In the autumn of 2019, the Game On Game Exhibition came to Chengdu, exhibited a lot of historically famous game consoles and classic games and provided trial play, as a player naturally can not miss the good opportunity of that "make-up class", I rushed to meet three or five friends and played in the exhibition over and over again.
In addition to the many games, the most impressive thing about the exhibition is probably the CRT device used in many game displays, which is the common "big ass TV" in the past. Games that run on CRT devices are brilliantly colored, clean, crisp, and lifelike, and extremely three-dimensional, completely devoid of the sense of violation that old games run on modern LCD monitors. It also makes me wonder: Why do the same games look so different on different devices?
Guess which is the screen displayed by the CRT?
Because of the job transfer and some family affairs to deal with, this issue had to be put on hold for the time being, and this wait was two years. At the beginning of this year, when things at work were over and life was stable, I suddenly remembered this matter again. So I hurried to do it.
▍Why CRT
CRT, full name Cathode Rays Tube, translated as cathode ray tube, is the most primitive electronic display technology. It was widely used in analog television systems in the last century, driving the big-head monitors and big-butt TVs that countless little friends remember.
01 How crTs are displayed
CRT displays are mainly composed of electron guns, deflection coils, shade covers, phosphor layers, and glass housings, of which the electron gun is the core of the picture tube. The principle of the classic CRT picture tube is that the electron gun fires high-speed electrons, through vertical and horizontal deflection coils to control the deflection angle of high-speed electrons, and finally the high-speed electron bombards the phosphorescent material on the screen to make it glow. By adjusting the power of the electron beam fired by the electron gun through the voltage, it will form different light spots on the screen, forming various patterns and words.
Schematic diagram of the color CRT picture tube structure
The first thing to understand is that the display principle of the CRT display is to activate the phosphor on the screen after electronic deflection to display the picture, and the order of activation is from top to bottom, from left to right.
However, the phosphor will be attenuated after being activated, the image stays for a limited time, if the first pixel in the upper left corner is scanned back and forth to the last pixel in the lower right corner, the time spent will be greater than the time of the phosphor attenuation, and it is bound to appear dark above and under the light. So clever engineers came up with a solution that turned an image into two interlaced parts, the first scan of the first part, the second scan of the second part, each part called a "field."
Schematic of interlaced scanning. Scan the blue field 1 first, then the red field 2, and so on, and so on
In this way, using the principle of visual persistence phenomenon, two alternate scans, you can display a smooth picture on the CRT, without too much change of light and shade, the disadvantage is that the picture will look a little flickering, but this is the principle of interlacing.
02 240p with "Black Line" flavor
Of course, it doesn't matter if you understand the principles of CRT. We just need to know that the development of video games (the end of the 1970s) coincided with the golden age of CRT development, so early video game consoles were also affected by the inherent resolution and imaging methods of CRT, and thus derived a black technology - 240P.
240P originated from another group of clever gaming hardware engineers, who first reduced the display resolution, displayed only one field image, and output twice in the same position in a row, which not only reduced the difficulty of screen processing in early game consoles at that time, but also allowed the original flashing CRT screen to present a stable flicker-free screen, so players can stare at the screen for a long time to focus on game operations without visual fatigue. Because this particular display outputs only one field, half the 480i display pixel, the 240P name was born.
240P is a kind of ingenuity, as the crystallization of the wisdom of game hardware engineers at that time, it can be called "black technology". The only regret of this technique is that black lines appear on the screen, which are left by another "field" that is not displayed (equivalent to the middle field 2 in the image above is not displayed), because these "fields" are not scanned and are black.
This black line left by the limitations of the times was also called the "scanning line", and the game hardware engineers and players at that time would certainly not have thought that it was this black line that later became a unique "flavor" of the game of that era.
Scan lines in the CRT
03 Why not choose LCD
Let's go back to the question of why LCD monitors don't display old game screens very well. One of the reasons why the LCD monitor cannot reproduce the display effect of the old game is that it cannot perfectly simulate the scan line effect.
