How to Obtain a CRT TV for Retro Gaming - Retro Bird 

Here is my video about the actual benefits of using CRT TVs for retro gaming: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HRkAmqq8ldE.html

Your story about taking that 32 inch beast back and putting it on the lawn was making me laugh so hard.

I once took a road trip with a friend 1400 miles to retrieve 3 rare presentation monitors called NEC XM29. It was a great time. I have 4 in total, and these days each monitor would sell for somewhere north of $1500. So glad I got into this part of the hobby early!

I got a 27 inch JVC CRT for free locally as it was the smallest TV I could find with Component and S-Video. I smuggled it in to the house and down to the basement with a neighbour's help. About two weeks later I hear the missus voice echoing through the house: "what is this??????????"

Just saw a Sony trinitron out on the curb coming home from work today. I almost didn’t get it because it was sooo heavy but man I’m so glad I did. I feel like a true gamer now. I was playing my retro consoles on modern tv’s prior to today and they look awesome now!

I do junk removal on the side and I literally have people paying me to take these beautiful beasts away from them. Definitely one item I don’t mind taking because I’ve gotten some really classic ones and I let my kids experience the old ways with a genesis and crt. Glad to see there’s still some love for these out there.

Literally found a PVM 8040Q in an e-waste bin about a week ago. Still works fine! Good video going over the basics for people getting into CRTs, I'm hoping in the future more people work to preserve these beasts of technology. Don't count out PC CRTs either, I'm seeing listing for them going for over $100 now because they can display higher resolutions, but only really work on older consoles with an upscaler since they don't accept 240p/480i.

When I went to culinary school in Pittsburgh, I had to move from an apartment to a dormitory part way through due to crappy roommates. I had to carry all my stuff through several trips by hand, including a 20 inch CRT. It was about one mile including a trek over the Andy Warhol Bridge. I still remember wondering if I would ever be able to use my hands again after the trip carrying the CRT. Ahhh... those were the days.

I would add to get a CRT that comes with its original remote control. Some TVs cannot go into their service mode and be calibrated without an original remote. I like how you dropped the TV back on their lawn! ha! Great video.

I picked up a Sony Trinitron CRT about a month ago from Facebook market. Man, it was a beast to carry, but it’s awesome! Got it free and they all should be free.

I do home renovations , one day i sas working on this nice older ladies house and noticed she had a 32 inch crt in her upstairs so i asked about it and she said i would have thrown it out but its far to heavy for me to carry so i offered to take it and she said please take it your helping me out by removing it from my home . So i got it free . Works perfectly.

I finally got a CRT-TV to play my games on!!!

Got mine free in local Craigslist. Guys grandmother had passed and wanted it gone. So, exactly like you had said, I swooped in to pick it up. My oldest looks at it like an ancient technology.

The year was 2015, I had acquired a craigslist ad for a Sony Trinitron 27 inch CRT. I drove 30 miles to get it but when I arrived it was a 37 inch CRT and weighed 250lbs. I paid the $20 and lugged that sonna-bish to my convertible but needed to keep the top down due to its unexpected size. I drove the 30 miles home while outrunning some dark clouds in my rear view mirror. I arrived home and realized the clouds caught up with me and it began to rain cats and dogs. I was able to get the TV out of the car by plopping it onto a bean bag I had and then used a skateboard and tarp to roll it safely inside, It was an adventure to be sure. I still use it to this day. and love it to death, Great topic Bird!

I have a very small living space but wanted a CRT for gaming in the worst way. Went looking all over the place in my local area to no avail-either nothing at all or huge, 2-ton behemoths. Crestfallen, I was heading home after another hollow search but decided to stop by a small thrift shop I’d never been to before and lo and behold-they had a 13 inch CRT TV for $10!!! Bought on the spot and been enjoying that thing for going on 5 years now.

Sometimes you can find them just on the side of the road! I sometimes grab them if the are small enough!

