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What CRT do you prefer for retro console gaming?

Paranoid_Andy

Paranoid_Andy

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Hey everyone,

Just to clarify, I'm not trying to make this a 'what is the best' post, but moreso I just want to know what you all prefer to play your retro game consoles on.

Personally I'm in search of a larger CRT size. At least 27" or higher. I prefer a sharper image with some beefy scan-lines if possible.

I have a few options currently. I have a Sony Wega KD-34XBR970 HD CRT that has a fantastic picture, but adds exactly 2 frames of lag. I also have a JVC I'Art AV-27WF35 that I use scart -> component with and it's pretty nice but isn't nearly as sharp as the Wega. Lastly I have a PC-CRT + OSSC that has the most razor sharp image of all. It's really impressive, however monitors are usually on the smaller size so that's tricky to get in a larger size.

Any suggestions or thoughts? I wonder, can any arcade monitors compete with like a PVM?

Thanks for any help at all!
 
I had a 32" Trinitron before I moved. That thing was a monster but RGB and component on it looked absolutely fantastic.
 
Thanks for the input Ggallegos, do you happen to remember the model number?
 
I use an NEC XM29 Extra, it's a 29" broadcast monitor. So good size, and ridiculously sharp picture. For that softer CRT feel I have all my candy cabs already, and a spare tri-sync monitor I use for things like my Dreamcast or supergun, so it's kind of nice to have the high end CRT look for consoles.
 
Aurich said:
I use an NEC XM29 Extra, it's a 29" broadcast monitor. So good size, and ridiculously sharp picture. For that softer CRT feel I have all my candy cabs already, and a spare tri-sync monitor I use for things like my Dreamcast or supergun, so it's kind of nice to have the high end CRT look for consoles.
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Hi Aurich,
I've heard of the XM29 a few times over the years and it seems most people like them for the console gaming. I like what you said about it being very sharp too. I'll add that to my list of considerations. Thank you :)
 
thomas3184 said:
You have an aes for sale to go with it?
Click to expand...

Paranoid_Andy said:
Hey everyone,

Just to clarify, I'm not trying to make this a 'what is the best' post, but moreso I just want to know what you all prefer to play your retro game consoles on.

Personally I'm in search of a larger CRT size. At least 27" or higher. I prefer a sharper image with some beefy scan-lines if possible.

I have a few options currently. I have a Sony Wega KD-34XBR970 HD CRT that has a fantastic picture, but adds exactly 2 frames of lag. I also have a JVC I'Art AV-27WF35 that I use scart -> component with and it's pretty nice but isn't nearly as sharp as the Wega. Lastly I have a PC-CRT + OSSC that has the most razor sharp image of all. It's really impressive, however monitors are usually on the smaller size so that's tricky to get in a larger size.

Any suggestions or thoughts? I wonder, can any arcade monitors compete with like a PVM?

Thanks for any help at all!
Click to expand...
They sure can. My Toei monitor on my NeoGeo MVU had a unbelievable picture. Probably best picture I've ever seen. Pure rgb going to a BVM/PVM, Ikegami, Nec, or any professional monitor for that matter is hard to beat. Sony Wega's are your best bet if you are looking for a great image quality and size but still can't compare it to pure rgb on a professional monitor.

Modding a Sony wega for Scart RGB would be a win win.
 
Some of my favorites among the ones I've collected for console use:

NEC XM29 - has impressively good convergence, great all purpose monitor from 240p through 720p. Dreamcast rules on this monitor. In the USA you just couldn't get large 480p 4:3 CRTs at home. 240p is really excellent on it also.

BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: JVC D Series 27" and 32" with component in, nice convergence and a great quality traditional CRT look.

ANOTHER BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: Get a large PC CRT monitor like 20-21" and get an OSSC. It will essentially look like a PVM and cost much less.

20" Insignia rounded tube with component in. It is basically the quality of a 19" K7000 style RGB monitor and convenient to use with consoles.

24" RCA rounded tube with component in. It is essentially the same case and quality but just larger than the Insignia, probably a rebranded TV.

24" Toshiba Widescreen standard definition CRT - great for 480i widescreen games and great for watching Youtube. Saturn Bomberman and Panzer Dragoon in their widescreen modes are great on this. PS2/Xbox/XBox 360 also decent.

38" RCA widescreen HD TV - this is an odd beast that actually has a curved tube with unexpectedly good geometry, I need use it more. The negative part is it's just so large, but good with 480p+ sources. Has a bit of a soft image.

13" Panasonic professional monitor with 750lines of resolution, has an excellent image and RGB/component etc connections

TVs I typically do not collect are Sonys. If the USA had rounded tube Sonys with component input I would be interested, but usually one can only find flat screen Sonys with component and these usually have geometry problems and a thick scan line that isn't my favorite. I do have a 27" curved Sony that I've kept to RGB mod sometime. The late dark gray case Sony TVs with curved tubes had some style.
 
The best arcade monitor I've probably seen as far as horse power/non blooming bright image is the Nanao MS-2931. The tubes on them can have convergence issues and some geometry issues. When running solid they look great and have a certain brightness about them also. But they are like maintaining a sports car. They have a different look than a PVM though. I would say between a K7000 and a PC monitor with it 70% towards a K7000.
 
Razo said:
They sure can. My Toei monitor on my NeoGeo MVU had a unbelievable picture. Probably best picture I've ever seen. Pure rgb going to a BVM/PVM, Ikegami, Nec, or any professional monitor for that matter is hard to beat. Sony Wega's are your best bet if you are looking for a great image quality and size but still can't compare it to pure rgb on a professional monitor.

