4:3 CRT TV quest

[Shadow_Zero]

Short version:
I’m looking for a CRT TV for primarily retro gaming (the whole NES through GameCube/Wii era) and occasionally tv broadcast (my IPTV decoder still has SCART output heh). Viewing distance is ~3 meters.

Also, at the end of this post I’ll request some info on how to check/compare CRT tv’s.


My wishes so far are:
- 25”/63,5cm size
- 2x SCART
- front/side av input, preferably including s-video
- 4:3
- 50Hz
- 16:9 enhanced mode (vertical compression)
- front/side panel controls (at least switching AV channels and volume)

Things I’m not sure if I care about much really:
- flat screen or curved
- aperture grille or shadow mask

I’d like to hear tips and experiences which could aid me in my quest

And, my apologies, for now it’s getting a bit of a lot of text


So far I kinda notice, at least here in the Netherlands, that most 4:3 CRT’s seem to be 21” or 28/29”. 25” is around, but not as much. Also, s-video and 16:9 enhanced mode seem to be quite rare (though it’s often hard to find info for specific tv’s on the latter). I guess there was only a relatively small window for 4:3 tv’s to have s-video and 16:9 enhanced mode, since by the end of the 90’s widescreen tv’s were becoming the standard.

I’ve been searching and asking around and everyone seems to have their opinion and personal experiences on the subject. So it’s hard for me to judge what really is a general consensus, or just a personal opinion/experience (of course every opinion/experience still adds to the overall collection of information, but it doesn’t necessarily say if a certain tv or brand is good or bad). Also it seems to matter (a lot?) from which factory the tv came, and which parts (chassis) was used. Love to hear the stories to confirm or deny any statements! (heck, would love to hear/read any ‘history lessons’ as well )


B&O’s MX range seems to be considered the holy grail. While I do like the very sexy looks, 21” is too small and 26.5” too big for me. Also the whole special remote control and everything doesn’t appeal to me. Everything needs to be simple, and practical (and as stated, I want to at least be able to switch AV channels without remote).

Also I see a lot of talk about Sony Trinitron’s, but unlike B&O opinions seem to vary. Some seem to suggest that Trinitron in earlier days was way ahead of the competition, but for end 90’s early 00’s models there’s little difference (and perhaps mostly a matter of personal taste). Not sure, but could also be that, due to lack of B&O in America, Trinitron is ‘the’ alternative over there (and I’ve seen Samsung D series passing), hence a lot of talk about it. Though the aforementioned popular US models were not released in Europe, not sure if we had anything comparative.

I actually have a Sony Trinitron (KV25FX20B, ~2000), but it has a SCART video issue. Might be fixable, but currently the CRT tv is next to the 3D LCD tv in the living room, which is also a Sony. I don’t use them at the same time a lot, but I have noticed it’s kinda annoying they both respons to eachothers remotes. So for practical reasons I’m not looking for a Sony CRT.

Concerning (premium brands?) 4:3 CRT TVs availability here in the Netherlands, it seems to be mainly Philips (and B&O, but as stated not interested in that) what I see being offered secondhand. I found this website which has quite some models listed:

https://icecat.biz/nl/search/crt-tvs

Anyone know any other sites like that?

Concerning my wishes I seem to have to be on the lookout for:
- Philips 25PTxxxx
- JVC AV-25xxxx
- Panasonic TAU TX-25xxxx
- Thomson 25DG

Any other tips/suggestions?


Additionally, a side story, when I moved out back in 2004 I was looking for a 29” 50Hz CRT as secondary TV (bedroom) and for retro gaming (I put it in the living room when I organised game parties with friends). Not much options back then already, if I recall correctly (with s-video and comb filter in this case), and ended up importing a JVC AV-29FT1 from Germany. Weirdly it didn’t have an audio out, for which I needed to use a special scart adapter. But other than that I have enjoyed the screen when I/we used it (not super much, but still, it had quite some Mario Kart Double Dash 8-player sessions!). It’s in the storage since last year since we reorganised the house and don’t have a practical place for it anymore (moved 2 times since buying it). I snatched the 25” Sony Trinitron when my parents sold their house a couple of years ago heh.

But in that regard I would kinda like to get a 25” JVC, since then I have an extra remote I can use (the 29” remote is still in excellent condition). But they seem rare/non-existent over here, so the easiest obtainable option seems to be a Philips.


Still, I am curious to compare my Sony KV25FX20B to the next 25” CRT I’m hoping to get. What’s a good way to test? Or what are good check points? And how can I take proper photos of it?

Thanks!

[CMcK]

Have a look for a Loewe CRT TV with the E3000 or 3001 chassis. Peak consumer CRT for 50Hz. The C9003 chassis is worth a look too. Model names include Art, Arcada, Calida and Planus. They measure screen sizes in centimetres so look for a model number ending in 63 or 65 for around a 25" screen.
I had a 21" Calida a while back and it was a cracking set with surprisingly capable audio system. Loewe sets of that era dump on B&O in terms of image quality and UI. B&O sets will sound great though especially with an active speaker setup.

[Shadow_Zero]

Thanks! For some reason Loewe never seems to be mentioned in retro gaming discussions, but I recall they were highly regarded back in the CRT era (at least by some). Did they also manufacture flat screen 4:3 CRT's? Haven't seen those yet. I saw a few Calida's, but at least one mentioned being 100Hz (not sure if that accounts for all models). Can you filter the chassis id from the back, or do you need to open it?


EDIT:
Some interesting sources I'm reading up on now:

https://scarthunter.blogspot.com/p/links.html

http://arcadecontrols.com/files/Miscellaneous/crtfaq.htm#crtcsa

[CMcK]

The chassis type is on the back of the TV with the model number. Loewe 4:3 sets used tubes from various brands over the years but not Sony so you won’t get anything super flat in their 4:3 CRTs. They had strict quality control though so the tubes are the best of the best from a given manufacturer. Loewe brought a lot of firsts to TVs and being high end stopped production of 4:3 sets fairly early on.

[Shadow_Zero]

Current situation:

and

https://imgur.com/a/REcikLS

So I already had the Sony Trinitron KV25FX20B (probably from ~2000), on the right, which has SCART1 issues, which is the only RGB connection unfortunately (plus it responds to the other remote from the Sony LCD, which is kinda annoying).

Last Thursday I picked up the Philips (25PT4458) on the left. Came from a smokers house unfortunately, but it was for free. Didn't have a remote, which I got somewhere else heh. I was happy to notice it has 16:9 compress mode! It lacks a direct s-video connection unfortunately, and even worse, it has no audio output, darn! (yeah, I know I can use a scart adapter, just like with my JVC 29", but it's a hassle and strain on the scart connection).

I intend to run the 240p test suite from the Wii on both. Some time ago I kinda did some underscan so to speak on the Sony, which shows that the geometry on the outside is not properly. But I think I read with CRT tv's you always do overscan, so you won't notice that, is that correct?

The Philips currently has overscan, which you may noticeon the pics. Do you think that is properly configured now? Or is it too much?

Personally, I could not really notice a big difference between the two screens. I assume the Sony is an aperture grill. If I lay my eyes pretty much on the screen I see the dots of the shadow mask of the Philips, which I don't see with the Sony. But increase the distance a bit and my eyes couldn't tell the difference.

The Philips currently has more colorful green and the Sony has a bit whiter white. That may purely be settings, not sure yet. Overall both tv's seem to be in good condition as far as I can tell (except Sony scart issue).

What do you guys think of this Sony and Philips?