Letting go of the CRT

[megasilverx1]

I've thought about getting rid of my CRT TV (a Sharp 25N-S100) a little bit, but I still like using it for when I play older game consoles like NES, Atari 7800, and TI-99/4A. With how my console set up is currently, I have the ability to play most of my retro consoles that are hooked up to my CRT TV on my HD TV through a Retrotink 2x Mini simultaneously thanks to an S-video splitter. My SNES and N64 look great on an HD TV using the Retrotink but my Gamecube (which is the later model with AV multi out only) looks really checkerboard-ie which I assume is due to the 480i signal. But I have a Wii with Component cables so if I want to play Gamecube games on an HD TV I'll just use that, so it's not a huge problem. If you're concerned about space but unsure if you want to abandon CRT TVs, might I suggest maybe getting a smaller CRT like a 9 inch one or maybe a bit bigger?

[tripredacus]

9 inch is very small. Anything with small text will be a problem. I have 1 9 inch monitor and it is nice for testing things out because it is small, but not good for much else.

The 2nd and third pic of this gallery have the output of a PS3 and a BD menu on a 9 inch monitor:
https://imgur.com/gallery/dYkYh

[betelgeuse]

The 2nd and third pic of this gallery have the output of a PS3 and a BD menu on a 9 inch monitor:
https://imgur.com/gallery/dYkYh

Gotta get those VHS vertical.

I would hold on to that CRT as well. I kept my broken 32” for years with a hope to fix it, but all the repair quotes were $450 and up. Got rid of that one.
I picked up a couple other 32” for free from coworkers. Not too hard to come by.
My area does ewaste pickups regularly, so I just gotta get it out on the curb the night before.

[tripredacus]

Gotta get those VHS vertical.

That shelf is long gone. But you can store more VHS in a shelf like that than you can in vertical. Around the time that pic was taken was when I had over 1000 VHS. Although I technically still have all of those, I've been trimming down on what I'm actually keeping.

[betelgeuse]

The movies tend to last longer when stored vertical.

[dashv]

I stupidly got rid of my 32" Samsung flat EDTV (540p) CRT about 6 years ago. Yes it was 200lbs and a pain in the ass. But it played everything below HD absolutely beautifully and worked with every generation of light gun games from NES to OG Xbox. I regretted it from the moment I drove away from the ewaste drop off site. (but I had nowhere to store it in San Jose but a non-climate controlled garage).

I managed to get a 37" ProScan standard def crt at a thrift store later. It's actually made by Technicolor and it's good, but not a flat glass and not quite as sharp as the Samsung. (no 540p).

If any of you do decide to get rid of your CRT (working or not) there is a Facebook group "The CRT Collective" I recommend posting there. Chances are someone there will gladly take it off your hands and put it to work.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/444560212348840/

Almost as penance for literally throwing away my Samsung I am committed to keeping the ones in my arcade alive by whatever means necessary:


Most of them have very little burn in.