Thinking about getting a PVM

[SignOfZeta]

To be honest flat tubes aren't that great. They always have geometry issues that you won't notice watching video content but show up like a sore thumb when playing, for example, overheard RPGs when they scroll.

Obviously we take what we can get.

[SamIAm]

I decided to treat myself to a 20 inch BVM for 14500 yen. It's perhaps a tad on the older side, and who knows how many hours it has logged on it (I'll find out when it arrives). Anyway, my thinking is that if the picture is better than my 29 inch consumer HD-CRT from 2003, I'll splurge and get the best BVM I can afford while the getting is good. If it's not, I'll buy another HD-CRT set as backup.

Japanese Sony HD sets from that time have a custom, region-exclusive RGB input called AV Multi, and console games through this look really good. There is no lag or scaling weirdness like I've seen on other HD sets, and the quality overall is better than RGB I've seen on other consumer sets that are SD. However, the image is so sharp that it's kind of harsh. For example, the clouds in Green Hill Zone of Sonic 1 look a bit jagged. I'm hoping that the BVM can keep the vivid color and quality, but also soften things up just a bit.

[munchiaz]

It took me about a year or two to finally get a PVM. I was lucky and got a sony PVM 20m2mdu for $50. I just recently got a JVC DT-1900 PVM as well. Its a flat screen model, and like Zeta said, it has an issue with scrolling. The top left of the screen does this weird rolling effect. Also my model only has the RGB/component card slot on the back, so i can't do Composite or S-video currently. But it comes in handy when i want to play vertical games, and i usually have it set up in TATE mode.
 
Its def hard to go back after RGB. It just looks way to clean. PVMs are getting harder to find. So i would say just always keep a look out, and network with people and let them know you are looking as well. Thats how i found mine.

[SamIAm]

My BVM arrived last night. It's definitely an older model, with pots that need manual adjusting and lots of cool little switches all in a drawer-like unit that pulls out from the bottom.

CURRENT VERDICT: If you absolutely must have scanlines, then a BVM will offer what is probably the highest quality picture you can get. Its convergence and geometry are quite a lot better than consumer SD sets with RGB inputs, at least as far as I have seen.

However, if you don't have to have scanlines...if you're like me, and you mostly couldn't care less...then the convergence and geometry are NOT significantly better than post-2000 HD sets from Sony.

The final verdict will have to wait until my RGB cables arrive and I can use the 240p test suite.

[jperryss]

So after months of searching, I finally found one of these 70lb monsters locally.

PVM-20M2MDU


This thing is a beast and looked even bigger once I brought it home. The MDU versions of these PVMs were sold to hospitals and medical facilities and this one looks like it spent it's entire life on the cart I pulled it from. I brought my PCE w/240p test suite to try it out before buying and the image looked fantastic with no convergence or geometry issues.

Cosmetically the thing is pristine. I spent most of tonight attacking it with Goo-Gone to remove stickers and clean up some black marker, and hope to really put it through it's paces tomorrow.

More pics to come!

[Arkhan Asylum]

How much was that motherbitch?

[jperryss]

I spent the better part of an hour today tweaking the picture settings to fix some pinching in the corners and clean up the image a bit. The service menu is accessible by pressing Menu, then Enter+Degauss simultaneously. Here's a list of the settings in the service menu. I mostly kept to the first 30 or so.

I went back and forth and drove myself crazy with the pincushion settings trying to get those damn corners lined up and thought I was screwed. As it turns out, at the far other end of the settings menu (#102) there's an option for MODEL, and I have no idea what it means but changing the settings immediately fixed those damn corners.  I then went back and stepped through the PIN and other settings again and it's not perfect yet, but it feels close and I think I'll be there with another day or two of tweaking. Hopefully by then I'll figure out how take cellphone pics that aren't overly bright and bloomy.

The image looks fantastic. None of the PVM pics I've seen online do it justice. I'm betting MAME would look amazing on this thing.

That being said, the SEXY setting doesn't seem to work as I have it maxed out and still feel as ugly as ever.

How much was that motherbitch?

I paid $240 for this one.

[csgx1]

Congrats, looks like you scored a nice clean example.  I've been using the same model for a few years now and its a great monitor. 


I was able to pick up a 1343md a couple weeks ago for $5 at a yard sale. Bought it untested and I had to get a degaussing ring to fully get rid of a bad screen discoloration problem it had.  The picture looks great after degaussing the screen.  It seems to have a slightly sharper image compared to my 20" probably due to the smaller sized screen.  The 13" makes a great little desk monitor.  Here's some phone pics. 

Before degaussing:

[crazydean]

Congrats, looks like you scored a nice clean example.  I've been using the same model for a few years now and its a great monitor. 


I was able to pick up a 1343md a couple weeks ago for $5 at a yard sale. Bought it untested and I had to get a degaussing ring to fully get rid of a bad screen discoloration problem it had.  The picture looks great after degaussing the screen.  It seems to have a slightly sharper image compared to my 20" probably due to the smaller sized screen.  The 13" makes a great little desk monitor.  Here's some phone pics. 

I can't see your first photo. I've been thinking about getting a degaussing coil myself, but they're like $50, right?

[csgx1]

Thanks, the 1st pic somehow got deleted so it should show up now.

You have discoloration?

I think degaussing coils are like $40 at Fry's Electronics.  Got a used one on ebay for $20.  Not sure if it's a good investment since I only used it for about 15 seconds and I'm not sure if I'll ever need it again.

If you have an electric drill try that first.  A lot slower than using a coil but the drill method got rid of like 95% of my discoloration.  Unfortunately it couldn't fix the edges.  Might have worked if I took off the case/bezel to get the drill closer to the tube edges.

[crazydean]

Thanks, the 1st pic somehow got deleted so it should show up now.

You have discoloration?

I think degaussing coils are like $40 at Fry's Electronics.  Got a used one on ebay for $20.  Not sure if it's a good investment since I only used it for about 15 seconds and I'm not sure if I'll ever need it again.

If you have an electric drill try that first.  A lot slower than using a coil but the drill method got rid of like 95% of my discoloration.  Unfortunately it couldn't fix the edges.  Might have worked if I took off the case/bezel to get the drill closer to the tube edges.

I was able to get it all out by making some adjustments, but now the screen isn't quite centered. The only issue was a little redness in the top right corner.