CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[jrodefeld]

Hello everyone,

I'm a newbie here but I've been lurking around these parts for a few years. I've developed a new appreciation for CRT technology as I've been using a CRT monitor (FW900) with my computer for a couple of years. I've never owned a projector of any kind, but it's always been an aspiration of mine to build a home theater room.

You're probably aware of the explosion in popularity of CRT monitors for gamers in recent years. My own experience confirms that the FW900 is better, all things considered, than even very high end LCD monitors and not just for gaming. The color depth and motion resolution benefit all video content and images, at least to my eyes.

I understand that projectors are a whole different beast.

I guess my question is, putting aside practical considerations, if you compare the best of CRT projectors with the best of digital, are there areas where CRT is way better still?

And when I say "best of digital", I mean within a somewhat reasonable budget, say less than $20,000.

Are those of you still sticking with CRT doing so because you're really getting better picture quality at the end of the day, or because you enjoy tweaking your equipment as a hobby, or merely because you're in the habit of using CRT and you don't want the hassle of changing?

Thanks! Love the site by the way.

[sevs]

-input lag
-motion blur
-refresh rate
-compatibility with different devices, resolution modes and refresh rates
-supports interlace, no inherent need for deinterlacing
-no upscaling needed (although home cinema people seem to prefer scalers and linedoublers and whatnot)
-black levels (people here seem to argue that lcd/dlp pjs are close enough that it doesn't matter though)
-no screen door effect
-easier to fine tune convergence if the need arises (if you get misconvergence on a dlp or lcd pj you're SOL unless there's some new convergence adjustment technology now that I haven't heard of)
-cooler



The top two bullet points are my main reasons why I use CRT projectors and monitors (and I have quite a few TVs too). CRTs are just mesmerizingly amazing to use for gaming (see the Digital foundry video on youtube confirms this).

I don't really game all that much though, but my CRTs are really comfortable for me to use for CAD work, browsing the internet and the like, because for one I can read text while scrolling, and it's just feels inexplicably comfortable and snappy when everything responds immediately and reliably.

[garyfritz]

CRTs definitely win the Heavyweight Division.

[HaydnG90]

And they're noisy buggers but I still love my G90 despite the negatives

[kal]

[kal]

[kal]

[kal]

[garyfritz]

Especially if you buy used. I bought a used RS-45 for $800 and I'm delighted with it. The picture is MUCH better than any results I was able to get with my NEC XG-852, Marquee 8500 (with color-filtered lenses and several internal improvements), Dwin 700, or Sony G70. Several of those had "issues" that affected the picture quality, but that was a fact of life with many used CRTs. My RS-45 "just works" and looks awesome.

[jbltecnicspro]

CRT's win in terms of being able to run any resolution thrown at it, provided you have the bandwidth and it's within scan range. Everything is "native" resolution with a CRT. Definitely my favorite aspect of it. Don't forget motion clarity too. Strobed LCD monitors are pretty sweet but CRT is still king in motion clarity.

For PC monitors, the only thing that they lack in, in terms of visuals, is sharpness. Other than that, they're still great displays.

[km987654]

I don't think this thread is about what digitals can do but rather where CRTs are better as well as why those of us still using a CRT projector are doing so.

Its always the same when ever anyone puts up the strenghts of CRT projectors those with digitals want to jump in. This is also not a thread for the reason why anyone switched either.

[jbltecnicspro]

[johnyfazer]

[jbltecnicspro]

Honestly, if you can get your projector dialed in then yes, I think it's a worth competitor to the RS-46. The fact that CRT's don't age as quickly as bulbs do also helps.

[AnalogRocks]

Don't forget, CRT's are a good way to get you and 3 friends together to move a 9" beast then you have an excuse to go out for wings and onion rings.

[AnalogRocks]

Don't forget, CRT's are a good way to get you and 3 friends together to move a 9" beast then you have an excuse to go out for wings and onion rings.

[jp25]

[kal]

[kal]

[Dancrt]

For me (I have a 4k eshift 3 jvc which isn’t laser)

My modded by gregs tv (no longer active member in Australia)
Barco 909 with colour filters and vp50 pro.
has better blacks,
better motion,
finer shadow detail (after Greg’s input card mod that stops black crush and a moome Barco card)
After insane attention to detail focusing it and useing a dvdo vp50 pro
The sharpness can now approach my JVC with the vp50 pro faking it a bit via edge contrast enhancement.

Colour wise a +8 on saturation on the vp50 colours look great not dci p3
Like my TV or JvC but it still looks phenomenal after a lot of gain and cutoff adjustments tiill it was dialed in.

I’ve seen a Sony laser projector at the local HT sales shop
And that seemed better than my Barco 909 except it was $68,000
And I couldn’t see how good the blacks where as the room wasn’t black

For me my Barco 909 and my Panasonic vt60 65” plasma
Have very close image quality once setup right
With motion so good nothing seems to compair

The local cinema every aspect expect black levels are now
Surpassing what I can get on my Barco but as Karl said
These laser projectors are good. I don’t have the budget
And I live the repair ability of my Barco

Except for the bulb when my jvc dies I’ll just have to buy another one

Crt downsides is the occasional tune up but I don’t mind
As motion and black levels keep me going and it’s now a hobby

Greg’s tv mods if I hadn’t had it then well I’d probably
Need two on a blend to get the sharpness there is a freind
Not far that has a 5m wide screen Barco 909 blend
That looks sooo good that big he could take on a cinema !!

My screen is a 4:3 150”

[kal]

[kal]

[Dancrt]

Ah in Australia used JVCs on Facebook
Marketplace have been cheap
First jvc was x3 even broken was cheaper too sell for parts than a new ballast board
And buy a working one 4k eshift 2 think was rs55
Then sold that one still working and
Then upgraded to 4k eshift 3 x900r to get the wider colour space and better black


For some reason used projectors in Australia are
So cheap compaired to eBay USA. Even got a large venu projector 12,000 lumans dual bulb
For $150 aud so about $100Usd nothing wrong with it ! Great for open curtain daytime

[Dancrt]

I ment if someting more serious than a bulb went wrong
It was cheaper

[virusc]

Another important aspect is at what seating distance? Angle of viewing? I find with a good CRT at very close distances with a property aligned and in good shape CRT projector they look the most film like and can hide some digital attributes. A blu ray at 1080p where the scan lines barely overlap on a 9" inch CRT is just great. Motion handing and the film like picture is why I still have one. Other than that I think CRT has been bested overall in every aspect. As Kal said this was not true of early digitals or even some of today's. CRT has all the hassles or records and tube amps so you are never going to get universal praise for them anymore. I have been very disappointed with the Cinemas near me until recently that they got 4k laser's. before that the 2k mainly Xenon projectors had terrible blacks and contrast ratios. The Dolby lasers and the Christi Eclipses are really good now.