What kinda TV do you play TG16 on?

[GameFreak]

What kinda TV do you play TG16 on? What year was it made?

I heard that the LCD tv's lag in showing you actual gameplay. Is that true? I play on a LCD that's about 26inches and I change the screen to 4:3.
I have a sony 19inch tube tv that has the flat screen but no matter how much I change the contrast and brightness it looks like krap compared to the LCD.
I don't have a plasma but do plasma tv lag like an LCD.
I'm curious what you guys use?? What is the best kind of tv to use? The lag isn't really an issue playing a RPG but maybe in a shooter it can be frustrating. Let me know.

[BlueBMW]

I use a 56" Samsung dlp hdtv.  Works great in 4:3 mode.

[Sparky]

Only a 21" Panisonic in a mother f@cking kiosk yo!!!
Also i have my duo hooked up to my 27 " JVC D-series.. really nice tv, nice deep blacks

[nat]

Only a 21" Panisonic in a mother f@cking kiosk yo!!!
Also i have my duo hooked up to my 27 " JVC D-series.. really nice tv, nice deep blacks

JVC made a killer CRT in the early 2000's. The "flat" ones like the one you have pictured, and the one that I use which is a little newer are fan-fuckin'-tastic for vintage video games.

I haven't noticed any lag on my LCD playing games, but the lack of scanlines on LCDs/plasmas makes these old games look all blocky and just like shit in general. The LCD is great for newer consoles like the Dreamcast and Wii, but anything pre-Dreamcast I play on the JVC CRT.

[Frank_fjs]

Old 51cm flat screen JVC CRT TV - as mentioned above these things are the best for retro gaming. They have an excellent noise filter too, makes a composite signal look like a component signal.

I also use an 82cm Grundig CRT with RGB scart input for my RGB consoles.

My main TV is a 50" Panasonic Plasma but retro consoles look like arse on newer TV's - unless you spend $500 on an encoder which I would never do.

[Ceti Alpha]

When I first got my Duo back I had just bought a Sony LCD TV, so I was anxious to use it. But I agree with nat; for the most part it makes all the sprites look blocky and just plain ugly (don't even get into stretching the image). This is exactly why I had such a horrible first reaction to the PCE Image Fight. The LCD just made it look awful. After that brief affair I went right back to the TV I used to play my TG on bitd: Sears 14" CRT. Good as gold. There's just no beating a CRT for the oldies.

Last year my brother gave me his old an gigantic CRT flat screen. I'd say it's a 24" TV and I think it's an RCA or JVC. Not a massive screen, but the TV itself is a beast. I just haven't set it up yet. I honestly prefer the smaller TV right now. Not as intrusive on space and I'm more prone to throw on a quick game here and there, or even a 3-4 saga from time to time. 

[Joe Redifer]

anything pre-Dreamcast I play on the JVC CRT.

Good call.  I'm the same way.  Anything pre-Dreamcast I play on a 20" CRT made by Toshiba.  Actually, the guts were made by someone else, but it is sold by Toshiba.  It has an excellent picture and features s-video and component inputs.  I lugged my Genesis with the RGB/component transcoder around with me store to store to test TVs.  I looked at certain things, especially dithering in Master System games and whatnot.  The reason was because many TVs would create weird lines in the dithering even via the component input.  I simply would not tolerate this.  Only one TV fit the bill and that was the Toshiba.  The others I tried from Sony and Samsung sucked.  The Samsung didn't even have s-video.  Pissed me right off... gotta have everything.

[BlueBMW]

I do keep a 20" toshiba crt that I bought new in 2006 just for the stuff that doesn't look right on the modern tv.  I had a 35" sony crt that died on me... that was the best tv for games. I wonder if they could make a "retro mode" on some of these new tvs to simulate the look of old crts... maybe even allow things like the sms phased or the super scope or guncon to work again..

[SuperDeadite]

Sony Trinitron 29''.  Such a beautiful picture.  Equipped with 1x RGB, 2x Component, 3x S-Video, 4x Composite.

[blueraven]

29" Phillips Magnavox CRT dumpster-dived from the local campus move-out day. It has fade but it works.

[SignOfZeta]

Many LCDs did have lag when viewing low level analog inputs. I'm not sure how common this is anymore though.

I use a 27" JVC. There is some noise in the signal, but you just look through it after a while. Everything from my HandiFamiEight to my MVS (JROK s-video) to my Wii look pretty damn great on it.

