Hey so I recently picked up a Vidiot and was trying to just follow along with the intro video for it on the LZX youtube channel and noticed certain things looked different and I wondered if my TV was the issue. Any time my patterns got too dense, it would tend to look blurry and fuzzy rather than simply a dense pattern.
The TV i’m using is an LED Samsung TV (like 32" or something, just had it in a closet and it’s the only screen I own with input other than HDMI). I never changed any aspect ratio settings in case that makes a difference. I was using composite (I just ordered a set of component cables after reading here that it is higher quality).
I noticed that most people use CRT monitors or LCD screens. The former is more money than I’d like to spend unless I have to (I’d rather spend the money on a camera or DVD/VHS player unless I manage to find a tube screen locally for under $100) so I’m debating trying to find a barebones LCD just to have more excuses to lose a few hours to the Vidiot or figure out if my current TV can work.
Can anyone share some insight on the advantages/disadvantages of screen types and/or ways to mitigate the downfalls of less-than-ideal devices? Sorry if this has been asked. I tried searching for “monitor” and “television” and “led” and wasn’t able to figure out the answer to my question. tia
Thanks for posting. Where are you located? I see free CRTs on the curb and cheap ones at thrift stores all the time in Texas. Check out the free section of your local Craigslist!
Hey thanks! I tried searching “crt monitor” in my area (Cleveland) and didn’t find what I was looking for nor did I find anything at my local thrift store but it looks like there’s quite a few on the free section!
Is that going to give me a picture more similar to the LZX demo videos of the Vidiot? Is using the composite cable included fine?
Appreciate the suggestion. Looks like I’ll have to snag myself a tube TV and get back to toying around
Most people giving away CRT monitors just think of them as OLD TV’s! Hope you find a good one.
The Vidiot demos on Youtube are captured digitally (Blackmagic Terranex Mini- SDI out to Blackmagic Hyperdeck Shuttle 2), but there are lots of people rescanning CRT screens.
Try looking for terms that were more common to CRT owners and brands/models that were more common on CRT models, these are terms I’ve used successfully:
13" TV - a common size of small CRTs that is rare for HDTVs.
Trinitron, Wega - popular lines of Sony CRTs
JVC - Brand that didn’t make a lot of HDTVs.
PVM - Try your luck! Sony’s professional CRTs are extremely sought-after by retro gamers and video artists alike for their exceptional image quality.
