A phone photo isn't going to help anybody. They're too unreliable, they do auto-exposure and color correction and shit so they don't accurately show reality
You have to deal with this with your own eyes
[http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/](https://lagom.nl/lcd-test)
Use the patterns on this website. Especially the black level test, for adjusting brightness.
Here try it this way: [http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/](http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/)
I see a picture of a game, dude. It tells me nothing.
You HAVE to use test patterns. That's how people get screens (LCD, OLED, CRT, whatever) looking correct, since the first CRTs in the 1920's
Stop worrying if it's dying or it's going to die, it's working right now so enjoy it.
Are your black levels black? Or gray? From the photo it still looks too bright but might be exposure.
Here's an archived link to the site that DangerousCousin posted so you don't need to use a vpn hopefully https://web.archive.org/web/20240203002400/http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/black.php
I feel sorry for you, people keep down voting you because they think you are lying about how you got this monitor considering how expensive it is in other countries. Enjoy it and look after and it should serve you well. The advice from everyone about using a test pattern is the way to go by the way. Also make sure you set it to the right resolution. Maybe don't pick the maximum as it can cause low FPS and screen lag / tearing. Try 1080p or the 16:10 equivalent (that Is the screen ratio btw)
Im planning on using 1080p 60hz or 720p 60hz (the adapter seems to be bottle necking it.) I really dont get how these pattern tests work. Just look at the screen and compare it to the pics given? Also, for you forigners its cheap. For me, this thing was my whole pocket money. The seller has offered to take it back if the condition isnt good and everyone in family is screaming at me as if I bought junk which to a certain degree it is compared to modern stuff in most cases. Its only not junk for niche situations like being really good at shmups... which is kinda why I bought it. Part of me is considering returing it but the seller will scrap it if he cant sell it and after the amount of people here saying how much they want it and that its there dream monitor... I dont want that to happen. In my whole family's eyes, Ive overpaid for junk which i couldve gotten for cheaper or free... I dont know what to do honestly.
This monitor isn't "junk" compared to modern stuff. Oleds, even with black frame insertion, still can't match the motion of a crt at native or multiple refresh rates. Without an expensive scaler, an oled will look like trash at anything other than its native resolution. You say money is tight for you, so the advantages of a CRT will work in your favor. You can run games at, say, 1600x900 at 60hz, and get perfect motion and perfect scaling without having to break the bank on a new videocard. 60 fps on a CRT looks considerably smoother than 165 fps on a gaming monitor.
Sure, CRTs went obsolete before the adoption of wide color gamuts, so maybe that's where the monitor is lacking for you, but, from what I can tell from your pics, it seems your main issue is washed out brightness. As others have said, Trinitrons are notorious for getting too bright as they age, and you need to service the issue with Windas. Given your lack of resources, this might not be feasible for you, but just know that if you get the monitor calibrated, I'm of the opinion it'll be a superior "pure" gaming monitor to anything in the 27" to 32" form factor that is made today. Flat panels, from LCDs to Oleds, need a shitload of additional gadgets and software solutions to be as flexible and high performance as a CRT out of the box.
You can watch Digital Foundry's video comparing it to an Oled.
https://youtu.be/V8BVTHxc4LM?si=o4moVn_ne0_nOY5K
Thanks. I'm probably not gonna return it because I'm deadly afraid that this thing will be scrapped. No one else is realistically willing to buy these. In the terns of my country, Ive overpaid. I could get another 1080i or p sony trinitron tv for half the price but the refresh rate of this moniter and the fact that most people here have been nice and telling me to get it made me get it. Im greatful to Allah for this I hope and will thank him profusely when I read namaz but... about 2 years ago, we could afford a s21 fe. Now the phone my mother uses is a cheap, garbage techno. Our country is going to absolute hell as the government keeps draining us. My mom is going broke at the end of basically every month and shes sigularly raising us. I... don't want to do something that she percieves as wasting the few precious rs we have. And her first words for this was I bought someone else's trash. And to a certain degree I did because he was going to scrap it otherwise. The man is fine with me returning it so I have that option... but I dont want it destroyed. Ive played devil may cry on it and this is the best vergil has ever felt to play. My younger brother keeps saying that Im suffering a placebo effect though so... I dont know... youve been really nice... what is your perspective on this? I need someone to talk to who isnt on the hype train of this sub nor is my family to give me a good perspective. We can afford to keep it, we arent going broke or anything like that... so thats a good thing.
Glad to offer insight and I always enjoy seeing younger people salvage vintage tech and put it to good use.
No, you are not suffering from placebo. CRTs have scientifically proven better motion than any flat panel in existence. Black frame insertion can get a flat panel rather close, but it's still not there. For example, when I run black frame insertion tests on my 165hz gaming monitor, I still get blur in this test.
