Sony PVMs- which one to get?

Yodd

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Whilst I can't comment on their aperture grille status, generally the smaller the screen, the "sharper" the image.

Same number of pixels crammed into a smaller space. Just makes sense.


Not to say a 29 inch isn't going to have a great picture (cause it will), but it's going to be hard to compare it to a 13 inch model.
 

daskrabs

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There must be someone one on ng.com who has a PVM 2950Q or 2950QM. How does it compare to the smaller size PVM's? I was reading a site on the net (Retro RGB) that claims the PVMs larger than 20" don't have an aperture grille (and consequently the picture isn't as good) (but the wikipedia article on trinitions seems to say all trinitrons have it). Can anyone confirm this one way or the other?

http://www.retrorgb.com/rgbmonitors.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitron

Forget that aperture grille stuff. I have a 32". It's awesome. Buy the 29" with confidence.
 

Jon

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I have a PVM-20M2MDU that I'm currently using with my SNES and RGB cables that broken made for me. I love it. Probably the best video quality I've seen on an old school TV hands down. I actually paid more for the speaker system than I did the PVM, LOL. If you're going to get one of these for the video quality, you might as well at least get to hear your games in stereo.

I also have one from Daskrabs that Vanillathunder and myself managed to "scoop" from Panda...:D.

Jon
 

Ash Burton

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What kind of speaker system do you have hooked up Jon? I'm shopping now for one.
 

Jon

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What kind of speaker system do you have hooked up Jon? I'm shopping now for one.

I wanted something as simple as possible but, it had to have RCA (white and red) OR, headphone in. It was a lot more difficult to find a setup like this than you'd think. Since most computer monitors now have speakers on them, simple but basic speakers set ups are getting harder to find...especially where I live.

What I ended up buying was an Insignia NS-PCS41 setup. It came with a subwoofer as well. It was $50 but, I had to buy a Y adapter to go with it.

So, yeah, about $15 more than I paid for the monitor.

Jon
 

Jibbajaba

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I wanted speakers that had RCA inputs and no sub, so I went with Bose Companion 2's. Two inputs, plus a headphone jack on the front. They're pretty good, but at some point I want to get one of those Dayton DTA-100's and some nice quality bookshelf speakers.
 

joe8

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Just make sure you connect your consoles via RGB, that is what makes the biggest difference. Especially the Neo, there is a massive difference between S-video and RGB with these things.

I ran out to Gamefan's place and grabbed his Sony PVM 20M4U (thanks Gamefan!). So far I have my AES hooked up to it via component and it looks damn good. I can't imagine RGB would be much better, but I do plan to get the RGB hook ups for it anyway.

How much better is RGB compared to component? (on the same PVM monitor)
Frome these screenshots on retrorgb.com the RGB looks a lot better. The first 4 shots are from a normal Sony CRT TV though, and the 5th shot is from a PVM:

http://www.retrorgb.com/images/RGBMonitorsPage03%20-%20Large.jpg
RGBMonitorsPage03%20-%20Large.jpg


http://www.retrorgb.com/images/RGBMonitorsPage04 - Large.jpg
RGBMonitorsPage04%20-%20Large.jpg
 
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Yodd

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How much better is RGB compared to component? (on the same PVM monitor)
Frome these screenshots on retrorgb.com the RGB looks a lot better. The first 4 shots are from a normal Sony TV though, and the 5th shot is from a PVM:

I highlighted the important part. They should have used a PVM with component input (if they didn't) and compared it that way. Dump RF from the list and used the PVM for composite, svideo, component and RGB to give you a better idea of the video quality difference between the different inputs.


RGB is superior to Component no doubt about it. How much better, depends on many factors. Size of monitor, input source, quality of encoder and etc.

Component video is still encoded from RGB. RGB is the source.
 

joe8

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I highlighted the important part. They should have used a PVM with component input (if they didn't) and compared it that way. Dump RF from the list and used the PVM for composite, svideo, component and RGB to give you a better idea of the video quality difference between the different inputs.


RGB is superior to Component no doubt about it. How much better, depends on many factors. Size of monitor, input source, quality of encoder and etc.

Component video is still encoded from RGB. RGB is the source.
Isn't the video in the Neo Geo actually in digital form internally, and then converted internally to RGB (which is an analogue signal)? Technically you could say the source is the original digital signal (for any arcade system which is based on digital computer technology, which is all of them). So theoretically you would get the "best" (i.e., most accurate) output by modding the Neo to output in digital, and then sending that to a digital display (because even with RGB you get a slight loss in the signal when it goes through the cables, because it's analogue). But I guess the Neo was really designed to work with analogue RGB CRTs that arcades had at the time. Also, a lot of the LCDs/plasmas you get these days wouldn't have as good color reproduction as the high quality CRT TVs or PVMs had.
 
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Yodd

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Isn't the video in the Neo Geo actually in digital form internally, and then converted internally to RGB (which is an analogue signal)? Technically you could say the source is the original digital signal (for any arcade system which is based on digital computer technology, which is all of them). So theoretically you would get the "best" (i.e., most accurate) output by modding the Neo to output in digital, and then sending that to a digital display (because even with RGB you get a slight loss in the signal when it goes through the cables, because it's analogue). But I guess the Neo was really designed to work with analogue RGB CRTs that arcades had at the time. Also, a lot of the LCDs/plasmas you get these days wouldn't have as good color reproduction as the high quality CRT TVs or PVMs had.

