CRT Safety: What to Know Before You Open a Kiosk

Most kiosks from the NES through the GameCube era used a CRT television. If yours has a picture problem, it is tempting to pull the back off and look. Before you do, read this. A CRT can seriously hurt you.

A CRT stays dangerous after you unplug it

CRTs store a high voltage charge in the picture tube and circuit, and that charge can last long after the set is unplugged. It is enough to give a severe and potentially fatal shock. Repair guides are blunt about it: CRTs are not a beginner project.

Parts to stay away from

The anode cap. The suction cup on the back of the tube, where the thick red wire connects.
The flyback transformer. The part that makes that high voltage.
The tube neck. The narrow glass at the back. It breaks easily, and a broken tube is ruined.

Other hazards

Glass and implosion. The tube is under vacuum. Let a set that has been in a cold garage or truck warm up to room temperature before you power it on.
Weight. Kiosk CRTs are heavy and top heavy. Remove them with two people before moving a cabinet.

What you can do safely

Clean the screen and case with the set unplugged.
Adjust picture settings from the front controls.
Many sets have a service menu for geometry and color adjustments, reachable without opening the case. Look up your TV's model number.
Check cables, inputs and the console before blaming the TV.

When to call a pro

Recapping, flyback replacement, tube work and anything inside the case is a job for a technician who works on CRTs. Retro gaming groups and arcade repair shops are good places to find one. Keep the original set if you can; it matters to the value of a kiosk.

Collector's guide

Everything you want to know before a kiosk ends up in your game room.

What is a kiosk?

A demo kiosk is a store fixture built to let shoppers play a console before buying it. The console maker usually designed and shipped them, and stores got them for free or bought them through a display program. Some big chains, like Target and Kmart, also built their own.

They were never sold to the public. When a new generation came out, most were thrown away, sent back or sold off at closing sales. That is why so few survive.

How they worked

Locked hardware. The console sits behind a clear cover or inside the cabinet, and a key opens it.
Tethered controllers. Steel cables or armored cords kept controllers from walking out the door.
Timers and demo modes. The NES M82 reset after a set time. Later systems ran special kiosk software that cycled demos and trailers.
Special software. Stores ran Not For Resale cartridges, demo discs, and on newer systems, demos loaded by the console maker.
Kiosk consoles. Some kiosks used modified consoles. The Wii U CAT I unit only reads kiosk discs, and the Xbox 360 used a kiosk box to switch into demo mode.

Finding one today

Ask store managers when a new console launches. Old fixtures often get tossed during the reset.
Watch store closing sales and liquidation auctions.
Check local marketplaces. Kiosks are heavy to ship, so many sell locally.
Join collector groups and forums, where kiosks change hands between collectors.
Tell people you are looking. Plenty of kiosks sat forgotten in a stockroom or garage for years.

Before you buy

Is the key included? Without it you may be drilling locks.
Are the controllers and their tethers there?
Does every light work, including the header and any tubes?
Is the screen original? Check for burn in and a stable picture.
Is the console inside a retail unit, a kiosk unit or a dummy?
Are any plastics cracked or missing, and is the original signage there?
Ask for photos of the front, both sides, the back and the screen powered on.

Moving one home

Bring a second person. CRT kiosks especially are much heavier than they look.
Take out the TV or monitor and the console before moving the cabinet.
Measure doorways and stairs first.
For long distances, freight shipping on a pallet is safer than parcel shipping.
Wrap the plastics and signage separately. They are the hardest parts to replace.

Keeping it running

Old fluorescent tubes and ballasts wear out. Many collectors swap in LED replacements.
Clean plastics with mild soap and water. Harsh cleaners can strip decals.
Screen burn in is permanent, so run a screensaver or turn the display off when you are not playing.
Keep it out of direct sunlight to slow yellowing.
Save every original part, even broken ones. They help with repairs and resale.

Kiosk words

NFR: Not For Resale. Cartridges and discs made for store demos.
Demo disc: A disc with playable levels and trailers from several games.
Header: The lighted sign on top of a kiosk, also called a marquee.
End cap: The display space at the end of a store aisle. Some kiosks were built to fit there.
Tether: The cable that locks a controller to the kiosk.
Dummy console: An empty shell on display while the real console hides inside, like the Wii's RIS 901.
Burn in: A ghost image left on a screen that showed the same thing for years.
Kiosk mode: Special console software that runs demos and resets itself.

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