After XMas I'll be getting some monstrous LCD for BluRays and Netflix and stuff. All the OG consoles will stay in the game room with the real TV though.

[GameFreak]

So the main problem with lcd's is the sprites? I've heard the older tv's are better to use for old game systems but I'm thinking my old tv is just in bad condition. I might be lookin into local craigslist or maybe a pawn shop to grab an old TV.

[SignOfZeta]

Sprites have nothing to do with it. The same thing would happen with Final Fantasy VII or VHS.

The problem with LCDs (old crap ones anyway) is that the low spec analog signals like composite, s-video, etc have to be digitized and de-interaced and scaled to be usable to the digital portion of the set. This takes a fraction of a second. With a movie you don't notice it since they compensate for the lag by delaying the audio as well. With a game though, its pretty bad. As you said, not a big deal with an RPG, but with a fighting game or something...forget about it.

I'm actually not much of an expert on this since I only have old shit. I'm taking my MVS home for Xmas though, just so I can test it on my friends big new-ish Samsung. I want to see how things have progressed.

[Joe Redifer]

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I play Dreamcast and later systems on a Sony 34XBR960 HDTV, the Dreamcast plays in 480p. I do NOT stretch any game to 16:9 unless the game itself supports it.  I don't mind playing 4:3 games with black bars on the sides of the image.  At least round things will be round, etc.  I cannot stand aspect ratio distortion.

[DragonmasterDan]

30 inch Toshiba, CRT 1080i HDTV. It's an HDTV and it's a CRT. The only issue with it is it has "seizure protection" which causes it to blink out in heavy flashing (charge attack in Aero Blasters, various light gun game flashes, Samurai Showdown all over).

[turbogrfxfan]

i use my tg16,duo r, and d cast on my Toshiba 50" hd rear projection cimema series tv. and for audio Im running into my Lexicon mc1 digital processor wich pushes thrue my Mcintosh surround amplifier.

[BlueBMW]

30 inch Toshiba, CRT 1080i HDTV. It's an HDTV and it's a CRT. The only issue with it is it has "seizure protection" which causes it to blink out in heavy flashing (charge attack in Aero Blasters, various light gun game flashes, Samurai Showdown all over).

Can it be turned off?  My tv has some strange stuff like that.  The only one that seemed to be good was something called "game mode" which helped the refresh rates or something for better video game use.

[MotherGunner]

I run S-Video into my 42 inch Samsung HDTV and have zero issues.  Looks beautiful.

[DragonmasterDan]

Can it be turned off?  My tv has some strange stuff like that.  The only one that seemed to be good was something called "game mode" which helped the refresh rates or something for better video game use.

This isn't a game mode issue. It's intentionally designed seizure protection that goes off when something flashes beyond a certain level. The TV just will blink out for a moment rather than display the flash. It can't be turned off, it's in place to prevent Pokemon Seizure like incidents from occurring.

[TheClash603]

27" Sony Trinitron, SDTV is the way to go with all older consoles, as others have already said.

52" Samsung LCD for my Xbox 360 and PS3 only.

[BlueBMW]

This isn't a game mode issue. It's intentionally designed seizure protection that goes off when something flashes beyond a certain level. The TV just will blink out for a moment rather than display the flash. It can't be turned off, it's in place to prevent Pokemon Seizure like incidents from occurring.

That's too bad it cant be turned off.  I could see that being a bit annoying at times.

[OldRover]

I have two TVs that I can use my now-mangled TG16 with, namely my 29" Sanyo or the old 13" who-knows-what-this-is-anymore thing. Both are CRTs, and neither are going to be replaced anytime soon. My wife's mother won a brand new flatscreen HDTV the other day at the casino but we haven't put it up yet... I wonder how well that will work?

[Tatsujin]

good old CRT. there won't be anything other than that as long they are available and working.

[Official Ninja]

I play on a 37" LG LCD. When I purchased it the low res inputs looked like crap, so I used to do the retro gaming on a smaller 19" CRT. Big surprise though, I found a firmware update to my LCD on the web. I plugged the USB stick with the update in the back of the TV and 10 minutes later it was done. Now all the low res inputs look fantastic. Really happy with it.
I also do some gaming on a couple larger Sony LCD screens, a 52" W series and a 55" 3D HX series. When I can get at them anyway.... my son and his friends usually monopolize them playing 360 or PS3.

