I have a gorgeous 28 inch Philips CRT! The image is amazing! And it really feels like it gives more "depth" than through a flatscreen. I love it to death 🎮🕹📺
Keep in mind that Sony lost the patent for the technology behind the Trinitron (not on the name, though) in 1998. Therefore, there are many post-1998 TV's that are on par with a Sony Trinitron, image quality-wise, if you know what you're looking for. That's why there was a lot of brands with "tron" tacked on to the end of many products in those days. By 1998, Sony didn't really care to renew the patents since LCD and Plasma was the new hotness.
There's plenty of TVs before then, and Non-Aperture Grille TVs that look better than many Flat Trinitrons. You do know Trinitron is just a name they put on every Sony TV? A 1995 Trinitron is not better than a Panasonic Tau, or a JVC D Series, or a Toshiba A Series. And even comparing the highest end Trinitrons, Panasonic, JVC, and Toshiba all made tubes that were just as good or better than a flat Trinitron. You're missing out on a ton of amazing TV's, just because it's not a Trinitron?
@@VoltageNostalgia yes you are 100 %correct. picture quality of JVC, Panasonic, Toshiba CRT tvs were more beautiful and enjoyable than unnecessarily expensive Sony trinitron. I started supporting sony tvs only after lcd technology came in to market. because lg was producing pinkish whites. picture is also pinkish. for me sony has pure whites and other colours.
It doesn't matter how much money you pump into HDMI-modding a retro console, you will never match the quality of a Sony CRT. CRTs hide aliasing really well and provide color depth that even the most expensive HDTVs are only now coming close to matching with HDR. As soon as you accept the fact they you're going to have a fat box TV in your house it's just a matter of hunting down the newest Trinitron/WEGA you can find (2004 being the latest). People of Facebook Marketplace are practically giving them away.
Well, I have two CRT TVs and hunting for a third (or more) and a CRT PC Monitor. Also have a LCD, Plasma and OLED (OLED HDR). NONE of my TVs can match the colors of one of my CRT TV. It says "WEGA" instead of Trinitron; it's from 2007 instead of 2003 and it's 21" instead of 29". Trying to achieve the same colors as my WEGA 21" CRT TV.
I love my Sony KV-36FV16 (October 2000), but it needed serious adjustments to get the geometry dialed in. I got it so close to perfect. Sized just right, straight vertical lines, etc. But the damn horizontal bowing (WEGA sag) was heavily afflicting this set as I see it afflicts most large Sony sets. There are 2 rings close to the neckboard that can be adjusted, and wouldn't you know it the sag is damn near gone. This resulted in me having to make a few slight adjustments to some potentiometers and the service menu after the fact (spending so much time dialing the geometry before fixing this really helped me achieve an excellent result) and it revealed some slight convergence issues on the bottom right of the screen, but it's barely noticeable in motion (hopefully can be fixed with some convergence strips from Etsy or eBay). Seeing a 36" Trinitron with no sag is quite a sight to behold.
Not only that, but the end result is way better. Old game consoles look like shit on tv panels when they look glorious on any decent CRT. I wish I would understand that before dipping into all those HDMI/RGB solutions that cost me an arm and a leg.
My grandmother had one of these Sony Trinitron TVs in her house as a present from my uncle, and it was by far one of the best TVs out there for retro consoles.
Just got one via Craigslist from an old guy giving it away for free. I was lucky to see it 15 minutes after he posted it. The mini consoles are fun, and sure you can add the scan line filter, but there’s something about the real thing that can’t be replaced. Also VHS is only truly enjoyable on a CRT.
I just got a 36" Trinitron for free myself. A fellow was giving away. I saw it shortly after it was listed, and feel fortunate to have found it. Its gonna be great for my 16 bit systems, an64, Ps1 and the Saturn and Dreamcast. Dont forget, lightgun games just wont work on flatscreen tv's so yeah, definitely still a place for the trinitron.
We have a big trinitron, gifted to my dad for his 40th birthday. It is sitting in the corner of the basement, and hasn’t moved in 10 years. Used to play GameCube on it, now it just sits.
While the FPGA based consoles don't have any "lag" the bottle neck is in the LCD/LED monitor you're using. The issue is the WIDE variety of flat panel displays. A lot of them process the video and add significant amount of latency. Be careful what you're buying when grabbing a new TV if you're interested retro gaming.
@@SuperNicktendo I don't think the person who the plug n' plays are made for would notice a little lag. However, anyone who spends significant time playing games dependent on accurate timing (Punch-Out, Mega Man, etc) will notice the timing is off. I think this is a great video. I love the conversation.
I managed to get a Trinitron for free from a FB listing last month from another retro gamer who had recently upgraded and man...it's just so fun to play on! I can't imagine spending so much on converters and such when I can dedicate this one TV to my old games and have my newer ones hooked up to a modern TV. These things are getting harder to find, so I think I'll hang on to this one for as long as I can.
Still can’t get my ps2 to look good on my modern day hdtv even with a framemeister. Need to get a couple of these trinitrons before I can’t find anymore
@@riggel8804 PS2 seems to look best on Sony TVs. JVC makes them look good too but Sony perfects it. I also remember Sharp making PS2 games look excellent by hiding those low res fmv background artifacts.
I am lucky enough to have a Sony PVM hooked up mostly with RGB and I absolutely love it. Just think it is so wonderful. I just started playing Guilty Gear X for Dreamcast at 480p and DANG I have never seen a 2D game like it! BUT that doesn't mean that PVMs the ONLY way to enjoy games-- I also have a 13 inch Sharp consumer in my kitchen and a few systems hooked up to it and if you love games it is a fun retro way to play. But I would probably choose a modern HDTV over the AV Composite-input Sharp. Ultimately, I would take PVM's and consumer televisions with really nice hookups over any modern HDTV I have seen yet (maybe some future new television will have a lovely phosphor-like glow in the future, but right now they all feel... flat.).
I would love a pvm one day. I saw a television studio display where you can bracket like 10 of them. If money and space weren't a factor, I'd go for that set up
Modern TVs are a godsend. They’re smart, beautiful picture, and pretty much a giant smartphone. BUT they rely way too much on WiFi to where if you have bad internet your TV will remain useless. CRTs don’t have this issue. Yes, they are giant, troubling to move, and not that crisp… but nothing beats the feel of watching a movie or playing a video game on a TV like that.
I had one of these a while back and you're absolutely right - these things are HEAVY as hell! Amazing quality but I dont have the room in my house for one. Great topic man. Interesting thoughts especially regarding the mini consoles.
That bigger one I couldn't even get up the stairs without almost hurting myself and we have a tiny apartment. This current one is great because it fits right on my desk
@@SuperNicktendo I have a 165 pound 32" Sony Wega Hi-Scan CRT. I can lift it off of the stand and set it on a cart, and that's it. I do have an SD 27" Sony Wega that is more manageable at 90 pounds.
I bagged a Sony Trinitron production monitor from production house going out of business. Composite, component, SDI. 27 inches. It can do HD. You would not believe what HD CRT looks like. It's surreal.
I think it is nice if you find one, but don't search for one. You could search for a 2010ish plasma though, those are equally or even more surreal, can be sought for and do like 25 bucks on average.
I’m glad that I was able to find a Sony WEGA KV series CRT about 8 years ago for about $30. It happened to be one of the same 27” model I myself owned back in 2000. That TV is perhaps among (if not THE) finest Trinitrons Sony ever produced. Despite the fact that I have original Genesis consoles that I use with HD-Retrovision cables to play over a component signal, the real game changer was when I got the NT Mini Noir and hooked it up via its analog output. I was so blown away that I further invested in Analogue’s DAC module for use with the Super Nt and Mega Sg consoles as well. Talk about best of both worlds! I may never play those consoles over HDMI again until the day that the Sony dies and I plan on it being the cornerstone (it’s literally in a corner, haha) of my game room for as long as I can keep her running. Thank goodness it’s still in fantastic shape!
I have a retropie setup that I’ve duplicated to run on composite 240p and hdmi for modern TVs. Same setup for run ahead and other lag reduction settings. When played on a crt vs hdmi with game mode, the lag on the modern tv is still super apparent. When you’re used to a crt, lcd lag is super has to get used to. Crts main purpose isn’t aesthetics, it’s all about playability.
