Would GPU passthrough for use with a CRT tv be possible on linux?

kakuyamii · 2026-03-08 09:31:28

seth wrote:

Though, I'm actually planning on getting a crt *tv*
Thus the scart/composite adapter - make sure the PAL/NTSC/(s)RGB support aligns but it's probably gonna be an adventure ( last time I connected a Tv to a computer was probably a C64 )

i think it will be fine? the plan is to like ..
connect composite from the TV onto the little adapter > connect that adapter into a VGA cable > connect that VGA cable into a VGA to display port adapter > connect * THAT * on the pc and i think it should be ready to go? i got the inputs available for it, so ....
also hehehe , the C64 stuff sounds pretty nutty . did it turn out well?

kokoko3k · 2026-03-08 11:05:15

With composite you'll have iq or uv color smearing, I don't know if you want that or not.

Retro consoles back in the day suffered from that, but every console had its unique composite encoder, so recreating that unique feeling via a generic adapter isn't just possible, and you would have a low quality picture.

If your TV has a scart rgb input then a super resolution plus an hdmi to vga adapter might work, but you would still need to "map" VGA pinout to scart one; it is possible, but for optimal results ypu woukd have to apply a little gain to the signal.

The latter solution would give you the cleanest picture possible, you could then use shaders to emulate specific ntsc or pal signals.

Yes, it's an adventure

seth · 2026-03-08 13:48:07

also hehehe , the C64 stuff sounds pretty nutty . did it turn out well?

40 years ago - the C64 had an antenna output that was essentially delivering a TV signal that every TV then (and today, provided there's an analog signal processor) would accept.
So yeah, worked no problem. Display wasn't great, though

Succulent of your garden · 2026-03-08 14:27:42

seth wrote:

make sure the PAL/NTSC/(s)RGB

Be aware of that Kakuyamil, because you are going to bring back a problem from the past, in which if you play your games with consoles and not emulations, then it must be according to the TV region, which could it be PAL or NTSC. So if you want to play things in real hardware be aware of that.Not sure if emulators can bypass that, I think so, but check that first, like: Does the game emulators supports to send PAL games to NTSC screens ? and vice versa ?

kokoko3k · 2026-03-08 15:03:55

Does the game emulators supports to send PAL games to NTSC screens ? and vice versa ?

Yes they do and at the right framerate, TV has to sync 50hz and 60hz for smooth playback ofc.

I know Later PAL Tvs sync to 50hz and 60hz because on PAL60 standard, but i ignore if NTSC ones are able to sync 50hz.

ewaller · 2026-03-08 17:26:16

Ah, you gotta love NTSC.

4MHz of bandwidth.
Effective resolution of 320x240.
Chrominance bandwidth is about half the luminance bandwidth so color steps take about 2 horizontal pixels to stabilize.
And this fine performance brought to you by a device that draws 130W and has a mass of 30kg

seth · 2026-03-08 20:10:10

But: It also allowed for https://spectrum.ieee.org/al-alcorn-cre … eazy-trick

kakuyamii · 2026-03-08 23:03:00

kokoko3k wrote:

With composite you'll have iq or uv color smearing, I don't know if you want that or not.
Retro consoles back in the day suffered from that, but every console had its unique composite encoder, so recreating that unique feeling via a generic adapter isn't just possible, and you would have a low quality picture.
If your TV has a scart rgb input then a super resolution plus an hdmi to vga adapter might work, but you would still need to "map" VGA pinout to scart one; it is possible, but for optimal results ypu woukd have to apply a little gain to the signal.
The latter solution would give you the cleanest picture possible, you could then use shaders to emulate specific ntsc or pal signals.
Yes, it's an adventure

scart inputs are extremely rare here over at brazil sadly : ( that's why im going for composite, which is like...wayy better than RCA arguably .
HDMI won't work nicely either, it doesn't support low clock speeds which displayport does - i tried using super resolutions on this tinier CRT i have just for testing (which isnt the ideal one i have) and it does not work with HDMI since it's more stricter on that

kakuyamii · 2026-03-08 23:04:56

Succulent of your garden wrote:

seth wrote:
make sure the PAL/NTSC/(s)RGB
Be aware of that Kakuyamil, because you are going to bring back a problem from the past, in which if you play your games with consoles and not emulations, then it must be according to the TV region, which could it be PAL or NTSC. So if you want to play things in real hardware be aware of that.Not sure if emulators can bypass that, I think so, but check that first, like: Does the game emulators supports to send PAL games to NTSC screens ? and vice versa ?

like kokoko3k said they do , and tbh im planning on just playing on emulators since i'm not that wealthy to be buying the consoles XD

Arch Linux

#26 2026-03-08 09:31:28

Re: Would GPU passthrough for use with a CRT tv be possible on linux?

#27 2026-03-08 11:05:15

Re: Would GPU passthrough for use with a CRT tv be possible on linux?

#28 2026-03-08 13:48:07

Re: Would GPU passthrough for use with a CRT tv be possible on linux?

#29 2026-03-08 14:27:42

Re: Would GPU passthrough for use with a CRT tv be possible on linux?

#30 2026-03-08 15:03:55

Re: Would GPU passthrough for use with a CRT tv be possible on linux?

#31 2026-03-08 17:26:16

Re: Would GPU passthrough for use with a CRT tv be possible on linux?

#32 2026-03-08 20:10:10

Re: Would GPU passthrough for use with a CRT tv be possible on linux?

#33 2026-03-08 23:03:00

Re: Would GPU passthrough for use with a CRT tv be possible on linux?

#34 2026-03-08 23:04:56

Re: Would GPU passthrough for use with a CRT tv be possible on linux?

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