The Ultimate Guide to CRT Monitors for Retro Gaming

In the autumn of 2019, the Game On exhibition came to Chengdu, showcasing many historically famous gaming consoles and classic games for hands-on experiences. As a player, I couldn’t miss that great opportunity to catch up on gaming history, so I excitedly invited a few friends and played through the entire exhibition.

Among the many games, what impressed me the most was the CRT devices used for many game displays, commonly known as “fat TVs”. The games running on CRT devices had vibrant colors, clean and clear images, and a strong sense of depth, completely devoid of the dissonance found when running old games on modern LCD monitors. This raised a question in my mind: why is there such a huge difference in display quality for the same game on different devices?

Can you guess which is the CRT display image?

Due to a job transfer and some family matters to handle, I had to put this question on hold for two years. At the beginning of this year, after settling work matters and stabilizing my life, I suddenly remembered this issue and quickly got started on it.

▍Why CRT

CRT, short for Cathode Rays Tube, is the original electronic display technology. It was widely used in analog television systems in the last century, driving the familiar big-head monitors and fat TVs in many people’s memories.

01 CRT Display Principles

CRT monitors mainly consist of an electron gun, deflection coils, a shadow mask, phosphor layers, and a glass shell, with the electron gun being the core of the picture tube. The classic CRT picture tube operates by emitting high-speed electrons from the electron gun, which are controlled in their deflection angle by vertical and horizontal deflection coils, ultimately bombarding the phosphorescent material on the screen to make it glow. By adjusting the voltage, the power of the emitted electron beam can be controlled, forming light spots of varying brightness on the screen, creating various patterns and texts.

Diagram of a color CRT picture tube structure

First, it is important to understand that the display principle of CRT monitors is to activate the phosphor on the screen through electron deflection. The activation order is from top to bottom, and from left to right.

However, the phosphor will decay once activated, and the image retention time is limited. If the first pixel in the top left corner is scanned back and forth to the last pixel in the bottom right corner, the time taken will exceed the decay time of the phosphor, inevitably resulting in a situation where the top is dark and the bottom is bright. Clever engineers came up with a solution: split an image into two interlaced parts, scanning the first part first and the second part second, with each part referred to as a “field”.

Interlaced scanning diagram. First, scan the blue field 1, then scan the red field 2, alternating continuously.

This method utilizes the principle of visual persistence, allowing two fields to be scanned alternately to display smooth images on the CRT without significant brightness changes. The downside is that the display may appear to flicker a bit, but that is the principle of interlaced scanning.

02 240p and the “Scanline” Flavor

Of course, understanding the principle of CRT is not crucial. What we need to know is that at the dawn of video game development (the late 1970s), CRT was in its golden age, so early video game consoles were also influenced by CRT’s inherent resolution and imaging methods, leading to the birth of a black technology—240P.

240P originated from a group of clever gaming hardware engineers who first reduced the display resolution, showing only one field’s image, and outputting it twice in the same position. This reduced the processing difficulty for early gaming consoles while allowing the flickering CRT screen to present a stable, flicker-free image, enabling players to focus on gaming for extended periods without visual fatigue. This unique display method outputs only one field, which is half of the 480i display pixels, hence the name 240P.

240P is a clever idea, a product of the wisdom of gaming hardware engineers at the time, and can be considered a “black technology”. The only downside of this technology is that the screen will show black lines, which are left by the “fields” that were not displayed (equivalent to field 2 in the above image not being displayed), resulting in black areas because these fields were not scanned.

This line of black lines left due to the limitations of the era is also known as “scanlines”. At that time, gaming hardware engineers and players could not have imagined that these black lines would later become a unique “flavor” of games from that era.

Scanlines in CRT

03 Why Not LCD

Let’s return to the question of why LCD monitors cannot display old game images effectively. One reason modern LCD monitors fail to reproduce the display effect of old games is their inability to perfectly simulate the scanline effect.

