/vr/ - Retro Games

In a CRT Projector there are three separate small CRTs which each project a red, green, or blue image. These CRTs have a very high cd/m2 (nits brightness) rating compared to your average CRT and you should not look directly at one while it is in operation without strong sunglasses.

There are also informal DIY CRT projectors which use fresnel lenses taken from overhead projectors to enlarge the image. These have a drawback of having a very low lumen rating because only the light from the normal television is being scattered across a much larger area. They are also very hazy and only have good focus in the center of the image. And they are hard to set up and focus.

But... what would happen if one took one of the lenses from one of the best CRT projectors ever made, such as the 9" Barco units, and paired it up with a 9" color CRT monitor instead of the dedicated projector CRT?

The first thing I would expect is a massive loss in luminosity. BUT fresnel lens projectors have achieved acceptable brightness levels in completely darkened rooms. I would expect the light transmission rating of a pro lens to color CRT mating would be much better than the average fresnel lens set-up.

I -think- this is something here. I don't see any particular reason why it should not work, and if it does work it would be a way to have a *huge* (as in 40-60" before brightness becomes unacceptable even in a dark room) CRT which is actually somewhat portable, or at least much easier to get into smaller spaces. And it would have one massive advantage over traditional CRT projectors: no need for convergence.