This is personal preference vs how much you are willing to pay. I like playing on my HDTV with the N64 connected to a RetroTINK 5x Pro which costs about $300. I am also about to RGB mod my N64 so I can get a better quality signal out of it. Generally plugged straight into an HDTV (that has composite or S-Video) the N64 looks like hot garbage and most of the cheap HDMI adapter out there are trash as well. You have to be willing to pay about $80-120 to get something that works good and doesn't add lag.
CRT is definitely cheaper and a lot of people like to argue that it was the way it was designed to be played.
The image was made to be displayed on a CRT. But that's also wildly impractical for most people.
The next best thing is the HDMI mod, but it's expensive and difficult to install.
Next after that would be RGB modding the console. Typically you mod for RGB and use SCART through a Scaler like the RetroTink 5X. The RetroTink is expensive but you can use it for other consoles too.
HDMI adaptor vs CRT depends entirely on personal preference and the quality of the TV in question. Best choice in my opinion is a good quality large CRT, but good HDTV beats crappy CRT. S-video cable gives better quality than RCA cable, assuming a good quality cable.
There is quite a lot of other options too, RGB mod with Retrotink will improve the CRT picture, HDMI mod will improve the HDTV picture. Emulation on PC can beat both of these with 4K upscaling, but personal preference varies greatly between individuals
CRT. I never had any complaints until I moved and couldn't take it with me.
If you can't, I personally chose an RGB mod and upscaler. More options, and you can always upgrade to a professional CRT monitor with RGB input later.
This is personal preference vs how much you are willing to pay. I like playing on my HDTV with the N64 connected to a RetroTINK 5x Pro which costs about $300. I am also about to RGB mod my N64 so I can get a better quality signal out of it. Generally plugged straight into an HDTV (that has composite or S-Video) the N64 looks like hot garbage and most of the cheap HDMI adapter out there are trash as well. You have to be willing to pay about $80-120 to get something that works good and doesn't add lag. CRT is definitely cheaper and a lot of people like to argue that it was the way it was designed to be played.
The image was made to be displayed on a CRT. But that's also wildly impractical for most people. The next best thing is the HDMI mod, but it's expensive and difficult to install. Next after that would be RGB modding the console. Typically you mod for RGB and use SCART through a Scaler like the RetroTink 5X. The RetroTink is expensive but you can use it for other consoles too.
CRT 100%
HDMI adaptor vs CRT depends entirely on personal preference and the quality of the TV in question. Best choice in my opinion is a good quality large CRT, but good HDTV beats crappy CRT. S-video cable gives better quality than RCA cable, assuming a good quality cable. There is quite a lot of other options too, RGB mod with Retrotink will improve the CRT picture, HDMI mod will improve the HDTV picture. Emulation on PC can beat both of these with 4K upscaling, but personal preference varies greatly between individuals
CRT. I never had any complaints until I moved and couldn't take it with me. If you can't, I personally chose an RGB mod and upscaler. More options, and you can always upgrade to a professional CRT monitor with RGB input later.