The second reason is that most old games have a resolution around 320×240. On today’s mainstream 4K and 1080P LCD monitors, if displayed at the original resolution, it will appear very small. For example, in the case of “Super Mario”, it looks like this:

320×240 image displayed on a 1080p monitor

If the image is forcibly stretched, the computer will fill in pixel points, ultimately leading to a jagged appearance, which is not ideal.

Jagged appearance after stretching

CRT monitors do not have this resolution issue because games were developed to fit CRT resolutions. The scanlines in CRT displays also provide some anti-aliasing, making game images appear smoother and more compatible with the pixel art style of the time.

Scanlines provide a degree of anti-aliasing

Compared to ordinary LCD monitors, CRT monitors display more vivid colors, clearer images, better contrast, and higher brightness. Additionally, since the developers of that time also developed games on CRT, the images we see on CRT are exactly what they saw when developing the games, pure and original.

So what is the conclusion? To play the most authentic and best retro games, we need CRT.

▍Ready to Play

Next, let’s talk about how to set up a retro gaming system, starting with purchasing a CRT monitor.

01 Parameters to Focus On

When purchasing a CRT monitor, we also need to understand some other parameters related to CRT. CRT computer monitors are difficult to be compatible with old gaming consoles due to interface and display methods (after all, old gaming consoles are TV gaming consoles), so we mainly discuss CRT TVs (hereinafter referred to as CRT for convenience).

Resolution

Common resolutions for CRT include 480i and 480P (where interlaced is denoted by i, meaning “interlaced”, and progressive is denoted by P, meaning “progressive scan”). As mentioned above, the knowledge of interlaced scanning has already been covered. Some later models can even reach a maximum resolution of 1080P. Generally speaking, TVs that do not support 480P or higher are referred to as “pure analog”.

Since CRTs that support progressive scan will introduce higher latency due to digital-to-analog conversion (digital signals must be converted to analog signals to be displayed on CRT), and since 480P and above progressive scanning is not significant for our needs (which mostly require 240P), we consider purchasing pure analog CRTs that only support 480i.

Line Count

The line count is an indicator that describes the clarity of CRT, similar to the PPI of LCD screens. The higher the line count, the higher the clarity, and the sharper the image. In 240P mode, the higher the line count, the more pronounced the scanlines will be. Generally, pure analog consumer-grade CRTs have a line count of 500 or below, while broadcast monitors mostly have 500 lines, with a few able to achieve 800 or 1000 lines.

Therefore, a 500-line CRT will provide the display effect that we commonly remember.

Analog Signal Interfaces

Unlike modern digital signal specifications, which are relatively uniform, there are many types of analog signals. However, there are only a few common ones: AV, S-Video, component video, and RGBS. From a display quality perspective, AV has the worst effect; S-Video is better; component video is even better; and RGBS provides the best display effect, though the gap between component video and RGBS is minimal.

From a display quality standpoint, RGBS is the most sought-after output method. RGBS also has a variant called SCART, which comes in European and Japanese specifications. However, in terms of versatility, component video and AV are clearly more universal.

Various Analog Signal Cables

The quality differences among various signal types are as follows. However, depending on the purpose, if you just want to recapture the feeling of childhood gaming, AV output is undoubtedly the best choice.

RF = Closed-circuit TV signal Composite = AV signal S-Video = S-Video Component = Component video

02 Regular CRT or Broadcast Monitor?

Many players have probably heard the term “broadcast monitor” when dealing with retro games. As the name suggests, it refers to color broadcast monitors.

Every era has its own broadcast monitors, shining in their respective professional fields, such as in broadcasting vehicles for live broadcasts, providing real-time shooting images for directors on set, or providing reliable imaging for doctors in hospitals… However, what we want to buy are past CRT broadcast monitors to play games.

Broadcast monitors are designed for long-term operation, commonly used for professional display purposes in broadcasting, hospitals, etc., making them more durable and color-accurate than regular TVs. In terms of appearance, broadcast monitors also have a more industrial feel compared to TVs. Sony’s broadcast monitors, thanks to their exclusive “Trinitron” technology, solid quality, and rugged industrial design, have been regarded as essential tools for retro gaming by many enthusiasts.