I scored a Sony trinitron flatscreen at work. They let people use the dumpster and after 2 weeks I finally got the courage to claim it. Sure enough it looks great and has no issues! What a win. My wife would have been furious if I bought one, but now I can say I’m helping the environment by preventing e-waste. Can’t go wrong!

This is very helpful information for the community. _I like to jump into dumpsters to rescue old CRT TVs and monitors._ Recently scored a free Dell monitor this way. 😁

I bought the CRT I used for retro gaming now back in 2010, maybe 2011. I had just started driving at that point and had also just redecorated my bedroom at my parents house. I spent ages trawling through adverts trying to find the perfect TV; 4:3 ratio, S-video input, RGB SCART input and a reasonable size. The one I chose was a 25" Sony bought on eBay for £12 and had to drive something like 60 miles to get it, at the time that was the furthest I had ever driven. I picked it up from this amazing palatial house in Surrey from a guy who clearly didn't really want to part with it; His last words to me were 'look after it.' I brought it home on the backseat of my Vauxhall Cavalier, worrying that it was going to fall over. I drove the whole way there and back listening to the Blade Runner soundtrack and the first thing I watched on it was, yep, Blade Runner. I remember being surprised at how big it looked compared to my parents 32" TV and how amazing the black levels and sound quality was. I still have it today and it gets very heavy use, I've already had it repaired once and it's survived 3 house moves. To be honest it's on it's last legs with a bad green patch in the top left corner and some annoying geometry problems but I could never get rid of it!

I picked up a 32" trinitron that has component and svideo for free. My game room is in the basement, tv weighs 174lbs, I was by myself....I had to brace the tv with my shoulder and slide it on pilllows one step at a time, but once I got the thing hooked up? Bruised shoulder, torn leather car seat, broken a pillar trim...Worth the struggle.

I picked up 2 CRT's off the curb here in Kansas, your video inspired me to hook them up to my retro gear. I was immediately FLOORED by the crisp colors these things put out. I also remember the high pitched ringing. LOL. Thanks for the vid!! I won't be using my HDMI anymore for retro games!!!

these are all great tips I've been on a hunt for the perfect CRT for the past 2 months finally got my baby the other day Sony Trinitron kv-27fv310! growing up I had the 36-inch version great replacement love it just need to calibrate it now and get into the service menu but that's a headache

story: so, one day my mom came home and told me someone extremely close by had a crt tv in the front yard, so i came and picked it up and brought it home. now, this crt was surprisingly good, none of it’s buttons were broken aside from the power button which didn’t really matter as any button can power it on, it has RF, Component, and S-video support, and overall it just had a really good display

Always enjoy your videos and the humor! I actually got the same tv you have in the video. I got it from a estate sale in a house I ended up buying a couple of months after getting the tv. I had to move that joker 3 time before it got a home in my game room attic! I was really amazed at how good crappy old composite looks on a crt. It’s actually not as bad as people think.

Found a 27 inch Phillips CRT in one of my neighbors yards right after I watched this 😂 it was a bitch to get home alone had to stop halfway go home and push one of my tv stands with wheels up the street. I plopped it on there and pushed it home and I honestly couldn't be any more happy and sore

PICKING UP A 36 INCH TRINITRON WEGA! I AM SO EXCITED! WILL UPDATE LATER (EDIT) I GOT THE TV BUT I HAVE YET A PLACE TO PUT IT SO ITS IN MY TRUNK

my grandparents just gave me theirs while i was helping them move furniture. it's just a little emerson tv with a built-in VCR that eats tapes, but it works pretty good

I got my SONY PVM-14N6U as a trade from a video game collector, I've traded my copy of Conker's bad fur day into that PVM and this was the best decision of my life X3 That PVM was used for surveillance so it's very used

I got a CRT in like 2011 - 2013 for Christmas because it was my mom's easy solution to me wanting a tv and then it just vanished weather that being my mom getting rid of it or what have you but it was the first tv I used that was actually mine and I have fond memories of playing my Wii on it along with watching the newest harry potter movies on it. sadly I never was able to keep it for the time that I started getting into retro gaming but I will always have memories of the time I spent in front of that behemoth of a screen.