[Ceti Alpha]

I play on a 37" LG LCD. When I purchased it the low res inputs looked like crap, so I used to do the retro gaming on a smaller 19" CRT. Big surprise though, I found a firmware update to my LCD on the web. I plugged the USB stick with the update in the back of the TV and 10 minutes later it was done. Now all the low res inputs look fantastic. Really happy with it.
I also do some gaming on a couple larger Sony LCD screens, a 52" W series and a 55" 3D HX series. When I can get at them anyway.... my son and his friends usually monopolize them playing 360 or PS3.

Hmmmm...I'm going to try to do a firmware update on my TV. I never thought about that.

[NecroPhile]

My TurboDuo is hooked up to a mid-90s 32" Sony CRT.  It ain't perfect but it's good enough for me, and it's certainly much better than when I test drove it on the LCD (no scanlines = teh suck).

Alternatively, I can again Turbob on a 2.6 inch LCD thanks to the chopspital.  Advanced technology - fuck yeah!

[DragonmasterDan]

That's too bad it cant be turned off.  I could see that being a bit annoying at times.

Yep, I have a second TV a 25 inch CRT, Sharp that I use for other systems. It does not have the seizure protection.

[chany60126]

I have a 32 inch Phillips/Magnavox CRT downstairs in my den that I use for the Turbo Duo. It is perfect for me, especially for the shooters. I also have a 20 inch Phillips/Magnavox CRT in my room that I use for my Turbografx+SCD whenever I feel too lazy to go downstairs.

[SignOfZeta]

With all due respect to other humans, my personal opinion is that anyone who thinks an SD game console looks good on an LCD probably has a different definition of "good" than I do. A lot of people who watch SD TV stretched to 16:9, or listen to music with pack-in Apple headphones, or drive a Dodge Caliber, or eat White Castle, or wear dollar store sweat pants...they'll say these things are "fine" or "good enough", but I think its really the inability to tell the difference that helps them stick up for this junk.

What sucks about the LCD thing is that I can't think of any marketing incentive that would ever drive the OEMs to fix this problem. With all movie content coming from set-top internet devices and all game consoles going HD (when the Wii dies, that'll be it) they start removing composite/s-video/component from all new TVs period. Then what we will play TG-16 on? Maybe the same TVs we are now since new electronics are unreliable junk...but some day all the 90s CRTs will be dead, and we'll have to be modding our Duo Rs for HDMI.

I guess, realistically, we only have to bother with keeping this stuff going in our lifetimes. When we're gone in 60 years nobody will give a shit about 16-bit gaming. In the meanwhile we need to learn how to fix old TVs as well as the systems that we run on them.

The alternative of course would be super high performance upscan converters built (competently) with gaming in mind. Something like the X-RGB series, only better.

[Obfuscate]

Dude, White Castle is fuckin good.

[TurbografxKid]

I play mine on either a 19" Sanyo, which does not have any RCA plugs, or my 27" flat screen Panny. Both are CRT. And I use my Duo on either one But I perfer the Panny. It will be a sad day here if and when I have to move to an LCD screen. 

[Lilgrafx]

I play mine on a little magnavox it works perfectly and holy shiit sparky that TG-16 kiosk is awesome

[turbogrfxfan]

Only a 21" Panisonic in a mother f@cking kiosk yo!!!
Also i have my duo hooked up to my 27 " JVC D-series.. really nice tv, nice deep blacks

 

ha ha ha lol "mother fucking kiosk yo!"  lol you crack me up sparks but I think your set up takes the clake

[Joe Redifer]

Mmmmm... delicious clake!

[Ceti Alpha]

Mmmmm... delicious clake!

I prefer plie.

[TGX16]

I've got a 19" DELL Trinitron flat screen CRT (with a Video to VGA Monitor adapter) and one extra out in the garage as a spare. Works perfectly!

[Mathius]

A 27" Sansui flat screen CRT. It has a great picture, and with component input RGB could be in my future.

[geise]

A 27" sharp SDTV.

[Bobdolewashere]

an older 19 inch tv (not a flat screen) for all my older video games (nes, snes, N64, turbografx w/ cd attachment, sega w/ cd & 32x attachment, atari, cd-i) they look much better on that but I do have a generation nex on my 40inch hdtv

[nikdog]

21" ViewSonic 1080P LCD

[Mathius]

21" ViewSonic 1080P LCD

Do you not care for CRTs? You'll get a better picture playing Turbo on one.

