I have a special treat though. I have some more photos coming in the this week and more the week after =]. I have a high end consumer level mirror-less camera so I should be able to get some good shots and comparisons to other monitors ^_- All cameras don't show a true image by default and change what the picture looks like to look more appealing to the viewer. So unless you shoot the image in RAW which sometimes requires you to hack your camera it's hard to compare one mans photo to another even with out any editing.
Even with RAW, based on exposure and so many other variables, it's still extremely difficult to get photos taken by the same person and the same camera to match up properly
I'ts good to run into another Megaview owner I haven't run into any others as of it. Do you happen to have a remote for yours? I'm looking into options right now. Mine didn't come with a manual or remote.
The remote for my model is quite common thankfully, so I was able to grab on of the multitude floating around on ebay. I am also lacking in proper manuals, both owner's and service, which is another reason I'm iffy on doing work on the thing
What can be replaced on these TVs that could be damaged?
As aaron said, various electrical components such as electrolytic capacitors and the like can leak with age(and is quite possible given that even the newest models like mine are 20+ years old), as such not working properly at the least and hypothetically damaging surrounding components at worst.
I'm actually pretty sure there are components that could use replacing in mine, due to some quirks it has. To be specific:
Adjusting contrast settings under certain conditions can lead the image to go "hot" and get strange artifacts. Not sure if this is perhaps some processing chip gone bad or bad caps throwing things off though.
Under most conditions, leaving the RGB1 input unterminated gives a better and more accurate picture than the expected 75ohm termination. Don't get it, would like to know why it does it, but not a big deal as it works for standalone play well enough. Causes problems when daisy-chaining monitors though.
I want to take every precaution possible considering how much of an effort it was to get this to my house plus the rarity of them. What is the best solution/chemical in cleaning it and what fabric should be used with the solution/chemical?
I've heard of people using various cleaning solutions on CRTs, but my go to for electronics is just your standard rubbing alcohol. You obviously don't want to be rags or cloth that could generate static near sensitive components(like that labeled chip in one of my photos). Honestly, if you're breaking everything down to do a deep cleaning, I'd probably end up using something simple like an old toothbrush, but that's just me.
Also if the back can be removed and it's just plastic. My idea was to have friends lift it onto a sturdy table downstairs. Use a anti static rubber mat so I couldn't damage any of the parts with an electric discharge. Maybe even use rubber gloves.
Take the back into the drive way like aaronmjr suggested. Clean it out and let it dry then put it back on.
The back on mine, as well as most of the casing on mine is metal, but it came off with just a number of screws(something like 8 or 10 maybe). I believe I may have actually been wiping off some loose powder coating or something similar, but as it's just the inside of the casing, it wasn't a big deal.
Also your photos are super helpful and based on the image I see at least 3 fans. I'd imagine there are more. Do you know what type of connectors the fans use to be powered?
I'd need to open it up to check the connectors, but I might do that sometime tonight or in the next few days if I get a chance.
Also what type of power supply the tv runs off of or maybe the power requirement used for those fans?
Again, not something I can answer off hand. Though, for something as high end as these were, I'd be willing to bet the power supply(s) used are custom jobs made just for the individual line of monitors at the time.
I'v heard mixed reports on peoples tvs being loud and some not. Even after cleaning it I hear some peoples tvs are still loud.
This is always going to vary, as no one monitor is going to see the same amount of use or use in the same conditions as another. The fans in mine are audible, but I wouldn't say they're terribly loud. For 15khz sources, they sort of just blend into the the hum and background noise.
I'm interested in having the fans replaced. I am into pc buildings and currently the most popular fan brand would be Noctua specifically their p12 models. They are an anti-static pressure fan that is extremely quite. Sadly they are ugly but unlike a gaming pcs that typically have a clear side panel I won't be seeing them after they are install. I could even technically go in and cut back some of the metal to open up it up so I can install a larger fan to have more airflow in the case. Use some type of adapter so the fans get powered. A more simple solution I can find something near the same size that would fit that is more quite if I don't want to do all the extra work but as of right now it's so loud t hat it's noticeable while playing games and effects the enjoyment of the game.
Entirely doable, but also entirely dependent on the amount of effort you're willing to put into it. They may be relatively standard connectors with standard voltage expectations, but they could also have odd connectors and requirements. All of that could be worked around if you feel like it.
I am also concerned with possibly the inputs or outputs. I think they looked a bit dirty. I don't know if it was simply dirt/dust or rust. If thats the case what can I do to clean the inputs/outputs of the tv?
I'd argue a soft bristled brush(like a tooth brush) would be decent to get anything out of the BNC connectors, again with a bit of isopropyl alcohol to help get off grime. Technically, if it were rust, these are standard connectors and could be replaced if needed. The amount of work to do that is a different question however.
And does anyone know this TV's TVL count? I think I saw that it had only 600 which wouldn't that be closer to more of a consumer level tv? Plus considering the size it should technically have more am I right? I mean don't get my wrong I still love the tv to death because I wanted a bigger picture tv so I can actually sit back at a distance we have become accustomed to today with large lcd tvs.
I've heard the same claim for mine, but I vaguely remember staying up one night and doing some math based on it's dot pitch and getting something in the 700-ish range. Your monitor may be different.
You have to remember, with massive models like these, there are definite trade offs; You aren't going to get as high of a line count as with a smaller, 20'' PVM or BVM.
As for consumer models, even late-ish model SDCRTs were still having an expected TVL in the mid 400s a lot of the time.
For some idea of with fan noise, I have a few videos of it up on Youtube; In the bits that don't have audio, you can hear how the fans sound(mixed with the flyback transformer)
SkyGunner(480i)
Saturn Bomberman(240p/480i)
Mario Kart 8(720p or 1080i)
Sorry for the massive text and quote wall, just seemed like the best way to respond.