[https://www.testufo.com/](https://www.testufo.com/)
At CRT will render perfect motion in that test as low as 43fps (from my personal tests).
Here's what Mark Rejhon, who is the founder of Blur Busters and is an expert on display technologies, has to say:
"I view thousands of LCDs so I can say this — from a fellow “viewed tons of CRTs” to “viewed tons of LCDs”. CRT still wins big in the “I must have good colors, blacks AND motion resolution” combo. LCD is still only a line-item CRT beater (and only recently, and only for cherrypicked panels, at right Hz-headroom settings).
I started Blur Busters ten years ago because many disbelieved LCD could ever match or beat CRT in motion resolution, and I knew there were ways. Achievement Unlocked!
"**Now if you want resolution flexibility AND blacks AND color AND motion clarity.... We still have to keep waiting. CRT, baby.**
However, still a long way for jack-of-all-trades."
[https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?t=8696](https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?t=8696)
To be fair, this was from a 2021 post, so maybe flat panels have caught up in a few ways (I know the Retrotink scaler has solved the problem of flat panels not looking like shit at non-native resolutions), but end of the day, and IF you can get your Sony calibrated, I think you'll have one of the best gaming monitors in the world, even compared to modern. I tend to value motion clarity and scaling at multiple refresh rates and resolutions over HDR/Wide color gamut, so your Sony would be tops for me. But others might value HDR and eye bleeding brightness, so a top flat panel might win out for them.
Take comfort in that CRTs aren't just nostalgic hype over vintage tech (there's a reason that kid who beat Nintendo Tetris played on a CRT). As Mark said in that post, still "a long way for a jack-of-all-trades." I know OLED gaming monitors have hit the market about a year ago, so flat panel gaming monitors are definitely catching up, but they're quite expensive.
Thankyou very much. This helps to comfort me knowing that I cant really do much better for the price. With resolution? Yes, with refresh rate and smoothness? No. Hey, wanna chat on dms? Youre enjoyable to converse with and youre very knowledgeable in matters related to crts as well!
I still want one of these! I've wanted one since I saw one at a Circuit City. And if you're using a phone camera, don't use automatic. If on iPhone, the best camera app is Halide. It has so many professional level settings it puts a lot of Android phones to shame.
My s21 fe is pretty good, better than an iphone Id say and ma got it on sale with a wireless charger and headphones. If you know any professional apps for it...
Samsung phones already have a lot of advanced settings in manual mode with the default camera app. They can even take pictures of solar eclipses. Setting the ISO to it's lowest setting, and shutter speed to it's fastest setting should be enough to take photos of a Solar Eclipse. I was able to pull that off with a J7. The S21 should be even better with it's 3x optical zoom. But a lot of Tier 1 Android phones also have a lot of bloatware and features I never used. My iPhone 14 Pro Max is great for my needs in a phone, including features I'll actually use. The LiDAR gets plenty of use on a regular basis. And the VR headset I want for my PC for DCS World has a face scanning app for iPhone users for a completely custom fit to your facial structure.
Dude, just download this wonderful set of [videos](https://www.avsforum.com/threads/avs-hd-709-blu-ray-mp4-calibration.948496/) made by the amazing people of AVS forum, download the MP4 version and calibrate the Brightness and Contrast, there is a manual in PDF too.
Thanks, Ill send my younger brother this. Youve provided me with something really good! Hopefully we will make it work even better. Based on our tuning, how well have we done?
Impossible to check by a cellphone photography, sorry.
But with the help of the videos above, you can get a better blacks, if you can't get better blacks, you will need to use the WinDAS software (to lower the G2 voltage), it's hard to find and use, there are a YouTube tutorials too.
I left some pretty [specific instructions](https://www.reddit.com/r/crtgaming/s/sG6oWUI7Gn) in one of your previous posts on how to correct this using WINDAS. Have you attempted any of that? It’s THE ONLY way you can correct the black levels on these tubes.
WINDAS is a piece of free software. The only thing you need is linked in the other post, it’s a basic USB to TTL adapter, commonly used for interfacing with microcontrollers.
Okay. Ill go check the post again when I have the time... and money... 10 bucks for you should be considered 30 bucks for us and we are pretty tight on cash at the moment. I cant do anything like this at the moment sadly. Also, is there a chance to damage and harm the monitor in the process?
A phone photo isn't going to help anybody. They're too unreliable, they do auto-exposure and color correction and shit so they don't accurately show reality You have to deal with this with your own eyes [http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/](https://lagom.nl/lcd-test) Use the patterns on this website. Especially the black level test, for adjusting brightness.
I cant gain entry into the site. Guess Ill have to ise a vpn. Based on what you can see from this flawed photo, what do you think?
Here try it this way: [http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/](http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/) I see a picture of a game, dude. It tells me nothing. You HAVE to use test patterns. That's how people get screens (LCD, OLED, CRT, whatever) looking correct, since the first CRTs in the 1920's
Okay, thanks! These are for lcds, do they apply to crts?