I have 3 Toshiba CRT's: A 20AF44, 27AF44 and 27A44. Total cost of all 3 was $70 on FB marketplace. One I got free. They have a wonderful picture paired with my MiSTer and Homebrewed Wii--both over component cables, (Toshiba calls it "Color Stream"). It's all I need and more! I think the picture on the curved glass of the 20A44 is my favorite for 8-16bit games and the AF's for Gamecube and up, (I don't play N64...I missed that whole console generation, lol). I pair it with an 80's stereo receiver (Technics SA-626) and it's golden. I couldn't be happier and will not go further down the rabbit hole. I don't need PVMs, BVMs or anything else. I'm in heaven. *Edit: I just posted a video of the TV's.
still necessary? Hell ya! I swear by them, for 8 bit and 16 bit gaming. If I sit down and decide to beat a hard NES game, like Punch-Out, it has to be on a CRT. I Own 3 CRT's and 1 PVM, all my retro consoles are modded for RGB.
I kind of regret not buying a PVM when they were plentiful and inexpensive, but I didn't want to convert my consoles for rgb out. But having my Trinitron is still pretty good
My CRT is very similar to the Trinitron but it’s an RCA. It has a headphone jack in the front and I love plugging in my Bluetooth speaker or stereo into it.
I’m hoping to move into my own flat next year. I would love to get a CRT for classic gaming! I would mainly use it in my bedroom so I only really need a 14 inch screen (my current bedroom TV is a 23 inch LCD smart TV) but I might consider a 17 inch screen! I will have my smart TV and CRT sitting next to each other! Nintendo Switch and Wii U hooked up to the smart TV, PS2 and other classic systems hooked up to the CRT!
I have a modern Oled and I just can't play retro games on it. It just doesn't feel the same. I now have a 13 inch PVM to go along with my 20 inch CRT and they both have their own quirks. Hope all goes well with your flat!
Trinitrons were the best CRTs up until the late 90s. In the late 90s shadowmask displays got really really good. I own a Dell trinitorn and a viewsonic shadowmask monitor and I gotta say I thought the trinitron was as good as it got but when I got the viewsonic I was shocked at how good a shadowmask could be. Mainly the Viewsonic had a dot pitch of .22mm and the pitch on the trinitron was about .23mm. That smaller pitch plus whatever magic viewsonic did to make it so bright makes this viewsonic the sharpest CRT I've ever used. I've since given my Trinitron a break and I'm just using the Viewsonic and I couldn't be happier. The point I'm trying to make is if you're looking for a great CRT don't just focus on Trinitrons read up on good displays and don't be afraid to get a shadowmask, you just might be surprised.
I have a Philips 27PT6441 and it's actually pretty amazing. Dark blacks and great colors. CRTs in general were such a mature technology that toward the end almost any decent brand CRT was pretty amazing. Obviously there were still differences that mattered, though.
I have two 21 inch Trinitrons one with component input and other with RGB Scart both variants were sold in my country. 6th gen consoles look super sharp on CRT.
Yeah I really like the video Sony had such great CRT TVs and yeah man it's crazy how much that the new modern era is going to bring all the old school stuff relevant to new HD TVs which I think is good just because if you see RT brakes you got to have it get fixed or find another one and if you get an HGTV break you can just go to the store and pick up another one a little bit more convenient but as far as the light gun I hope that it works with all the games and I hope somebody gets that idea all the way down to where it can just hook up to any console and that would be pretty neat great stuff.
Some of these are more "half measures" than "solutions", especially anything dealing with emulation (the mini consoles). Input lag is still a problem on modern TVs, and that's made even worse when emulating. If you want to play on old hardware, then go all the way and play it on a CRT. Otherwise there's no point.
So, not going to mention that C.R.T.s have input lag equatable to a 1ms gaming monitor, or the fact that you can play video game consoles with slightly off refresh rates on a C.R.T.? It is necessary to run your NES/SNES at 60.08 Hz, or Gameboy games on a Gameboy Player, or a Super Gameboy 2, at 59.7275 Hz, their natural refresh-rate, for a qualifying speed-run. C.R.T.s are necessary, for the player that wants to accurately play their games. Also.. ...tell people not to use emulators to play video games. Emulators, not fpgas or official hardware, contribute to lag. ...and tell people to play via wired controllers. Wireless controllers contribute to lag.
I was speaking from a casual perspective. I honestly had no idea that the requirements were so strict for speed runs. I think I want to research more on how to get the best retro set up. If you have any resources to point me to, I'd love to pick your brain.
There are two big exceptions to lag when it comes to wireless controllers, and that consists of those using the traditional infra-red (IR) optical line-of-sight signaling (similar to a TV remote), or analog 900mhz and 2.4ghz radio signaling. These operate using infra-red LED's and optical sensors, or analog signals like an AM/FM radio or walkie-talkie, respectively. They operate as 'dumb' broadcasters and receivers, always sending signals into the void (controller-side) or mindlessly listening for input (receiver-side) at all times with no actual communication between one another. Additionally light and radio-waves travel at the exact same speed (for all intents and purposes), therefore they are not subject to the kind of lag caused by signal processing with digitally encoded signals with 'smart' send/receive communication between devices like bluetooth.
I'd never heard anything but good things about Sony CRTs but I can see your point here. Also I am a big fan of the Super NT Analogue. I am curious about the TurboGrafx 16 since I never played that system before. I think it depends on whether or not you're a purist. I am NOT a purist so it's not a huge deal to me, but that would be blasphemy for some retro players :p Nice work dude :)
The PC Engine had RGB out forever. It looks great on Trinitrons, SCART Bravias or Panasonic Vieras. Make sure it has good stereo speakers with decent separation, as it is the console with the best stereo imaging before they went HiFi/CD quality.
My trinitron WOW/surround has wireless headphones. This is a good video to learn about the Trinitron, its really a decent early 2000s TV, with nice sound. I've seen other models, not as great, but I'm hoping to maintain the one I have. When I got it, I didn't know where to put it. It sat covered in the 🌧 for a night, and never missed a beat afterwards.
Analogues are mad expensive. I just haven’t been able to pull the trigger on one. This was a good topic! I may still pick up a Trinitron if I run across one just for the poop of it.
@@realamericannegro977 I got a baseline 32” KV32S42. Middle of the road as far as I can tell with Trinitrons but I love her. Named her Tessa. My family has a habit of naming things close to us lol But yeah even though she ain’t nothing special she’s a trinitron. It’s also semi love hate, since I can’t move her really and not to mention the fact the degauss is so fuckin powerful it dims the lights for a sec and vibrates the floor
Sadly, there's NO way to eliminate input lag from the TV/Monitor itself. It doesn't matter if your console, scaler or whatever setup you have is lagless, when the TV/Monitor is still adding input lag to the mix. That and having to deal with fixed resolutions are the main reasons why CRTs are still better.
I prefer retro gaming on my CRT to any HDTV. Something about the old screen refresh rates put your mind in a mild trance-like state that makes the games way more engrossing. Old TVs were probably designed that way to better program the way we think, which is why shows were called TV programs, but the effect also makes gaming feel more addictive like a drug in my opinion.
Is a trinitron nessecary? Yes. I have 3 crt tvs. The trinitron looks the best for retro games, especially the snes. Ive rgb mux modded it with a scart input and it looks amazing. The whole setup cost me 30 bucks including the TV. The only setup that will rival a trinitron crt is a retrotink 4k because the filter mimics the way phospors light up on a crt.
Just bought my third Trinitron after a few months of hunting. It's a 32 inch dark grey WEGA. It's now my main gaming tv. I can't wait to get some component cables for my game consoles.
I've been thinking about this with all the HDMI cables coming out. Yet I have several CRT's figure if it ain't broke...though I may do a second setup with the Analogue consoles...
It comes down to a combination of anesthetics (scan lines, composite nostalgia, tube glow) & functionality (zero-lag/speedrunning, using original systems/carts). Personally in 2009, even before I knew what input lag was, I could tell there was something wrong with old games on HD TVS. A decade later, the retro community has input lag down to a science. If a gaming setup can handle punchout on NES, then its legit. Devices like MiSter strike the perfect balance of old/new setups w/dual analog/hdmi output, you get the best of both worlds.
@@SuperNicktendo the Sony PVM L5 series supports up to 720p/1080i.. but they're also really expensive lol.. Retro rgb did a review of the Zisworks "zero-lag" 4k monitor kit but its too finicky in its current state.. going forward, a kit like that might give us zero lag but is still years away. Btw, I'm crt master race lol.. but I understand ppl just wanna use their current flat-screens
@@lalos3813 totally. Space is a factor for a lot of people. I have a 20 inch because anything larger would take up my small game room. Plus having a headphone jack is nice.
Besides aesthetics and functionality, there's also the serviceability; CRT tellies can be serviced provided the tube is still good, you have the right tools _and_ take the necessary precautions. Most of the service manuals with schematics can be obtained for Trinitrons. With LCD/OLED these days, it's basically a throwaway once they go bad -- which IMHO forfeits the "environmentally friendly" claim.