The second reason is that because the resolution of the old games is mostly 320x240, in today's mainstream 4K, 1080P LCD monitors, if you want to display at the original resolution, it will look very small and small, taking "Super Mary" as an example, it looks like this:
The 320x240 screen is displayed on a 1080p monitor
If you forcibly stretch and enlarge the picture, the picture will be filled with pixels by the computer, which will eventually cause the picture to be full of jagged teeth, and the effect is not ideal.
Serration appears after stretching
CrT monitors don't have problems with this resolution, because the games of the time were developed to adapt to the resolution of crT. The SCAN line of the CRT also plays a certain degree of anti-aliasing during the display process, making the game screen look smoother. It also fits well with the art style of pixels at that time.
The scan line plays a certain anti-aliasing effect
Compared with ordinary LCD monitors, CRT monitors display more colorful, more transparent pictures, better contrast performance, and higher brightness. In addition, the developers of that year were also developing games on CRT, and the screen we saw on CRT was exactly what they saw when they were developing the game, which was original.
So what is the conclusion? In order to play the most authentic retro game, we need CRT.
▍Ready to Play
Let's talk about how to match a set of retro gaming devices. Start by purchasing a CRT monitor.
01 Parameters you should be concerned about
To buy a CRT monitor, we also need to briefly understand some other CRT-related parameters. CRT computer monitors are difficult to be compatible with old game consoles due to interfaces, display methods, etc. (after all, old game consoles are all video game consoles), so we mainly discuss CRT televisions (for convenience, hereinafter referred to as CRT).
resolution
Common CRT resolutions are 480i, 480P (interlaced, interlaced, meaning "interlaced", progressive scan denoted P, Progressive, meaning "progressive loop"). The knowledge of interlacing has been mentioned above), and the highest resolution of some later models can even reach 1080P. In general, for TVs that do not support 480P and above, we call this "pure analog".
Since CRTs that support progressive display will cause higher latency due to digital-to-analog conversion (digital signals need to be converted to analog signals before they can be displayed on the CRT), and progressive scans above 480P do not make much sense for us who need 240P, we are more considering the purchase of pure analog CRTs that only support 480i.
The number of lines
The indicator that describes the clarity of the CRT is called the number of lines, the concept is similar to the PPI of the LCD screen, the higher the number of lines, the higher the sharpness, and the sharper the picture. In 240P mode, the higher the number of lines, the more pronounced the scan lines become. In general, the number of pure simulation civil CRT lines is mostly 500 lines and below, most of the color monitoring is 500 lines, and a small number of them can achieve 800 lines and 1000 lines.
Therefore, the display effect of the 500-line CRT is a common display effect in our memory.
Analog signal interface
Analog signals are different from modern digital signal specifications, and there are many types of analog signals. However, there are only a few common ones, namely AV, S terminal, chromatic aberration component, and RGBS. From the display effect, AV is the worst; the S terminal is better; the chromatic difference component is better; the rgbs display effect is optimal, but the difference between the chromatic difference component and the RGBS is small.
From the perspective of display effect, RGBS is the most respected output method. RGBS also has an interface called scart, which is divided into European specifications and Japanese specifications. However, from the perspective of generality, the universality of chromatic aberration and AV is significantly better.
Several analog signal cables
Several common signal quality differences are as follows. However, depending on the use, if you just want to get back to the feeling of childhood games, AV output is undoubtedly the best choice.
02 Normal CRT or Color Monitor?
I believe that many friends will more or less hear the term "color monitor" when they contact retro games. As the name suggests, it means color monitor.
There are color supervisors in any era, and they all shine in their respective professional fields, such as being responsible for broadcasting in the guide car, providing real-time shooting pictures for directors on the shooting scene, and providing reliable image basis for doctors' diagnosis in hospitals... It's just that we want to buy the CRT color monitors of the past and use them to play games.
Because the color monitor is designed for long working hours, it is often used for professional display purposes such as radio and television, hospital imaging, etc., so it will be more durable than the general TV, and the color is more accurate. In terms of styling, the color monitor also looks more industrial than the TV set. Among them, Sony relies on the exclusive "Trilong" technology, excellent quality and tough industrial design, and its color monitor is regarded by many game enthusiasts as an essential artifact for playing retro games.
SONY Color Monitor
However, because the color supervisors mostly serve in TELEVISION stations or hospitals, often running 7x24 hours, machines with good color status are rare. In addition, many players are eager for the color monitor, and now the price of the color monitor is also rising. Under the premise of not caring about the price and liking the industrial design of the color monitor, the color monitor is still the first choice.
