill. If it's flat or just about flat vertically, it's aperture grill. If it has a decent amount of bend vertically, then it's shadow mask. There are some good shadow mask models, but there are a ton that are absolute shit.

All models are US models, unless otherwise mentioned. European models typically have entirely different designations.

----Sony----
Model number organization: KV-32FS100.
First two letters indicate TV tuner, KV for analogue and KD for digital.
First numbers are screen size in inches. In this case, a 32" TV.
The two or three letters indicate the TV model, and these are the most important thing to look out for. More on these below.
The final two or three letters denote the exact model TV. Three number models are almost always newer than two number models, and higher numbers generally denote a higher end set. These differences effect things like speakers and inputs more than they do actual picture quality as long as you are using proper input, worry about TV condition more than these numbers.

Trinitron consumer models:

>S models
Older curved screen black plastic models. Harder to find info for, only some have composite/S video inputs. Don't pay much for these.

>FS and FV models
Silver plastic, flat screen models. Very common, very cheap. Most do not display 480p content, but are plenty good for 480i and 240p sources.

>HS "Hi-Scan" models ("Citation Needed")
Similar to FS/FV models but with a higher res tube. Only slightly harder to find than FS/FV models, comes in full screen 4:3 models and wide screen 16:9 models. All scale internally to 1080i, so any non 1080i source will be scaled internally (lag, sometimes looks like ass).

>XS "Super fine pitch" models
Highest res CRT TVs that sony made. Scales to 1080i internally like hi scan but looks a bit better. Great for 1080i content and movies, not good for retro vidya.

>XBR models
Sony's highest end consumer CRT sets, with models spanning from the mid 80s through to super fine pitch 16:9 HD sets in the early 2000s. Flat screen models are as follows:
XBR200 - Only flat screen non hi scan model. Probably very good for retro vidya but no firsthand reports.
XBR2/250/400/450/700/800/970 - All hi scan models and suffer the same issues as "HS" models for old games. The 700 and 800 come in 40" models, and are some of the largest consumer CRTs ever made along with some 40" mitsubishi models. They also weigh ~300lb.
XBR910/960 - Super fine pitch models, and easier to find than "XS" models. The 960 has some extra adjustment settings over the 910, but both are superb HD CRTs. AVphiles also hunt down 960s, so it's difficult to find them for a reasonable price.
XBR970 - Rebranded HS model.

XBRs can be easily identified by either the XBR logo on the front of the set for older models (2/200/250/400/450), which you should be able to pick out even in low resolution pictures, or by the dark gray/silver two tone chassis on the later models.

----RCA----

RCA proscan models seem to be decent. More info needed.

----Panasonic----

Panasonic tau? They seem to have a range of decent aperture grill models.

Not to be mistaken with toshiba.

----Toshiba----

Toshiba seems to have made some rather nice late model flat screen CRTs around the early 2000s, more or less on par with sony sets. Moreover, some of these were multiscan and supported both 1080i and 480p natively. If you must have a native 480p TV, these would be a good bet.

Model number organization: 32HF72
First two numbers are diagonal screen size.
Letters denote model range. HF and HFX seem to be the late model flat screens, with HFX having a few extra features over HF, but possibly an identical tube.
Last two numbers are specific model numbers.

HF/HFX72 - Known multiscan models. Came in 32" and 36"
HF/HFX73 - Possibly small update of 72 models?
HF/HFX84 - Late model wide screen HD set. Scan rates not known, likely 1080i only.

----Mitsubishi----

I've heard good things about mitsubishi CRTs, even that they are better than sonys of the era, but they are very hard to find. Some models seem to be shadow mask, but they are possibly still good?

Keep an eye out for mitsubishi megaview models. They are multiscan (acts more like a PC monitor than a TV) and were made up to 42" tube sizes.

------

>Buying CRTs
>>Condition
The most important thing about buying CRTs is making sure the set is in good condition. If the tube is worn out or very out of adjustment then it will affect the picture quality much more than getting a slightly better model. Be on the lookout for discoloration in some parts of the screen (using a full white picture is ideal, but antenna static works as well) as well as bad or uneven convergence. Higher end sets have menu options for horizonal convergence, but vertical convergence can only be adjusted manually with magnets on the neck of the tube. Higher end models generally have more adjustments in the service menu, but wide screen models in particular are much harder to adjust.

Minor full screen geometry or full screen color issues can usually be fixed in the service menus. If the whole screen is tilted or the overscan is a bit off, it should be easy to fix. Isolated geometry or convergence issues can be very difficult to adjust out without manual magnet placement. PVMs have many more adjustments than consumer sets, in addition to all of these adjustments being manual. As long as the tube and hardware is working correctly, you should be able to adjust the picture to a satisfactory condition if you know what you are doing.

Check to see what the normal menu settings are. TVs that have the brightness or 'picture' cranked up all the way are more likely to have a worn tube, as it would have been driven harder during it's lifespan. Also if you find the brightness or picture is cranked up but the TV isn't particularly bright, it's a good sign that the tube is worn out.
If you are super anal about picture quality, chances are you will have to open up your TV to adjust it if it's not perfect out of the box.

----------
If you are super anal about video quality, you will probably have to open up your TV and make adjustments to it. This is difficult, slightly dangerous, and most of all a big pain in the ass (particularly for consumer sets). That said, unless it's really bad, you probably won't notice it during gameplay.
----------

Also try and get a remote if possible. Without one it's impossible to enter service menus and generally makes using the TV more annoying. All FD trinitrons as well as earlier 90s models accept the same remote signal, although this can also cause issues if you have multiple TVs.

Also, make sure you bring at least two people to move any TV bigger than 20". Trintrons are fucking heavy (100+lb for a 27", 36" sets are over 200lb) with the weight offset to the front as well as not having good places to hold on. Best idea is to bring 3 strong people and a dolly for anything over 27".

>>Price
In terms of prices, most consumer sets can be picked up for dirt cheap on craigslist or at recycling centers. If you are patient, it's easy to find old CRT TVs for free on craigslist, sometimes even very nice models. At the same time there are people that will try to sell their TV for way more than it's worth. Generally, 50$ is the most you would want to pay for any consumer trinitron on craigslist, and you can usually barter all but the highest end sets down to half of that. PVMs can be more expensive, especially if you are buying online. Price depends on size and condition, but large BVM monitors can cost a couple hundred USD.

What it boils down to in the end is if you think it's worth the price, especially with PVMs. Only judge image quality by what you see before adjustment and base your value of it accordingly.

>Adjustment
(To be added. Information from service manuals, picture examples of video adjustment)

>Links/citations
(slightly empty right now)

>>>240p TEST SUITE -- Use this for calibrating your TV for retro vidya content!<<<
http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/index.php/240p_test_suite

>>I want to know X about my CRT
Hunt down the service manual for your model or a similar one.
http://elektrotanya.com/

>>I want to know X about CRTs
Check here.
http://arcadecontrols.com/files/Miscellaneous/crtfaq.htm

>>I don't want to buy a CRT but want picture quality
Prepare your wallet, then read this.
http://retrogaming.hazard-city.de/

>>I want to know anything about CRT projectors/I'm filthy rich and want a home theater
http://www.curtpalme.com/index.shtml

>>I want to know about getting RGB output out of my console
http://retrorgb.com/index.html