Yesterday, I highted a faux CRT TV by arcade hardware makers Unico that's launching on Kickstarter. It's undeniably early days for the campaign, but the fact it's currently using AI-generated imagery only added to my scepticism as a retro console and cathode-ray tube enthusiast. However, the brand has reached out to say it's ditching the artificial photos, signalling a willingness to course correct.
Reaching out via email, a representative for Unico and the TRAVELLER-ULW10 faux CRT has confirmed that the team is "updating all the asset packaging to be real assets as they become available." That means that the current, highly questionable AI-generated lifestyle images should be switched out with actual photos, starting with the official webpage then the Kickstarter campaign.
I always appreciate when retro console and accessory makers pro-actively listen to feedback, and Unico seem to be paying attention. While passionate CRT display devotees aren't really the target audience for the 4:3 TRAVELLER-ULW10, especially since it's focussed on easy connectivity over authentic tube visuals and replicating retro scanlines, AI images only serve to hamper its chances before it even gets going.
Unico says up front that the "ULW10 isn’t trying to be the best conventional monitor." Without specs to hand, it's hard to decipher what that actually means, though, as it could be that the Sony Trinitron PVM-inspired cube will use a basic LCD and inputs that don't deal with upscaling in an ideal way.
Thankfully, the brand says it will share TRAVELLER-ULW10 specifications, and I'm hoping that puts some of my fears to rest. I'm really hoping it's not using one a security camera LCD display at its core with inputs like composite, RGB, and VGA built in, as while those will save you working out how to connect your retro consoles to a modern TV, you'll be at the mercy of latency and poor response timings.
Ideally, Unico won't be using off the shelf displays or boards for the TRAVELLER-ULW10, or will at least use a decent upscaler like the GBS-C ($89 at Amazon) with a good quality LCD panel. Despite my reservations, I'm keen to get hands on with this faux CRT TV to find out first-hand whether you can replicate the functionality of an old tube set, and while the AI images have me on edge, I'll reserve proper judgement for those eventual specs and upcoming real images.
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