But if you are not particularly superstitious about the color supervisor, or the budget is not so high, for the sake of transportation costs, you can watch TV in the same city. CRT TVs have a large amount, you can pick your own satisfactory color, the price is not expensive. If you can modify the TV to RGBS by yourself, it is better (buy someone else to change it), but even if you don't change it, it doesn't matter, try to find one with a color difference component, the effect is good enough.
However, it should be noted that most of the pure simulation of civil CRT lines is up to 500 lines, and if there is a requirement for the number of lines, it is necessary to look at the high-end color monitor.
Big ass TV
03 Problems encountering selecting CRT
CRT as the first generation of display technology, since the birth of the first black-and-white TV on April 30, 1939, after more than half a century of development, it is mature technology, cheap, long life, high reliability; on the display it is high brightness, bright and full of natural colors, black display effect is pure, the screen response time is almost zero (some fighter gamers with high requirements for response delay must be).
The advantages of these display effects are that contemporary liquid crystal displays have been trying to catch up with the breakthrough. However, the shortcomings of CRT are still prominent, and it is inevitable to be eliminated: it is large, heavy, and the picture tube and screen are composed of glass so it is very fragile; the picture is not only difficult to display perfectly, but also tilted by the influence of the Earth's magnetic field.
Compared with modern LCD equipment, there are too many problems, I hope that everyone can have a psychological preparation before starting.
Special emphasis should be placed on the complex internal structure of CRT, which is difficult to maintain and dangerous. Behind all CRT equipment will be written "non-professionals do not open the lid maintenance" and other words, which shows the degree of professionalism and danger required for its maintenance; there is also a thing called high-voltage package in crT equipment, although it is not fatal, but it is not good to be hit by high-voltage electricity.
Many CRT maintenance operations are to be commissioned with electricity, the process must wear insulating gloves, and a careless will burn off the picture tube or other electronic components, I often hear such a tragic occurrence, so it is not recommended that non-professionals dismantle the machine for maintenance.
That's really big
▍ Other purchase suggestions
With some simple theoretical knowledge, if the problems mentioned above are acceptable, then consider how to buy. For those of us who have little experience in purchasing, the main way to buy is still idle fish.
In terms of size, I personally think the more appropriate size is 14 inches. At first, I thought that 14 inches was very small, but when I bought JVC-h150hg (15-inch model, and then I will do more details), I actually found that the size was very suitable, the volume and weight (40 pounds, the freight is not expensive) are perfect, and the room placement will not be too crowded. If the size is less than 14 inches, playing the game is a bit eye-catching.
When picking a machine, it is not only necessary to look at the appearance and color, but also the state of the picture tube. The first thing to do is to determine whether the geometry of the picture tube (the fourth test image line in the figure below is straight) and whether the convergence (clear or not) is normal. The same city conditionally recommends bringing your own device, with a 240P test suite (a software that can check the status of the picture tube, which can run on a variety of gaming devices. However, it is not recommended to use the Raspberry Pi as a test device, because its own output is adjustable and will cause interference) face-to-face testing. If you buy online, it is also recommended to let the seller take a test picture as the basis for judgment. Second, observe whether the brightness of the CRT device is normal and whether there is attenuation aging. As long as there is a little dissatisfaction with these two points, it is recommended to give up immediately, do not be greedy, and save future troubles.
Don't deliberately pursue certain high-end models. After all, the elimination time is long and long, and buying CRT is often unattainable. The poor state of the high-end model is not as good as the state of a low-end model. And the combination of high-end and state also means that the price is not cheap.
240P Test Suite
The first CRT I picked for myself was the JVC-h150cg. First of all, JVC is also a veteran color monitoring manufacturer, and the display effect is not inferior to Sony. Secondly, it belongs to the late CRT model, the factory time is late, the latest machine 2010 production has, it is easier to pick a good color state of the machine. The 750 line is enough to cope with most of the host, although the effect is not as good as some of the high-end color monitors of PVM, but at least the same price is invincible, the 240P game looks clear and sharp, and in some cases the 1080P effect is also good. The machine itself comes with 2 inputs, only supports AV signals and S terminals, and the interface is not rich. However, with the RGBS video card of the private DIY, it can access a variety of specifications of the signal, including RGBS, chromatic aberration component and VGA (analog signal interface of computer monitor), and it is very convenient to connect the device. Because it is a late color monitor, it also comes with two color temperatures of 6500k and 9300k, which is convenient for switching. If you don't toss the high-end model, there is basically no need to toss the CRT again, and one machine will be done.
