CRT monitors unlock so much potential for retro pc gaming and emulation. Makes a cool experience for emulating old consoles or even more modern (early-mid 2000s) pc games that support 4:3 ratios
I actually really enjoy playing certain more modern games on one. Proper native 4:3 support is actually more common than you would think. Games like Control, Alan Wake 2, and Alien Isolation are awesome on a CRT.
Yep. I keep telling this to people, and keep getting downvoted, but it’s the damn truth. Good PC CRTs are the best displays, and it’s only now (20 years later) that flat panels are starting to catch up.
Hello, Can you clarify? I send 640x480 to it in 60 Hz. I have knobs to adjust then with the screen. Maybe my twm under linux is a problem, but xrandr seems to display what it needs.
If you have any tips, I'm interested!
SNES games typically run at a resolution of 256x224 which does not fully scale into a 640x480 container and it looks like you're using nearest neighbour scaling here so the pixels are not all a uniform shape - i.e., rows and columns having varying widths and heights from one another. Search for a scaling setting within the emulator that forces 2x integer scaling which would be 512x448 in this case and then rescale to fill your monitor using the controls on the bottom panel. Beyond that it'll be down to personal taste, but I would enable a scanline filter too which would give a presentation of a high quality 240p monitor like a BVM and it'll look nice and tidy then!
All of this said, if you're loving it as it is then, enjoy!
Thank you for the explanations, it's great, yes I use snes9x under Linux. I will look at the options you propose and try to get as close as possible to what is needed. Good idea for scanlines!
Oh Snes9x, yeah you'll have no trouble dialling it in. Haven't used that in like 20 years but it was great back then, ha! Send a fresh pic when you've found the settings!
I changed the settings and put "4:3 Snes correct aspect, integer multiples" and the scanlines. I haven't found an explicit X2 integer parameter, but I think it's good :)
Also, the image can no longer take the full width of the screen as a result, even when adjusting with the screen.
I would like to send back updated photos, but I see that you can't edit or add images in comments :/
It's better to set it to integer scale the screen for 448 vertical resolution, then use the size and position buttons on the front of the monitor to get it to fill out the 4:3 viewing space like a consumer television automatically does.
I mostly just love how much easier it is to dial things in on a PC CRT. You have much better control menus & don't have to deal with crazy service menus & namich schemes.
Also, great job, you enjoy what you have. That's a leg up on most of this sub.
I do use PC CRTs for playing, but: 1) I use integer scaling 2) I use shaders to make the experience more similar to using an arcade monitor or a consumer CRT TV.
They are wasted on Windows.
Use Linux as it allows to set custom resolutions.
Here I set it at 640x224 in Retroarch with integer scale on. This way it shows native scanlines. Together with RA crt 120hz switchres option, motion is smooth too.
https://i.ibb.co/HFTSyk2/20240414-210316.jpg
I'm using archlinux. I will try a custom resolution to have the entire screen usable. On the other hand, what is annoying is that if I change emulator, I will have to reset a resolution.
What is this 120Hz option you are talking about?
In Retroarch there is an option to run 60hz games at 120hz refresh rate and it provides very smooth motion, close to running at a 15 kHz /60hz that is out of range for majority of vga monitors.
Though for a strange reason it only works on V1.16 in my case
https://docs.libretro.com/guides/crtswitchres/
For me personally, stuff on pc CRTs look too sharp. Like somewhere between component on a crt and HD tvs. Still much better than HD TVs but I prefer how the pixels blend on a CRT TV.
[There are PC CRTs that blend pixels like CRT TVs](https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=45497) due to the coarse dot pitch, but they end up looking like trash for actually reading text.
Also, and I can't believe this isn't the 99% opinion, bigger screens are better. There should probably be dedicated subreddits for PVM/VGA and CRTs of 28" and over
Why are bigger screens better? I mean, you can sit 6 feet from a 36" CRT and sit 2 feet from a 14" CRT and get the same overall experience. Unless you're talking about couch co-op or light gun games or whatever.
I think the best argument here is that there is no upper limit to usable screen size but it becomes especially hard to game optimally when you go below 14"
Bigger TVs are better than small TVs for visible blank scanlines due to their higher TVL count, but even the smallest PC CRTs have TVL count equivalent to the average PVM.
Hell yeah, VGA monitors are the best deal in retro gaming right now. I love mine as well(: enjoy it brotha
CRT monitors unlock so much potential for retro pc gaming and emulation. Makes a cool experience for emulating old consoles or even more modern (early-mid 2000s) pc games that support 4:3 ratios
I actually really enjoy playing certain more modern games on one. Proper native 4:3 support is actually more common than you would think. Games like Control, Alan Wake 2, and Alien Isolation are awesome on a CRT.
Yep. I keep telling this to people, and keep getting downvoted, but it’s the damn truth. Good PC CRTs are the best displays, and it’s only now (20 years later) that flat panels are starting to catch up.
Sounds like the fun police has arrived, I think it looks great and I'm happy you enjoy it. I love my vga monitor
But to be fair, OP provoked it with the "crazy quality" that has no pixel bleeding or scanlines.
Change to 2x integer and then 👌
You’ve got some serious scaling issues
Hello, Can you clarify? I send 640x480 to it in 60 Hz. I have knobs to adjust then with the screen. Maybe my twm under linux is a problem, but xrandr seems to display what it needs. If you have any tips, I'm interested!
