Television Advice - Scart / 15khz Options

[RVZ]

I'm starting to plan my next arcade build.  With the previous one, I wasn't very happy with the image quality, so trying to plan better this time.  So a couple of questions:

1. Is the best connectivity option for a CRT TV still Scart?
2. What is the easiest method to connect a video card to Scart? Will any VGA to Scart converter work?
3. Will all CRT TV's with a Scart input do 15khz?
4. Any reason not to go for a flatscreen CRT TV? 

I know some of these have been answered already on the forum, but some of the replies are from years ago, so not sure if it's changed since then.

Thanks.

[haynor666]

1. New TVs sometimes had component input but I still think that SCART is the best. In some rare cases CRT TVs had also D-Sub connector (wide 100 Hz TVs)
2. Technically is not converter but just bunch of cables from D-Sub to SCART. Right now with Atom-15/VMMaker with composite sync there is not need for UMSA or any other cables that have chips for composite sync. I didn't tested this functionality because I still use UMSA.
3. Some wide 100 Hz TV (if I remember there was one NEC model which was multisync) can also output 31kHz but all CRT TVs should support 15kHz
4. I'm using flat Sony Trinitron 21''. While its flat it still has typical geometry problems like any other CRT TV but in my opinion it loosing some arcade felling. On the other hand picture is better that most typical TVs.

[Mike A]

If you are doing an arcade build, why not get an arcade monitor?

[RVZ]

Thanks for the feedback haynor666.

If you are doing an arcade build, why not get an arcade monitor?

The ones I've seen are very bulky, which is why I'm looking at getting a flatscreen slim model CRT.

[Mike A]

If you were previously unhappy with the image quality of your build, why not just do it right this time? A couple extra pounds is no big deal.

[RVZ]

If you were previously unhappy with the image quality of your build, why not just do it right this time? A couple extra pounds is no big deal.

From what I've read, using scart is very close to the quality on arcade monitors?

[haynor666]

And that's true most most arcade monitors at least in Poland are older than typical CRT TV and mostly overused. Sometimes TV is better choice considering age, usage and price.

[Mike A]

Don't mind me. I am just crapping my brains out. It has made me a little irritable.

[buttersoft]

1. Is the best connectivity option for a CRT TV still Scart?
2. What is the easiest method to connect a video card to Scart? Will any VGA to Scart converter work?
3. Will all CRT TV's with a Scart input do 15khz?
4. Any reason not to go for a flatscreen CRT TV? 

1. Won't hurt, lots of SACRT cables and accessories still available. SCART is a good choice, if you can get an RGB CRT TV that has it.
2. https://www.aussiearcade.com/showthread.php/87668-A-guide-to-connecting-your-Windows-PC-to-an-SD-CRT-TV-PVM-or-Arcade-Monitor With the c-sync feature in crt_emudriver, all you need is a VGA to SCART cable that would work with a projector.
3. Even assuming you mean CRT TVs only, the answer is still no. As Haynor noted, all ED/HD/widescreen consumer CRTs will upscale 15kHz. You want an older SD CRT TV with RGB SCART.
4. Geometry can be tricky on flat CRTs. May also not look quite right when playing on an -older-style cab. I like the curve, myself.

And yes, a good SCART TV will be very nice, nothing to complain about. If you can find a nice Nanao 29" monitor (~$600) they're awesome, as you can overdrive their chassis to make them really bright. And an arcade monitor will probably sync to a slightly wider range (15.5kHz to 16.2kHz) than a CRT TV, though there won't be much in it. Other than rolls-royce arcade-monitor examples though, a nice NEC/Panasonic/JVC/Phillips/Loewe SCART CRT TV should be just as good.

[Mike A]

Listen to Buttersoft. He knows far more about the subject than I do.

[Paradroid]

1. Is the best connectivity option for a CRT TV still Scart?

Yes. If SCART is scarce in your part of the world (as is the case for me in New Zealand), you can also RGB-mod a regular TV. This has become mainstream practise now.

UMSA is still the best plug 'n' play VGA to SCART interface.

Definitely go curved for an arcade cab... flat screens typically have wacky geometry and they don't give you that 'classic' feeling.

A high-end TV (e.g. Loewe, Blaupunkt, Metz, B&O, Sony, et al) will almost always have less hours than arcade monitor and in some cases (e.g. Loewe and Sony) leave an average arcade chassis for dead in terms of picture quality.