PVM/BVM questions

[Xan]

Hi!

Since recently I'm the proud owner of a BVM-1454D and a PVM-20M2E. The image through RGB from my GC and PSX is great (I find the difference from S-Video to RGB on the PSX far more noticeable though, the colors are just awesome), but I want to try and see if I can get an even closer to perfect result.

The BVM seems to be calibrated very well already. The colors look great and the convergence seems to be almost perfect, I can only see a very slight blue on the right side of white text (hope that explanation is understandable).

On the PVM there is some issue with the convergence. It's only noticeable when going close and looking at white text, and it looks like it's only on the bottom of the screen. On the left and right I can see some red and blue, respectively. Also with RGB from the PSX I think the colors may be just a tad too saturated.

On both monitors I found the brightness to be not optimal when all knobs are set to medium. I set contrast to max on both, which improves brightness a lot and gives a better image. Is this normal/expected on those monitors (maybe from the naturally darker image due to visible scanlines) or is it a capacitor aging/wear thing? Also, pretty much all Trinitrons I own have a slight ghosting effect with bright white colors on dark backgrounds, is this normal?

Now for my question: I wanted to see if I can get the convergence dead on and I figured out how to bring up the service menu (menu, degauss+enter), but I have no idea what to set in there. Is it even possible to adjust the convergence without opening the monitor, and if yes how, and would a factory reset make sense?

[Xan]

No ideas? :/

[beatsgo]

My guess is convergence can't be adjusted through service mode, but it's hard to say at the moment since I can't find a PVM 20M2E service manual. Fagin would be probably a better expert on how to adjust the image settings on both TVs.

[nyder]

Hi!

Since recently I'm the proud owner of a BVM-1454D and a PVM-20M2E. The image through RGB from my GC and PSX is great (I find the difference from S-Video to RGB on the PSX far more noticeable though, the colors are just awesome), but I want to try and see if I can get an even closer to perfect result.

The BVM seems to be calibrated very well already. The colors look great and the convergence seems to be almost perfect, I can only see a very slight blue on the right side of white text (hope that explanation is understandable).

On the PVM there is some issue with the convergence. It's only noticeable when going close and looking at white text, and it looks like it's only on the bottom of the screen. On the left and right I can see some red and blue, respectively. Also with RGB from the PSX I think the colors may be just a tad too saturated.

On both monitors I found the brightness to be not optimal when all knobs are set to medium. I set contrast to max on both, which improves brightness a lot and gives a better image. Is this normal/expected on those monitors (maybe from the naturally darker image due to visible scanlines) or is it a capacitor aging/wear thing? Also, pretty much all Trinitrons I own have a slight ghosting effect with bright white colors on dark backgrounds, is this normal?

Now for my question: I wanted to see if I can get the convergence dead on and I figured out how to bring up the service menu (menu, degauss+enter), but I have no idea what to set in there. Is it even possible to adjust the convergence without opening the monitor, and if yes how, and would a factory reset make sense?

Pretty sure you'd need to adjust the pots inside the case, you should try to track down service manual.

I've just gone through this with a Sony PVM-2530.

No service manual, and its completely analog.

Been nerve racking working on this display without the case and having it on poking about with screw drivers lol. I've improved things a lot but still not finished, still trying to figure out how to adjust focus.

Nyd

[ryu]

still trying to figure out how to adjust focus.

that's usually a pot inside of the flyback

[nyder]

still trying to figure out how to adjust focus.

that's usually a pot inside of the flyback

Yeah, thats what I've been told, been trying to find, see brightmess/white balance controls but nothing called focus.

Here's a pic of the flyback

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108 ... .36.45.jpg

This thing has a dial, is that the focus?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108 ... .37.47.jpg

Nyd

[ryu]

possibly, but unless there's anything near it/on it that clearly indicates that it is the dial to adjust focus, i definitely wouldn't touch it

[nyder]

possibly, but unless there's anything near it/on it that clearly indicates that it is the dial to adjust focus, i definitely wouldn't touch it

Yeah, I know, seems a lot of people own this model but not much info around for adjusting the pots.