JVC-h150cg
01 Gaming Device Purchase Recommendations
CrTs also need to consider what kind of gaming equipment to use to play after entering the CRT.
I first listed all the home game consoles that have appeared in history to summarize, and students who do not understand make up for the lessons, which are suitable for CRT play and which are not suitable at a glance. There is no handheld involved here, and I personally think it doesn't make much sense to play handheld on TV (don't hit me). Arcade games from the 90s and even earlier were suitable for playing with CRT, but due to the variety of models, it is not covered here, it is recommended that everyone use the simulator to play, and will write about it later. At the same time, the Atari game console is not involved due to its age, and the list starts directly after Nintendo released the FC in 1983.
240P (CRT is highly recommended):
FC: Family Computer, launched in 1983 8-bit home game console, also known as "red and white machine", the Corresponding name of the US version is NES, Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo's first home console, the game model that we imitated as a child. The legendary models that revived the market after the Atari collapse (Atari lost the market's confidence in home game consoles and made everyone have no business) are still familiar with classic games such as Super Mario (who went to the Olympics). The storage media is a cassette. Frame 4:3.
MD: MEGA DRIVE, Sega's 16-bit home console introduced in 1988. The AMERICAN version is named SEGA Genesis. MD performance is stronger, Sega is also an arcade game trove, portable games are many, is a strong challenger to Nintendo. When I was a child, the integration of ST DVDs was a pirated MD game. The storage media is a cassette. MEGA-CD was introduced in 1991 to improve host performance and extend the host lifecycle on CD discs. Frame 4:3.
SFC: Super Family Computer, Nintendo's second-generation home console released in 1990, the U.S. version is called SNES, Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Featuring super 2D performance, it was introduced primarily to cope with the pressure from Sega MD. There are many great works born on the platform. The storage media is a cassette. Frame 4:3.
FC NES SFC SNES MD
240P & 480i Mix (CRT is highly recommended):
PS1: PlayStation One, Sony's 1994 release of the console, Sony chaebol into the home console market. The main 3D game and adult game content, very popular, representing the game has Final Fantasy 7, Resident Evil 1, 2. The storage media is a CD drive. Frame 4:3.
SS: SEGA Saturn, Sega's home game console launched in 1994, mainly competes with the PS1, but unlike Sony, it is heavy 2D performance. Due to the wrong prediction of the future direction of the game (betting on 2D games), coupled with the strange architecture of the dual CPU, it is difficult to program, and it is eventually abandoned by third-party game manufacturers. It fell into the inferior position in the host competition, and then was replaced by its own DC. Representative games are the Sakura Wars series. The storage media is a CD drive. Frame 4:3.
N64: Nintendo 64, Nintendo's third-generation home console released in 1996. Used against PS1 and Sega SS, the platform creatively incorporated follow-up cameras into 3D games, a game perspective common in modern 3D games, laying the foundation for the development of modern 3D games. Representative works of Zelda Legend Of Time, Super Mario 64. The storage media is a cassette. Frame 4:3.
PS1 SS N64
480i (CRT recommended):
DC: Dreamcast, released by Sega in 1998, is called Dreamcast, which means "Dream Broadcast". Due to the commercial failure of SS and the conflict of opinion between Sega USA and local companies, Sega can be described as internal and external troubles at this time, and DC has become the last trump card in sega's home game console market. Many innovations in hardware are still eye-catching, such as a screen portable memory card that can be inserted into the handle, and can be played as a handheld after removal. In terms of games, The CrownIngham Shenmue is worth playing. However, no matter how to save Sega's decline, DC has become Sega's home game console. It is worth mentioning that DC is powerful, and some games can reach 480p resolution. Frame 4:3.
