CRT Copy Pasta Carryover

CRTS v0.1

WHAT IS A CRT?

http://www.ohgizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/clear_tv.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/CRT_color_enhanced.png/750px-CRT_color_enhanced.png

CRT = Cathode Ray Tube
CRTs are display devices that use a glass tube to display the picture. They are not flat like LCD and plasma tvs,
but not to be confused with rear-projection box TVs. They can get heavy as fuck.


WHY CRTS?

Old games were made on and developed for CRTs. CRTs possess certain characteristics that LCDs do not.

- Native support for old game resolutions (240p)
Modern displays (and HD CRTs) will upscale the image to fit their native resolution. This creates artifacts, stretching, and lag.

- Scanlines
http://files.tested.com/photos/2013/07/11/50071-scanline.jpg

Old TVs display 480i. It's like 480p, but alternating even and odd lines each frame. Videogame resolution is 240p. It runs like 480i, but only doing even or odd lines, not both. This means that half of the lines are missing, creating "scanlines": Horizontal black lines going through the image. Retro gamers like scanlines.

- Motion quality, lagless input, and other shit.


WHAT CRT IS BEST FOR ME?

A few ground rules:
-HD CRT TVs are almost as bad as LCDs for old games.
-It needs to support 15khz (480i, 240p). CRT computer monitors usually only support 31khz (480p) and up.
-You want AT LEAST S-Video input. Preferably RGB or Component.

TVs:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41XRG9EP60L._SY300_.jpg

Standard definition TVs with component input (RGB on Euro TVs) are an easy way to get large screens and good quality picture.
People generally have a strong preference towards Sony Trinitron TVs, but other TVs can look good too.
The Sony ##FV300 and ##FV310 series are probably the best you can get as far as TVs go.

PROFESSIONAL MONITORS:
http://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/sony-pvm-2950-qm-658237.jpg

Typically smaller than TVs, but higher quality.
These will often have RGB input, but not always. Many brands make them (Sony, NEC, Mitsubishi, etc), and they can all be very good. Different from computer monitors in that computer monitors DO NOT support 15khz (the signal from old systems). Computer monitors can be used for 480p (Dreamcast and up), though.
Despite usually being small, these monitors can get very big. The largest ones are the Mitsubishi AM-4201R (40"), and the NEC XM37/XP37 series (36"). They are fuckhuge and weigh well over 200lbs.

What to look for: Sony PVM/BVM monitors, security monitors, endoscopy monitors, broadcast monitors, presentation monitors.


General help when making a decision when buying a TV or monitor:
1. RGB and component input is the most sought-after feature. This should be your goal.
2. CONDITION - More important than the model number is the condition of the device. Condition is really what determines how good a device will look. Hopefully you can test the picture before buying.
3. Look for name-brand stuff: Sony, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, etc. No cheap Chinese VCR combo garbage.


VIDEO SIGNALS EXPLAINED

All signals can carry 240p, but at varying degrees of quality.

RF - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Male_type_N_connector.jpg
Worst quality. All the video and sound components are crammed down one cable that the TV needs to sort out. Never use it.

Composite - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Composite-video-cable.jpg/800px-Composite-video-cable.jpg
Second-worst quality. The standard cable that comes with most systems. All video components are stuffed into the Yellow cable, and the sound is carried separately. This is the best the NES can output without heavy modding.

S-video - http://www.hisdigital.com/UserFiles/product/S-video-cable_1_1469.jpg
A big step up in quality from the previous. Video is carried in Luma and Chroma. Luma has the black/white signal along with sync. Chroma has the color. Audio is sent separately.

Component(YPbPr) - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Component-cables.jpg
A step up from S-video. Quality is comparable to RGB. Video is sent over 3 cables containing: Y (Luma and sync), Pb (The difference between blue and luma), and Pr (the difference between red and luma). Green is derived form the other signals. This is the best that American televisions will accept.

RGB (Red, Green, Blue) - http://www.bzbexpress.com/images/BZB/D/cab-rgb.jpg
The standard for quality video. All parts of the video are sent separately. It can be carried over separate cables (usually BNC), a VGA cable, or a SCART cable. Most consoles can output this natively; a few with some modding.
For American television users, you will want to purchase a GOOD QUALITY RGB -> component converter, As no TV in America accepts RGB. The conversion from RGB to component is lossless when done correctly.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS SCART"?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/SCART_20050724_002.jpg

SCART cables are the most readily-available cable for getting RGB out of consoles. It's a standard connector in Europe. There's no difference in the RGB signal compared to VGA or BNC, just the shape of the connector is different. Be wary though, some SCART cables only carry composite video; make sure you get RGB ones. To connect it to most American devices, you will need a BNC breakout cable (for professional monitors), or a SCART->Component converter for TVs.