What is a CRT and Why Don’t We Use Them Anymore?

I remember when I started seeing political cartoons that began depicting office workers using flatscreen LCDs instead of bulky CRTs. I inherited a handful of CRTs as people I know upgraded. I still haven’t bought a new LCD TV — I’ve inherited several hand-me-downs from family members. The next time I offer my course on the history and culture of video games, I’ll have to include this article so my students understand how the medium of a video screen affects the genre we are studying.

With CRTs on the endangered species list, there is some fear that we may lose touch with this important 20th-century technology for good. But when it comes to supposedly obsolete technology, don’t count anything out forever. Just look at the success of vinyl and the Impossible Project, which brought Polaroid instant film back into production.

Some day, we may see the rise of CRTs again for boutique applications, but until then, it’s up to today’s technicians to keep examples of this culturally important display technology alive so that future generations can see how it worked for themselves.

What is a CRT and Why Don’t We Use Them Anymore? (Benj Edwards, How-To Geek)