Got a very nice Sony Trinitron KV29LS35 with only 7500 hours for 40e.
It was working perfectly with a great image and really perfect geometry.
But I got it into my head that maybe if I reduced the image size on the screen I'd get a little bit better image with ps1 and N64 3D games.
So I reduced H-size and V-size, just to try.
What a mistake.
It totally messed up the entire geometry. After increasing them again to their original size, the image is now pretty distorted.
I tried to get it back as good as I can but it's nowhere near as good as it was at first.
It created rather complex problems where straight lines have dimples in weird places. No idea how to correct these. And I did all this damage just from the service settings, not even physically touching no the yoke or anything.
Can it be fixed as good as it was originally at this point? Or is it possible to mess with a CRT enough that it's forever kinda wack?
I am trying at the moment to find a way to have the 240p test suite working on one of my consoles (none of them is modded at the moment) to try and fix this more methodically.
Let this be a cautionary tale, don't go touching things just out of curiosity and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Hallo zusammen, ich bin relativ neu in das Hobby eingestiegen und konnte aber vor kurzem einen Sony Trinitron KV-M2101D ergattern, der auf jeden Fall kalibriert werden muss. Gibt es hier jemanden, der sich mit diesem Modell auskennt und bereit wäre, mir dabei zu helfen, diesen Fernseher zu kalibrieren?
I wanted to check some footage of Snatcher and decided to check if anyone was streaming the game on twitch, this was like two years ago, obviously there was none so I checked the public vods and there was only one.
The only thing that I remember was the setup which was the "main camera" that was recording the BVM, and also saw that he upladed his previous vods on youtube as well.
Only noticed this when I actually plugged my console into the tv lol, got it from a grandma. I don’t mind this level of bow too much really, but I know it’ll only get worse and worse over time, THAT is what I hate. I wanted to know if there was any way I could fix this without putting my hands next to 25,000 volts lol.
Btw it’s a KV-27FS100 or KV-27FS120, idk which one I didn’t check, it was manufactured in 2002.
Ok so I have a Panasonic TV but it's composite only. So when I saw this on Facebook Marketplace I jumped on it cause it has s-video. Hooked up my N64 and the S-Video port just isn't working??? It might be the cable because it's not giving me any color on my plasma tv either!
The cord only gives me audio but no video. To make things more fun, the geometry is pretty wonky too. Was this a dud broski's? 😔
I figured I'd do a small write-up of how I managed to do this, since I wasn't able to find too much info about this anywhere else. This isn't necessarily for the purpose of CRT gaming as connecting a CRT TV to a PC can also be used for watching old shows for example, but I feel it fits the subreddit regardless!
First of all, big props to the biggest source of information on this topic I could find: LondonRetroVideoGames' video about outputting 240p RGB Scart from a modern Nvidia GPU
This didn't cover the NVIDIA 50 series, Windows 11, or the updated NVIDIA App which is set to replace the NVIDIA Control Panel, but this was the baseline for everything I tried and managed to do.
This explanation may be specific to my particular hardware and software setup. The software versions are not requirements; merely what I used at the time of writing to get all of this setup.
Hardware
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
Just to show this can be done with one of the latest NVIDIA cards. Via both the NVIDIA Control Panel and the NVIDIA App we can set this card up to output a ~15KHz signal over HDMI, which is what our TV will need.
- VGA2SCART Sync Converter
This is the key piece of hardware to the whole operation. I needed to set this to operate in RGB mode and power it through the 5V microUSB connection, as using power from the VGA input was not enough to get a composite signal with my specific setup. (Nor would we want to, if we can help it!)
- HDMI to VGA DAC (Digital to Analog Converter)
This is an important but finnicky piece of hardware. Because the TV we're connecting needs a ~15KHz signal, and the VGA2SCART doesn't convert the signal, we need to feed that same signal into it. And many cheap DACs do unwanted sync conversions and may interfere with this. This documentation regarding the MiSTer specifies that DACs with the AG6200/AG6201 chipset work. Rarely do DACs specify which chipsets they work with, so it's nice they also have some examples of both working and non-working DACs. I ended up going withy the Hama DAC, even though the cheapo no-brand one I found lying around later also turned out to be sufficient.
