Digital Foundry: looks back at CRT monitors and how they stack up today's standards!

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DaVillain

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#1 DaVillain  Moderator
Member since 2014 • 55898 Posts

Sorry, I didn't want to post this in System Wars due to console gamers derailing with their trolling banters.

I'm willing to accept the feelings and thought processes from John and Richard are true. CRT Monitors are still superior gaming monitors. The fact this is true is sad and still makes me go freaking crazy trying to buy a good gaming monitor today. It's like you're always sacrificing something to achieve that perfect look with a low input lag, and have to fight through features that are just trying to hide all their shitty flaws. But CRT is without flaws, CRT monitors break way too easily and I only broke just one back in the old days.

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deactivated-60113e7859d7d

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#2 deactivated-60113e7859d7d
Member since 2017 • 3808 Posts

Don't have time to watch the video, but I never liked the rounded screen and bulkiness of CRT monitors. I've never had a monitor or TV with enough input lag for me to notice.

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uninspiredcup

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#3 uninspiredcup
Member since 2013 • 58646 Posts

I found it interesting how he claimed at a lower res it looked better than 4K,

Given the cheap price of these monitors, might be worth an investment.

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deactivated-5ea0704839e9e

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#4 deactivated-5ea0704839e9e
Member since 2017 • 2335 Posts

Ive been saying this for *years*.

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pyro1245

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#5 pyro1245
Member since 2003 • 9384 Posts

@uninspiredcup said:

I found it interesting how he claimed at a lower res it looked better than 4K,

Given the cheap price of these monitors, might be worth an investment.

I'm curious as well. I've been thinking about looking for a good CRT to use with my MisterFPGA.

The 'legendary' FW900 they used in the video is about $1000 anywhere I can find it.

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uninspiredcup

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#6 uninspiredcup
Member since 2013 • 58646 Posts

@pyro1245 said:
@uninspiredcup said:

I found it interesting how he claimed at a lower res it looked better than 4K,

Given the cheap price of these monitors, might be worth an investment.

I'm curious as well. I've been thinking about looking for a good CRT to use with my MisterFPGA.

The 'legendary' FW900 they used in the video is about $1000 anywhere I can find it.

Haha, yea, I just checked ebay after that vid.

They aren't cheap. Probably some physical store here that has a shit ton of them sitting about but yea, Ebay gonna take the piss.

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horgen

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#7 horgen  Moderator
Member since 2006 • 127492 Posts

CRT's strength vs newer monitors aren't exactly a secret.

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DaVillain

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#8 DaVillain  Moderator
Member since 2014 • 55898 Posts

@horgen said:

CRT's strength vs newer monitors aren't exactly a secret.

Sometimes old tech beats new tech if you ask me. My experience with CRT monitors was eye strain and ghosting back in the day. Once I got a flat panel, I never looked back.

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BassMan

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#9  Edited By BassMan
Member since 2002 • 17764 Posts

I had a very nice CRT that was sitting in my closet and I threw it out a few years ago because it was just taking up space. I definitely miss the quality of my old CRT, but 4:3 aspect ratio is shit these days. I ditched the CRT for 16:9 LCD and now I am running ultrawide 21:9. So, if they came out with a new 34" 21:9 CRT, I would probably buy one as my desk is deep and sturdy enough.

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Metallic_Blade

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#10 Metallic_Blade
Member since 2005 • 565 Posts

It doesn't surprise me that some CRT's still hold better black-levels and have zero response time over modern LCD tech, even decades later. If you have to dim the entire panel constantly just to achieve better contrast levels... you're doing it wrong. LCD's have always been 'Meh' in my book.

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horgen

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#11 horgen  Moderator
Member since 2006 • 127492 Posts

@davillain- said:
@horgen said:

CRT's strength vs newer monitors aren't exactly a secret.

Sometimes old tech beats new tech if you ask me. My experience with CRT monitors was eye strain and ghosting back in the day. Once I got a flat panel, I never looked back.

Depends on criteria really.

I have 2 34 inch 21:9 monitors, giving me 3440*2880 if I choose to use both. Two 34inch CRT would take up a lot of space. Plus perhaps the main reason for using one, fast paced shooters, I don't play.

There probably is a niche marked for continuing developing CRT monitors, but good luck getting any major manufacturer to invest time and money into those monitors again.

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topgunmv

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#12 topgunmv
Member since 2003 • 10880 Posts

CRT monitors would always give me a splitting headache after an hour or two of use.

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BassMan

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#13 BassMan
Member since 2002 • 17764 Posts

@topgunmv: I found this not to be an issue with higher refresh rate. I had one that was 85hz and it was fine.

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com2006

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#14 com2006
Member since 2006 • 900 Posts

32” CRT was a back breaker to get up the stairs.

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dxmcat

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#15 dxmcat
Member since 2007 • 3385 Posts

I had the 36" Sony HD Wega CRT tv. That biotch was 222 lbs.

The benefits of LCD far outweigh the negatives when compared to CRT. my 144hz IPS LG monitor does just fine.

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R-Gamer

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#16 R-Gamer
Member since 2019 • 2221 Posts

OLED tv is the best. Will never go back to anything else.

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horgen

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#17 horgen  Moderator
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@dxmcat said:

I had the 36" Sony HD Wega CRT tv. That biotch was 222 lbs.

The benefits of LCD far outweigh the negatives when compared to CRT. my 144hz IPS LG monitor does just fine.

950F or G?

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dxmcat

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#18 dxmcat
Member since 2007 • 3385 Posts

@horgen: LG 34UC99 G-B

not uber high on the dpi but fine with moving 1000mph in FPS games.

Back in the 90s, my 15" Sony Trinitron CRT monitor took a shit and i had to use an old school IBM 60hz CRT to buy a Viewsonic 85hz replacement online. Good god my eyes have never been in more pain than from that 60hz.

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horgen

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#19 horgen  Moderator
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@dxmcat: LG released another 3440*1440 144Hz monitor then??

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dxmcat

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#20  Edited By dxmcat
Member since 2007 • 3385 Posts

@horgen: It is 2560x1080.

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PernicioEnigma

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#21 PernicioEnigma
Member since 2010 • 6662 Posts

@uninspiredcup said:

I found it interesting how he claimed at a lower res it looked better than 4K,

Given the cheap price of these monitors, might be worth an investment.

They are cheap? Good CRT monitors (the kind you actually want) are really hard to find and when you do they tend to be pretty damn expensive.

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Bikouchu35

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#22 Bikouchu35
Member since 2009 • 8344 Posts
@dxmcat said:

I had the 36" Sony HD Wega CRT tv. That biotch was 222 lbs.

The benefits of LCD far outweigh the negatives when compared to CRT. my 144hz IPS LG monitor does just fine.

Yeahhhh. Had a 27" that still took two people to haul up, barely. I've never seen a high end crt in my life to see the benefits truly outweighing lcd. W.e drawbacks lcd had was overcame with higher res, weight, heat, and the thing doesn't strain your eye like crt did. So any memories I had of crt were all low res, low-mid end at best. I only recall seeing an hdtv crt once alone against all the lcd and plasma everywhere at bestbuy back in the day. Even then I kept my distance knowing the heat that thing probably poured out, but they did get the screen to be really flat for a crt that I remembered.