The CRT that I bought for $99 in like 2003 is getting wonky.
I bought a cheapo composite to HDMI converter and my image looks like pic related.
Give it to me straight, how much do I need to spend to get an accurate picture?

0$ dollars to pick up a CRT from a random elderly person's house on Facebook Marketplace

>>11841098 (OP)
This IS an accurate picture. That's what composite looks like.

>>11841098 (OP)
This thing is an excellent line doubler and it's usually under $50, sometimes as low as $30 on AliExpress. It outputs 480p only but it's lagless and cheap. Obviously 480p is very "soft" on a modern monitor, but you could eventually upgrade to an OSSC if you wanted higher res, and then daisy chain the line-doubler for composite and s-video sources.

>>11841098 (OP)
>>11841110
This is composite video. Looks better on a CRT. Upscalers are OK but it'll still have that composite look. If you want near pixel perfect sharpness you'll need something like a NESRGB board.

Here's a snapshot from my composite capture card directly from my Twin Famicom system.

>>11841165
And here is some composite output from a LavaFC RGB console (The Lava RSC).

Don't have an RGB capture card to show the RGB output but the composite output is a lot better.

What's wrong with it? Cold solder joints are a common failure point in consumer TVs. One "test" is whacking the side of the set and seeing if it improves the issue. If it does, probably a cold solder joint.

If you can find a guy that still repairs CRTs in your area, then you can get it refurbished for like $200-300 and it'll look fantastic. That'll last for decades. That's a way better deal than buying some upscaler. Talk to the retro video game store dudes near you. They'll know someone who does it.

>>11841174
Yeah I have to give it a little tap every now and then.

I also realized my modern tv lets me do a 4:3 aspect ratio, but I already unplugged my NES for the night so I'll have to see what it looks like again tomorrow. DKC2 on the SNES looks decent enough but still a little off. Could just be my imagination though.

>>11841098 (OP)
next time some fag claims that crt shaders are wrong, op's image proves those fags wrong

>>11841098 (OP)

>composite to HDMI converter

Why would you ever do this?

>>11841110

No it isn't retard

>>11841232
>>composite to HDMI converter
My NES has composite cables
My tv requires HDMI

Am I not getting something obvious?

>>11841172
based fellow lava FC enjoyer

>>11841238
You'll have to spend a lot to get a good picture, not just some cheapo converter.
I have an OLED monitor setup with Retrotink5x for my sega genesis with RGB SCART and it looks fucking incredible.

>>11841098 (OP)
Like >>11841120 said, get a Retrotink clone for composite/s-video and a GBS-C later if you need a component/rgb scart to HDMI box for PS2/Xbox/Gamecube/Wii.

>>11841246
>You'll have to spend a lot to get a good picture, not just some cheapo converter.
Ok did you read the OP or not.

>>11841232
>No it isn't retard
I don't know what idealized version of the world before 2005 your dad told you about, but composite sucks and always has.
It really does just look like that.

>>11841250
>Give it to me straight, how much do I need to spend to get an accurate picture?
I did, did you, if you want the straight answer
if you're not going the route of crt, 800-1000$ that's if you chase that high of perfect blacks and a good upscaler and an rgb modded console

>>11841120
This is the correct answer.

OP, it requires micro usb power and has inputs for composite, component and s-video. It has a 2x mode or straight through. It also has a built in bilinear filter to toggle if that is your jam. It's pretty great for the price.

Thank you based Chinaman.

>>11841238

Get a CRT dude. No wonder your image looks like shit

>>11841246
Post pic.

>>11841098 (OP)
> how much do I need to spend to get an accurate picture?
Many millions of dollars to restart CRT production.

>>11841098 (OP)
That is an accurate picture. This is what most people experienced on a consumer grade CRTs.

>>11841098 (OP)
>>11841165
>>11841172
I literally can't see the difference.

>>11841263
>>11844098

You're both trolling

>>11841098 (OP)
>I bought a cheapo composite to HDMI converter and my image looks like pic related.
Garbage in, garbage out. You can't get information where it does not exist, the better signal you put into an upscaler, the better the result.

Also, the better the upscaler the better the result. You are NOT going to get a good image plugging a composite cable into a cheapass upscaler, that's cutting pretty much every corner you can.

>Give it to me straight, how much do I need to spend to get an accurate picture?
Depends on the system and how close you want to replicate a CRT. None of them will let you play light-gun games just so you know without a whole additional mess to deal with. As for what it would cost, depends if you can easily get an RGB signal out of the console or if that would require additional mods. Many systems CAN output RGB natively, you just need a cable for it, though the NES and N64 can't and need hardmods (and later N64 systems an even more complicated hardmod) otherwise even $750 upscalers can only do so much from a composite input.

And of course it depends on if you just want a semi-decent image or a super-close replication of a CRT image.

The budget option would be to make or buy a GBS-C. This used to be a DIY-only project that used a $20-ish board intended just for arcade cabinet repairs so operators could swap in an LCD in place of a broken CRT, but it was shit quality... until people found out that the hardware itself wasn't that bad and with a cheap audino and clock generator circuit it can become a fairly decent upscaler for a fraction of the price of what was on the market at the time. Recently Chinese resellers have been making pre-built versions of it, but it costs more than making it yourself if you can solder ok.

Next up would be the OSSC and Retrotink, though OSSC is getting a bit long in the tooth. The Retrotink 5X is the one most go for in this price range.

Cream of the crop would be the Retrotink 4K but it is very expensive

>>11845214
you're underage

>>11844102
The Twin Famicom is a little oversharp and has jagged edges on the vertical columns near Samus. The LavaFC's a little smoother and doesn't have the jagged edges.

>>11843413
you want a pic of a common game or 'rare' game

>>11845223
Person that made that image (was it you??) doesn't know how to up the brightness on GBS-C or is just a shill trying to make the more expensive options seem better.

I have built 2 gbs-controls that I used on LCD monitors and they look perfect with rgb. I am happy every time I turn on my snes with rgb and see the beautiful perfect graphics.

I can see buy retrotink shit if if you're a freak and like playing old retro on giant flatscreens, but if you just use a 20 inch monitor, gbs-c is perfect.

>>11846374
>was it you??
No, just looked for an image comparing upscalers. Though I would have preferred one where they had set them to try to mimic a CRT's look, but I can see why someone trying to compare them might want to see how clear they can make the image.

Personally I would prefer a comparison of both how clear they can make the image AND how well they can replicate a CRT effect. Replicating a CRT on a modern display is the main reason I would use one.

>>11846378
Yeah I dont have a setup for screen capture or I'd upload some images.

GBS-C doesnt have filters and such for replicating crt look. you can do scanlines which look good but thats it.