SONY Broadcast Monitor

However, since broadcast monitors are often used in TV stations or hospitals, frequently running 24/7, there are not many good-condition machines available. With many players vying for broadcast monitors, their prices have also risen significantly. If you don’t mind the price and love the industrial design of broadcast monitors, they remain a top choice.

But if you’re not particularly obsessed with broadcast monitors or if your budget is limited, you can consider looking for CRT TVs in your city. CRT TVs are abundant and can be selected based on your satisfaction, and they are not expensive. If you can do some modifications to convert the TV to RGBS, that would be even better (or you can buy one that has already been modified), but even if you don’t modify, it’s best to look for one with component video support, as the quality is still excellent.

However, it is important to note that pure analog consumer-grade CRTs mostly have a maximum of 500 lines, so if you have specific line count requirements, you will need to look for mid-to-high-end broadcast monitors.

Fat TV

03 Issues with Choosing CRT

As the first-generation display technology, CRT has undergone more than half a century of development since the first black-and-white television was born on April 30, 1939. It is mature in technology, affordable, long-lasting, and highly reliable; in terms of display, it has high brightness, vibrant and natural colors, pure black display effects, and virtually zero response time (essential for players who are sensitive to response delays in fighting games).

These advantages in display quality are what modern LCD displays are still trying to catch up with. However, CRT’s disadvantages remain prominent, and its obsolescence is inevitable: it is bulky, heavy, and both the picture tube and screen are made of glass, making them very fragile; not only is it difficult to achieve perfect display, but it is also susceptible to distortion from the Earth’s magnetic field.

Compared to modern LCD devices, CRTs have too many drawbacks, so I hope everyone can be mentally prepared before making a purchase.

It is particularly important to emphasize that the internal structure of CRT is complex, making repairs difficult and dangerous. All CRT devices will have warnings like “No unauthorized personnel should open for repairs” written on them, indicating the level of expertise and danger required for repairs; CRT devices also contain a component called a high-voltage package, which, while not lethal, can still deliver an unpleasant shock.

Many CRT repair operations require live adjustments, necessitating the use of insulated gloves, and a small mistake can burn out the picture tube or other electronic components. I often hear about such unfortunate incidents, so I do not recommend non-professionals attempt to disassemble and repair CRTs.

That can be quite a headache.

▍Other Purchasing Suggestions

Having grasped some basic theoretical knowledge, if you can accept the issues mentioned above, then it’s time to consider how to purchase. For those with little purchasing experience, the main purchasing avenue is still second-hand platforms like Xianyu.

1. In terms of size, I personally think a suitable size is 14 inches. I initially thought 14 inches would be small, but after purchasing a JVC-h150hg (15-inch model, which I will introduce in detail later), I found the size to be just right, and its weight (40 pounds, excluding shipping) is quite manageable, making it easy to fit in my room without being too crowded. Anything smaller than 14 inches can be a strain on the eyes when gaming.

2. When choosing a machine, not only should you consider its appearance, but the status of the picture tube is equally important. First, you need to check the geometry (whether the lines in the fourth test image below are straight) and convergence (clarity). If possible, I recommend bringing your own equipment to test the CRT with a 240P test suite (a software that can check the status of the picture tube and can run on various gaming devices. However, I do not recommend using a Raspberry Pi as a testing device, as its output is adjustable and can cause interference). If buying online, I suggest asking the seller to provide testing images as a basis for judgment. Secondly, observe whether the brightness of the CRT device is normal and whether there is any aging or decay. If there is anything unsatisfactory, it’s best to abandon the purchase immediately to avoid future troubles.

3. Do not deliberately pursue certain specific high-end models. After all, they have been obsolete for a long time, and buying a CRT is often a matter of chance. A high-end model in poor condition is not as good as a low-end model in good condition. Moreover, having both a high-end model and good condition also means a high price.

