Best Sony BVM?

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spaceape
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Best Sony BVM?

Post by spaceape »

Hi everyone. :)

Im looking at getting a crt with the best possible picture for retro gaming. i've read that most seem to favor the Sony Trinitrons and the BVM for the absolute best picture.

However there are so many different BVM models and would like to hear if all of those are just as good or some are better?

Thank you so much. :D
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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spaceape
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Thanks. I've read that page before. Great write up. I guess it's hard for anyone to give me a staight answer unless they actually have seen more than just one BVM in action. :)

But no harm in asking hehe. :D

Im looking at getting at a minimum a 20"
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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If you want a BVM, there's isn't too much choice. It doesn't really matter if you get an old one with analogue controls or a newer one with a digital chassis. 20" is the only choice for 4:3 units (well, there's 14" as well). 24" and 32" are only available in 16:9 and they're much more expensive.

You should usually check what's available near you and then check on the units. It doesn't make any sense to decide for a model which you can't actually buy.
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spaceape
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Fudoh wrote:If you want a BVM, there's isn't too much choice. It doesn't really matter if you get an old one with analogue controls or a newer one with a digital chassis. 20" is the only choice for 4:3 units (well, there's 14" as well). 24" and 32" are only available in 16:9 and they're much more expensive.

You should usually check what's available near you and then check on the units. It doesn't make any sense to decide for a model which you can't actually buy.
Well there's none in Europe at the moment but i've found a few in the US and Australia. The shipping is very expensive but if i want one now i don't seem to have much of a choice.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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that's a bad idea - forget about that. Especially with living in Denmark it can't be too hard to fine one close by (if you include the nothern edge of Germany). Just have a little patience.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Fudoh wrote:that's a bad idea - forget about that. Especially with living in Denmark it can't be too hard to fine one close by (if you include the nothern edge of Germany). Just have a little patience.
So you believe they will show up in europe from time to time? Cool i'll try waiting then. 8)

Right now this is the models i've been looking at: BVM-20F1U, BVM-20E1U, BVM-D20F1U, BVM-A20F1U, BVM-2011P, BVM-2016P and BVM-20G1U. But no 20" even remotely close to where i live. At least not on ebay. Not sure if there are any other places to look.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Were the BVM-20F1E (or U in the US) the last model produced of the BVM's? I guess it is the one to get then?

Edit: Nice unit you've got there Fudoh. 8)
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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You know, I live in DK as well. Maybe it would be cheaper to find a package deal and split shipping.

I would love a low hours 20" BVM as well. I was so close to getting one when I lived in Canada too.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Were the BVM-20F1E (or U in the US) the last model produced of the BVM's?
no, the 20F1 was the from the last 15khz only series. First with fully digital controls. Was available until around 2002 or 2003. After that the D series was released. After that the A series.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Fudoh wrote:
Were the BVM-20F1E (or U in the US) the last model produced of the BVM's?
no, the 20F1 was the from the last 15khz only series. First with fully digital controls. Was available until around 2002 or 2003. After that the D series was released. After that the A series.
Oh i see. But i guess the 20F1 was then the last suited for retro in that series.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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no, they're all good. D and A are just more expensive and can additionally display 31khz signals.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Fudoh wrote:no, they're all good. D and A are just more expensive and can additionally display 31khz signals.
Oh i see. :D Well i have my jvc projector for viewing movies. Any consoles that need that higher frequency?
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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PS2, Cube, Wii, Dreamcast, XBox.

They don't need it, but they can utilize it.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Fudoh wrote:PS2, Cube, Wii, Dreamcast, XBox.

They don't need it, but they can utilize it.
Those are too modern for my taste. :P Haha. Thanks for informing me Fudoh.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Any plusses or minuses going with a 15hz over a 31hz monitor or the other way around. Aside from what you just mentioned?

Im looking a Sony BVM-20E1E now. A very good monitor right?
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Any plusses or minuses going with a 15hz over a 31hz monitor or the other way around
on a BVM, no.

The E1 is the "deluxe" version of the F1. Very fine display, but with your sources certainly no advantage over an F1. What price are you looking at ? It doesn't make sense to pay any extra over a F1.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Fudoh wrote:
Any plusses or minuses going with a 15hz over a 31hz monitor or the other way around
on a BVM, no.

