Welcome to EveryCRT! This guide covers everything you need to know to contribute to the wiki — from creating your first CRT model page to advanced topics like citations and document pages.
EveryCRT is a community-driven database documenting CRT monitors, televisions, and vintage AV equipment. The project serves as a preservation effort for technical specifications, service documentation, and historical information about cathode-ray tube displays and related equipment.
Scope
EveryCRT documents:
- CRT televisions — consumer TVs from all manufacturers and eras
- Professional video monitors — PVMs, BVMs, and presentation monitors
- Computer CRT monitors — VGA monitors, fixed-frequency displays, terminals
- Vintage AV equipment — VCRs, time base correctors, video mixers, and broadcast gear
- Supporting information — service manuals, remote controls, chassis families, tubes
Creating a CRT model page
Using the form
The easiest way to create a CRT model page is through Form:CRT model. Navigate to the form, enter the page title (e.g., JVC AV-27D201), and fill in the fields. The form handles all the template syntax for you.
Page titles follow the convention: Brand Model (e.g., Sony KV-27FS100, JVC AV-36D201, Panasonic CT-27SX12F).
Key fields
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Manufacturer name (from Category:Manufacturers) | JVC |
| Model code | The model number as printed on the unit | AV-27D201 |
| Screen size | Diagonal size in inches | 27 |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 or 16:9 | 4:3 |
| Chassis | The chassis label printed on the rating sticker on the back | GR2 |
| Chassis family | The internal design platform from service manuals | GJ |
| Type | TV, PVM, BVM, Computer monitor, Presentation monitor, or Other | TV |
Leave fields blank if you don't have the information — empty fields are hidden automatically. It's better to create a partial page than to guess at values.
Multi-value fields
Some fields accept multiple values (checkboxes in the form). When editing wikitext directly, these must use comma separation with no spaces:
frequency=50Hz,60Hz✓frequency=50Hz, 60Hz✗ (space after comma causes errors)
This applies to: frequency, av_system, tuner_system, and built_in_devices.
Inputs and outputs
Each input or output on a CRT gets its own {{CRT input}} or {{CRT output}} template. These create semantic subobjects that are automatically displayed in the model's infobox.
Signal formats and connectors
Always use the exact values from these category pages:
- Category:Video signal formats — e.g.,
Composite (CVBS),S-Video (Y/C),Component (YPbPr),RGBS,RF - Category:Connector types — e.g.,
RCA (connector),Mini-DIN-4,BNC,RF (F-type),SCART
Using incorrect values (e.g., "F-type" instead of "RF (F-type)", or "RCA" instead of "RCA (connector)") creates red links and breaks semantic queries.
Understanding the count field
The count field represents the number of logical connections of that signal type, not the number of individual physical connectors.
| Scenario | count value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| An RGBS input using 5 BNC connectors (R, G, B, Sync, ground) | 1 | It's one RGBS connection |
| A TV with two separate composite inputs on two RCA jacks | 2 | Two devices can connect simultaneously |
| A single SCART socket carrying composite, S-Video, and RGB | 1 per signal type | One connection per signal, but list each signal separately |
Think of it as: "how many devices can I plug into this signal type simultaneously?"
No section headers for subobject templates
{{CRT input}}, {{CRT output}}, {{CRT link}}, {{CRT mod}}, and {{CRT voltage range}} templates should appear in the page source without any == Section == headers. They are semantic subobjects displayed automatically by the infobox — not article content.
Example page structure
{{CRT model
|brand=JVC
|model_code=AV-27D201
|screen_size_in=27
|aspect_ratio=4:3
|chassis=GR2
...
}}
== Description ==
The JVC AV-27D201 is a 27" color television...
== Technical Details ==
...
== References ==
<references />
{{CRT input
|signal=Composite (CVBS)
|connector=RCA (connector)
|count=2
|location=rear
}}
{{CRT input
|signal=S-Video (Y/C)
|connector=Mini-DIN-4
|count=1
|location=rear
}}
{{CRT link
|link_type=Database
|link_source=CRT Database
|link_url=https://crtdatabase.com/crts/jvc/jvc-av-27d201
}}
Notice: article prose sections have headers, but the template blocks at the bottom do not.