The very best video you can get from a Neo Geo or similar classic game console is analog RGB. Period.
 

68k

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Isn't the video in the Neo Geo actually in digital form internally, and then converted internally to RGB (which is an analogue signal)? Technically you could say the source is the original digital signal (for any arcade system which is based on digital computer technology, which is all of them). So theoretically you would get the "best" (i.e., most accurate) output by modding the Neo to output in digital, and then sending that to a digital display (because even with RGB you get a slight loss in the signal when it goes through the cables, because it's analogue). But I guess the Neo was really designed to work with analogue RGB CRTs that arcades had at the time. Also, a lot of the LCDs/plasmas you get these days wouldn't have as good color reproduction as the high quality CRT TVs or PVMs had.

Sonic Wings 2
 

joe8

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Do most PVM have interlaced rather than progressive scan? I think it's only the late model PVM/BVM CRTs that have it, and they would cost a heap. I guess progressive would only be necessary for high definition, or if you want use your DVD player with the PVM.
 
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simioni

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Hi guys, question: with bvm 20G1U and mv1c, i just need get rgb signal from jamma and connect to digital analog in or analog in?

thx

IMG_3627.jpg
 

skate323k137

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You can take a JAMMA RGB/S signal and run it to Analog R/G/B/extSync on the PVM. Usually you want about 220ohm resistors on each wire from a JAMMA signal, or some people use variable resistors (pots).
 

joe8

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They definitely do not have audio. They accept RGB and component as-is, but can take expansion boards that will let you input composite and s-video, and even PAL and SECAM signals. Newer PVMs/BVMs have a way of looking at total hours buried in the menu system somewhere. And all PVMs that I know of have the manufacturing date on the back of the unit.
Does anyone know how to check the hours on a PVM? I've looked at the manual for the 2950Q/QM but there's nothing about it. Maybe there were different versions of the 2950Q/QM. The one I'm looking at getting is maybe a mid to late 90's model.
Is it better to get a PVM that's been serviced, or one that hasn't ever been serviced?

Does anyone know where to a good SCART -> BNC cable? There was a guy on this forum selling them.
 
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smkdan

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Does anyone know how to check the hours on a PVM?

Atleast for BVMs, there's a "STATUS" menu option that shows the counter. If you can't find it easily in the menu or a manual PDF online then it probably doesn't have it. I have a few late 90s/early 00s PVMs with no hour counter. I know the counters can be reset though which I think some service techs did after working on them.
 

joe8

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The 2950QM I've got seems to get a scrambled picture after a while. It starts out fine but then gets scrambled. I tried a s-video input which was fine initially, but then went bad. Might also try composite and yuv, but I don't think it's an issue with the different input types. I think turning off the power (and then turning it on again later) temporarily solves it, but then it gets worse again.
 

Dark Sakul

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Isn't the video in the Neo Geo actually in digital form internally, and then converted internally to RGB (which is an analogue signal)? Technically you could say the source is the original digital signal (for any arcade system which is based on digital computer technology, which is all of them). So theoretically you would get the "best" (i.e., most accurate) output by modding the Neo to output in digital, and then sending that to a digital display (because even with RGB you get a slight loss in the signal when it goes through the cables, because it's analogue). But I guess the Neo was really designed to work with analogue RGB CRTs that arcades had at the time. Also, a lot of the LCDs/plasmas you get these days wouldn't have as good color reproduction as the high quality CRT TVs or PVMs had.
There is a huge misnomer that digital is superior to analog.
Keep in mind VGA and Component video are analog formats that can support 1080p video. They do not work with Bluray players due to HDCP encryption and not because they are inferior.

Your Neo Geo as well as just about every older game system outputs in 240p and at 15hz. CRT Televisions will interpret 240p as 480i, on a CRT Tv there no difference.
What makes PVM (and BVM) so great is that they are broadcast industry grade displays. As Broken said RGB is superior as the image starts as RGB at the source and gets encoded to Component, Composite, S-video or (Meh) RF, even if you have to mod the console to output to RGB.
Try running a Snes or a Genesis though composite video to a HDTV, the picture is horrible.
 

skate323k137

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The manual for the BVM series says it has external sync on BNC connectors for the analogue RGB. It proabably is those "in / out" connectors, your picture looks OK.

If you have doubt can you take a better picture of just the analog RGB input section?
 

PunkicCyborg

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The older PVMs might be easier to find but you have to take them apart to tweak the pots to get the picture right. Every single one i've had I needed to do this multiple times. Newer knes you can adjust the image through menus and a remote. that alone makes a tremendous difference. I dont know why but with RGB it seems like the image is always off center but different for every console I have.
 

simioni

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The manual for the BVM series says it has external sync on BNC connectors for the analogue RGB. It proabably is those "in / out" connectors, your picture looks OK.

If you have doubt can you take a better picture of just the analog RGB input section?

ty again, here go: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/811/4ssh.jpg/

no need 220 ohm resist on cable?

well in Brazil we have a few's pvm and a lot of bvm, that's what i got ... and i like bvm style, i can change boards, psu, ... easy repair ...
 
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