Some good info! :) I have a 4:3 crt, a 16:9 with hdmi, another 16:9 and recently a small 4:3 pvm for which I have to get some of those connectors you mention. I speak from experience: don't try to get a big crt on narrow stairs alone. You'll regret it. I know "one step at a time and then rest a bit" sounds good, but trust me it isn't...

I’ve got a 27” version of that WEGA TV you have (KV27-FS120). I was so excited to have found that one on Craigslist about 7 years ago. I paid $30 for it, but it was in fantastic shape. It replaced another 27” Sony Trinitron I had recently acquired (for free with an off brand 20” TV that actually had component inputs as well) but this WEGA had instant sentimental value, since I had that purchased that same model back in 1999. I had a bunch of great PlayStation and PlayStation2 memories on that TV. That larger version you have is also awesome, but let’s be real - that TV is a two man job. The 27” is doable alone for most people. IIRC, there’s also a 25” model in that WEGA line, but it skipped the component input.

There is a local recycling event I have volunteered at a few times to get TVs, you all should try the same. In the one in January I grabbed 3 out of the many they were recycling and I got them completely for free.

I found a 29" Sony Trinitron for sale near of my house and almost die taking it home. The best TV I ever have, I'm playing my Wii and PS2 games on it as I never got the chance back in the 2000's. Got it almost for free as the owner was praying to get rid of it. Love your videos!

theres a british heart foundation right in the centre of my town and quite a few years ago, the entire back wall of their shop was filled with hundreds of old crts. then, one day, i decided i wanted a crt for all my retro consoles. went to the store, and they had thrown out every single tv they had a couple months before i wanted one. absolutely broke my (british) heart (foundation)

I have always wanted to play on a CRT television ever since my parents discarded one we used to have. My city has since prohibited disposal of electronic waste for its official annual cleanup, but before then, my (now deceased) grandmother gave us her CRT television which still worked (she even taped a cutout of a sheet of paper and wrote "WORKS" on it) to leave out for the cleanup. I believe this was during the year 2016. I was hemming and hawing about whether I should take it when I walked up my street, waited a while, returned, and it was gone, just like that. Man, I should've snagged that thing when I had the chance...

Found mine in a old caravan my dad was using to store car parts in. When we were tearing it down there were two crts, one of which had av out on the front but was s u p e r heavy, and a smaller one which had scart on the back. I ended up taking the small one, I use it to play all my retro games now!

Another excellent video my vintage feathered friend 🤟👽

There s something about RU-vid videos about crt's and retro gaming! Yours looks alot like mine..front and back.😁👍

I got. a Bang & Olufsen for free. It has a great picture, great sound and a motorized foot to adjust the viewing angle with the remote. A window opens when turned on. I got it because I was sick of the lag I had using the Gameboyplayer.

I'm just in the 80s and 90s music electronics attire fragrances love the channel just found it

Have an old JVC tv, I got from my uncle when I started living on my own in 2004. I got a free BMV a couple of years ago, but it was broken and didn't have color when connection PAL consoles. Last year I found the same BMV, but white and the seller put some cool vinyl Dreamcast logo stickers on it for a great price. And I sold the broken one to an expat who was only gonna use it for NTSC consoles.

I got really lucky with my CRT, I found it online and it was a 32" wega sony trinitron. and it was being sold for free by someone i knew! it was way better than playing on my hd tv

Hey Retro Bird, I really enjoy the videos you post especially the How to collect for the Sega Saturn so could you do a top 10 of the best sega Saturn games?

Watching videos about CRTs is the only like I like more than CRTs themselves.