Yeah, they are still necessary cause dreamcast and Xbox won't be in the mix to play house of the dead among some others on polymega. I picked up a Sony kv-32fv320 for $10 at a goodwill and I love it. To think these cost like $1600 back in the day. What a deal / steal.
I think they're over-hyped. I have over 40 80's, 90's, and 00's sets, and I think sets from JVC, Panasonic, and even RCA at times will look just as good.
When the patent(s) used for the tech which allowed Trinitrons to be so good ran out, suddenly other TV manufacturerers were able to copy Sony, and I believe this was around 1998, so I would think that there are a bunch of non Sony CRTs out there made after this time that were also very good.
Trinitrons are best along with JVC D. Samsung CRTs aren’t bad either, they use a lot of Sony parts. Currently I have a 27” Trinitron, 2 Commodore 1702s, and a 27” Samsung crt. My dad constantly tries to replace the Samsung with a modern tv and I keep having to show him how much demand there is for crts.
emulation equals 59fps some issues I forgot and other new tvs dont have great motion at 60fps. I only use my lgc1 for multi-player and rythem games. By myself its a crt.
I already know I'm going to get flack for mentioning this. But ever since I purchased a Retron 5 I have not stopped using this system for playing my cartridge based games. The reason I get this is because there is always the debate between emulation and physical. Honestly I dont have an issue with either formats but I enjoy the thrill of collecting physical media.
I personally don't use them because they don't sound right but having 5 consoles in one spot is really convenient. As long as you're enjoying games that's all that matters
I love the fact that we have company's like Analogue doing these FPGA systems. Honestly once I picked up a Super NT, that's where I go to play my SNES games now for the convenience. I have an old CRT (not Trinitron) but it's currently in storage for space reasons. I'm curious to see how well the Polymega does. It sounds like it may be a great all in one system for retro consoles but I'm still on the fence about it.
The Analogue consoles really shine on CRT, they are on another level with a good Trinitron TV or a good shadow mask CRT, the Analogue DAC lets you play on RGB VGA or scart, the Analogue SEGA Megadrive/Genesis looks jaw dropping on my Panasonic PVM, 480p mode is otherworldly eye candy, the Analogue systems don't look to bad on OLED, but with CRT it's just on another level, 'tis like being a kid again, only you now have the best equipment you could only dream of back in the day, I remember staring enviously at my Dads (parents separated) 32" Sony Trinitron, well he had more than one, he always had the best AV gear, he hooked up my N64 to one of the smaller Trinitron sets one Christmas Eve, I remember just how vivid TLOZ OOT looked, I ended up saving for a good year or more to buy a Sony Trinitron FD widescreen 28", was a beautiful gun metal grey set with really beefy built in speakers and a subwoofer, the stand had a really loud centre speaker too, as well as two beefy rear surround speakers, the 5.1 Dolby Pro Logic II sounded amazing and was stupid loud, the bass was sweet, the image quality it was able to put out was incredible, had a great looking 4:3 mode for non widescreen stuff. That set lasted through from N64, to Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, XBOX OG, and the last was the 360 which looked great on the set even @ 576i via scart despite being an HD console, I naively brought into the HDTV flat-screen hype, sold the Sony for peanuts to a very happy guy, still had the speakers and stands, and still looked as good as day 1.
Not to mention that most of the things people think are improvements, such as high resolutions or perfect blacks, end up having negative effects. I don't like how games, even modern ones, look on a large 4k screen. It's as if the games are deconstructed before your eyes and all the magic is gone. All you see are the blurry textures, aliasing, pop-in and so on. You see the elements that come together to make the game, but the game itself is no longer enveloping or believable.
Gotta be honest I did this video last year and wasn't very familiar with it because I'm more physical collecting focused. Now that I'm learning more about fpga it comes up more and more. I'm definitely interested to see what it can do.
@@SuperNicktendo it's the best thing ever. It can do snes in it's original speed at 60.1hz and also 1600x1200 looks amazing on a 4K tv. RGB from it is also fantastic.
Still got our 32", 36", and 42" Trinitrons We've had a few more but had to let 2 go simply because the plastic cabinets failed. No other TV outlive these, I guarantee it. I love our 36" and 42" but yes you NEED 2-3 people to move the 42", not just because it's 120lbs or so but because it's bigger than any human can safely hold and depending which year & model you have the only lift points are on the bottom corners - if any.... But despite that I'll never get rid of them, that's how great they are, we play Atari 2600, NES, Super NES, PS1, and PS2 on them all the time. The screen ratio is better for all of those but the display of those vintage consoles is overall superior on our Trinitrons than any TV you could buy from 2010+ I tried the Atari 2600 classic mini console that came out recently, it's fantastic being it has the HDMI output (sadly that's all it has) but there was a lot of input latency with it and it does not work well with the correct paddle controllers (which you cannot buy new anymore). So if you want to play some of the joystick classics like Combat or Pac-Man at a friend's house it's perfect but if you want to play Warlords or Pong, forget it - you'll want the original system and paddles. The 2 joy stick controllers that come in the package are a slight improvement over the originals, same exact size and everything but are easier to move but with less flexing.
Right now I have a non functional 2002 KV36FS200 Trinitron TV sitting on the floor getting it ready for repair mods for possibly the ultimate Multi entertainment center rig so it really depends on what you want to do as far as Retro Gaming
Hello, I'm investigating models of several brands of crt tvs and I have seen that most people recommend sony trinitron for retro consoles and I want to take advantage of the s-video input so that games look better. However, a question arises since I have little knowledge about this. I want to buy a 29-inch tv to play especially ps1 and nintendo 64. Is 29 inch perfect for games of those consoles or will the image be stretched and it would be better to settle for one of 21? A seller is offering me a 29-inch sony wega trinitron tv model KV-29FS120, it has S-video and component input, has anyone had experience with this tv model? My apologies for my bad english.
Fs120 is a good model if you get a decent price. 29 is decent but you're not going to get a super sharp picture but it's not going to be blown up to where it seems soft if that makes sense.
Absolutely keep a CRT TV around. I still have my Sony 32" CRT TV, all my original retro hardware are hooked up to it. From time to time I play gun games. I'm thinking of taking my MiSTer and hooking it up to the Sony. It'll free up some space. The MiSTer plays very well on modern display so I'm having 2nd thoughts.
Find the CRT model with the HDMI input and all your wiring configurations go away. I play my PS3 and my PS4 through the HDMI input on my Trinitron with absolutely zero lag. This old-ass television smokes high-end gaming monitors of today 🤘
I gave up my 32inch Trinitron wega crt and kept a Samsung hdtv crt which is widescreen over it for my retro games. My retro collection only goes far back as the n64, Dreamcast,og Xbox, ps2, and GameCube so 480p gaming. I kept the Samsung because it had more input and it way lighter to move around.
I only use Trinitrons for consoles that are composite/RF only, like a NES. And for light gun support. If it has native RGB, like a PC Engine, P2000T or Videopac 7200, I always go for golden-age TV's. European flat TV's from around 2010. Those cannot be beaten on IQ, price and ease of use. Pick up a Bravia 32BX420 up to a 52W5500, or any Full HD pioneer plasma for anywhere from 20-40€, and never look at any other option again. With 2x RGB scart, S-video, component, VGA and 4x HDMI, top notch colours, even backlight illumination, proper speakers and good size/weight ratio, these TV's are a no brainer for retro gamers. And if you wine about lag, you are no true gamer. Your brain will deal with a frame of lag without any problem. How else could you drive a car or bicycle?
Hi So any SONY Trinitorn is the best for playing the old consoles like ps1&2, sega, bes,snes etc? It doesn't matter which model or it has to be having the component inputs ! thanks
@@vonijoe depends on which one they're selling. I think it's a high price to pay. I spent $145 for a 13 inch PVM and I think I spent too much. My 20 inch CRT provides a similar quality picture and I paid $10 for it.
Still can't eliminate the input lag of image processing necessary for digital displays no matter what......sure you can eliminate the lag inherent in signal converters, but the display itself? Analog CRTs will always have that on lock.
I guess that depends on the person, lol. I carried my 36" Trinitron up a full flight of stairs when I got it. It took a lot and I though I would die but I made it.
I think the investment is very steep considering the FPGA consoles only really replace the Nes, Mega Drive and SNES. I have many other classic consoles besides those. I already have the original consoles and a new Trinitron I got for 100. That said most people don't have the space and the price for them is worth it.
Picking up a KV-FS320 for free tomorrow. Free. While I'm all for these new methods such as upscalers and what not, when you can get an old CRT for free, why not? Not to mention you can't put a price on the nostalgia of playing on a good old CRT tv with your retro consoles.
Totally. I have my CRT next to an Oled which doesn't have any analog inputs so it's essential for retro games. I also hooked up my laserdisc player to the CRT for 90s movie watching goodness. Enjoy your new beast!
