Bigger Can Be Better, but Sometimes Less is More

When we moved into our house five years ago, I was bummed that our large, widescreen TV didn't fit in the living room built-in. The house was built in the 2002, and the cabinet was constructed to hold those old tube TVs that are shaped more like a square.

I'd like to tear it out and replace the built-in with something more modern, but after the kitchen remodel project, that won't be in the cards for some time.

Having the golden pine stained a darker color was an easy update. This is a huge improvement.

Now it looks better, but it isn't any bigger. Luckily, modern TVs have a much thinner "frame" surrounding their edge. Now a larger television screen can fit into this same space. A 43" TV may not be huge, but it fills much more of the void.

That leaves me with an extra TV. *rubs hands together* I think it would be fun to have a space in the basement dedicated to retro video gaming. What I really need to do is to sell some pinball machines to make more room. I'd rather try that in the summer when I have more flexibility with my time. I'm going to use this desk for now.

(Wow. When I look at that picture, I can see how messy those cables look... I need to have only one system out at a time.)

I like how our older Vizio displays classic games in their proper 4:3 ratio.

My new TV automatically stretches the image of anything that uses RCA plugs, and it can't be undone. That bothers me.

The Vizio supports S-video, so I bought this cable from eBay for 5 bucks. It's a cheap upgrade for early Nintendo sytems.

For audio, a computer speaker system - two satellites and a subwoofer - works like a sound bar.

The speakers will add to the fun of playing Ridge Racer on the PS1. Once that game is loaded, you can swap the game disc with a music CD and listen to whatever you want while you race. I like Fu Manchu's "California Crossing."

A few days later...

Rats. The problem is that the Vizio is just too big for the desk. I had to push my chair 6 to 7 feet back to comfortably see the entire screen, and that just felt weird. Also, the retro games look so pixelated and washed out on a LCD TV. For the games to look correct, you really do need an old CRT TV. These games were designed to be displayed on tube TVs.

So, I'm using this Panasonic CT-1386 VY monitor instead. The price was right - free! The screen is only 13 inches, but you don't notice that when you play because you can sit so much closer to the desk. (Why is Earl in so many of my pictures?)

The Panasonic was manufactured in 1999, and it also accepts S-video. I can use the new cable with the Super Nintendo, the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube. I have a S-video cable for the PlayStation 1 and 2 on the way. I'll connect other systems using BNC to RCA adapters.

The Panasonic supports only one audio channel, but I am using the monitor just for video. For sound I can connect the console's audio cables directly to the computer speakers using female RCA adapters. The nice part is that a sound bar would block the buttons on the monitor. The satellite speakers don't do that.

The speakers sound pretty good.

The difference between the Vizio and the Panasonic is more than noticeable. Blu-rays look great on the Vizio, but these older games just shine on a tube TV. I wish I could get better pictures to share, but here are two from the opening of Ridge Racer 64. (Of course, there's a dog hair on the screen.)

Once the setup was ready, I brought Char downstairs to see it.

She was disappointed that the big TV was gone, but that changed when I fired up the GameCube. "Oh my gosh! That looks so good." Charlotte jumped out of the chair and ran to the back of the room. "I can read it from way over here! It's so clear!" It was almost time for bed, but I let her play Animal Crossing for five minutes. Char kept commenting how much sharper the patterns and the characters looked. When we turned it off, Char turned to me and said, "Dad, do not get rid of this TV. Promise?"

I promised.