Modding a Sony wega for Scart RGB would be a win win.
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Hey Razo, thank you for the reply.

That's pretty interesting. I'm planning to try different solutions just to see what I like. If it's not too much trouble, would you be able to provide some model numbers of the Toei and Ikegami units that you prefer?

I don't know if I could modify my Wega for RGB because it's an HD model which as far as I know is the reason for the 2 frames of lag.

arcadeaction said:
A Sony FW900 24" widescreen 24" monitor is also a nice versatile workhorse with a nice image.
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Hi Arcade, it sounds like you have been through a lot of monitors. Thank you for your input on all of these. Another point for the XM29 as well lol. I dunno how the heck I'm gonna get my hands on one of those. Aside from AP, Ebay and local listings I'm not really sure of a good way to find monitors.

Can't say I've seen the D series of JVC but I'll definitely see if I can have a look at one at some point as well although it's sounding more and more like a good arcade monitor or PVM is the way to go.

The FW900 sounds pretty awesome for widescreen. I'll spare my wallet of that beast for now lol.
 
A few of my favorite gaming CRTs:

- JVC D Series is definitely the best bang-for-the-buck consumer set. You can find a 32" or 36" inch set for cheap or free (I've literally picked them up off the curb), and if you calibrate it with a colorimeter, the color accuracy is on par with a Sony PVM. The geometry uniformity isn't the best but these sets perform quite well overall once they're dialed in properly. The JVC iArt sets are one tier below the D Series and they're also quite good.

- Mitsubishi Diamond Pro monitors use the same Trinitron technology as high-end Sony monitors, but the monitors sell for a fraction of the price of Sony displays even though they look just as good. Drawbacks are that they don't have full-featured service menus so they can't be dialed in as precisely as a JVC D Series or Sony set, but they still look pretty great just with the defaults. You'll want to use an upscaler like the OSSC to upscale the 240p signal from consoles up to the 640x480 signal that VGA monitors use.

- Naturally if you can afford them, a Sony PVM, BVM, or high-end VGA monitor like the FW900 is as good as they get. I acquired an FW900 for 1/4 of the current market value because the image was off-color and the factory anti-glare film was damaged. After removing the film and 2 hours of recalibration with the Sony WinDAS factory software and a colorimeter, it now looks gorgeous.

- Keep an eye out for Dell and HP monitors with the Trinitron logo or SGI monitors as well - they're rebrands of the high-end Sony monitors and can be acquired for a fraction of the price.

- Finally, you can connect game consoles up to an arcade cabinet and get a fantastic display for not much money. A Nanao MS9 29" tube and chassis can be acquired for under $500 with some hunting and they look just as good as a high-end consumer-grade set.

Generally, be aware that if you're willing to spend $100 on a colorimeter and spend 2-3 hours calibrating it, any display with Gain and Cutoff adjustments can be recalibrated to look very good - probably better than a PVM that hasn't been recalibrated. I have a tutorial on recalibrating arcade cabs here - the procedure is the same for consumer sets and PVMs as long as they have a Service Menu with Gain and Cutoff adjustments:
https://www.arcade-projects.com/threads/arcade-monitor-calibration-guides.17183/post-274247

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I have an jvc iart av-36f702 (180 lbs) in local ads for a week and NADA. Nobody wants it :(
 
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I still own a Sony GDM Fw900 and I agree that it is one if the best monitors I have ever used. I had it teamed up with a xrgb2 and supergun and picture was fantastic. Now I just leave my mister hooked up to it.. The wide screen isn't a deal breaker either. I hardly notice the difference.

I don't know what model the Toei is on the Neo MVU but if you look up Neo Geo MVU4 candy cab, I'm pretty sure there is some sort of manual or info on that monitor. Excellent picture. Much better than any Nanao monitors I have used in the past.
 
My JVC 19" TM-H195OC is my fav - with its fat scanlines. Close second is a 14" PVM 14M4 - super crisp sharp picture.
Preferred over my small army of PVM's and even the Toshiba NNC monitor in my Astro City.
Can't really explain it, it just looks the best to me :)
 
@ShootTheCore Hey Core! It's been quite a while. I love the pictures. You all weren't kidding. The JVC looks better than I would have expected, even for being a photo. I'm going to certainly try to get a D series to hold me over while I also try to get a PVM. I'm interested in an arcade monitor too possibly however since I've never worked on one before it's a little intimidating. I'll have to see what's available. I'm definitely willing to spend the money on a colorimeter so I can get things done right. Thank you for the post and the link to the tutorial. Also thank you again for your help a few years ago when I was having troubles with my CPS2 multi working.

@Razo I'd love to get one of those one day for PC gaming. They sound so good XD

@evilsim I understand about not being able to explain it. I have that for sure when sometimes something looks better but I just can't place it. Right now I've got the itch like, what I have is good... but I could do better! So I'm trying to find out just what the heck that is lol.

Thank you again everyone for the input!
 
For 20", I currently have a BVM-D20F1 and PVM-20M4.

For desktop/streaming use, I have a BVM-D14H5 (14"). Has wonky sync issues with PCE/TG16 that require an extron device in the middle of the chain but otherwise works great.

I'm happy with all of them, and other that the D20, I got them all at below market prices a few years ago. No way I'd pay current market prices for these today.

If I was in the market for a CRT now though I'd probably just go with a PC monitor. Generally cheaper and easier to find.
 
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