Anyone here use HDTV's versus CRT's for classic consoles?

[stargate]

I live in a small apartment and I am trying to downsize a bit. I have a 27" Sony CRT that I currently use for my classic consoles, primarily NES, SNES, TG16, but also Atari 2600 and Intellivision when the mood strikes.

I need the space and thinking about giving up on the CRT and just running through my 60" Sony HDTV. But how bad is it really? Any recommended ways to hook up the systems that work better than others? Do you use the settings on your HDTV to stretch the picture and does this work well or completely suck?

I realize I can just experiment myself, but wondering what the folks around here are doing and what experiences they have had. Thanks everyone for any help!

[Leo_A]

Unless someone has the same model HDTV as you do, your experiences may or may not be similar to those posted by someone else, making this a rather pointless task, I'm afraid.

There are almost as many different scaling chips as there are HDTV's it seems, and that's what matters most for classic consoles since you obviously can't send your tv a signal that matches its native resolution while playing something like a Sega Genesis. And each model performs differently, depending on what's sent to it. Someone might get a nice picture on their Intellivision connected via RF to their tv where as your tv's scaling chip might not be able to make heads or tails of it and just not display anything. And in other cases, someone might get a poor picture, while you get a great one but with unacceptable input lag.

Your best bet is to perform some tests yourself. Hook an early 2000's system up via component and check out 480i and 480p games, hook a 1990's era console up via S-Video, hook a late 1980's or early 1990's system up via composite, hook an early system up via RF (Sometimes helps running these through a VCR first which boosts the signal), and see for yourself.

And if your test come back poor for some or most all of this, you have other options like external scalers (From cheap system specific options to $500 models that will do wonders for older material), higher quality video cables like RGB, video modifications like adding S-Video to an Atari 2600, backwards compatibility options (Playstation games look horrible via S-Video from your Playstation? Try them on a PS3 with the system itself handling the scaling), the Retron 5 for classic Nintendo and Sega gaming, etc. Or go fully with emulation with a PC connected to your tv or buy something like an Ouya if you desire a less capable option that has a smaller footprint.

There are undoubtedly a few around here enjoying their classic systems on their modern HDTVs. And if you don't mind spending money and making the occasional compromise, you can get pleasing results for just about everything except light gun games (Which obviously won't work).

[eskobar]

In general, HDTVs don't go along with retro consoles, you can purchase additional hardware to make them look almost as good as an old fashioned CRT TV like the Framemeister XRGB-Mini and get RGB cables in the consoles that support RGB or make some mods to the ones that don't.

You can get a smaller CRT or RGB CRT monitor if you want the best possible picture

[Ponyone]

I do. I have a 65 inch 3d vizio. Put it in game mode and run consoles on composite/component. They run and look just fine. No stretching. I don't notice any of the lag ppl talk about with hdtv but if there is any its not noticeable

[ZeroCool]

I got a PS2 on component, looks great. Saturn N64 look alright nothing horrible. Dreamcast isnt so great. Atari Jaguar is not that bad. Ive hooked up a NES on it and it looks better than the Panasonic CRT I have. No jailbar lines at all. Im shocked. Its a 32 inch Philips LCD

[CRTGAMER]

HDCRT WEGA here. ALL non HD and HD consoles display beautiful.

[YoshiM]

My big problem is the N64. I was wondering if something like this would help?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B2B...iglink20340-20

[Tanooki]

Damn that's an expensive part, but if that could make a N64 display right on a normal modern TV without the issues with failed lighting and shadow effects just being black or the AA being overblown into a blobby mess on certain titles it could be worth it. Sometimes I debate if I should just sell the thing as I never ever use it.

[genesisguy]

At some point we are all going to have to go HDTV. I guess CRT's are just a ticking time bomb at this point.

[Zap!]

At some point we are all going to have to go HDTV. I guess CRT's are just a ticking time bomb at this point.

No, because parts will always be available, and as retro continues to grow, new CRT's will eventually be made by some company, if they haven't already.

[genesisguy]

No, because parts will always be available, and as retro continues to grow, new CRT's will eventually be made by some company, if they haven't already.

I heard on another forum where there is a similar thread going about the death of retro gaming hardware that CRT's are illegal to make due to the emissions of radon.

[Gameguy]

No, because parts will always be available, and as retro continues to grow, new CRT's will eventually be made by some company, if they haven't already.

Even if some company does manufacture new CRTs they won't be the same high quality as CRTs built during their heyday. Would anybody still spend over $1000 for a new CRT television? Plenty cost triple that amount or more when new if you look at higher end models.

It's the same way with VHS machines, some are still being manufactured and sold new at retail stores today but they're cheaply made to keep costs low. Most people aren't willing to spend over $100-$200 for a new VCR anymore. It's better to get an earlier model from the late 90's or early 2000's and get them serviced if needed.

CRTs can last a long time if not abused. Arcade monitors can get burn in with always playing the same game for years on end, home TVs are better as you'll be playing different games on them or just watching movies or TV which don't have static backgrounds. Plenty of TVs are still working from the 1940's or 1950's, TVs from the 90's could last even longer. It's true about there not being vacuum tubes in modern displays but you can still service modern sets(it's mostly about the capacitors).

[YoshiM]

There's a video of some guy doing a test using SVideo on an N64 through an upscaler. They list the upscaler:a Portta PETCSHP and an Innovations N64/Gamecube SVideo cable. Looked fairly clean on the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khTXtxYAXOY&sns=em