Power specifications
AC frequency and power consumption go in the main {{CRT model}} template. Voltage ranges use separate {{CRT voltage range}} templates — one per range:
{{CRT voltage range
|voltage_min=110
|voltage_max=127
}}
{{CRT voltage range
|voltage_min=220
|voltage_max=240
}}
For universal power supplies (e.g., 100–240V), use a single range template.
Images
Adding images
Upload images through the form's file upload button, or use Special:Upload. Use descriptive filenames:
JVC AV-36260 front.jpg✓IMG_4523.jpg✗
When uploading, include source attribution and categories in the file description:
Front product photo of the JVC AV-36260 36" CRT television. == Source == Crutchfield product listing (https://www.crutchfield.com/...) [[Category:JVC images]] [[Category:Product photos]]
Image fields
image_main— the primary photo shown in the infobox (one file only)images— additional photos displayed in a gallery (comma-separated)
Important rules
- Only use images of the exact model being documented. Never use photos of a related model (e.g., don't use a 32" model's photo for the 27" page).
- Common image sources: manufacturer support pages, retailer product pages (Crutchfield, Amazon), and the Wayback Machine for archived images.
Gallery placement
By default, all photos appear in a "Photos" section right after the infobox. For pages with many photos, you can control gallery placement:
- Add
suppress_gallery=yesto the content template ({{CRT model}},{{AV device}}, etc.) - Place
{{EveryCRT gallery}}wherever you want the photos to appear
{{EveryCRT gallery}} works with any content type — it automatically reads the images= field from the page source. See Template:EveryCRT gallery for full documentation.
Optional parameters: heights= (default 160px), mode= (default nolines).
Archival links
Use {{CRT link}} templates for links to external resources about the CRT model:
| link_type | Use for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Official support pages, product pages, press releases | Sony support page, JVC product listing |
| Retailer | Traditional retail business listings | Crutchfield, NewEgg, Best Buy |
| Database | Technical databases and archives | CRT Database, Console Mods Wiki |
What NOT to link
- Never link marketplace or peer-to-peer listings — eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, Ricardo.ch, etc. These are transient and not archival. If a marketplace listing has a useful product photo, upload the image with attribution but do not link the listing URL from the CRT model page.
- Never use CRT links for manuals or documents — those belong in
Document:pages (see below).
Documents
Manuals, brochures, spec sheets, and other documents are created as separate pages in the Document: namespace using Form:Document.
- Archive.org manual link → Create a Document page
- ManualsLib link → Create a Document page
- Manufacturer PDF link → Create a Document page
Documents are automatically linked to CRT model pages via semantic queries — you do not need to add a {{CRT link}} entry for a document.
Before creating a document, search for existing ones to avoid duplicates.
References and citations
When adding factual claims to article prose (specifications, release dates, pricing, technical details), cite your sources using <ref> tags. See Help:References for full syntax documentation, including how to define and reuse named references.
Every page that uses <ref> tags must include:
== References == <references />
Place this section after all article prose but before the semantic subobject templates at the bottom of the page.
Sources and verification
Preferred sources
- Official manufacturer documentation — support pages, product pages, spec sheets
- Service manuals — the gold standard for chassis, tube, and circuit information
- Archive.org — for archived versions of manufacturer pages and manuals
- Established databases — CRT Database, Console Mods Wiki, Radiomuseum
- Retailer product pages — Crutchfield, NewEgg (for specs, photos, pricing)
Searching for sources
Manufacturer support sites are often the best starting point. For JVC models, for example:
site:support.jvc.com AV-27D201 specifications
For archived pages, try the Wayback Machine with the original manufacturer URL.
Sources to avoid
- Marketplace listings (eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace) — not archival and not authoritative
- Informal forums — unless corroborated by official documentation
- Unverified third-party databases — cross-reference with manufacturer data when possible
When in doubt, it's better to leave a field blank than to fill it with unverified information.
Style conventions
- Use controlled vocabulary values from the category pages — don't invent your own signal or connector names
- Comma-separated multi-value fields must have no spaces after commas
- Leave unknown fields empty rather than guessing
- Article prose should use standard English with proper spelling and grammar
- Use
<ref>tags for inline citations, not external link sections - Keep article sections focused: Description, Technical Details, Features, etc.
Getting help
- Help:References — how to use citations
- Form:CRT model — the CRT model creation form (also useful as a field reference)
- Category:Video signal formats — valid signal format values
- Category:Connector types — valid connector type values
