[kowbell]

> CRT displays of the kind we all grew up with are terrific displays, but they come with a price. They are not modern tech and as such they are expensive and difficult to maintain, like classic pinball machines or arcade games. We knew we had to come up with a better, more future proof solution going forwards

Has anyone heard of any attempts to bring back CRT’s? I imagine the manufacturing chain for that would be bigger than any reasonable kickstarter/the demand from retro enthusiasts and the like. I know I’ve been hunting for old TVs for circuit bending/glitch art and it’s tough, thrift stores nearby stopped taking old TVs and everything on Facebook Marketplace only has coax (less ideal than composite.) Ebay works but good deals get snatched up.

[soupfordummies]

AFAIK there aren't any CRTs being manufactured anywhere on Earth anymore.

It's been kinda wild seeing them go from basically free to sought after in the past few years. Real time supply and demand in action, kids

[busterarm]

Sony sold its Trinitron manufacturing line to a plant in India but they were only using it to recycle CRT tubes for the local market a couple of years ago and I think they shut down too since COVID.

Making CRT tubes is art and skill and a lot of the technology would have to be literally redeveloped as there aren't the skilled hands left on the planet to produce the tubes we were producing in the early '00s.

I have a huge desire for this kind of equipment due to my arcade/gaming hobby but it's a long-term losing play to try and maintain this stuff.

[HankB99]

So the 21" NEC and Hitachi monitors still cluttering up my home lab might be worth something? I could never bear to dump them because of what they cost me new. They work well when I need a console on my ancient server hosts because they all do VGA.

[nebula8804]

Have you considered RGB modding some of those coax only tvs? If they have RGB mods available you can get the best picture quality possible out of them. Also where you located? My marketplace in NY has loads of people trying to give their tvs away for free or super cheap. These things are heavy. I guess the smaller sets tend to command some cash (and some famous tiny models go for a lot). Possibly try expanding your search radius if you are willing to drive.

[busterarm]

"best picture quality" is kinda subjective. Most consumer CRTs were kind of ass.

There's a reason that what's sought after these days are old broadcast reference monitors that cost $20,000+ when new.

[kowbell]

I have been considering the mod! I’ve watched a video or two about that mod but I don’t want to rush into it with CRTs all having electrical bits on them that can kill me if I do something wrong. I’m entirely new to electrical tinkering but eager to learn for this circuit bending stuff.

I’m east coast but not near NY… maybe I can justify it by renting a U-Haul van and filling it with TVs ;)

[naikrovek]

making a CRT factory today would be extremely challenging. Only the retro video game market wants these things, and the lead requirements for the glass are considerable.

not worth the hassle. probably not even possible within a 1st world nation because of the environmental impact.

[wkat4242]

Lead is still allowed in applications where there's no suitable replacement. For example lead-acid batteries are still being sold for UPS and alarm systems. I don't think leaded glass in CRTs would be problem because it exists to protect the user from radiation.

[fragmede]

Is that lead as in time to wait before you get it, or lead, as in the metal?