Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Monitor/Video Forum => Topic started by: JoeB on February 07, 2007, 12:06:18 pm

Title: Arcade monitor vs TV tube question.. any truth to this?
Post by: JoeB on February 07, 2007, 12:06:18 pm
I had an arcade tech try and fix my tube a while back, and he told me something that took me by surprise.  He informed me that there are different grades of tubes.  The high quality tubes (with perfect convergence and other such qualities) go into TV's.

While arcade monitors get "B" grade tubes.  This is why most arcade monitors have convergence problems (he told me this can be seen by going to local arcades and noticing that most have a convergence problem).

He tried to converge my tube, but it's still not perfect.

Any truth to this?  What about monitors made by places like Neimans? 

Would buying a new TV and using its tube together with an arcade chasis be the best choice for a person that wants a bright tube that converges perfectly?
Title: Re: Arcade monitor vs TV tube question.. any truth to this?
Post by: Ken Layton on February 07, 2007, 12:36:11 pm
There are different tints to picture tubes. There are also many, many picture tube manufacturers producing picture tubes of varying quality/prices. I've seen many tv sets with crappy picture tubes and I've also seen many arcade monitors with crappy picture tubes (the Wells-Gardner 25k7191 monitor with a Zenith picture tube in particular).

Goldstar (now known as LG Precision) tubes are good.

Zenith tubes are bad with lots of premature tube failures.

Phillips seem to be ok tubes.

Orion is a crapshoot for tubes.

RCA seem to be ok tubes.

Title: Re: Arcade monitor vs TV tube question.. any truth to this?
Post by: freckleface on February 08, 2007, 01:15:52 pm
Who uses Goldstar in their displays?