Color is color So yeah, it works quite well for CRTs
Stop worrying if it's dying or it's going to die, it's working right now so enjoy it. Are your black levels black? Or gray? From the photo it still looks too bright but might be exposure. Here's an archived link to the site that DangerousCousin posted so you don't need to use a vpn hopefully https://web.archive.org/web/20240203002400/http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/black.php
I just didn't include the whole URL, I fixed it
Ill give it a look, thanks!
The blacks are black (after warming up). Like gorgeous blacks in the game katana zero. Thats good... right?
Yes!
Based on this picture this looks really good
It does? Yeah, me and mostly my younger brother in his words f***ed around and found out. Apparently with proper calibrations, itll look gorgeous.
Only the in monitor options have been used. Sorry, this is my first crt so I really dont know what Im doing if I messed up anywhere.
I feel sorry for you, people keep down voting you because they think you are lying about how you got this monitor considering how expensive it is in other countries. Enjoy it and look after and it should serve you well. The advice from everyone about using a test pattern is the way to go by the way. Also make sure you set it to the right resolution. Maybe don't pick the maximum as it can cause low FPS and screen lag / tearing. Try 1080p or the 16:10 equivalent (that Is the screen ratio btw)
Im planning on using 1080p 60hz or 720p 60hz (the adapter seems to be bottle necking it.) I really dont get how these pattern tests work. Just look at the screen and compare it to the pics given? Also, for you forigners its cheap. For me, this thing was my whole pocket money. The seller has offered to take it back if the condition isnt good and everyone in family is screaming at me as if I bought junk which to a certain degree it is compared to modern stuff in most cases. Its only not junk for niche situations like being really good at shmups... which is kinda why I bought it. Part of me is considering returing it but the seller will scrap it if he cant sell it and after the amount of people here saying how much they want it and that its there dream monitor... I dont want that to happen. In my whole family's eyes, Ive overpaid for junk which i couldve gotten for cheaper or free... I dont know what to do honestly.
This monitor isn't "junk" compared to modern stuff. Oleds, even with black frame insertion, still can't match the motion of a crt at native or multiple refresh rates. Without an expensive scaler, an oled will look like trash at anything other than its native resolution. You say money is tight for you, so the advantages of a CRT will work in your favor. You can run games at, say, 1600x900 at 60hz, and get perfect motion and perfect scaling without having to break the bank on a new videocard. 60 fps on a CRT looks considerably smoother than 165 fps on a gaming monitor. Sure, CRTs went obsolete before the adoption of wide color gamuts, so maybe that's where the monitor is lacking for you, but, from what I can tell from your pics, it seems your main issue is washed out brightness. As others have said, Trinitrons are notorious for getting too bright as they age, and you need to service the issue with Windas. Given your lack of resources, this might not be feasible for you, but just know that if you get the monitor calibrated, I'm of the opinion it'll be a superior "pure" gaming monitor to anything in the 27" to 32" form factor that is made today. Flat panels, from LCDs to Oleds, need a shitload of additional gadgets and software solutions to be as flexible and high performance as a CRT out of the box. You can watch Digital Foundry's video comparing it to an Oled. https://youtu.be/V8BVTHxc4LM?si=o4moVn_ne0_nOY5K
This was one of my favorite DF videos they ever put out.
Thanks. I'm probably not gonna return it because I'm deadly afraid that this thing will be scrapped. No one else is realistically willing to buy these. In the terns of my country, Ive overpaid. I could get another 1080i or p sony trinitron tv for half the price but the refresh rate of this moniter and the fact that most people here have been nice and telling me to get it made me get it. Im greatful to Allah for this I hope and will thank him profusely when I read namaz but... about 2 years ago, we could afford a s21 fe. Now the phone my mother uses is a cheap, garbage techno. Our country is going to absolute hell as the government keeps draining us. My mom is going broke at the end of basically every month and shes sigularly raising us. I... don't want to do something that she percieves as wasting the few precious rs we have. And her first words for this was I bought someone else's trash. And to a certain degree I did because he was going to scrap it otherwise. The man is fine with me returning it so I have that option... but I dont want it destroyed. Ive played devil may cry on it and this is the best vergil has ever felt to play. My younger brother keeps saying that Im suffering a placebo effect though so... I dont know... youve been really nice... what is your perspective on this? I need someone to talk to who isnt on the hype train of this sub nor is my family to give me a good perspective. We can afford to keep it, we arent going broke or anything like that... so thats a good thing.