PS2: PlayStation 2, a console released by Sony in 2000. There is no one in the world with the highest-selling console consoles. There are many games and a hundred flowers blooming. Interestingly, the PS2 released in 2000 was hyped up in the media in 1998, a lack of morality that directly affected players' desire to buy DC, indirectly forcing Sega to die. PS2 was also the first host to launch the Bank of China in Chinese mainland. A small number of gaming games can support 480p. Frame 4:3 (some games are 16:9, such as God of War, but it is cut from 4:3, the screen is smaller, not recommended).
NGC: Nintendo GameCube, the fourth generation of home consoles launched by Nintendo in 2001, abbreviated as GCN in Europe and the United States. It has a very good performance and is the last generation of Nintendo to fight for performance in the home console market. However, due to the use of strange mini-DVD-like media in order to prevent piracy, it is not universal, and it cannot do anything except play games. So he was beaten by PS2, which can watch DVDs, and then kicked by the newly launched XBOX. It is worth mentioning that NGC has a part called GBP accessory, which can be plugged into the GIGabyte (GameBoy Game Handheld) series of cassettes, allowing players to play GB series games on the TV. Frame 4:3.
DC PS2 NGC
480p (recommended for monitors that support progressive models, CRT or LCD):
XBOX: Microsoft's home console launched in 2001. Microsoft Dad first entered the game, and the shot was very generous. The performance of the game console far exceeds that of other models of the same era, and other models are still struggling for the game to reach 480P, which has achieved full 480P, which is the power of money. Because XBOX had plans to cooperate with Sega in the early days to participate in the home console market, it was unfortunate that Sega burped, so it could only go down on its own. Therefore, it has absorbed a lot of Sega's design concept and is considered by the majority of players to be the spiritual successor of Sega. What impressed me the most on XBOX was the Iron Rider game, which requires the player to operate a complex console to play. The game feels delicate and real, and I've always wanted to build one to play. Frame 16:9.
Iron riding is really fun
Wii: Nintendo's fourth-generation home console launched in 2006. Why mention this console? Because this host is completely NGC enhanced, even if it has come to 2006, the picture quality is still not on the table, and what is even more outrageous is that there is no HDMI digital interface. So it's perfectly fine to play with crts. At the same time he can be perfectly backward compatible with NGC. Interestingly, with its own creative gameplay and extremely low prices, this console attracted a large number of non-core players, and successfully defeated the extremely inflated PS3 and the well-prepared XBOX 360 at that time, winning the victory of that gaming era. The subsequent success of Nintendo Swich was nothing more than a replica of this success story. Frame 4:3 or 16:9.
The modern digital HD consoles that appeared after this are not described in detail, and it is no longer suitable to play on CRT. However, the PS3, XBOX 360, and Wii U of the old Imperial Three (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) all support chromatic aberration components and AV output. Although they can connect CRTs without stress, they are not recommended.
Now we can talk about how to play the game. Play retro games Now the mainstream solutions are simulator schemes and real-world schemes.
Simulator scenario
It is divided into software simulator and hardware simulator.
The best solution for hardware simulators at the moment is the open source project of MiSTer. Due to attracting a large number of private DIYers to enter, the project has a high degree of perfection, which is the scheme with the simulation effect closest to the real machine, and the game process is less caton. You can buy ready-made fish, but the price is more expensive, and there are not many models that can be simulated.
Mister
The software emulator camp is divided into two major factions: the Raspberry Pi and the low-solution PC.
The Raspberry Pi is simple to use, has good compatibility, and supports many direct connection of the handle. Recommended RGB-Pi this system, the corresponding Raspberry Pi version is 3B+, very simple to get started, powerful. Mainstream consoles such as FC, SFC, MD and other early home game consoles can run smoothly, and it is convenient to save anything. But the performance is weak, although the future PS1 is no problem, but the N64 is slightly difficult, stuttering, not to mention, will be for no reason to flash back. Some arcade games have more or less characters on the same screen. The latest RGB-Pi is already doing the Raspberry Pi 4 related adaptation, and now some beta versions have been released, but according to feedback, there are more bugs, everyone can be more and so on, but it is worth looking forward to.
