This tutorial explains how to configure and optimize display settings for CRT TVs when using RGBDual.
It covers essential settings required for proper display, as well as recommended and optional tweaks.
Some settings are only visible when the settings level is set to Expert mode.
Without these settings, Kodi may not display correctly on a CRT screen.
Settings → System → Display → General → Resolution
Make sure the correct resolution is selected:
In most cases, the correct resolution is already selected by default, but it is recommended to verify it.
Settings → System → Display → Calibration → Video calibration
By default, the image is aligned from the top-left corner of the screen.
This often results in a significant offset on CRT TVs.
Use this setting to properly center the display.
Settings → Interface → Skin → Look and feel → Zoom
Due to overscan on CRT TVs, parts of the Kodi interface may be cut off.
Reducing the zoom ensures the UI fits entirely on screen.
Settings → System → Display → Dithering
RGBDual is limited to 18-bit color output due to Raspberry Pi GPIO constraints.
This can cause visible color banding (lack of smooth gradients), especially in real video content.
The higher the value, the less noticeable banding becomes; however, at 8 the dithering effect becomes too pronounced. A value between 5 and 7 is recommended.
Settings → Player → Videos → Processing → Enable HQ scalers for scaling above
Setting this to 0% ensures high-quality scaling is always applied, even when downscaling.
This improves:
Settings → System → Audio → Audio Decoder
This feature is intended to prevent audio equipment from entering sleep mode, but on analog setups including CRT TVs, it generates unpleasant noise. Turn it off.
During playback → Settings button → Video Settings
These settings are configured per video by default.
If you want to apply a setting globally, use “Set as default for all videos” after changing it.
During playback → Settings button → Video Settings
When downscaling high-resolution content to CRT resolutions, images can appear pixelated or exhibit jagged edges, especially on fine details.
Enabling post-processing applies anti-aliasing, smoothing out edges and producing a more natural and visually pleasing image.
During playback → Settings button → Video Settings
When the image scrolls horizontally or vertically—especially noticeable in animated content—some scaling methods can cause edges and outlines to shimmer or distort unnaturally.
Among the available options, Bilinear provides the most stable result, minimizing these artifacts and maintaining smoother, more consistent motion.
During playback → Settings button → Video Settings
This mode preserves the original 4:3 content while adapting widescreen (HD) video for CRT displays with minimal visual distortion.
Unlike simple horizontal scaling, Wide Zoom trims less important areas near the left and right edges before applying scaling. This helps maintain more natural proportions, avoiding the “stretched” look where people appear unnaturally thin.
Compared to preserving the original aspect ratio (which can result in significant cropping on the sides), this approach retains more of the important visual information in the center of the image.
It also makes better use of the limited CRT screen area than letterboxed playback, allowing more detail from high-resolution sources to remain visible.
Settings → System → Display → General → Use limited colour range (16–235)
Depending on your video source, full range is generally recommended.
Settings → Add-ons
Install Cobfluence ZEITGEIST, a skin compatible with recent Kodi versions and specifically optimized for CRT displays.
Installation guide:
https://axbmcuser.github.io/
Settings → My Skin → General → Visual options & Views → UI font size
Enabling CRT mode greatly improves text readability on low-resolution displays.
Settings → System → Audio → Audio Decoder
Even if your video source is 5.1 channels, these settings ensure the best stereo output for TVs.
These settings are optional and depend on personal preference.
Settings → System → Power saving → Put display to sleep when idle
CRT displays are sensitive to burn-in. It is recommended to enable power saving features.
Can be combined with your TV’s auto power-off feature (if available).
Helps prevent burn-in and extend the lifespan of CRT displays.
Settings → Interface → Screensaver → General
Also helps reduce burn-in risk during idle time.
Settings → Player → Videos → Playback → Minimise black bars
When watching non-4:3 content, Kodi preserves the original aspect ratio by default, which can result in a smaller image.
This setting slightly stretches the image vertically to increase screen usage.
Adjust to your preference depending on acceptable distortion.
Use this as an alternative to Wide Zoom if you prefer preserving more of the original image with only slight vertical stretching.
A USB infrared receiver that allows you to control your system using a TV remote.
It works as a USB keyboard and enables unified control of:
Highly recommended for a seamless living room experience.
More info: https://flirc.tv/products/flirc-usb-receiver
A plugin that connects Kodi with a Plex media server.
What is Plex?
Plex is a media server system that lets you store and stream your videos, music, and photos across devices.
While “server” might sound complex, it can run on a home NAS (such as QNAP or Synology) or even a regular PC.
Benefits:
More info:
https://www.plex.tv/your-media/
https://github.com/croneter/PlexKodiConnect?tab=readme-ov-file