Oh man I remember when I got my 32 Sony Trinitron on FB for free. I asked my mom to help me go and get it. The thing tho...I didn't really tell her how big or heavy this tv was... when we got there, my mom face when from please to disappointments/upset when she saw it. I'm so sorry mom.....

WIthin thew last week I picked up 3 TVs from aside of the road with the intention that I will drop the ones I do not want back to the road during next years roadside event. 19 in magnavox from 2003: No Display issues, its just the picture quality you expect from that brand. Still better than ALL lcd displays for retro games, but subpar in CRT Standards. 20in Sony Trinitron (from 1989!): Beautiful little set despite its age. Still puts mid 2000s tvs to shame for its picture quality. Perfect for running 1980s/1990s game consoles using composite video because thats the highest input the TV Supports. 24in Toshiba 24af43: Another Gorgeous TV with no noticable flaws. The colors really pop up and supports S-Video and Component video! At first I was going to keep only one of the TVs, but because both the Sony and the Toshiba looked so damn good, like literally out of the box good, I'm going to keep both!

I got myself a 13 inch Trinitron that is RGB modded which I use for my old consoles. The best thing about its size is that it's easy to carry around and and can be easily stored away when not in use. I also have a 17 inch CRT monitor that I have held on to since we first got it, still has a nice image, but currently in storage.

The thought of returning a curb TV after taking it for a couple days is hilarious. I wonder if it would be considered littering or illegal dumping at that point. 😂

I saw a CRT on the street a few weeks ago. It honestly haunts me slightly, I passed it up snice I really dont have the space for one, but it was just there on the sidewalk. I dont know if it had component or not (probably not but who knows) and I regret not at least checking. I might have been worth to take in just for that, even if its big.

Got a CRT from one of my parents friends. Only had the cable connection, so I got the other one that was offered. It just so happened to be the same brand but with the needed inputs.

I personally just got one off a friend. He said it didn't work and was going to dump it so me him and another guy to go down to check it out. It, in fact, did work, and I took it. Though it was a pain to carry and couldn't fit in my trunk, we got it a new home

I bought my 21 inch Sony CRT from 1998 from an old lady who probably used it 24h a day because it behaves kinda weird... but it still works tho. Looks wonderful with my NES, SNES, PS1 and GameCube. It‘s also really nice to watch like old shows and movies on Netflix with my xbox 360. Probably the best 10€ i ever spent.

Glad I found your channel, love your videos!

If you're in the northern midwest, there are a lot of towns that do a city wide cleanup once a year.. Aka free CRT TV day. Also a portable and cheap solution so you can test the TV right there: portable power bank and an older camera with composite output directly on it

I just found your channel, I’m having a great time going through all of your videos. I also just found myself a Sony KV-36FV300. My wife thinks I’m crazy, but I’m pretty pumped about it.

Not long ago my mom called me to tell me that she was going through her attic and found some old electronics and wanted to know if I wanted them. No, it wasn't my childhood Genesis. But it was one of the TVs I played that Genesis on as a kid. It was a cheapo RF only TV that we used in the kitchen initially then in my room later on. So now it's in my garage awaiting an RGB mod so that I can once again play Sonic on it.

The CRT I currently use is 27 inches and used to belong in my Grandma's house. It spent a lot of time chilling in the garage doing nothing for awhile before I snagged it for my retro setup and light gun fix. Its overall pretty awesome and even has component and S-Video in the back. Unfortunately the S-Video is a little bit janky sometimes, the picture just doesn't stay stable on that connection probably due to wear and tear. The component input is perfect though, so I use a transcoder to turn my S-Video in a component just for that TV.

love you retro bird, you help me cope

I got 2 CRTs on eBay, one was delivered to my house and the other I had to drive to Colchester to pick it up. They are the Pacific PDVTV14-100C and the Philips 28PW5407/05 the latter being one of what I have at least experienced one of the rarer curved screen widescreen CRTs. They both have a Composite with stereo audio port and SCART, the Philips having 2, the Pacific's only SCART port supports RGB, whilst the Philips bottom SCART port support RGB. The Pacific PDVTV14-100C also has a built-in DVD player

Your theme song at the end always gets stuck in my head from time to time lol

Commodore 1702 was & still is my crt of choice.