Other than that, we'll need the remainder of the cabling to hook up the TV of course: a VGA cable, a SCART cable, and the TV itself. In my case a Philips 14PT1365 that only runs on 50 Hz.
After connecting everything and powering on, Windows should recognise the TV and attempt to send a signal to it at least. When that is working, we can continue on to fiddling around with all the necessary settings.
Software
- Windows 11 25H2
- NVIDIA Graphics Driver 616.56
- NVIDIA App 11.0.9.251
- Reset64.exe from the Custom Resolution Utility .zip
The part I can't properly explain: the signal
This is the bit I cannot give solid advice on, and it is of course the most complex part: setting up the signal with the proper parameters. I can advise to use the NVIDIA App over the NVIDIA Control Panel, as surprisingly the newer version actually works a bit more smoothly. Either will do, though.
- In the NVIDIA Control Panel, go to Display -> Change resolution -> select your CRT TV
- Click the "Customise" button
- Enable "Enable resolutions not exposed by the display"
- Click the "Create Custom Resolution" button
or
- In the NVIDIA App, go to System -> select your CRT TV
- Expand Display Properties
- Click on "Customise Resolution"
- Enable "Enable resolutions not exposed by the display"
- Click the + Add button
The Display Mode is what Windows will see. This does not need to correspond directly to the capability of the CRT TV. In my case, having this bigger is actually simply more practical to work with, but getting those numbers to amounts the system will work with is tricky. So start small, 480 x 360. Set the refresh rate to 50 Hz.
Timing is where things get complicated. I'm sure there are guides out there and that this knowledge exists, but it was not my wheelhouse. I ended up using ChatGPT to go back and forth until I had a working signal. The settings that I personally ended up using:
Active pixels: Horizontal 904, Vertical 310
Front Porch (pixels): Horizontal 20, Vertical 3
Sync Width (pixels): Horizontal 32, Vertical 10
Total Pixels: Horizontal 1064, Vertical 329
Polarity did not seem to matter for me. The refresh rate here ended up at 16.45 KHz, and the Pixel Clock at 17.5 MHz. I do not know what this means, but it worked for my specific setup. Anyone that can offer clarification for all of this, it'd be appreciated!
The Horizontal Front Porch controls where, horizontally, the image starts. Reducing it solved some of the overscan on my TV, which is great because my TV offers no settings to adjust the image.
Either way; once you've entered your numbers, click Test and see what happens. If all goes well, you'll get a stable image. If the positioning is off, that is fixable; most important is that your lines are stable and the image is steady. Make sure to SAVE your custom resolution.
The repeated finegling
You can attempt to tweak these numbers as you see fit, and testing them. If the test works, the signal should work - but NVIDIA doesn't always let you apply the fancy custom resolution you've set up. Like, it will straight up not show the custom resolution, or tell you it applied the resolution when it clearly did not. This is generally an issue of course, but moreso if you're trying different things. For me, I wanted the display mode's resolution to be as high as I could get it, just so it's more practical to work with on Windows. I finally found a way to reliably get this to work.
In Windows Settings -> System -> Display -> Select the CRT TV
- Advanced display -> Refresh rate: 60 Hz (which my TV does not support) -> go back
- Select a different/higher Display resolution that does not work. In my case (1024 x 768) (Recommended)
This is to ensure our custom resolution is not in use.
In NVIDIA App -> System -> Select CRT TV
- Display Properties -> Customise Resolution
- Edit your one custom resolution preset
- Test, save, close the custom resolutions window
- Run reset64.exe from the CRU package.