Low-resolution PC, that is, a computer that can output low resolution (now many computer graphics cards can not output low resolution such as 480i, low solution is also synonymous with 240P in the circle many times), the advantages needless to say, the performance and emulator compatibility are better than the Raspberry Pi. You can also make a video player for CRTs.
However, the difficulty lies in configuring the hardware and software system. First, we must now find a graphics card that can output 480i. Because these graphics cards are too old and badly aging, when buying a graphics card, you not only have to pick the model, but also pick the physique, but also install wild drivers for him (many graphics card official drivers do not support low resolution, need third-party drivers to unlock). In the same model, there will be a situation where this card can be installed with a low solution driver, and the other card cannot be installed. Some graphics cards can theoretically be installed, but in fact they cannot be installed.
The pit here is relatively large, so there are posts on the Internet to collect everyone's low solution to the successful graphics card model, as well as the probability of success, interested players can find themselves here. After the hardware is ready, you must also prepare the installation of the software and the choice of simulator kernel. In short, it is relatively tossed a little, suitable for players with strong hands-on ability who love tossing. Therefore, there are many people on a certain fish who are selling finished products.
Hands-on solution
The advantages are not discussed, after all, the real machine, not the simulation. For example, the PS2 has models from 10,000 to 90,000 throughout its life cycle, and the difference between thick machines and thin machines is also large, and it is more headache to choose. There is also a 1 chip version of SFC, which is said to be better than the regular version and more expensive. There are also many early models, such as FC does not support RGBS output, only AV output; MD wants to support RGBS output need to modify the motherboard, which is difficult for users who pursue extreme image quality and lack hands-on ability.
There is also a physical pit, that is, the arcade substrate. There are many previous arcade substrate models, and the hardware architecture is very different, which is why arcade machines are difficult to simulate. And that's not counting the collection of cassettes. However, there seems to be no pressure for players with genuine collection needs.
Finally, let's talk about the low solution of Wii separately. The cost of this solution is extremely low, but you need to purchase a European version or brush other versions to achieve RGBS output. The advantage is that the homebrew system is mature and the gaming compatibility with Nintendo is impeccable. But again, the performance is weak, and the simulation performance of the arcade machine is even more worrying.
The biggest advantage of the simulator scheme over the real-world scheme is that the game is easy to manage, ready to use, and the cost is relatively low. But there are still models that can't be perfectly simulated, such as the arcade machine mentioned above, and Sega's SS (Dual CPU Architecture). Therefore, it is still recommended to look at the demand, combined with the purchase, the real machine of the real machine, can be perfectly simulated on the simulation, convenient to have productivity.
02 Video playback scheme suggestions
There are always players who want to relive the old anime and tv series on CRT, and I'm one of them. However, the common DVDs, VCD playback devices and CDs in the past are now difficult to find, and their effects are really difficult for us who are accustomed to watching high-definition videos today. After trying quite a few solutions, I chose to buy TVOne. This is a broadcast-grade device specifically designed to convert resolutions.
So the high-resolution image of the computer is converted to a 480i and the video can be played on the CRT. Relying on the video decoding capabilities of modern computers, from streaming media to Blu-ray discs, it can be described as omnipotent and very convenient.
▍Game is not Over
Time flies. Sometimes sitting in front of the old TV, picking up the handle, looking at these game screens from the end of the last century, there is a kind of time-traveling illusion: it seems to be back to a hot afternoon, a few friends sit around the TV, eating popsicles and frolicking, one person and one life, enjoying it - the happiness at that time was simple and pure; it was like playing chess with a genius programmer 20 years ago, he hid his happy or sad story in the code and levels, expecting players to discover, to understand, to experience.
Of course, the joy of playing games does not have to rely on a specific device to obtain, and the purpose of purchasing a device is only to get a better game experience. Through such a device, I hope that more people can feel the charm of retro games, understand game culture, and feel the joy of playing games. At the same time, it also calls on everyone to consume rationally and stop at an appropriate time.
All hardware equipment is for content services, do not blindly chase high. Finally, special thanks to my wife for her great support and help with P Chart. Life goes on, tossing and turning, I hope everyone can buy their own satisfactory equipment, I wish everyone a happy time!
https://sspai.com/post/71758?utm_source=wechat&utm_medium=social
Author: Woo Meow Yang
Editor-in-Charge: Clyde