240P Test Suite

The first CRT I selected for myself was the JVC-h150cg broadcast monitor. First, JVC is also a well-known broadcast monitor manufacturer, and its display quality is on par with Sony. Secondly, it belongs to the later CRT models, with production dates being relatively recent, with some machines produced as late as 2010, making it easier to find machines in good condition. With 750 lines, it can handle most consoles, and while it may not match the performance of some mid-to-high-end broadcast monitors, it is still unrivaled in its price range. 240P games look clear and sharp, and in some cases, it also displays 1080P quality quite well. The machine itself has two inputs, supporting only AV and S-Video signals, which is not very rich in terms of interfaces. However, with a DIY RGBS video card, it can connect to various signal specifications, including RGBS, component video, and VGA (the analog signal interface for computer monitors), making it very convenient to connect devices. Since it is a later broadcast monitor, it also has two color temperatures of 6500k and 9300k for easy switching. Unless you are tinkering with high-end models, there is basically no need to fuss over CRTs anymore; one machine will suffice.

JVC-h150cg

01 Recommendations for Gaming Devices

After acquiring a CRT, you also need to consider what gaming devices to use for playing.

I will summarize all the home gaming consoles that have appeared in history for reference. For those who are not familiar, this will serve as a refresher, making it clear which are suitable for playing on CRT and which are not. I will not cover handheld consoles, as I believe playing handhelds on a TV is not very meaningful (please don’t hit me). Arcade games from the 90s and even earlier are suitable for playing on CRT, but due to the variety of models, I will not cover them here, and I recommend using emulators instead, which I will write about later. Also, I will not cover the Atari console due to its age, starting the list from the release of the FC by Nintendo in 1983.

240P (Highly recommended for CRT gaming):

FC: Family Computer, launched in 1983, an 8-bit home console, also known as the “Famicom”, with the US counterpart being the NES, Nintendo Entertainment System. The first home console from Nintendo, which we played as kids, was a replica of this model. Following the Atari crash (which destroyed the market’s confidence in home consoles), this legendary model helped the market regroup, with classic games like Super Mario (which even made it to the Olympics) still well-known today. The storage medium is cartridges. Aspect ratio 4:3.

MD: MEGA DRIVE, a 16-bit home console launched by Sega in 1988. The US version is known as SEGA Genesis. The MD has stronger performance, and Sega, having originated from arcade games, had many portable games. It was a strong contender against Nintendo. The new DVD releases often included pirated MD games from childhood. The storage medium is cartridges. In 1991, the MEGA-CD was released to enhance the console’s performance and extend its lifecycle, using CD discs as the medium. Aspect ratio 4:3.

SFC: Super Family Computer, launched by Nintendo in 1990, the second-generation home console, with the US counterpart being the SNES, Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was designed to showcase powerful 2D capabilities, mainly to counter the pressure from Sega’s MD. Many excellent games were born on this platform. The storage medium is cartridges. Aspect ratio 4:3.

FC NES SFC SNES MD

240P & 480i Mixed Use (Highly recommended for CRT gaming):

PS1: PlayStation One, released by Sony in 1994, marking Sony’s entry into the home console market. It focused on 3D games and adult-oriented content, becoming a massive hit, with representative games like Final Fantasy 7 and Resident Evil 1 and 2. The storage medium is CD discs. Aspect ratio 4:3.

SS: SEGA Saturn, a home console launched by Sega in 1994, primarily competing with PS1. Unlike Sony, it focused on 2D performance. However, due to a misjudgment of the future direction of gaming (betting on 2D games) and a bizarre dual CPU architecture that was difficult to program, it was abandoned by third-party developers. It fell behind in the console competition and was later replaced by its own Dreamcast. Representative games include the Sakura Wars series. The storage medium is CD discs. Aspect ratio 4:3.

N64: Nintendo 64, launched by Nintendo in 1996, this third-generation home console was designed to compete with PS1 and Sega’s SS. It innovatively introduced a follow camera in 3D games, a common perspective in modern 3D games, laying the foundation for the development of modern 3D games. Representative games include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64. The storage medium is cartridges. Aspect ratio 4:3.