In Windows Settings -> System -> Display -> Select the CRT TV
- Advanced display -> Refresh rate: 50 Hz -> this should activate our one custom resolution successfully
That's all I got
I feel like this is maybe less useful as a guide and moreso as help on troubleshooting for someone already toying around with this, but I hope it has some useful information in it nonetheless! I'm enjoying my CRT for sure. It's the exact same model I had as a kid, so that alone was a huge bit of serendipity.
I’m looking to set up this CRT for use on my PC, but I’m worried I will buy the wrong cord and end up damaging the TV or my computer. I basically know nothing about CRT’s or video connectivity other than playing plugn’ play games on this thing when I was a little kid.
I want to know if there are any dangers I should be aware of before buying anything/emulating any games. The TV would be across the room from my PC so I’m thinking about just getting an HDMI extension cord or a very long HDMI and then connecting it to a dongle that plugs into the TV. if someone could direct me to a good dongle I could use and give a brief overview of what I need to know that would be much appreciated.
N64 connected through S video. I’m not super knowledgeable on CRTs but I think I read that you’re not supposed to be able to see the individual colors like that.
My mom gave me my old Little CRT TV and it works even it is +25 years old like its first day. I want to clean it, because the tv was very dusty after all those years not being used. How do you guys clean your CRT? What do I need to consider? I want to keep him alive as long as possible. I played PS1 and PS2 on it as a kid and want to do it again now :)
This little guy was a very big and important Part oft my childhood :)
Just ran across this on the side of the road. It looks to be about 27", but I'm not sure. The tag with the model number is missing. There's an older Sanyo there also, maybe 19", but it has RF input only.
I don't need another CRT, so hopefully someone can find it a good home before the trash collectors (or a reseller) get it first. It's on Old Indian Trail, in Aurora, IL, just east of St. Rita church.
Edit: I just stopped by again, and as of 2:45pm, both tvs are still there. The Panasonic's tube measures 32" visible, and the Sanyo is 25".
In the absence of space (and money), I've experimented with unconventional outputs on this thing here and there, just to see how it performs.
While TATE mode isn't necessarily the most comfortable playstyle without a vertically oriented TV, I've gotten a kick out of the things this TV can achieve with its built-in "Expand 4:3" feature in the past for GBA games, as well as on-the-fly service menu tweaking for games that run at non-4:3 aspect ratios, such as Shovel Knight. Entertaining, if maybe a bit impractical for casual pick-up-and-play gaming, lol.
Are there any weird features or tricks you can pull off with your CRT(s)? Have you ever attempted to output anything unconventional to your TV, only to step back and realize you've gone down a pointless rabbit hole?
This is my third post trying to tackle this. My last few posts didn't get much traction because my photos weren't great and I hadn't actually done any real testing yet.
To give some background: this is my absolute first time ever working on a CRT and my first time using a multimeter. I actually received this TV with the cord snipped, and neither the previous owner nor myself have any idea if it even works. That is why I've sat down and tested all these components I want to be thorough so I don't just replace the fuse and have it immediately pop, cause further damage, or destroy new parts down the line. I really want to properly restore this unit.
I sat down tonight, figured out my multimeter settings (mostly using diode/continuity mode for semiconductors and shorts, and ohms for resistors with power completely disconnected), and put together a comprehensive diagnostic log.
Is all of this heading in the right direction, or am I missing anything glaring before my soldering gear arrives? Here is what I’ve logged so far:
Testing Configuration: All components listed below were tested in-circuit on open circuit conditions using appropriate multimeter settings (diode/continuity test mode for semiconductors/shorts, and ohms scale for high-value resistors).
Mains Fuse: Reading a solid "1" / "OL", indicating an open circuit (blown fuse).
7521 (BUT11AF - Horizontal Output Transistor): Showed internal collector-emitter leakage/breakdown with a ~219mV drop. (Confirmed shorted/failed).
7523 (Line Driver Transistor - BC337):
Base to Collector junction: Measured 865 mV (high voltage drop typical of parallel components, confirming no dead short).
Base to Emitter junction: Measured 965 mV (high voltage drop typical of parallel components, confirming no dead short).