I have a Philips 28" CRT and attached to it by scart is Ps1,Ps2,Dreamcast,Gamecube,Saturn and OG Crystal Xbox. I use two 4 way scart adaptors. Its brilliant playing these consoles the way there meant to be played.

I have a 36inch Trinitron that fell down a 2 story flight of stairs. It still works like new. Just has a crack on the speaker grill.

Dusted off my old CRT I kept for my retro consoles. Finally set up all my consoles again. Played DKC 1 for a good while yesterday. Tried playing again today, now it's stuck on stand-by for some reason. Such a shame, loved that TV. Had it for 15+ years at the very least, as a 2nd owner.

I bought my BVM from a Sears Headquarters in Chicago suburbs that was closing down last year.

Not gonna lie they deserve the tv back sitting on their lawn for giving it away and not putting a note on it lol.

I got a Sony Trinitron CRT here in Peru for like $18. You're definitely not going to get a CRT for free here, but at least they're usually very cheap since sellers often just want to get rid of those TVs quickly. Also, regarding 3:20, those "HD" CRTs actually add input lag due to some digital processing happening on the inside. A good idea for just watching TV, but not so much for gaming with zero lag.

one time my picture tube started to display stuff in rainbow. (and it was a pretty good crt too.) we had to dispose of it. RIP old friend. :(

Dude your channel is awesome. I would love to see you livestream yourself playing some games.

Totally love this post I am a CRT man myself would love to purchase at least 3 love Sony 960 series jvc d series and any mitsubishi which is so hard to find I live in Jamaica and ordering one from Ebay is costly could you give me some options where to get one

I got a Samsung tantus and it's great, superb image, sound, and have component, s video and composite inputs. S video is a game changer for most classic consoles. Tip: Get a s-video switcher to get maximum profit.

I found my first crt after about 6 months of searching because I wanted specific models, and I lucked into a 20 inch trinitron for about $100 at a local repair shop. Just got my second recently and it's a Samsung slimfit I got from a coworker, haven't tested it yet but can't wait once I can reliably move the 90lb monstrosity. I actually just ask around at work and social gatherings that I'm interested in retro gaming and preservation and sometimes the topic comes up where they have an old TV laying around as well

I think I have that same TV, Sony CRT flat screen’s are nice 👍

I recently found a 36inch Sony Trinitron XBR for free but i hope my room fit

I got the perfect one for retro gaming. It's a Samsung flat screen 32 inch my brother got for me for free. It's a projector but still tube style crt, shooting a projector from the back of the tube in a incline that goes up. Makes things look more 3d with kind of like a wobble effect from the projector.

Just go to Goodwill, they are stacked on old CRTs

Really glad I found your channel. Great video! Any chance you could tell me the name of the song playing in the background? It sounds like an SNES sound font but I'm not sure what it is.

Sony Trinitrons tend to have more inputs. Mine have 1 RF and 2 sets of composite video. They also have the best picture. It's ironic, my family couldn't afford one when I was young, now I have multiple.

I just was at a recycle event held at my local community college. Brought a 15 year old flat screen to be recycled. They put it in a dumpster that you could walk in that had at least 4 CRTs in there. Hit up your local recycle events and just hang out to nab one.

I love playing retro games on my Xbox one that have the option for scan lines. The double drgons have this a swell as pac man and dig dug

That is a beautiful switch box. Mine only has composite and S video. Gonna try to hunt for one with S video and hopefully component.

I have a Sony KV-HR36M31 It weighs in at 88KG and is one of the best CRT TV’s you’ll ever see.

LOL you dumped the TV back where you found it. Hilarious.