PS1 SS N64

480i (Recommended for CRT gaming):

DC: Dreamcast, released by Sega in 1998, with the name Dreamcast meaning “Dream Broadcast”. Due to the commercial failure of the SS, along with conflicts between Sega’s US and domestic companies, Sega faced both internal and external challenges, making the DC Sega’s last hope in the home console market. The hardware featured many innovations that are still impressive today, such as a memory card with a screen that can be inserted into the controller, which can be played as a handheld device when removed. The flagship game, Shenmue, is worth playing. However, it couldn’t save Sega’s decline, and the DC became Sega’s swan song. It’s worth mentioning that the DC has powerful hardware, with some games reaching 480p resolution. Aspect ratio 4:3.

PS2: PlayStation 2, launched by Sony in 2000, is the best-selling game console worldwide. It has a plethora of games, showcasing a wide variety. Interestingly, the PS2, released in 2000, was heavily promoted in the media as early as 1998, which directly influenced players’ willingness to purchase the DC, indirectly leading to Sega’s downfall. The PS2 was also the first console to launch in mainland China. A few games support 480p. Aspect ratio 4:3 (some games are 16:9, like God of War, but are cropped from 4:3, making the image smaller, which is not recommended).

NGC: Nintendo GameCube, launched by Nintendo in 2001, this fourth-generation home console (abbreviated as GCN in the West) has good performance, marking Nintendo’s last attempt to compete in the home console market. However, due to the use of a peculiar mini-DVD format to prevent piracy, it was not compatible with other media, making it less versatile. Therefore, it was heavily outperformed by the PS2, which could play DVD video discs, and later by the newly released Xbox. Notably, the NGC has an accessory called GBP that allows players to play Game Boy series games on TV. Aspect ratio 4:3.

DC PS2 NGC

480p (Recommended for use with CRT or LCD that supports progressive scan):

XBOX: Released by Microsoft in 2001, this home console marked Microsoft’s entry into the market with a significant investment. The console’s performance far exceeded that of its contemporaries, achieving full 480P capabilities while others struggled to reach that resolution. Due to its early plans to collaborate with Sega, which unfortunately failed, Microsoft had to step in on its own, thus absorbing many of Sega’s design philosophies and being regarded as Sega’s spiritual successor by many players. One of the most memorable games for the XBOX is Steel Battalion, which requires players to operate a complex control console. I have always wanted to get one to play. Aspect ratio 16:9.

Steel Battalion is really fun!

After this, modern digital high-definition consoles are no longer suitable for CRT gaming. However, the traditional big three (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) consoles such as PS3, XBOX 360, and Wii U all support component video and AV output.

While they can easily connect to CRT, they are not recommended.

Now we can discuss how to play games. The mainstream solutions for retro gaming today include emulator solutions and real hardware solutions.

Emulator Solutions

This can be divided into software emulators and hardware emulators.

The best hardware emulator solution currently is the open-source project MiSTer. It has attracted many DIY enthusiasts, and the project’s level of completion is high, providing the most authentic emulation experience with minimal lag. You can find ready-made models on second-hand platforms, but they tend to be expensive, and the range of emulated consoles is limited.

MiSTer

Software emulators can be categorized into Raspberry Pi and low-res PCs.

The Raspberry Pi is easy to use, has good compatibility, and supports direct connection of many controllers. I recommend the RGB-Pi system, which is compatible with Raspberry Pi 3B+, making it very user-friendly and powerful. Mainstream consoles like FC, SFC, MD, and other early home consoles can run smoothly, and saving games is convenient. However, its performance is relatively weak; while it handles PS1 games well, it struggles with N64, often suffering from lag and random crashes. Some arcade games may also experience lag when too many characters are on screen. The latest RGB-Pi is currently adapting to Raspberry Pi 4, and some test versions are being released, but feedback indicates many bugs, so it might be worth waiting for improvements.

Low-res PCs refer to computers capable of outputting low resolutions (many modern graphics cards cannot output 480i, and low-res often refers to 240P in this context). The advantages are clear; their performance and compatibility with emulators surpass those of the Raspberry Pi. They can also serve as video players for CRTs.