The E1 is the "deluxe" version of the F1. Very fine display, but with your sources certainly no advantage over an F1. What price are you looking at ? It doesn't make sense to pay any extra over a F1.
One is 195£ and the other is 230£ both with YUV input card,SDI input card and BKM-10R. Strange thing is that the text in both adds look identical exept the pictures of the units. So i asked one of the sellers if he owned both of them. :) both were located in the UK but i don't mind paying for shipping if just it isn't a an insane cost like when getting stuff from the US. :twisted:
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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that's reasonable. Just make sure to not get it shipped in a box, but get it shipped on a wooden palette.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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But if i decided one day to add more modern game machines to the tv would the image be different/worse with the 15khz vs the 31kHz?

I believe i saw some discussion on this subject on the 'Fudoh's ode to old display technology' thread but can't seem to find it now. :oops: Well anyway many of the later consoles can be used just fine with modern displays. So it's not a huge issue. Im just making sure im getting the best for retro gaming before i pull the trigger. :D
Last edited by spaceape on Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Fudoh wrote:that's reasonable. Just make sure to not get it shipped in a box, but get it shipped on a wooden palette.
Thanks will ask for that. 8)
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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But if i decided one day to add more modern game machines to the tv would the image be different/worse with the 15khz vs the 31kHz?
480i vs. 480p makes a huge difference yes. You just have to answer for yourself, if you want to use a CRT for 480p after all.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Fudoh wrote:
But if i decided one day to add more modern game machines to the tv would the image be different/worse with the 15khz vs the 31kHz?
480i vs. 480p makes a huge difference yes. You just have to answer for yourself, if you want to use a CRT for 480p after all.
Yes i suppose i would need to. But how about 15khz material on a crt capable of 31khz as well versus 15khz on a 15khz only monitor.

Im properly being very anal here hehe. :roll:

What are the full names of the later D and A models?
Last edited by spaceape on Thu Jan 02, 2014 2:07 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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as said above already: on a BVM, no difference.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Fudoh wrote:as said above already: on a BVM, no difference.
Great you're the best and it seems almost a guru around these parts. So i apologise if im sounding dumb here. :oops: Thanks so much.

Edit: Just found out the model names BVM-D20F1 and BVM-A20F1 but they seem a bit rarer and . Not sure if worth it.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Fudoh wrote:as said above already: on a BVM, no difference.
Another thing to consider i suppose is that a great deal of those later consoles that utilize 31khz (not sure how many this is?) also seem to be made with the 16:9 ratio in mind:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Pl ... HD_support, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ni ... :9_support, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xb ... HD_support

Im on the tipping point between the Sony BVM-20E1E or the BVM-A20F1. It's either going with 100 more tv lines or a 31khz+ and higher resolution compatibility. No BVM-A20F1 in Europe though. I would also have loved the 32 inch bvm lol but shipping and moving it around would properly be hell. :lol:
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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why choose the A model obver the D model? unless that's available to you there's no point doing that considering you'll likely have to do something to compensate for a possibly missing analogue input board. I'd just take the D model and be done with it, but even these are kind of rare i believe.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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ryu wrote:why choose the A model obver the D model? unless that's available to you there's no point doing that considering you'll likely have to do something to compensate for a possibly missing analogue input board. I'd just take the D model and be done with it, but even these are kind of rare i believe.
I guess im just a bit of a perfectionist and want the latest and greatest if possible (even though it's a retro market lol :lol: ).

You make a good point there. The whole last night i looked for suitable bvm's. I don't mind paying a bit to much for something if just im getting a quality tube. :)

Maybe if i got the BVM-20E1E for the oldest consoles and another D or A model (when one is available in Europe) for the later consoles and/or tate mode (still not a trisync though but not sure how important 25khz is).

I just measured the size of a 20" (19" effectivly) display and they sure are tiny heh but one can i guess always just move closer to it. :)
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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So no 480p with the 20F1 models only the later D and A?

Do 31khz go hand in hand with 480p?

Sorry newbie here.
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Re: Best Sony BVM?

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Do 31khz go hand in hand with 480p?
yes, that's basically the same. The two major 31khz timings are 480p60 and 576p50. On the PC there's also 400p70 used for old DOS games.
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