I thought the Sony Trinitron technology came off its patent in late 90s. So other brands started using similar technology and therefore have similar quality pictures.
I take your Trinitron and raise RGB Scart connections.... I take your Trintron with Scart and raise it to a Bang & Olufsen Beovision MX 6000....... I'll take that and raise to a Sony PVM........ I'll take that and raise to a Sony BVM!!!!!!!! So, the Trinitron's were not only NOT the pinnacle of retrogaming TV's or best consumer grade CRT's (they're outclassed by Bang & Olufsen Beovision MX 4000/6000/7000 & 8000), but also NOT the top notch for your retrogaming setup! You will want to get your hands on a PVM or BVM and you always, ALWAYS want be hooked up via RGB Scart cables and GOOD ones, that is!!! And you never EVER will want to play your retro consoles on a modern TV! It's not only about some "nostalgia" , it is about design and how the developers meant their games to look like: these titles were designed with, on and for scanline CRT's which is clearly to be seen in any comparison. No upscaler or clone system can replicate this! Recommend this for reference and very good information: ua-cam.com/video/VtTM7nU9SMA/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/LAlrdCBjUAQ/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/RAi8AVj9GV8/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/users/phonedorkfeatured ua-cam.com/video/Iujx0-JcFn0/v-deo.html
Well, not sure but I believe you raised him from Trinitrons to high-end Trinitrons, being Sony PVM and BVMs, lol. I just bought me a high end Sony Trinitron PVM 2030.
Wow at 6:20 your TV shows the classic WEGA Sag/Bow... for somebody who talks about "trinitrons", you are using one that clearly needs to have it's geometry adjusted, it looks really bad
620 is at the end of the video. But looking through the video, I'm not sure why pointing out a fault in my TV is something to invalidate my opinion. Especially since I didn't even mention that issue as a fault in Trinitrons in general.
Yes! Input lag with flat screens and modern 4K TVs only have components inputs on back and rest are hdmi inputs also you mentioned light guns they don’t work on modern screens.
Choose your poison: A. Buy a CRT for your retro games that takes up a lot of space in your house. B. Spend a lot money on adaptors to make retro games look decent on a modern display.
For a Super Nicktendo, things don't matter, nor for the NES. Nintendo never made a good video output on their systems, so those machines are better emulated. For things like a PC Engine and Mega Drive, which had proper RGB out, nothing beats a Trinitron.... oh, never mind, my Panasonic FullHD Plasma does!
Are Trinitrons necessary? Not really. A Sony Trinitron is a great TV monitor for vintage gaming. But there's absolutely no downside with using a high quality CRT set from other respectable brands like Mitsubishi, JVC, Hitachi, Panasonic, Philips, Sharp, Toshiba, and so on. If you can't find a Trinitron but you can get a good deal on a high end offering from one of Sony's competitors, go for it. I would if I needed one ... but I already own and use a Sony PVM-2530.
Depends !!! : if you like (simulated) fake scanlines , miss color bleed , miss dithering , miss rainbow effects, miss more and more artifacts like the texture tubes in sonic the hedgehog what its literally present in CRT tvs !!! so go for it!!!!!!!!!. But if you you want the best retrogaming experience , its so easy , just buy a simple CRT tube.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is almost every alternative proposed here is gonna be fairly expensive, whereas CRTs and even Trinitrons are damn-near free to grab if you're a little vigilant. Ultimately it becomes a question of what's more important to you; your money, or your free space? Because those TVs ARE big, bulky, and heavy. I even almost broke my wrist lifting my new WEGA Trinitron with my friend. Ultimately I don't think it'll be safe to say trinitrons -or CRTs in general- aren't the superior option until they stop being as plentiful as they are, and the time investment of scouring ads and marketplaces for one becomes greater a cost than shelling out a few hundred bucks for FPGAs.
yeah - here in Chicago it's getting hard to track down something inexpensive. PVMs even more so - I'll keep my Trinitrons until they die. I really like the 20" - it's the perfect size.
I have a CRT, not Trinitron, but there's just so much nostalgia & something right about playing old games on it.
Definitely a lot of nostalgia. I kind of want an older TV with rabbit ears for my Atari and Intellevison
I used to have a CRT TV six years ago it was a Toshiba
Still have samsung 19 inch CRT tv from year 2000
My Trinitron is 16/9, this kind of contradicts the start of the video (it's still a PAL/NTSC fully analog model though, not HD in any way).
I have a gorgeous 28 inch Philips CRT! The image is amazing!
And it really feels like it gives more "depth" than through a flatscreen.
I love it to death 🎮🕹📺
Keep in mind that Sony lost the patent for the technology behind the Trinitron (not on the name, though) in 1998. Therefore, there are many post-1998 TV's that are on par with a Sony Trinitron, image quality-wise, if you know what you're looking for. That's why there was a lot of brands with "tron" tacked on to the end of many products in those days. By 1998, Sony didn't really care to renew the patents since LCD and Plasma was the new hotness.
There's plenty of TVs before then, and Non-Aperture Grille TVs that look better than many Flat Trinitrons. You do know Trinitron is just a name they put on every Sony TV? A 1995 Trinitron is not better than a Panasonic Tau, or a JVC D Series, or a Toshiba A Series. And even comparing the highest end Trinitrons, Panasonic, JVC, and Toshiba all made tubes that were just as good or better than a flat Trinitron. You're missing out on a ton of amazing TV's, just because it's not a Trinitron?
@@VoltageNostalgia yes you are 100 %correct. picture quality of JVC, Panasonic, Toshiba CRT tvs were more beautiful and enjoyable than unnecessarily expensive Sony trinitron.
I started supporting sony tvs only after lcd technology came in to market. because lg was producing pinkish whites. picture is also pinkish. for me sony has pure whites and other colours.
The trinitron will never be unnecessary
Correct.
nah i got my packard bell monitor with vga
That's s o true.
SHADOW MASK CRT FTW 💪
hell yeah i bought a kv32fs120 a month ago and it was 55 dollars but no stand :(
It doesn't matter how much money you pump into HDMI-modding a retro console, you will never match the quality of a Sony CRT. CRTs hide aliasing really well and provide color depth that even the most expensive HDTVs are only now coming close to matching with HDR. As soon as you accept the fact they you're going to have a fat box TV in your house it's just a matter of hunting down the newest Trinitron/WEGA you can find (2004 being the latest). People of Facebook Marketplace are practically giving them away.
That's one reason why I have kept my Trinitron and will keep it for the foreseeable future
I e got a model that rolled of the line in Sept of 08. Its a Vega trinitron and it looks beautiful it can even support hdmi gaming like ps4
Well, I have two CRT TVs and hunting for a third (or more) and a CRT PC Monitor. Also have a LCD, Plasma and OLED (OLED HDR). NONE of my TVs can match the colors of one of my CRT TV. It says "WEGA" instead of Trinitron; it's from 2007 instead of 2003 and it's 21" instead of 29". Trying to achieve the same colors as my WEGA 21" CRT TV.
Got a 27' for free , just because it was too big and taking up space . Amazing crt to play snes !!
The flat ones suck
The Super Trinitrons with almost flat tube are best
I love my Sony KV-36FV16 (October 2000), but it needed serious adjustments to get the geometry dialed in. I got it so close to perfect. Sized just right, straight vertical lines, etc. But the damn horizontal bowing (WEGA sag) was heavily afflicting this set as I see it afflicts most large Sony sets. There are 2 rings close to the neckboard that can be adjusted, and wouldn't you know it the sag is damn near gone. This resulted in me having to make a few slight adjustments to some potentiometers and the service menu after the fact (spending so much time dialing the geometry before fixing this really helped me achieve an excellent result) and it revealed some slight convergence issues on the bottom right of the screen, but it's barely noticeable in motion (hopefully can be fixed with some convergence strips from Etsy or eBay). Seeing a 36" Trinitron with no sag is quite a sight to behold.
A good CRT will always be the best bang for ya buck solution for retro gaming.
I'm finding that's the case. $10 vs 1k . Easy decision
Not only that, but the end result is way better. Old game consoles look like shit on tv panels when they look glorious on any decent CRT.
I wish I would understand that before dipping into all those HDMI/RGB solutions that cost me an arm and a leg.
@@RottenMuLoT you can get them looking pretty decent with scaline filters etc, but its never going to be as good as the genuine product
@@Dust2Darkness It's like shaving your head then spending a fortune on realistic wigs.
It's easy because even with all that stuff for an hd tv the crt just still looks better
My grandmother had one of these Sony Trinitron TVs in her house as a present from my uncle, and it was by far one of the best TVs out there for retro consoles.