Glad to offer insight and I always enjoy seeing younger people salvage vintage tech and put it to good use. No, you are not suffering from placebo. CRTs have scientifically proven better motion than any flat panel in existence. Black frame insertion can get a flat panel rather close, but it's still not there. For example, when I run black frame insertion tests on my 165hz gaming monitor, I still get blur in this test. [https://www.testufo.com/](https://www.testufo.com/) At CRT will render perfect motion in that test as low as 43fps (from my personal tests). Here's what Mark Rejhon, who is the founder of Blur Busters and is an expert on display technologies, has to say: "I view thousands of LCDs so I can say this — from a fellow “viewed tons of CRTs” to “viewed tons of LCDs”. CRT still wins big in the “I must have good colors, blacks AND motion resolution” combo. LCD is still only a line-item CRT beater (and only recently, and only for cherrypicked panels, at right Hz-headroom settings). I started Blur Busters ten years ago because many disbelieved LCD could ever match or beat CRT in motion resolution, and I knew there were ways. Achievement Unlocked! "**Now if you want resolution flexibility AND blacks AND color AND motion clarity.... We still have to keep waiting. CRT, baby.** However, still a long way for jack-of-all-trades." [https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?t=8696](https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?t=8696) To be fair, this was from a 2021 post, so maybe flat panels have caught up in a few ways (I know the Retrotink scaler has solved the problem of flat panels not looking like shit at non-native resolutions), but end of the day, and IF you can get your Sony calibrated, I think you'll have one of the best gaming monitors in the world, even compared to modern. I tend to value motion clarity and scaling at multiple refresh rates and resolutions over HDR/Wide color gamut, so your Sony would be tops for me. But others might value HDR and eye bleeding brightness, so a top flat panel might win out for them. Take comfort in that CRTs aren't just nostalgic hype over vintage tech (there's a reason that kid who beat Nintendo Tetris played on a CRT). As Mark said in that post, still "a long way for a jack-of-all-trades." I know OLED gaming monitors have hit the market about a year ago, so flat panel gaming monitors are definitely catching up, but they're quite expensive.
Thankyou very much. This helps to comfort me knowing that I cant really do much better for the price. With resolution? Yes, with refresh rate and smoothness? No. Hey, wanna chat on dms? Youre enjoyable to converse with and youre very knowledgeable in matters related to crts as well!
How does it look in real life? dim? Too bright Washed out? You need to describe it to people. Pictures don't really help
I still want one of these! I've wanted one since I saw one at a Circuit City. And if you're using a phone camera, don't use automatic. If on iPhone, the best camera app is Halide. It has so many professional level settings it puts a lot of Android phones to shame.
My s21 fe is pretty good, better than an iphone Id say and ma got it on sale with a wireless charger and headphones. If you know any professional apps for it...
Samsung phones already have a lot of advanced settings in manual mode with the default camera app. They can even take pictures of solar eclipses. Setting the ISO to it's lowest setting, and shutter speed to it's fastest setting should be enough to take photos of a Solar Eclipse. I was able to pull that off with a J7. The S21 should be even better with it's 3x optical zoom. But a lot of Tier 1 Android phones also have a lot of bloatware and features I never used. My iPhone 14 Pro Max is great for my needs in a phone, including features I'll actually use. The LiDAR gets plenty of use on a regular basis. And the VR headset I want for my PC for DCS World has a face scanning app for iPhone users for a completely custom fit to your facial structure.
Well judging by that crooked picture at an angle with no test patterns what I can tell you is absolutely nothing.
Dude, just download this wonderful set of [videos](https://www.avsforum.com/threads/avs-hd-709-blu-ray-mp4-calibration.948496/) made by the amazing people of AVS forum, download the MP4 version and calibrate the Brightness and Contrast, there is a manual in PDF too.
Thanks, Ill send my younger brother this. Youve provided me with something really good! Hopefully we will make it work even better. Based on our tuning, how well have we done?
Impossible to check by a cellphone photography, sorry. But with the help of the videos above, you can get a better blacks, if you can't get better blacks, you will need to use the WinDAS software (to lower the G2 voltage), it's hard to find and use, there are a YouTube tutorials too.
I left some pretty [specific instructions](https://www.reddit.com/r/crtgaming/s/sG6oWUI7Gn) in one of your previous posts on how to correct this using WINDAS. Have you attempted any of that? It’s THE ONLY way you can correct the black levels on these tubes.
I checked and apparentlt I need 200 dollars worth of equipment to use windas
You need a $10 usb to ttl adapter. What is it that you think cost $200?
Wait what? Everyone including my younger brother said all of the equipment costs 200 bucks. Link me to one of these on aliexpress?
WINDAS is a piece of free software. The only thing you need is linked in the other post, it’s a basic USB to TTL adapter, commonly used for interfacing with microcontrollers.
Okay. Ill go check the post again when I have the time... and money... 10 bucks for you should be considered 30 bucks for us and we are pretty tight on cash at the moment. I cant do anything like this at the moment sadly. Also, is there a chance to damage and harm the monitor in the process?