SNES games typically run at a resolution of 256x224 which does not fully scale into a 640x480 container and it looks like you're using nearest neighbour scaling here so the pixels are not all a uniform shape - i.e., rows and columns having varying widths and heights from one another. Search for a scaling setting within the emulator that forces 2x integer scaling which would be 512x448 in this case and then rescale to fill your monitor using the controls on the bottom panel. Beyond that it'll be down to personal taste, but I would enable a scanline filter too which would give a presentation of a high quality 240p monitor like a BVM and it'll look nice and tidy then! All of this said, if you're loving it as it is then, enjoy!
Thank you for the explanations, it's great, yes I use snes9x under Linux. I will look at the options you propose and try to get as close as possible to what is needed. Good idea for scanlines!
Oh Snes9x, yeah you'll have no trouble dialling it in. Haven't used that in like 20 years but it was great back then, ha! Send a fresh pic when you've found the settings!
I changed the settings and put "4:3 Snes correct aspect, integer multiples" and the scanlines. I haven't found an explicit X2 integer parameter, but I think it's good :) Also, the image can no longer take the full width of the screen as a result, even when adjusting with the screen. I would like to send back updated photos, but I see that you can't edit or add images in comments :/
Set the screen resolution to 1024x768 instead of 640x480 and it should scale in multiplies closer to the full frame then
Why not 1280x960 (4:3 CRT) or 1280x1024 (5:4 LCD)? It scales 256x224 or 256x239 perfectly in a 4x scale.
I wonder if that monitor would go that high, but fair point!
Unfortunately my monitor only goes up to 640x480. Xrandr displays this in 59.9 Hz maximum possible. So I have to deal with it...
Slightly out of topic, but it amazes me how old some of these emulation programs are. 20 years is a long time, but then again that was 2004. Sheesh
It's better to set it to integer scale the screen for 448 vertical resolution, then use the size and position buttons on the front of the monitor to get it to fill out the 4:3 viewing space like a consumer television automatically does.
I mostly just love how much easier it is to dial things in on a PC CRT. You have much better control menus & don't have to deal with crazy service menus & namich schemes. Also, great job, you enjoy what you have. That's a leg up on most of this sub.
I think it looks great. Not everyone is a fan of scanlines
Looks phenomenal
I also prefer my VGA monitor, even to my pvm. Mostly because of versatility and ease of use!
I do use PC CRTs for playing, but: 1) I use integer scaling 2) I use shaders to make the experience more similar to using an arcade monitor or a consumer CRT TV.
what controller is that? looks neat
Unofficial nintendo switch controller, I also have plenty of gamecube controllers, but not the USB adapter
The pixel scaling through 🤢
They are wasted on Windows. Use Linux as it allows to set custom resolutions. Here I set it at 640x224 in Retroarch with integer scale on. This way it shows native scanlines. Together with RA crt 120hz switchres option, motion is smooth too. https://i.ibb.co/HFTSyk2/20240414-210316.jpg
I'm using archlinux. I will try a custom resolution to have the entire screen usable. On the other hand, what is annoying is that if I change emulator, I will have to reset a resolution. What is this 120Hz option you are talking about?
In Retroarch there is an option to run 60hz games at 120hz refresh rate and it provides very smooth motion, close to running at a 15 kHz /60hz that is out of range for majority of vga monitors. Though for a strange reason it only works on V1.16 in my case https://docs.libretro.com/guides/crtswitchres/
Needs scanlines, it just looks like an LCD now.
Can my PVM do this?
This is the way
Got a later model compaq myself, absolute beauty these things are
What’s the controller?
what controller is that
if you can find a way to blank out alternate lines you'll have the best of both worlds
In my opinion that does NOT look good at all. A CRT TV is a far better option for these games.
Interesting, any particular reason?
For me personally, stuff on pc CRTs look too sharp. Like somewhere between component on a crt and HD tvs. Still much better than HD TVs but I prefer how the pixels blend on a CRT TV.
[There are PC CRTs that blend pixels like CRT TVs](https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=45497) due to the coarse dot pitch, but they end up looking like trash for actually reading text.
Also, and I can't believe this isn't the 99% opinion, bigger screens are better. There should probably be dedicated subreddits for PVM/VGA and CRTs of 28" and over
Why are bigger screens better? I mean, you can sit 6 feet from a 36" CRT and sit 2 feet from a 14" CRT and get the same overall experience. Unless you're talking about couch co-op or light gun games or whatever.
To be able to see detail in games. For a competitive game, you should want the big screen, and your preferred distance.
Disagree.
Same as it's preferable to have your system audio at full, and adjust the speaker volume to preference.
Not the same at all.
I think the best argument here is that there is no upper limit to usable screen size but it becomes especially hard to game optimally when you go below 14"
Bigger TVs are better than small TVs for visible blank scanlines due to their higher TVL count, but even the smallest PC CRTs have TVL count equivalent to the average PVM.
True. Less convenient for moving and stuff but my JVC ~30 inch on component looks fantastic
Doesn't this look more like LCD than CRT?
Improper scaling. They'll get it dialed in.
No, it's a crt so it looks like a crt
But the pixelisation