Are trinatrons necessary?
Gamerz: YES!!!
That seems to be the concencus on my video. I enjoy mine
I'm a Gamerz, I can confirm.
Samsung CRT DNIe Jr.
Just got one via Craigslist from an old guy giving it away for free. I was lucky to see it 15 minutes after he posted it.
The mini consoles are fun, and sure you can add the scan line filter, but there’s something about the real thing that can’t be replaced. Also VHS is only truly enjoyable on a CRT.
Definitely. I have a laserdisc collection and watching them on my CRT is a lot of fun.
I just got a 36" Trinitron for free myself. A fellow was giving away. I saw it shortly after it was listed, and feel fortunate to have found it. Its gonna be great for my 16 bit systems, an64, Ps1 and the Saturn and Dreamcast. Dont forget, lightgun games just wont work on flatscreen tv's so yeah, definitely still a place for the trinitron.
Yes actually CRT’s in general are necessary and Trinitrons are top of the line.
We have a big trinitron, gifted to my dad for his 40th birthday. It is sitting in the corner of the basement, and hasn’t moved in 10 years. Used to play GameCube on it, now it just sits.
just fired one up i have that has been in storage since 2012,works like a charm
While the FPGA based consoles don't have any "lag" the bottle neck is in the LCD/LED monitor you're using. The issue is the WIDE variety of flat panel displays. A lot of them process the video and add significant amount of latency. Be careful what you're buying when grabbing a new TV if you're interested retro gaming.
That's a good point. Should have stated it didn't ad any extra lag. But I wonder if the casual person would even notice
@@SuperNicktendo I don't think the person who the plug n' plays are made for would notice a little lag. However, anyone who spends significant time playing games dependent on accurate timing (Punch-Out, Mega Man, etc) will notice the timing is off. I think this is a great video. I love the conversation.
I managed to get a Trinitron for free from a FB listing last month from another retro gamer who had recently upgraded and man...it's just so fun to play on! I can't imagine spending so much on converters and such when I can dedicate this one TV to my old games and have my newer ones hooked up to a modern TV. These things are getting harder to find, so I think I'll hang on to this one for as long as I can.
Still can’t get my ps2 to look good on my modern day hdtv even with a framemeister. Need to get a couple of these trinitrons before I can’t find anymore
Ps2 looks amazing on my Trinitron. Ps2 doesn't look as good on my jvc d series
@@riggel8804 yeah because D Series is unsharp and better for 240p
@@ManOfAttitudeLP1998 ? But HDtvs are sharper?
@@badreality2 Yes but too sharp Trinitron is best for PS2 and everything up to 6th Gen
@@riggel8804 PS2 seems to look best on Sony TVs. JVC makes them look good too but Sony perfects it. I also remember Sharp making PS2 games look excellent by hiding those low res fmv background artifacts.
I am lucky enough to have a Sony PVM hooked up mostly with RGB and I absolutely love it. Just think it is so wonderful. I just started playing Guilty Gear X for Dreamcast at 480p and DANG I have never seen a 2D game like it! BUT that doesn't mean that PVMs the ONLY way to enjoy games-- I also have a 13 inch Sharp consumer in my kitchen and a few systems hooked up to it and if you love games it is a fun retro way to play. But I would probably choose a modern HDTV over the AV Composite-input Sharp. Ultimately, I would take PVM's and consumer televisions with really nice hookups over any modern HDTV I have seen yet (maybe some future new television will have a lovely phosphor-like glow in the future, but right now they all feel... flat.).
I would love a pvm one day. I saw a television studio display where you can bracket like 10 of them. If money and space weren't a factor, I'd go for that set up
@@SuperNicktendo the classic batcave billionaire set up haha
Trinitron is actually a PVM. Sony always bridged the gap between consumer and pro.
Modern TVs are a godsend. They’re smart, beautiful picture, and pretty much a giant smartphone. BUT they rely way too much on WiFi to where if you have bad internet your TV will remain useless. CRTs don’t have this issue. Yes, they are giant, troubling to move, and not that crisp… but nothing beats the feel of watching a movie or playing a video game on a TV like that.
"The Sony Trinitron: the pinnacle of televisions, PERIOD!"
@@notices_demons Only for the last 40 years... nuff to keep those tellies going. And then some.
I had one of these a while back and you're absolutely right - these things are HEAVY as hell! Amazing quality but I dont have the room in my house for one. Great topic man. Interesting thoughts especially regarding the mini consoles.
That bigger one I couldn't even get up the stairs without almost hurting myself and we have a tiny apartment. This current one is great because it fits right on my desk
@@SuperNicktendo I have a 165 pound 32" Sony Wega Hi-Scan CRT. I can lift it off of the stand and set it on a cart, and that's it. I do have an SD 27" Sony Wega that is more manageable at 90 pounds.
I bagged a Sony Trinitron production monitor from production house going out of business. Composite, component, SDI. 27 inches. It can do HD. You would not believe what HD CRT looks like. It's surreal.
that's a crazy find! gratz!
damn how do I find an hd crt? how do I know if its hd crt is it the 480p?
I think it is nice if you find one, but don't search for one. You could search for a 2010ish plasma though, those are equally or even more surreal, can be sought for and do like 25 bucks on average.
I’m glad that I was able to find a Sony WEGA KV series CRT about 8 years ago for about $30. It happened to be one of the same 27” model I myself owned back in 2000. That TV is perhaps among (if not THE) finest Trinitrons Sony ever produced.
Despite the fact that I have original Genesis consoles that I use with HD-Retrovision cables to play over a component signal, the real game changer was when I got the NT Mini Noir and hooked it up via its analog output. I was so blown away that I further invested in Analogue’s DAC module for use with the Super Nt and Mega Sg consoles as well. Talk about best of both worlds! I may never play those consoles over HDMI again until the day that the Sony dies and I plan on it being the cornerstone (it’s literally in a corner, haha) of my game room for as long as I can keep her running. Thank goodness it’s still in fantastic shape!
Come to me when LCD can support light guns!
well they can now with sinden guns
I have a retropie setup that I’ve duplicated to run on composite 240p and hdmi for modern TVs. Same setup for run ahead and other lag reduction settings. When played on a crt vs hdmi with game mode, the lag on the modern tv is still super apparent. When you’re used to a crt, lcd lag is super has to get used to. Crts main purpose isn’t aesthetics, it’s all about playability.
Yeah I'm seeing that's the case. Especially when you experience the difference
I have 3 Toshiba CRT's: A 20AF44, 27AF44 and 27A44. Total cost of all 3 was $70 on FB marketplace. One I got free. They have a wonderful picture paired with my MiSTer and Homebrewed Wii--both over component cables, (Toshiba calls it "Color Stream"). It's all I need and more! I think the picture on the curved glass of the 20A44 is my favorite for 8-16bit games and the AF's for Gamecube and up, (I don't play N64...I missed that whole console generation, lol). I pair it with an 80's stereo receiver (Technics SA-626) and it's golden. I couldn't be happier and will not go further down the rabbit hole. I don't need PVMs, BVMs or anything else. I'm in heaven. *Edit: I just posted a video of the TV's.
still necessary? Hell ya! I swear by them, for 8 bit and 16 bit gaming. If I sit down and decide to beat a hard NES game, like Punch-Out, it has to be on a CRT. I Own 3 CRT's and 1 PVM, all my retro consoles are modded for RGB.
I kind of regret not buying a PVM when they were plentiful and inexpensive, but I didn't want to convert my consoles for rgb out. But having my Trinitron is still pretty good
My CRT is very similar to the Trinitron but it’s an RCA. It has a headphone jack in the front and I love plugging in my Bluetooth speaker or stereo into it.
That's the way to go. I just plop mine on my desk and play away!
I’m hoping to move into my own flat next year. I would love to get a CRT for classic gaming! I would mainly use it in my bedroom so I only really need a 14 inch screen (my current bedroom TV is a 23 inch LCD smart TV) but I might consider a 17 inch screen! I will have my smart TV and CRT sitting next to each other! Nintendo Switch and Wii U hooked up to the smart TV, PS2 and other classic systems hooked up to the CRT!
I have a modern Oled and I just can't play retro games on it. It just doesn't feel the same. I now have a 13 inch PVM to go along with my 20 inch CRT and they both have their own quirks. Hope all goes well with your flat!
Trinitrons were the best CRTs up until the late 90s. In the late 90s shadowmask displays got really really good. I own a Dell trinitorn and a viewsonic shadowmask monitor and I gotta say I thought the trinitron was as good as it got but when I got the viewsonic I was shocked at how good a shadowmask could be. Mainly the Viewsonic had a dot pitch of .22mm and the pitch on the trinitron was about .23mm. That smaller pitch plus whatever magic viewsonic did to make it so bright makes this viewsonic the sharpest CRT I've ever used. I've since given my Trinitron a break and I'm just using the Viewsonic and I couldn't be happier. The point I'm trying to make is if you're looking for a great CRT don't just focus on Trinitrons read up on good displays and don't be afraid to get a shadowmask, you just might be surprised.