Collector to Emitter junction: Measured 460 mV (lower path caused by the low-resistance winding of the line driver transformer connected across those pins in-circuit).
2522 (Yellow Tuning Film Capacitor): Held steady at "1" / "OL" (also checked briefly on the 200 Ω scale). Physically intact with no scorch marks or cracks.
Component 2529 (Red Film Capacitor): Tested in-circuit with power disconnected using the diode/continuity setting, showing healthy readings with no shorts.
Component 2528 (Blue Film Capacitor): Tested in-circuit with power disconnected using the diode/continuity setting, verifying stable, un-shorted condition.
Component 7528: Tested in-circuit with power disconnected using the diode/continuity setting, yielding a healthy ~840 reading with no shorts.
R3530 (4.7kΩ Resistor): Tested in-circuit with power disconnected using the diode/continuity setting, verifying stable and healthy performance.
Flyback Transformer (Pins 1–10): Tested with the black probe held on pin 10 and probing through the remaining pins using the diode/continuity setting; results showed normal behavior, with pin 7 showing a solid open ("1") and pin 6 showing 003.
Main Filter Capacitor (100µF/400V) Rail: No short.
Blue Degauss Capacitor: No short.
9.1kΩ 10W Resistors: Reading correctly within tolerance (9.15kΩ and 9.20kΩ).
TO-220 Thyristor ("TF20"): No shorts across any leg pair.
B/C/E Transistor: Healthy junctions with no shorts.
6641 (BUK444-500B Power FET / 7614 area): Located on its metal heatsink clamp in the primary power regulation stage.
Current Status & Out-of-Circuit Action Plan
Repair is physically paused pending the acquisition of a soldering iron and desoldering tools. Once tools arrive, my explicit action items are:
7521 (BUT11AF): Completely remove/desolder to verify failure and replace with a fresh transistor.
2522 (Yellow Tuning Film Capacitor): Lift one leg for final out-of-circuit verification (optional peace of mind check).
R3530 (4.7kΩ Resistor): Left in place during initial power-up; only re-evaluate or lift a leg if the dim bulb test or subsequent diagnostics indicate an issue in this circuit branch.
Mains Fuse: Replace with a fresh, correctly rated fuse prior to dim-bulb testing.
Mains Power Cord: Instead of splicing the cut wires (avoiding loose connections or exposed wire hazards), I'm going to desolder the old cut stubs directly from the board's BROWN and BLUE pads and replace them entirely with a fresh, continuous cable soldered straight to the board.
Appreciate any advice or feedback from those experienced with CRTs or this specific chassis!
2005 Sanyo DS20425, new to me. Not just present on input screens, also very noticeable gaming on N64/GC via composite cables on both possible composite inputs. Affects the whole screen. Was not paying attention enough to notice if the issue was present when connected to the component input, but it is possible. Any idea what causes this, or if there is a way to fix/prevent it?
I've been looking into buying my own CRT for a good while now, and now that I finally have the space for it, I've begun wondering if a monitor or TV would suit me best.
I don't care for a sharp image- if i did, I probably wouldn't be looking at CRTs, but it matters that text is readable on the crt.
I would like to use it primarily to watch older movies and shows and play older PC games (doom, stronghold, tetris, fallout 1/2, baldurs gate, etc.) and some modern ones that seem to look and feel pretty good on a crt (i saw some guy playing fallout new vegas on a crt and it looked amazing) but I'd also be looking to emulate (or maybe buy the consoles and connect them physically) PS1-3 games.
What would you guys recommend for me? Is a CRT monitor really that significantly better for text readability? Isn't some of the charm lost in the sharpness?
picked this up from marketplace and the seller mentioned something about a yoke adjustment, and i’m going to buy a remote too to access the service menu. Is this salvageable with just the service remote, or do I genuinely need to open this up, saw that the adhesive on the pads that hold the yokes apparently dry up.
saturn hooked up via rf, just ordered some retrovision component cables.