[Duo_R]

I am in search of a HDTV that does a decent job for retro gaming. I have a giant 32" CRT EDT in the garage, but I want something for indoors (so yeah I already have a CRT). Any suggestions on something that someone has tried and works well here (no lag, blurring issues, etc).

[nikdog]

21" ViewSonic 1080P LCD

Do you not care for CRTs? You'll get a better picture playing Turbo on one.

What's a CRT?

To be honest, I prefer my monitor over any CRT TV. Sharper picture and it doesn't overscan.

[MottZilla]

I play my DUO-R on a Sony PVM1910, http://www.docs.sony.com/release/PVM1910.PDF

I also play my NES, SNES, Genesis, Saturn, and PS1 on it, all except the NES via RGB. I made an adapter to use Euro RGB SCART cables with the monitor and just bought the appropriate cables for all except the DUO-R which came with the RGB cable since it had to be RGB modded. Looks fantastic. However if I had more room I wish I could get a larger Sony PVM, either 27" or 32". Maybe someday. Also makes me want to learn about CRT repair and maintaining as it's been established that low resolution systems looks like shit on modern digital TVs. Not to mention potential lag issues.

[termis]

A 21" LG CRT TV.  It's on the crappy side for CRT TVs, but it gets the job done.  I once put my Duo on my in-laws big screen LCD (can't even recall the brand, but one of the big makers), and I nearly stabbed my eyes out.  I won't be doing that again.

With all due respect to other humans, my personal opinion is that anyone who thinks an SD game console looks good on an LCD probably has a different definition of "good" than I do. A lot of people who watch SD TV stretched to 16:9, or listen to music with pack-in Apple headphones, or drive a Dodge Caliber, or eat White Castle, or wear dollar store sweat pants...they'll say these things are "fine" or "good enough", but I think its really the inability to tell the difference that helps them stick up for this junk.

What sucks about the LCD thing is that I can't think of any marketing incentive that would ever drive the OEMs to fix this problem. With all movie content coming from set-top internet devices and all game consoles going HD (when the Wii dies, that'll be it) they start removing composite/s-video/component from all new TVs period. Then what we will play TG-16 on? Maybe the same TVs we are now since new electronics are unreliable junk...but some day all the 90s CRTs will be dead, and we'll have to be modding our Duo Rs for HDMI.

I guess, realistically, we only have to bother with keeping this stuff going in our lifetimes. When we're gone in 60 years nobody will give a shit about 16-bit gaming. In the meanwhile we need to learn how to fix old TVs as well as the systems that we run on them.

The alternative of course would be super high performance upscan converters built (competently) with gaming in mind. Something like the X-RGB series, only better.

I've recently to fiddle around with Ootake, and it does a decent job of scanline emulation.  I'm thinking that once my Duo goes for good (it's starting to get there now with the dry caps issue), I might just build a cheap HTPC and hook it up to a modern TV via HDMI and have do my retro gaming that way in the near future.

And yeah, White Castle is absolutely disgusting.  On a random note, I'm missing the burger joints in Cali -- Islands, Tommy's, In 'n Out... Hell, even the mid-tier stuff like Carl's Jr & Wendy's is helluva lot better than vast majority of the stuff they have down here...

[MottZilla]

Emulation can't compare to the real thing. Either accuracy issues, not using the real controller, or picture and sound differences tend to bother me with emulation. Though it's better than going without playing great classic games at all.

[nat]

My biggest issue with [Turbo] emulation is the sound inaccuracy. Graphically most things seem to be 1:1 these days, but emulator authors have a long way to go to properly emulate the Turbo's sound chip. Even with the closest emulation, PSG music comes across as tinny, scratchy, and lacking bottom end. And the Turbo's PSG needs all the help it can get in the bottom end department.

[blueraven]

Every time I want to throw away my CRT, it just... shows the games better.

I can't.

The Phillips Magnavox is still a badass.

[chany60126]

Every time I want to throw away my CRT, it just... shows the games better.

I can't.

The Phillips Magnavox is still a badass.

That's exactly what I use. My 32in crt that I got in 1998 only supports composite and s-video, but it's still as good as ever.

[Duo_R]

My set needs to warmup sometimes, it starts out a little blurry. I am afraid a repair would be insane though who repairs CRT's anymore? Lol the TV is badass so it kinda sucks.