Computer monitors and televisions that use CRT technology have large, heavy physical casings. The long length between the front screen and the back of the case is necessary to accommodate the length of the vacuum tube. Cathode-ray tubes were commonly used in televisions and computer monitors throughout the mid-to-late s.
Throughout that time, manufacturers continually improved performance and resolution. Most computer monitors in the s only displayed green text on a black screen. In the early s, advances in technology made flat-panel displays more accessible. But when viewed on a vintage CRT, everything is crisp and correctly proportioned. Second, some video game accessories, such as light guns , only work with CRT displays.
Third, the visual artifacts created when images are displayed on a CRT can be considered part of the original intended art style of some video games.
In fact, some games took advantage of the properties of an NTSC signal or the CRT itself to blend colors or provide the illusion of more depth, shading, and transparency than would be the case on a pixel-perfect display.
For excellent examples of this, check out this deep thread on Twitter. Most of those positive graphical artifacts are lost when modern games are presented in pixel-perfect formats through emulators or on modern digital displays.
With CRTs on the endangered species list, there is some fear that we may lose touch with this important 20th-century technology for good.
Just look at the success of vinyl and the Impossible Project , which brought Polaroid instant film back into production. The Best Tech Newsletter Anywhere Join , subscribers and get a daily digest of news, geek trivia, and our feature articles. For events that are fast and repetitive, or high frequency, a short-persistence phosphor is generally preferred.
Over time, phosphors wear down and lose some of the properties that make them functional. There are around 50 different phosphors available for your CRT, ask us which ones are best for your application. Indeed, they will. For over 65 years, our focus has been CRTs; they will continue to be our focus for the foreseeable future.
Further evidence of our commitment is shown through:. The technologies we use at Thomas Electronics are the same as those used in a variety of high-technology manufacturing processes and industries. Modern LCD screens are much better at compensating for this, with multiple LEDs evenly lighting the panel and local backlight dimming, but true blacks are still not possible. CRTs on the other hand can display blacks almost perfectly thanks to how it draws the picture on the back of the screen.
Modern technologies like OLED does nearly as well, but is still far too expensive for mainstream consumers. Plasma was also very good in this regard, but has been largely phased out. So right now in the best black levels are still to be found in CRTs. If you like consuming retro content, which includes old video games from before HD consoles and standard aspect ratio video content, it may be best to watch them on a CRT.
So what you see will never match their intentions exactly. Some video games actually took advantage of CRT quirks to generate effects such as flowing water or transparency. Which is why CRTs are popular and sought after among retro gamers. CRT screens are huge, heavy, power-hungry and less suitable for productivity and watching widescreen films. Despite their large size, actual screen dimensions are tiny relative to flat panels. Despite the substantial image quality and motion advantages CRTs have over even the best modern flat panels, only a small niche group of people are willing to put up with the long list of drawbacks that come with CRT use.
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