PACKED: Are you still able to get all monitor types?
Chi Tien Liu: No. There is for instance no way that I can get the 5-inch monitors any longer. I need to repair them by buying other sets and by replacing parts. It is getting rare to find the exact same model on eBay. For the 5-inch TVs for instance the prices are going up because a lot of museums want to buy them as Nam June Paik used them. They now cost 100 dollars and yet their quality is very poor. For the 9-inch tubes I can still use CCTV security monitors but this will soon also be over. I often go to recycle places and find them smashing up working CRTs because everybody’s buying LCDs nowadays.
PACKED: What about the Sony Trinitron cube monitors19? Can you still find them easily? They’re very common for showing video art.
Chi Tien Liu: No, you can’t really find them any longer. I had Sony Trinitron monitors and sold 15 of them to an artist recently. Nowadays you have no choice of brands anymore. You have to take what you can find. Every museum should do it now; it is the right time to stockpile monitors.
I wish I had the access to this guy’s knowledge. I hoard CRTs in working, broken, and everywhere in between condition in hopes that someday an easy-to-follow course in CRT repair will surface and I can restore as many as possible.
I’m not going to lie, I was planning in the fall on reaching out to him about establishing some sort of program so that he can pass on his knowledge to a younger generation (us).
But creating Retro Game Boards in October and some of the extra work we are doing here behind the scenes sort of put those plans on hold. Who knows how he would have reacted anyway? Mega may be right and he could have hostility towards gamers for taking so much crt inventory away.
He’d also be a great ally to the MLiG guys too if he were interested in helping them out.
I have many speakers! I keep the audio seperate on the 480p monitor because sometimes we have enough people over that we play different games on each setup.
You guys ever think that crt dude is actually just missile from gaf?
He’s absolutely the best example of why we decided to do our own thing. He made incredibly detailed and informative posts and wasn’t he banned for not formatting correctly or something?
Yeah I’d be down for taking an online CRT repair course,lol. I learned alot messing around all of my Nanao arcade boards but its really dangerous if you dont know what you’re doing. Removing the anode cap from each of my Blast City cabs was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done!
In high school I did a co-op work placement at a PC/terminal repair shop and would open up monitors and remove the anode caps multiple times per day for months after being shown how to do it once. They went on and on how it could kill me but as a cocky 17 y/o I was never scared. I think the only reason I followed the steps they showed me was because they said I’d be fired if I didn’t and that would mean I wouldn’t get my easy co-op credits.
I used to do it with 2 screwdrivers because they didn’t make one with a grounding clip. I’d use one screwdriver touching the chassis then the second screwdriver would touch the first while it popped off the cap. Shit was more dangerous than it needed to be.
I don’t think he’d be hostile. More like indifferent, bored and uninterested in devoting much time to helping video game enthusiasts. He’s devoted his post-retirement time to keeping his famous artist friend’s life’s work and art syle alive… working with the Smithsonian, Guggenheim, Whitney museum, etc.
I think his clients in the arts would be the annoyed ones, like if they saw him “wasting time” on a CRT repair class attended by nerds that will use the dwindling stock to play games, when they need his expertise in helping set up a new video art installation at a gallery.
I tend to assume the worst case scenario so take this all with a grain of salt. He may be thrilled to get involved and help with our world of CRT gaming.
Oh definitely. I’m only concerned that he might feel bothered or obligated to help because not everyone has the drive or patience to teach others and go over what they already know and regard as second nature. Again, don’t mind me, I’m just assuming the worst. He may be as open to helping out as savon-pat was when Bob reached out to him.
He did mention in the interview that he was wanting to teach the younger generation on his craft.
PACKED: Having equipment is one thing but the practical knowledge that technicians like you possess should also be preserved.
Chi Tien Lui: Yes. I think that is why an organisation should be formed and maybe even a school. Once again, that would only be possible if there are enough artworks to financially support and fund it.
PACKED: Do you mean forming something between a factory and a foundation for the preservation of technology?
Found somebody letting go of a Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 2070SB for free near me on Facebook marketplace! Should be going to pick it up Monday; pretty excited! I’ll keep you all updated.
I live in a 2br apt and have… 4 CRTs hooked up. One of the bedroom’s walls is becoming all video, basically. Considering mounting (or more than likely just leaning!) a LCD or plasma for tate. Idea is living room is just simple and for music and chilling/reading/entertaining, one comfy cozy bedroom, one room of video stuff for movies and games and obsessive stuff.
I have a PVM 2030 that I think is on it’s last legs… it’s brightness is fairly dim when full cranked (sitting next to my OEV 203(20M2MDU)). I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to the internals - is this a “needs a re-cap” situation? I’d pay a nice local repair guy if I can find one, let me know what I should call around and ask for! Thanks fellas.
…
