People Who Hunt Down Old TVs

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

CRT vs Modern Displays (Visual Traits & Gamut)

  • Several comments argue that even with good CRT shaders and modern “retina” HDR panels, the real thing is still distinct, mainly due to phosphor decay and lack of sample‑and‑hold blur.
  • Others contend that high‑end OLEDs and properly calibrated LCDs can get “very, very close,” and that CRT color gamuts were actually limited compared with today’s P3 / Rec.2020‑capable panels.
  • There’s debate over whether CRT gamut is “limited” and if plasma or CRT had better color; linked technical docs show CRTs comfortably cover older standards (SMPTE‑C, BT.709) but struggle with newer extended gamuts.
  • Some users remember CRTs and plasmas looking similar in practice, while cheap early LCDs looked worse, muddying the issue with calibration and signal quality.

Retro Gaming, Lag, and Designed‑for‑CRT Effects

  • Many highlight that 8/16‑bit console graphics and transparency tricks (e.g., alternating lines/columns, blurry cables) were specifically tuned for CRTs and can look wrong or ugly on sharp LCDs.
  • Light‑gun games (e.g., Duck Hunt, PS2 guns, Melee setups) rely on CRT timing and scan behavior; on many modern TVs the latency or processing breaks them.
  • Competitive communities (e.g., Smash Melee) still use CRTs to avoid extra frames of input lag from digital scaling/panels.

Emulation, Filters, and Hardware Solutions

  • Modern emulators with CRT shaders and 480Hz‑aimed techniques are praised but still considered imperfect.
  • FPGA/upscaler devices (e.g., RetroTINK‑4K Pro) can simulate analog behavior well but are expensive.
  • Tools like ShaderGlass are referenced as promising software approaches.

Professional and High‑End CRTs

  • Broadcast‑grade PVM/BVM/D1 monitors are described as very different from consumer TVs: rugged, repairable, calibrated, with deep blacks and pristine analog feeds.
  • Some claim ultra‑high‑end HD CRTs could produce natural imagery with a pleasing, non‑“edgy” sharpness that even top OLEDs don’t identically replicate, though flat panels excel for text/UI.

Nostalgia, Tactility, and Drawbacks

  • Strong nostalgia for the “glow,” static, smell, and heft of CRTs coexists with memories of coil noise, heat, flicker, fire risk, and enormous weight.
  • There’s skepticism from some who see the appeal as overblown or mostly nostalgia once viewing distance and motion are accounted for.

Collecting and Preservation

  • People report rescuing Trinitrons, B&O sets, jail TVs, and arcade cabs; local retro meetups hoard dozens of free CRTs.
  • Pre‑WW2 and early electronic TVs are noted as exceptionally rare museum pieces, underscoring a preservation angle beyond gaming.