# What to do with a good but old CRT monitor **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 8, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126 "2013-04-08T01:59:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/21 "2013-04-08T17:14:51Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > You’re in Santa Clara, epicenter of the Electronics Industry for this quadrant of the galaxy! Surely there must be recycling centers on every street corner! Just ask at any local barber shop. We have a free “e-cycle” day once a month by my house where you can drop that stuff off for free. The County runs it. The OP could probably Google where and when for his area. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/22 "2013-04-08T17:29:59Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > A couple years ago I cleared out several and put them on the curb for bulk pickup. By the time I walked the third outside, someone had already scavenged one and two, and three disappeared quickly, too. So apparently people that scavenge trash from the side of the road still want them. I think the caveat here is the “a couple years ago”. CRT monitors are even more obsolete now than they were then. But, as pointed out, a niche market exists for large, quality specimens. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/23 "2013-04-08T19:38:27Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > A couple years ago I cleared out several and put them on the curb for bulk pickup. By the time I walked the third outside, someone had already scavenged one and two, and three disappeared quickly, too. So apparently people that scavenge trash from the side of the road still want them. That is just what I do, but not because I want them in working order; I remove the electronics from them and throw away the rest (except for smaller CRTs, like the 5 inch portable B/W TV I picked up last night, also keep the case if it is useable). Also, a week earlier, I got two TVs, a 19" and a 27", and got rid of them (you can still throw them out here but really big stuff has an extra charge) by cutting the cases apart and breaking up the CRT\* (normally, I just put them back where I found them, sans electronics, if I have time, but a neighbor gave them to me; both still worked, as is the case with most CRT TVs/monitors I get). \*Don’t try this yourself unless you know what to do, or [this can happen](http://youtu.be/YdEq6O-xtuU?t=1m) (you need to break the vacuum first). ---
**Author:** ![Mavic\_Chen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mavic\_Chen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mavic_Chen)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/24 "2013-04-09T13:17:04Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > If it’s a good one then somebody might want it to use with old video game consoles. This. I used an old 32" CRT TV to fix an arcade machine recently, also older games consoles that are composite, RF or SCART only look terrible on LCD TVs. You have to hunt about a bit though. People spent a lot on their TVs in the old days and tended to keep them for years long after they had deteriorated. Good ones can be hard to find. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/25 "2013-04-09T14:33:43Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > I think the caveat here is the “a couple years ago”. CRT monitors are even more obsolete now than they were then. But, as pointed out, a niche market exists for large, quality specimens. They’re obsolete as far as buying new ones or finding parts for them, but a fully functional CRT monitor has value beyond its scrap. To a dirt-poor student on a shoestring budget whose existing computer monitor has died, a free (if bulky) CRT monitor is more attractive than a $100 used flatscreen. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/26 "2013-04-09T19:46:30Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > They’re obsolete as far as buying new ones or finding parts for them, but a fully functional CRT monitor has value beyond its scrap. To a dirt-poor student on a shoestring budget whose existing computer monitor has died, a free (if bulky) CRT monitor is more attractive than a $100 used flatscreen. A recent issue of Maximum PC said that you can still buy new CRT monitors (and floppy drives), and I assume there will always be people who want them, just as you can still get turntables and tube audio equipment. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/27 "2013-04-09T19:51:02Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > To a dirt-poor student on a shoestring budget whose existing computer monitor has died, a free (if bulky) CRT monitor is more attractive than a $100 used flatscreen. Only if desk space isn’t at a premium - which it is for most students. And only if he’s not paying for the electricity himself. Also, does this CRT have a standard VGA input? In my experience, most large CRTs were intended for workstations, and usually had BNC input. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/28 "2013-04-09T20:04:21Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Only if desk space isn’t at a premium - which it is for most students. And only if he’s not paying for the electricity himself. > > Also, does this CRT have a standard VGA input? In my experience, most large CRTs were intended for workstations, and usually had BNC input. That’s just a simple matter of getting a VGA to BNC adaptor. Also, I very much doubt that although a CRT does use more juice than an LCD, it’s going to make an appreciable difference on an electrical bill. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/29 "2013-04-09T20:41:24Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > That’s just a simple matter of getting a VGA to BNC adaptor. > > Also, I very much doubt that although a CRT does use more juice than an LCD, it’s going to make an appreciable difference on an electrical bill. [Power consumption of CRTvsLCD | AVS Forum](http://www.avsforum.com/t/1338313/power-consumption-of-crtvslcd)]Someone in this discussion claims a 2006 Toshiba 30" CRT HDTV uses a measured 80 watts. [Anandtech](http://www.anandtech.com/show/4070/dell-u3011-review-dells-new-30-inch-flagship/8) claims a Dell 30" flatscreen monitor typically uses 110 watts. ---
**Author:** ![Vimp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vimp/32/4186_2.png) [@Vimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vimp)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/30 "2013-04-09T21:15:45Z")
Santa Clara County has a lot of recycling places for computer monitors - see [http://www.recyclestuff.org/search\_mat.php#searchstart](http://www.recyclestuff.org/search_mat.php#searchstart), put in “computer monitor” and your zip code. Not sure if Santa Clara County Hazardous Waste charges to take e-waste (San Mateo County does), but San Francisco - being a self-proclaimed “green city” - does not. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/31 "2013-04-09T21:19:49Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > [Power consumption of CRTvsLCD | AVS Forum](http://www.avsforum.com/t/1338313/power-consumption-of-crtvslcd)]Someone in this discussion claims a 2006 Toshiba 30" CRT HDTV uses a measured 80 watts. > > [Anandtech](http://www.anandtech.com/show/4070/dell-u3011-review-dells-new-30-inch-flagship/8) claims a Dell 30" flatscreen monitor typically uses 110 watts. I thought for sure that a CRT used more energy and the cite below agrees. Old LCDs use 30-50% of the energy of a CRT. The new LED backlit ones use 10-25%. > **[Comparison of CRT, LCD, plasma, and OLED displays](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CRT,_LCD,_Plasma,_and_OLED)** > > The following table compares cathode-ray tube (CRT), liquid-crystal display (LCD), plasma and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device technologies. These are the most often used technologies for television and computer displays. A less detailed comparison of a wider variety of display technologies is available at Comparison of display technology. > OLED displays use 40% of the power of an LCD displaying an image that is primarily black as they lack the need for a backlight, while OL... ---
**Author:** ![eltro102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@eltro102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eltro102)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/32 "2013-04-09T22:11:29Z")
sell it to the nearest swanky design agency/vfx house/videogame enthusiast. CRT colour rendition is practically unrivaled and they are pretty sought after if in good nick, their colours don’t have (nearly as much) drift as any LCD and any production house worth their salt with either use CRTs or IPS screen (much much more expensive). They also have miniscule input lag and are relatively simple devices. ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126/33 "2013-04-10T19:42:24Z")
That size is about perfect for a MAME (Multi Arcade Machine Emulator) cabinet. I’m surprised there is no one in the area that would grab it (I would). Perhaps advertise it as ‘perfect for MAME’? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-good-but-old-crt-monitor/655126.md?page=1)