I'll look into that. Thanks for the info!
I know that JVC I art one is one of the best looking CRTs I've seen outside a Triniton
I have a Philips 27PT6441 and it's actually pretty amazing. Dark blacks and great colors.
CRTs in general were such a mature technology that toward the end almost any decent brand CRT was pretty amazing. Obviously there were still differences that mattered, though.
I have two 21 inch Trinitrons one with component input and other with RGB Scart both variants were sold in my country. 6th gen consoles look super sharp on CRT.
Yeah I really like the video Sony had such great CRT TVs and yeah man it's crazy how much that the new modern era is going to bring all the old school stuff relevant to new HD TVs which I think is good just because if you see RT brakes you got to have it get fixed or find another one and if you get an HGTV break you can just go to the store and pick up another one a little bit more convenient but as far as the light gun I hope that it works with all the games and I hope somebody gets that idea all the way down to where it can just hook up to any console and that would be pretty neat great stuff.
The cables are currently my barrier. A lot of investment!
Ya mine too to expensive right know to upgrade
Some of these are more "half measures" than "solutions", especially anything dealing with emulation (the mini consoles). Input lag is still a problem on modern TVs, and that's made even worse when emulating. If you want to play on old hardware, then go all the way and play it on a CRT. Otherwise there's no point.
So, not going to mention that C.R.T.s have input lag equatable to a 1ms gaming monitor, or the fact that you can play video game consoles with slightly off refresh rates on a C.R.T.? It is necessary to run your NES/SNES at 60.08 Hz, or Gameboy games on a Gameboy Player, or a Super Gameboy 2, at 59.7275 Hz, their natural refresh-rate, for a qualifying speed-run. C.R.T.s are necessary, for the player that wants to accurately play their games. Also.. ...tell people not to use emulators to play video games. Emulators, not fpgas or official hardware, contribute to lag. ...and tell people to play via wired controllers. Wireless controllers contribute to lag.
I was speaking from a casual perspective. I honestly had no idea that the requirements were so strict for speed runs. I think I want to research more on how to get the best retro set up. If you have any resources to point me to, I'd love to pick your brain.
There are two big exceptions to lag when it comes to wireless controllers, and that consists of those using the traditional infra-red (IR) optical line-of-sight signaling (similar to a TV remote), or analog 900mhz and 2.4ghz radio signaling. These operate using infra-red LED's and optical sensors, or analog signals like an AM/FM radio or walkie-talkie, respectively. They operate as 'dumb' broadcasters and receivers, always sending signals into the void (controller-side) or mindlessly listening for input (receiver-side) at all times with no actual communication between one another. Additionally light and radio-waves travel at the exact same speed (for all intents and purposes), therefore they are not subject to the kind of lag caused by signal processing with digitally encoded signals with 'smart' send/receive communication between devices like bluetooth.
Thank you Marqs for bringing us the OSSC!
I'd never heard anything but good things about Sony CRTs but I can see your point here. Also I am a big fan of the Super NT Analogue. I am curious about the TurboGrafx 16 since I never played that system before. I think it depends on whether or not you're a purist. I am NOT a purist so it's not a huge deal to me, but that would be blasphemy for some retro players :p Nice work dude :)
I think if the Trinitron clunks out, I'll make the switch to the HD options.
The PC Engine had RGB out forever. It looks great on Trinitrons, SCART Bravias or Panasonic Vieras. Make sure it has good stereo speakers with decent separation, as it is the console with the best stereo imaging before they went HiFi/CD quality.
My trinitron WOW/surround has wireless headphones. This is a good video to learn about the Trinitron, its really a decent early 2000s TV, with nice sound. I've seen other models, not as great, but I'm hoping to maintain the one I have. When I got it, I didn't know where to put it. It sat covered in the 🌧 for a night, and never missed a beat afterwards.
Does it have a pro mode?
Analogues are mad expensive. I just haven’t been able to pull the trigger on one. This was a good topic! I may still pick up a Trinitron if I run across one just for the poop of it.
I love my Trinitron but I wouldn't turn down an analogue if I got it as a gift
The trinitrons are still out there if u look. I just picked up a 36in 270lb beast for free... love me some craigslist.
@@Gaber820 The heavy motherfuckers are especially easy to get.
Search the goodwill. When you do find one 27 inches is good. Heavy but manageable.
@@realamericannegro977 I got a baseline 32” KV32S42. Middle of the road as far as I can tell with Trinitrons but I love her. Named her Tessa. My family has a habit of naming things close to us lol
But yeah even though she ain’t nothing special she’s a trinitron.
It’s also semi love hate, since I can’t move her really and not to mention the fact the degauss is so fuckin powerful it dims the lights for a sec and vibrates the floor
Sadly, there's NO way to eliminate input lag from the TV/Monitor itself. It doesn't matter if your console, scaler or whatever setup you have is lagless, when the TV/Monitor is still adding input lag to the mix.
That and having to deal with fixed resolutions are the main reasons why CRTs are still better.
Some tvs force you to have overscan, like my dad's smart tv when using the wii
I prefer retro gaming on my CRT to any HDTV. Something about the old screen refresh rates put your mind in a mild trance-like state that makes the games way more engrossing. Old TVs were probably designed that way to better program the way we think, which is why shows were called TV programs, but the effect also makes gaming feel more addictive like a drug in my opinion.
I would hope that someone would make a modern crt since not too many people make them anymore. I'd pay for a high end PVM that also took HDMI
@@SuperNicktendo That would be awesome.
Which tv looks better between the Triniton ve the Samsung HD CRT slim?
Is a trinitron nessecary? Yes.
I have 3 crt tvs. The trinitron looks the best for retro games, especially the snes.
Ive rgb mux modded it with a scart input and it looks amazing.
The whole setup cost me 30 bucks including the TV.
The only setup that will rival a trinitron crt is a retrotink 4k because the filter mimics the way phospors light up on a crt.
Just bought my third Trinitron after a few months of hunting. It's a 32 inch dark grey WEGA. It's now my main gaming tv. I can't wait to get some component cables for my game consoles.
The best CRT TVs Sony was the king still is to an extent
I've been thinking about this with all the HDMI cables coming out. Yet I have several CRT's figure if it ain't broke...though I may do a second setup with the Analogue consoles...
Once my Trinitron dies, then I'll consider it. I'm not looking to get rid of it any time soon
Love this Trinitron overhyping, keeps all the other great makes and models cheap.
such as...??
It comes down to a combination of anesthetics (scan lines, composite nostalgia, tube glow) & functionality (zero-lag/speedrunning, using original systems/carts). Personally in 2009, even before I knew what input lag was, I could tell there was something wrong with old games on HD TVS. A decade later, the retro community has input lag down to a science. If a gaming setup can handle punchout on NES, then its legit. Devices like MiSter strike the perfect balance of old/new setups w/dual analog/hdmi output, you get the best of both worlds.
It's really come a long way. I wonder if there's a market for an ultra reference monitor. I know id buy one if the price was right.
@@SuperNicktendo the Sony PVM L5 series supports up to 720p/1080i.. but they're also really expensive lol.. Retro rgb did a review of the Zisworks "zero-lag" 4k monitor kit but its too finicky in its current state.. going forward, a kit like that might give us zero lag but is still years away. Btw, I'm crt master race lol.. but I understand ppl just wanna use their current flat-screens
@@lalos3813 totally. Space is a factor for a lot of people. I have a 20 inch because anything larger would take up my small game room. Plus having a headphone jack is nice.
Besides aesthetics and functionality, there's also the serviceability; CRT tellies can be serviced provided the tube is still good, you have the right tools _and_ take the necessary precautions. Most of the service manuals with schematics can be obtained for Trinitrons. With LCD/OLED these days, it's basically a throwaway once they go bad -- which IMHO forfeits the "environmentally friendly" claim.
Yeah, they are still necessary cause dreamcast and Xbox won't be in the mix to play house of the dead among some others on polymega.
I picked up a Sony kv-32fv320 for $10 at a goodwill and I love it. To think these cost like $1600 back in the day. What a deal / steal.
Nice! the goodwills by me don't take CRTs anymore so they're actually pretty hard to come by. I picked up a 20 inch for 10 off of craigslist.
If you want to use your native light guns without having to resort to emulation, CRTs are the only option.
So far the answer is still yes lol. I'm buying one now and its totally worth it
The higher tier trinitron wega with the comb filter are even more desirable
Which matters more to you, the space these solutions would save you or the 100s of dollars a trinitron would save you?
