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CRT TVs were great, and an absolute must for all classic video games. However, it cannot be denied that it's impossible to buy a new CRT TV today, at least in any kind of normal store, and you rarely even see any old ones being thrown away anymore. At least not here. A few years ago, I would still spot them regularly just for picking up for free. Such is no longer the case, probably because all "normal" people have switched to flat screens at this point.

It's possible that somebody might find a "new old stock" CRT TV in a warehouse somewhere, but that's insanely lucky and I don't have any such connections (or luck). Besides, they are large, heavy and clunky. They will likely be impossible to repair or find spare parts for if and when they break. Opening one up myself and poking around can literally be lethal.

Hooking up a classic console to a modern TV never gives you the right look, not even if you buy a special "upscaler" device to put in between. (No matter how expensive the upscaler is, it just isn't logically possible because a completely different technology was used to display the picture with the old TVs. Maybe it can one day be accurately simulated with future, ultra-hi-res and superior to today's TV tech, but we aren't even close to there yet.)

This made me think of this theoretical "fake CRT", built new and physically flat, but not using the standard flatscreen technology of today, but rather some sort of "simulated CRT" technology. Is there such a thing? Imagine being able to order a flat, convenient 14" or 21" CRT "panel" that you simply place in your home which produces an image just like the old CRTs, but without all the problems that come from obtaining and keeping a CRT TV around.

I'm not looking for a general TV which also "doubles as" a retro gaming display, but a dedicated one which is only for retro gaming and has no requirements of displaying normal modern TV/whatever signals. All I want is an accurate simulation of what the CRTs produced, so that an expert eye could not tell the difference if you placed this thing on a wall next to an actual CRT which is built into the wall.

Is there such a thing, or is anyone working on one? If not, what's stopping this from existing? Too small market? Physical limitations that prevent this from ever existing?

M. S.
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    This might belong on retro computing stack exchange. It also seems to be a product recommendation. – DKNguyen May 10 '21 at 18:18
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    There is literally no market for such a device, probably why it doesn't exist. – jko May 10 '21 at 18:30
  • @jko "Literally no market"? Are you kidding? – M. S. May 10 '21 at 18:37
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    So, what is the number of avid gamers who want such a device, compared the the number of households wanting a new tv? probably <1% which is a good definition of "no market". – Solar Mike May 10 '21 at 19:09
  • The product you're describing would basically be a standard flatscreen, plus some type of upscaler, ..so it sounds like it already exists. I believe HDMI output can be pixel perfect, so whatever the all-in-one device could do, the inline adapter could do. One thing these devices would not be able to replicate however would be the near zero latency of a CRT, they can get it low if everything is done right, but not zero. – Drew May 10 '21 at 20:37
  • It would be a lot easier to just buy old CRT TV's selling fo rnext-to-nothing. – Tiger Guy May 10 '21 at 20:38
  • @Drew No, and I explicitly mention how that is NOT the same... But nobody ever reads anything I type... – M. S. May 10 '21 at 21:13
  • @TigerGuy You say that, but then we have what I posted... Which explains why that is not easy at all, and won't be getting any easier... But why bother explaining when people don't read here anyway? – M. S. May 10 '21 at 21:14
  • Did you mean « people here don’t read anyway »? – Solar Mike May 10 '21 at 21:40
  • @M.S. you read it. – Tiger Guy May 10 '21 at 22:21
  • @TigerGuy What? – M. S. May 10 '21 at 22:23
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    If you wanted to do this "accurately" you would first need a very hi resolution LED monitor, (e.g. to simulate the artefacts from the TV tube color mask) and also a very high refresh rate (maybe 200FPS or higher) to simulate the analog rise and fall times of the phosphor display. Whether there is a market for a CRT emulation box that costs maybe $10,000 or $20,000, and doesn't interface to a standard LED monitor anyway, (because of the refresh rate) is another question. – alephzero May 11 '21 at 11:50

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No one is working on it

because no one thinks they can make money creating a poor quality flat screen monitor. I doubt there is a technical limitation to creating a slow-refresh low resolution monitor.

Tiger Guy
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  • Nobody said anything about "poor quality" or "slow-refresh". CRT TVs are not "poor quality flat screen monitors". They are a completely different technology, producing a visual effect impossible to achieve with current standard flat screens. Please, if you don't know what you are talking about, don't respond at all. – M. S. May 10 '21 at 22:23
  • @M.S. dude you seem to have ingrained thoughts about this. Feel free to ask elsewhere next time. – Tiger Guy May 12 '21 at 18:09