I found a Sony KV-27FV310. Wish it was a 36'' but it's still a beauty! I also have a Commodore 1702 monitor, with a S-video the a RCA to S-video connector. Is there a switching device that you can recommend? Thanks for the video.

What about using a converter such as OSSC? I am using that with very good results

Just picked myself up a Sony Wega KV21FS120. It's amazing. But, I know one day it will die so I am sad. I may become a CRT hoarder :s ... Already on my 4th CRT

I worked at goodwill for five years I had to dispose a lot of them CRt 🥺

I got mine on EBay, and picked up locally.

LOL you took the tv back. That’s great

some of my advises: 1) avoid flat screen CRT's with 100hz if you wanna play retro consoles (up to 5th gen). 2) for 6th gen and up is recommended EDTV or HDTV's capable to do 480p/720p and 1080i. 3) avoid widescreens as much is possible. 4) avoid korean cr@p such as Samsung or LG. 5) for CRT HDTV don't go over 28" or 16:9 if its not premium class 6) best brands of CRT TV's for old consoles are Sony,Toshiba,Mitsubishi,JVC,Philips,Loewe 7) for EDTV/HDTV i can recommend only 4:3 Sony Wega Trinitron's (something with 800lines and up). 8) for EU region things are pretty much ugly since in nearly impossible to get your hands on a decent HD CRT with component video inputs

This video is about 2 years old, and may not be as relevant anymore (at least not in my area in idaho). 2015- about 2018 was the golden age of getting free CRT/cheap CRT, and i made ap oint to capitalize on it it by using my home as a revolving door (i've been through about 20+ crt in that time to find the ones i keep forever). The issue is that with the abundance of resellers popping up, free/cheap CRT go fast, especially "good ones" (10-20 inch screens that are good for playing on without requiring two people to lift) Recycle centers now offer free dropoff for tech as well (or businesses offer to pick up for a small fee, and you guessed it they resell anything of value and drop off the rest at free recycle centers). if you are in the market for a CRT, you need to consider getting one now even if it costs a bit of money. Don't be afraid to spend some money (up to $100) if you find a good one either. My last 2 i paid $100 each for, but they were worth every penny- a 14 in color security monitor (new in box) and a 20 in 1980s european JVC (AV-20 that i can't seem to find much about online, but mine came with the repair schematics and manual. It even has a region switch to change from NTSC, PAL. and SECAM signal!) The point being that LCD and other TV's hit the market hard around 2006. around 2015 they had dominated the market and become the norm. Its not been almost 20 years since CRT was phased out, and the easy pickins soon wont be very easy to get. make your move now and get your hands on them before they just arent around anymore.

I managed to obtain 2 Samsung NC10 Notebooks (2008), they still work but the memory pops out the back easily on one, also got 2 Asus Laptops that are newer but still retro. And mainly use them for installing oses on. The charger is funky and I don't think I'm gonna replace it.

I picked up a 19 inch crt only to realize it only had RF inputs when I got home. It's still sitting in my garage.

best part is when i sold my crtv in highscool and and bought a flatscreen thinking id never need it then 8 years later buying another one to play nes games

I still have my old CRT TV from company called Videocon (Indian Company that made Electronics from 1980s to 2010s) Still has great resolution on a 14 inch Colour TV.📺 The only thing js that it has an special antenna port and input and output Composite TV. It doesn't even have an RF connection but it is good fir modern hardwares with Composite Audio/Video cabkes with one end having 3.5mm AV jack.

Found a 32 inch 4:3 1080i "sensory apparatus" with not only component and multiple s-video inputs, but also VGA!

I found a crt at my local thrift store for 9,99. Iam coping that

I got a 15 inch Samsung crt from good will for 15$ it has component!

i have quite a couple of crts in my old house, but i am getting one of them for myself, and its a cute little funai 14" - granted it only has a scart input on the back and mono av on the front but ill really only use one thing on it so its definitely worth it :) crts rock

Getting a CRT in Europe it's a pain in ass... most TVs work as PAL50Hz...