Now that I have a 4k TV that doesn't do anything less than HDMI, I have carved out a space for my Trinitron and PVM. They can live together in harmony
I think they're over-hyped. I have over 40 80's, 90's, and 00's sets, and I think sets from JVC, Panasonic, and even RCA at times will look just as good.
Makes it easier to find cheaper sets since everyone is looking for a Trinitron and sellers charge a premium
When the patent(s) used for the tech which allowed Trinitrons to be so good ran out, suddenly other TV manufacturerers were able to copy Sony, and I believe this was around 1998, so I would think that there are a bunch of non Sony CRTs out there made after this time that were also very good.
I mainly love using the original hardware mainly, even though there’s modern solutions.
yeah I'd rather use something like a Retrotink if I were forced to play on a modern TV
Trinitrons are best along with JVC D. Samsung CRTs aren’t bad either, they use a lot of Sony parts. Currently I have a 27” Trinitron, 2 Commodore 1702s, and a 27” Samsung crt. My dad constantly tries to replace the Samsung with a modern tv and I keep having to show him how much demand there is for crts.
CRTs have increased so much in value. I'm so lucky to have gotten one for $10. Now around here people don't sell them less than $100
I have trinitron 14 inches, it's amazing for my NES
Nice! I just secured a 13inch PVM monitor and my Analogue NT Mini loves it
Get a modded NES that accepts the rca Super Nintendo inputs. Then you can get a component cable and really see what it can do.
emulation equals 59fps some issues I forgot and other new tvs dont have great motion at 60fps. I only use my lgc1 for multi-player and rythem games. By myself its a crt.
I already know I'm going to get flack for mentioning this. But ever since I purchased a Retron 5 I have not stopped using this system for playing my cartridge based games. The reason I get this is because there is always the debate between emulation and physical. Honestly I dont have an issue with either formats but I enjoy the thrill of collecting physical media.
I personally don't use them because they don't sound right but having 5 consoles in one spot is really convenient. As long as you're enjoying games that's all that matters
the only issue with retron is the lag...its terrible. play ninja gaiden or megaman on a crt vs led and you will never go back.
im talking original hardware vs retron as well
I preferred the Panasonic SuperFlat TV series. I have a 31in and it’s super crisp picture with its excellent blacks.
Yeah....the black, was probably the key upstaged feature over the Trinitron 👍🏻
I have a KD-34XBR960 and a KV-27FS120 👍
Wow, I have a 34XS955 and a 24FS100, which are pretty similar to the pair you have.
I love the fact that we have company's like Analogue doing these FPGA systems. Honestly once I picked up a Super NT, that's where I go to play my SNES games now for the convenience. I have an old CRT (not Trinitron) but it's currently in storage for space reasons. I'm curious to see how well the Polymega does. It sounds like it may be a great all in one system for retro consoles but I'm still on the fence about it.
That's where I'm at now. I kind of want a mega SG for recording footage but for now the crt is good enough
The Analogue consoles really shine on CRT, they are on another level with a good Trinitron TV or a good shadow mask CRT, the Analogue DAC lets you play on RGB VGA or scart, the Analogue SEGA Megadrive/Genesis looks jaw dropping on my Panasonic PVM, 480p mode is otherworldly eye candy, the Analogue systems don't look to bad on OLED, but with CRT it's just on another level, 'tis like being a kid again, only you now have the best equipment you could only dream of back in the day, I remember staring enviously at my Dads (parents separated) 32" Sony Trinitron, well he had more than one, he always had the best AV gear, he hooked up my N64 to one of the smaller Trinitron sets one Christmas Eve, I remember just how vivid TLOZ OOT looked, I ended up saving for a good year or more to buy a Sony Trinitron FD widescreen 28", was a beautiful gun metal grey set with really beefy built in speakers and a subwoofer, the stand had a really loud centre speaker too, as well as two beefy rear surround speakers, the 5.1 Dolby Pro Logic II sounded amazing and was stupid loud, the bass was sweet, the image quality it was able to put out was incredible, had a great looking 4:3 mode for non widescreen stuff. That set lasted through from N64, to Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, XBOX OG, and the last was the 360 which looked great on the set even @ 576i via scart despite being an HD console, I naively brought into the HDTV flat-screen hype, sold the Sony for peanuts to a very happy guy, still had the speakers and stands, and still looked as good as day 1.
Why would you want me modernise old games at all, even if it improves them? Use the technology that was native at the time. You can't beat that
Not to mention that most of the things people think are improvements, such as high resolutions or perfect blacks, end up having negative effects. I don't like how games, even modern ones, look on a large 4k screen. It's as if the games are deconstructed before your eyes and all the magic is gone. All you see are the blurry textures, aliasing, pop-in and so on. You see the elements that come together to make the game, but the game itself is no longer enveloping or believable.
Can modern TVs do the Genesis transparency effects justice?
How come you speak about FPGA without talking about MISTER that is way better than anything Analogue did.
Gotta be honest I did this video last year and wasn't very familiar with it because I'm more physical collecting focused. Now that I'm learning more about fpga it comes up more and more. I'm definitely interested to see what it can do.
@@SuperNicktendo it's the best thing ever. It can do snes in it's original speed at 60.1hz and also 1600x1200 looks amazing on a 4K tv. RGB from it is also fantastic.
Still got our 32", 36", and 42" Trinitrons
We've had a few more but had to let 2 go simply because the plastic cabinets failed. No other TV outlive these, I guarantee it.
I love our 36" and 42" but yes you NEED 2-3 people to move the 42", not just because it's 120lbs or so but because it's bigger than any human can safely hold and depending which year & model you have the only lift points are on the bottom corners - if any.... But despite that I'll never get rid of them, that's how great they are, we play Atari 2600, NES, Super NES, PS1, and PS2 on them all the time. The screen ratio is better for all of those but the display of those vintage consoles is overall superior on our Trinitrons than any TV you could buy from 2010+
I tried the Atari 2600 classic mini console that came out recently, it's fantastic being it has the HDMI output (sadly that's all it has) but there was a lot of input latency with it and it does not work well with the correct paddle controllers (which you cannot buy new anymore). So if you want to play some of the joystick classics like Combat or Pac-Man at a friend's house it's perfect but if you want to play Warlords or Pong, forget it - you'll want the original system and paddles. The 2 joy stick controllers that come in the package are a slight improvement over the originals, same exact size and everything but are easier to move but with less flexing.
Oh man I can’t imagine how that 42 inches looks, or how hard it would be to move it. 😱
Modern solutions cost $$$$$$ and I got both my trinitrons for free. Plus they look way better than any other solutions.
Right now I have a non functional 2002 KV36FS200 Trinitron TV sitting on the floor getting it ready for repair mods for possibly the ultimate Multi entertainment center rig so it really depends on what you want to do as far as Retro Gaming
CRT then, CRTnow, CRTforever.
One time I was at target and I looked at the label and it said $9.99 but the next time I went to the same Target it was actually $59.99
Hello, I'm investigating models of several brands of crt tvs and I have seen that most people recommend sony trinitron for retro consoles and I want to take advantage of the s-video input so that games look better. However, a question arises since I have little knowledge about this. I want to buy a 29-inch tv to play especially ps1 and nintendo 64. Is 29 inch perfect for games of those consoles or will the image be stretched and it would be better to settle for one of 21? A seller is offering me a 29-inch sony wega trinitron tv model KV-29FS120, it has S-video and component input, has anyone had experience with this tv model? My apologies for my bad english.
Fs120 is a good model if you get a decent price. 29 is decent but you're not going to get a super sharp picture but it's not going to be blown up to where it seems soft if that makes sense.
Old school TV that weighs 80-100kgs / 220lbs....is definitely a show piece of furniture 👍🏻😎.
Mines lighter for sure but It has a nice home
Absolutely keep a CRT TV around. I still have my Sony 32" CRT TV, all my original retro hardware are hooked up to it. From time to time I play gun games. I'm thinking of taking my MiSTer and hooking it up to the Sony. It'll free up some space. The MiSTer plays very well on modern display so I'm having 2nd thoughts.
I actually added a 13inch PVM since I made this video. Now that I have a dedicated space, that TV isn't going anywhere.
I got Sony trinitron KV-21ce10e available to buy locally. It's 2005 model though. Still good u think? Sounds a bit too modern haha
Looks like it has scart so you should be good. It's still got the 4:3 ratio so it should look good
Find the CRT model with the HDMI input and all your wiring configurations go away. I play my PS3 and my PS4 through the HDMI input on my Trinitron with absolutely zero lag. This old-ass television smokes high-end gaming monitors of today 🤘
I gave up my 32inch Trinitron wega crt and kept a Samsung hdtv crt which is widescreen over it for my retro games. My retro collection only goes far back as the n64, Dreamcast,og Xbox, ps2, and GameCube so 480p gaming. I kept the Samsung because it had more input and it way lighter to move around.