However, the challenge lies in configuring the hardware and software systems. First, you need to find a graphics card that can output 480i. Since these cards are quite old, they often show signs of wear, so when purchasing, you need to consider not only the model but also the quality. Additionally, you need to install custom drivers (many official drivers do not support low resolutions and require third-party drivers to unlock). The same model may work for one card but not for another. There are many pitfalls here, so there are dedicated threads online collecting successful low-res graphics card models and their success rates, which interested players can check out.

Once the hardware is prepared, you also need to install the software and choose emulator cores. Overall, this option requires a bit more tinkering, making it suitable for players with strong hands-on abilities who enjoy experimenting. Therefore, many people sell completed systems on second-hand platforms.

Real Hardware Solutions

The advantages of real hardware are obvious; after all, they are the actual machines, not emulations. The challenging part lies in selecting gaming consoles. For example, the PS2 has models ranging from 10000 to 90000 throughout its lifecycle, with significant differences between thick and slim models, making selection quite confusing. The SFC also has a 1-chip version, which reportedly offers better visuals, but at a higher price. Additionally, many early models, such as the FC, do not support RGBS output, while the MD requires motherboard modifications to support RGBS output, which can be challenging for users lacking technical skills.

Another substantial pitfall is the arcade boards. There were a vast number of arcade board models in the past, with various hardware architectures, which is one reason why arcade games are difficult to emulate. This doesn’t even account for cartridge collection. However, for players with a genuine interest in collecting originals, this may not pose a problem.

Lastly, let’s discuss the low-res solution for the Wii. This option has a very low cost but requires purchasing the European version or modifying other versions to achieve RGBS output. The advantage is that the custom system is mature, and its compatibility with Nintendo games is impeccable. However, it is also relatively weak in performance, especially for arcade emulation.

Compared to real hardware solutions, the biggest advantage of emulator solutions is the ease of managing games; they are ready to use right away and are relatively inexpensive. However, there are still certain models that cannot be perfectly emulated, such as the previously mentioned arcade games and Sega’s SS (dual CPU architecture). Therefore, it is still recommended to assess your needs and combine both options: use real hardware where possible, and emulate where it can be done perfectly, as convenience drives productivity.

02 Recommendations for Video Playback Solutions

Some players want to relive the feeling of watching old animations and TV shows on a CRT, and I am one of them. However, the common DVD and VCD playback devices and discs from the past are now hard to find, and their quality is no longer acceptable to us who are used to high-definition video. After trying many solutions, I chose to purchase TVOne, a broadcast-grade device specifically designed for resolution conversion.

By converting high-resolution images from a computer to 480i, I can play videos on CRT. Thanks to modern computers’ video decoding capabilities, it can handle everything from streaming to Blu-ray discs, making it incredibly convenient.

▍Game is not Over

Time flies. Sometimes, sitting in front of an old TV, picking up a controller, and looking at these game graphics from the late 20th century gives me a sense of time travel: it feels as if I’m back to a hot afternoon, surrounded by friends, eating popsicles and laughing, taking turns in the game—those moments of joy were simple and pure. It also feels like playing chess with a genius programmer from 20 years ago, who hid his stories of joy and sorrow in the code and levels, waiting for players to discover, understand, and experience.

Of course, the joy of gaming doesn’t necessarily have to rely on specific devices; the purpose of purchasing equipment is merely to enhance the gaming experience. Through such devices, I hope more people can feel the charm of retro games, understand gaming culture, and enjoy the joy of gaming. I also urge everyone to consume rationally and know when to stop.

All hardware is meant to serve the content; do not blindly chase after high-end products. Finally, a special thanks to my wife for her strong support and help with editing photos. Life goes on, and the tinkering never stops. I hope everyone can purchase the equipment they are satisfied with and enjoy their gaming experience!

Original link:

https://sspai.com/post/71758?utm_source=wechat&utm_medium=social

Author: Wumiao Yang

Editor: Clyde

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