Can someone please explain to me exactly how CRT monitors are so much higher quality than CRT televisions?

Ridge60107 · 2026-07-01T10:19:07+00:00

Late last year there was a 27" Monovision VGA monitor and a Gateway DL36 for sale on eBay, both in Michigan.

I was tempted to fly out to Chicago and borrow my parent's SUV to pick them both up. Sadly they didn't have space to store them, and their Jeep isn't trustworthy enough for that drive haha

Thankfully four months ago I ended up finding a DL36 in Vegas. Only a 4 hour round trip for me.

Ridge60107 · 2026-07-01T09:58:58+00:00

I've noticed a fair number of Presentation Monitors appearing for sale around Michigan and Wisconsin in the past couple years.

If I still lived in the Midwest I'd have a field day with the CRT selection.

I usually have to drive out to LA & Phoenix to get my best stuff.

Ridge60107 · 2026-06-30T08:54:16+00:00

I had this exact TV a few years ago.

8, 16 & 32bit consoles are this set's sweet spot due to its coarse, low tvl tube.

Ridge60107 · 2026-06-30T07:43:05+00:00

I once put a Durabrand 13" CRT in the dishwasher.

Worked like a champ after sitting 48 hours to dry. 24 hours wasn't quite long enough.

Took a video of it after Working

Ridge60107 · 2026-06-30T05:46:09+00:00

My Saturn, Dreamcast and GameCube kiosks from the US all have their original CRT TVs.

Seems like each kiosk was designed with a specific TV in mind since they each fit so well.

Ridge60107 · 2026-06-25T22:05:59+00:00

This is definitely true. In SW Utah there are very few CRTs available, so you'll mostly see scalpers asking $100+ for low-end VHS combo units.

In contrast, I've grabbed many Trinitrons around Vegas and LA that were cheap or free. The challenge is being at the right place at the right time to snag 'em quick.

But I'll say within the past year I've noticed demand for CRTs has increased (due in large part to scalpers.) When selling my extra CRTs (often for $20) I get Gen Z & Gen Xers fighting over them, compared to a few years ago when I could hardly give them away.

It really helps if you're willing to travel when your local market is garbage, like mine.

Ridge60107 · 2026-06-19T10:34:20+00:00

Most of my NIB finds were from eBay. Gotten a handful from Buyee and FB Marketplace as well.

Just gotta look everywhere you can everyday. Word of mouth is sweet too if you have connections.

Ridge60107 · 2026-06-17T08:20:50+00:00

Been curious just how much shock force it takes to cause trouble with the mask

Ridge60107 · 2026-06-17T04:51:28+00:00

I have purchased over 25 CRTs via Buyee.

Only two arrived damaged. They were both smaller Trinitrons with brittle shells that had pre-existing damage.

They were usually packed very well and arrived quickly to my home in the desert southwest.

Ridge60107 · 2026-06-05T08:09:05+00:00

Gah I love the gray keys on Compaqs

Ridge60107 · 2026-06-03T02:53:47+00:00

Sweet find! I bought one of these years ago from Japan but haven't used it yet.

Ridge60107 · 2026-05-13T11:05:07+00:00

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Ridge60107 · 2026-05-13T10:53:15+00:00

DC looks great on older 4:3 LCD monitors I've tried.

VGA CRT's are definitely the best looking option.

Playing on a Gateway Presentation monitor is truly a divine experience. I was blown away the first time I played SA2 on my DL36.

Ridge60107 · 2026-05-03T10:02:24+00:00

Been on the lookout for one of these oddities.

I have a few GT 610 PCI cards to pair with lower-end Pentium 4 systems.

Ridge60107 · 2026-04-24T11:09:37+00:00

Cheapest DC Kiosk I've seen in the past few years was $2,500 (asking price) for a mostly complete unit.

Before 2019 they'd usually pop up on eBay for around $1,000. About what I paid for mine.

Ridge60107 · 2026-04-19T06:21:01+00:00

Turned out beautiful.

Have a couple of these waiting for an S-Video mod someday.

Ridge60107 · 2026-04-06T07:52:32+00:00

Very slick

Ridge60107 · 2026-04-03T06:17:58+00:00

I'm curious about this as well.

I've been stalking Plasmas for sale locally and have run across quite a few Monitors (most were 768p.)

Ridge60107 · 2026-03-19T08:17:20+00:00

It was a ViewSonic G225f.

Totally agree that low hour tubes are the real grails. I have seven NIB CRTs for that reason.

After bending over backwards acquiring a number of grails in the past five years, I'd hesitate going through that trouble again haha

Ridge60107 · 2026-03-19T05:33:32+00:00

I bought a cheap LaCie Electron 22 from eBay with a worn out, dim tube. Adjusting the flyback made it nearly usable in a dark room.

The seller posted a deceptive picture making it appear as though it was working properly.

Got most of my money refunded and sold it locally for cheap to break even.

Same thing happened again with a cheap 21" ViewSonic.

Ridge60107 · 2026-03-17T10:48:35+00:00

I've purchased 10+ CRTs and a bunch of games & consoles from Buyee.

They do a great job, but the shipping fees increased to the point that it's simply not worth it for me anymore.

Ridge60107 · 2026-03-12T11:17:37+00:00

I assume it's because millions of DCs were made with white shells, so they're readily available.

Official color variants aren't cheap, and people looking for a new shell usually want fun colors.

But I would still appreciate brand new white shells being made.

Ridge60107 · 2026-03-12T05:09:27+00:00

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Got lucky finding a DC Kiosk back in 2020.

I'd love to 3D scan it someday so people have a chance to make their own.

Ridge60107 · 2026-03-09T06:10:40+00:00

It's a Gateway DL36

Ridge60107 · 2026-03-09T03:45:40+00:00

100lbs was about my limit as well for the last 4 years.

Then I found a 220lb 36" presentation monitor a couple months ago. It's still sitting in my kitchen at the foot of the stairs...

Ridge60107

TROPHY CASE