The Sony is a beast. Glad you have a more manageable solution
this model is good for a original n64?
I only use Trinitrons for consoles that are composite/RF only, like a NES. And for light gun support. If it has native RGB, like a PC Engine, P2000T or Videopac 7200, I always go for golden-age TV's. European flat TV's from around 2010. Those cannot be beaten on IQ, price and ease of use. Pick up a Bravia 32BX420 up to a 52W5500, or any Full HD pioneer plasma for anywhere from 20-40€, and never look at any other option again. With 2x RGB scart, S-video, component, VGA and 4x HDMI, top notch colours, even backlight illumination, proper speakers and good size/weight ratio, these TV's are a no brainer for retro gamers. And if you wine about lag, you are no true gamer. Your brain will deal with a frame of lag without any problem. How else could you drive a car or bicycle?
Trinitron is the best, I feel it looks better than 4k TVs
I have an Analouge NT and I really like it on my CRT than the HD big screen.
Better than 4k in general or just for retro games?
@@realamericannegro977 retro gaming
Just bought one today on offer up . 32 inch. Almost broke my back picking it up
I got rid of the giant TV and got a more appropriate 20 inch - still looks good and easy to manage.
Hi
So any SONY Trinitorn is the best for playing the old consoles like ps1&2, sega, bes,snes etc? It doesn't matter which model or it has to be having the component inputs !
thanks
Pretty much. There are some brands like JVC and Mitsubishi that are pretty good. Trinitrons are the most common though
@@SuperNicktendo
Is pasanoic better than SONY Triniton?
@@momoqahtani6545 it's subjective. I feel Trinitron has more vibrant picture. You'd have to determine for yourself.
@@SuperNicktendo
What about WEGA vs Triniton comparison? Any difference!
@@momoqahtani6545 wegas are wide screen CRTs so older consoles might not look as good
Not everyone has room for a CRT or willing to lift a heavy CRT, so I think that an upscaler is also a good option.
Doesn't have the same feel. CRT is King
i have one that uses s video in my gameroom. love the thing.
S video is amazing for crt!
i still have my 21 trinitron. works great
Hopefully gamers can restore and produce these TVs on their own
I have a Sony KV-34HS420 (16:9) that still works well. How much should I ask for it on eBay or Craigslist?
You could probably get 50-75 dollars depending on your area.
@@SuperNicktendo That's something, anyway. What do you think of people asking $1350 for certain old Sony Trinitron models?
@@vonijoe depends on which one they're selling. I think it's a high price to pay. I spent $145 for a 13 inch PVM and I think I spent too much. My 20 inch CRT provides a similar quality picture and I paid $10 for it.
I’m looking for the KV-27HS420
Still can't eliminate the input lag of image processing necessary for digital displays no matter what......sure you can eliminate the lag inherent in signal converters, but the display itself? Analog CRTs will always have that on lock.
I guess that depends on the person, lol. I carried my 36" Trinitron up a full flight of stairs when I got it. It took a lot and I though I would die but I made it.
That's pretty bad-ass, those tv's why like 228lbs or so!
I think the investment is very steep considering the FPGA consoles only really replace the Nes, Mega Drive and SNES.
I have many other classic consoles besides those.
I already have the original consoles and a new Trinitron I got for 100.
That said most people don't have the space and the price for them is worth it.
Picking up a KV-FS320 for free tomorrow. Free. While I'm all for these new methods such as upscalers and what not, when you can get an old CRT for free, why not? Not to mention you can't put a price on the nostalgia of playing on a good old CRT tv with your retro consoles.
Totally. I have my CRT next to an Oled which doesn't have any analog inputs so it's essential for retro games. I also hooked up my laserdisc player to the CRT for 90s movie watching goodness.
Enjoy your new beast!
I thought the Sony Trinitron technology came off its patent in late 90s. So other brands started using similar technology and therefore have similar quality pictures.
I'm using Trinitron in the same vein as band-aid and kleenex.
@@SuperNicktendo Excellent video btw. I was just sharing some info. Not criticising anything you said.
I take your Trinitron and raise RGB Scart connections.... I take your Trintron with Scart and raise it to a Bang & Olufsen Beovision MX 6000....... I'll take that and raise to a Sony PVM........ I'll take that and raise to a Sony BVM!!!!!!!!
So, the Trinitron's were not only NOT the pinnacle of retrogaming TV's or best consumer grade CRT's (they're outclassed by Bang & Olufsen Beovision MX 4000/6000/7000 & 8000), but also NOT the top notch for your retrogaming setup! You will want to get your hands on a PVM or BVM and you always, ALWAYS want be hooked up via RGB Scart cables and GOOD ones, that is!!!
And you never EVER will want to play your retro consoles on a modern TV! It's not only about some "nostalgia" , it is about design and how the developers meant their games to look like: these titles were designed with, on and for scanline CRT's which is clearly to be seen in any comparison. No upscaler or clone system can replicate this!
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Well, not sure but I believe you raised him from Trinitrons to high-end Trinitrons, being Sony PVM and BVMs, lol. I just bought me a high end Sony Trinitron PVM 2030.
@@nathanc6516 I merely tried to point out that consumer grade CRT's , may they be Trinitron or not, are not the enthusiasts way to go 😉
@@Shazalakazoobang I figured, just having some fun.
I owned 2 MX 6000s and they could not hold a candle to Sonys but an MX 8000 would be on par
Wow at 6:20 your TV shows the classic WEGA Sag/Bow... for somebody who talks about "trinitrons", you are using one that clearly needs to have it's geometry adjusted, it looks really bad
620 is at the end of the video. But looking through the video, I'm not sure why pointing out a fault in my TV is something to invalidate my opinion. Especially since I didn't even mention that issue as a fault in Trinitrons in general.
Yes! Input lag with flat screens and modern 4K TVs only have components inputs on back and rest are hdmi inputs also you mentioned light guns they don’t work on modern screens.
Choose your poison:
A. Buy a CRT for your retro games that takes up a lot of space in your house.
B. Spend a lot money on adaptors to make retro games look decent on a modern display.
A 14 inch trinitron makes a good compromise between the two.
I have Sony Trinitron Colour Tv Model no. KV-HP21M83 but it's gone bad
Oh no! I hope you get a replacement
Whatever works to play retro and / or modern games... Go for it‼ ♥ ∞
That's a good way to put it!
For a Super Nicktendo, things don't matter, nor for the NES. Nintendo never made a good video output on their systems, so those machines are better emulated. For things like a PC Engine and Mega Drive, which had proper RGB out, nothing beats a Trinitron.... oh, never mind, my Panasonic FullHD Plasma does!
Are Trinitrons necessary? Not really.
A Sony Trinitron is a great TV monitor for vintage gaming.
But there's absolutely no downside with using a high quality CRT set from other respectable brands like Mitsubishi, JVC, Hitachi, Panasonic, Philips, Sharp, Toshiba, and so on.
If you can't find a Trinitron but you can get a good deal on a high end offering from one of Sony's competitors, go for it. I would if I needed one ... but I already own and use a Sony PVM-2530.
Depends !!! : if you like (simulated) fake scanlines , miss color bleed , miss dithering , miss rainbow effects, miss more and more artifacts like the texture tubes in sonic the hedgehog what its literally present in CRT tvs !!! so go for it!!!!!!!!!.
But if you you want the best retrogaming experience , its so easy , just buy a simple CRT tube.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is almost every alternative proposed here is gonna be fairly expensive, whereas CRTs and even Trinitrons are damn-near free to grab if you're a little vigilant. Ultimately it becomes a question of what's more important to you; your money, or your free space? Because those TVs ARE big, bulky, and heavy. I even almost broke my wrist lifting my new WEGA Trinitron with my friend. Ultimately I don't think it'll be safe to say trinitrons -or CRTs in general- aren't the superior option until they stop being as plentiful as they are, and the time investment of scouring ads and marketplaces for one becomes greater a cost than shelling out a few hundred bucks for FPGAs.
yeah - here in Chicago it's getting hard to track down something inexpensive. PVMs even more so - I'll keep my Trinitrons until they die. I really like the 20" - it's the perfect size.
YES. One word, Lightguns.
totally. I want to try that sindel lightgun and see if it's worth it. But CRTs are my jam.
You can run light gun games on playstation classic
LED's and OLED's can't beat CRT's in motion clarity.
My 1440p LED monitor looks great until the image starts moving. Then it just looks like garbage.
Yep they are necessary