The end of the CRT era...

In my case it was actually pretty warranted. I'm a full time graphic designer and illustrator, and I "cut my teeth" so to speak in the years leading up to the LCDs hitting the market and becoming affordable. Which meant a lot of time for me behind the CRT monitors learning the craft both at home and work, and then there was time spent behind the CRT television as well when time permitted.

CRT monitors gave me some of the absolute worst headaches I've ever experienced- I'm talking migraine headaches that leave you in a state of discomfort that make it difficult to do anything, especially anything involving bright light. The headaches were about 4-5 times a month or so, sometimes more. At best, they made my eyes bloodshot and/or made me look stoned and at their worst I'd have to lay down in a dark room with no lights on, trying to sleep them off because it was so unbearable to do anything around any reasonable amount of light.

This was not isolated to the monitors in my home (I had invested in a brand new matching pair of very nice 21" Viewsonic CRTs), it was with any of displays I used at work as well, regardless of the refresh rates which I always had cranked up. In fact, I was once actually ordered by human resources to go to the doctor and have my eyes checked because they thought I had something else going on, even though I tried to explain to them what it was.

So I decided to try an LCD display for my main workstation, and the headaches -mild or severe- went away completely. The bloodshot eyes went away completely, at least until I hopped back behind a CRT again. And a nice side effect of these new LCD displays? Everything was so much clearer and crisp in higher resolution, I could see the details of my work even better, I had more screen real estate for my tools and the widescreen format just felt much so more suited to human vision.

So yes, I gave up several perfectly fine working machines, and for good reason. I gave my CRTs away and replaced them with devices that frankly improved my health.

 

Thank you! There is no way I could ever go back to a CRT. Distorted images because of the curvature, having to watch widescreen on them, the resolution could never be better than 480, they generate tons of heat, are not energy efficient, I could hear the flyback transformer, they take up space...there's just no way. yes, OTR, there are valid reasons for changing technology.

 

Maybe you were watching SD content on an HD display ? They destroy SD content trying to upscale it to fill the TVs HD screen pixels, generating a lot of spurious, extrapolated picture via a cheap upconverting built-in chip.

I've seen the most expensive, dedicated outboard upscalers in action and while they make SD content better, they don't come closer to the adaptative resolution of a CRT, esp those with HD capabilities. If only they could come out with some kind of adaptative resolution screen.......but no, throw your every ¨old¨ TVs, dvds, etc, and be forced to spend a sh@itload of money on ¨new¨and ¨better¨ technology.

And now 4K !! Curve OLEDs ! I can't be arsed !!!

 

Subaru dealers, through a program run by Subaru, are taking old electronics for recycling, free. I took several pieces there to put in the box and there was a big CRT set in there. Worth at least a call.

 

Distorted images because of the curvature : not if you watched it in a frontal position, but it never bothered me.

having to watch widescreen on them : it was an issue unless you had a widescreen CRT.

the resolution could never be better than 480 : there were a lot of HD CRTs with 1080 capabilities.

But yes all of those and the other concerns you expressed were valid up to a point.

 

Lots of vintage video game peripherals including Nintendo zappers, etc. rely on CRT technology to make them work, which means that if you want to play "Duck Hunt" or other shooting games on Nintendo, they rely on CRT. Robby The Robot games rely on CRT as well. These do not work on flat panel TVs. There are many other examples of vintage video game peripherals that require CRT.

 

Even if I watch from the front and center, I can still see the image distortion. I've always been sensitive to it.

Well, here in the U.S., they weren't common, or cheap.

Life is better with LED and LCD.

 

still have my sony ,and don't see a need at the time for a Plasma or LCD .maybe if they get 4k rolling

 

Geometric distortion is an entirely different animal common to CRT tubes produced roughly from 1992 onwards, when most manufacturers started outsourcing their tubes. Prior to that tubes inside TVs were mostly japanese-made and had no distortion whatsoever. I still have one of those (a Philips).

It doesn't however stem from the curvature of the tube. Even bad flat tubes can have unwatchable geometric distortion.

But yes in general terms the average person is way well off with an LCD TV. I don't need one myself for now but that could change any minute.

 

I remember Philips TVs. I still saw the geometric distortion.

I've never seen it on any flatscreen LCD, LED, or plasma that doesn't have widescreen enabled on 4:3 ratio pictures, or on properly transmitted aspect ratios.

 

Unless one is part of the vintage video game niche as there are many vintage video games including light gun games that require CRT.

 

55 inch LG non Curved OLED 4k set is $5000 ,don't think I will be getting that soon,

 

I've got ten TV's in my house. Half of them are CRT's.

Three are being used by the kids. One is in the kitchen. The other is a spare.

 

Was this because of flicker?

 

Haven't used a CRT for over 10 years, good riddance I say.

 

Believe it or not, my home computer monitor is still a CRT. Yeah, I notice the difference in quality compared to the flat screen at work, but I really don't mind. I also have a portable color CRT TV in the bedroom that works fine.

 

Disposal Fee? Find an unlocked dumpster behind a grade B mall with no video cameras and a 2 AM donut run can take care of it. That box o' donuts you bring home can be your "fee".

 

CRT is over. Went to all flat screen and threw a bunch of them away last year. So...11 flat screens of various sizes now. I have just one Sony umm...32 inch I think it is but it's not being used. Hmmm....I should get rid of that one too...

 

There are reclamation centers for CRTs that have become toxic hazards. It really doesn't matter if you dump your CRT there, or sit next it to a dumpster somewhere.

The donut run sounds good right now, but i'm cutting back on sweets.

 

I've noticed a lot of retro gamers (not just the C64 ones) love that monitor - why?

 

Not here - gave my last CRT away last year. It was a 10 year old XBR pro - awesome TV, still, but was 4x3 and had ended up in my office (where I never watch TV). I gave another to my in laws who have it is as a garage/ball game TV.

 

CRT's in the kitchen (small), basement (huge and heavy), one in sun room and my mom has one in her bedroom. If the one in the basement dies it will remain in the basement, it is so heavy but I do like watching it. Easy on the eyes.

Two flat screens. One in the living room and one in my bedroom.

 

You can just drop it or at a Best Buy.

 

I'd like to but it weighs near 170 pounds.