I got the geometry controls, and horizontal size/center and vertical size center, but locating the focus pot has proved allusive.

Nyd

[MKL]

Here's a pic of the flyback
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108 ... .36.45.jpg

LOL that's the neckboard, no flyback there.

This thing has a dial, is that the focus?
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108 ... .37.47.jpg

Hell no, but if you follow the red wire coming off that block you will find the flyback and yes, the focus pot will be on it. There is only one pot on the flyback so you can't be wrong.

[22point8]

Actually on my 1454qm (which is the same as the original posters bvm minus sdi), the focus is on the neck board facing the tube, some inconvenient design there.

[nyder]

Here's a pic of the flyback
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108 ... .36.45.jpg

LOL that's the neckboard, no flyback there.

This thing has a dial, is that the focus?
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108 ... .37.47.jpg

Hell no, but if you follow the red wire coming off that block you will find the flyback and yes, the focus pot will be on it. There is only one pot on the flyback so you can't be wrong.

THANK YOU!

I knew it had to be somewhere, and its not on the neckboard thats for sure.

I followed the red wire and it leads to this plug looklin thing at the bottom of the chassis.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108 ... .34.04.jpg

There is a small hole, which looks like it could be a slotted screw/pot.
Is that it?

It looks like that leaver thing under the sony logo lifts up, also there is a round black nodule which is obscured by a wire.

Thanks again for your help.

Nyd

[ryu]

that looks more like a flyback. check the thing out with a flashlight, the focus adjustment should be marked somehow (it should say focus or something)

[MKL]

[MKL]

Actually on my 1454qm (which is the same as the original posters bvm minus sdi), the focus is on the neck board facing the tube, some inconvenient design there.

That's more likely to be the screen voltage pot. See also the neckboard pic posted above, there's a little hole marked SCRN. Non-Sony flybacks have both pots on them.

[22point8]

That's more likely to be the screen voltage pot. See also the neckboard pic posted above, there's a little hole marked SCRN. Non-Sony flybacks have both pots on them.

No, it really is on the neck board, right next to the screen volts and whatever h-stat is! The flyback has nothing on it, whereas my older 2044qm does have it where you would expect and has screen volts and h-stat on the neck board.

So it looks like the 1454 just routes them to the neck board. The inside is just the main board, a slot for sdi kit and the neck board, there's hardly anything inside. Maybe I'll take a picture.

[nyder]

That's more likely to be the screen voltage pot. See also the neckboard pic posted above, there's a little hole marked SCRN. Non-Sony flybacks have both pots on them.

No, it really is on the neck board, right next to the screen volts and whatever h-stat is! The flyback has nothing on it, whereas my older 2044qm does have it where you would expect and has screen volts and h-stat on the neck board.

So it looks like the 1454 just routes them to the neck board. The inside is just the main board, a slot for sdi kit and the neck board, there's hardly anything inside. Maybe I'll take a picture.

Hmm thats interesting, I have a 1354Q, I should tear the back off and take a look, take some pics.

[nyder]

Awesome, thanks for that.

it looks more like a black dial rather than a pot.
I wonder if I can access it from the right side, rather then having to stick my hand down the middle of the chassis.

Nyd

[22point8]

[nyder]

Interesting, those pots same color as the focus pot on the flyback of my 2530.
Thanks for the pics, should make life easy for me if I need to adjust my 1354Q, bet they are a lot alike.

Nyd

[nyder]

Just wanted to give a big thanks to MKL for his help, got the focus tightened up real nice and my PVM looks pretty damn good!!

Cheers!

Nyd

[16shot]

Also, pretty much all Trinitrons I own have a slight ghosting effect with bright white colors on dark backgrounds, is this normal?

Quick comment on this from the OP.

The PVM i use does this also, if what you're referring to is a slight horizontal 'smear' that stretches out of bright white colours on a dark background. A lot of the PVMs i've seen produce that same effect which i would imagine is likely due to ageing/worn out tube or other components inside the monitor...

Even though they still perform reasonably well, in a lot of cases these screens were workhorses that are now retired from TV studios and broadcast walls where they were on pretty much 24/7 for years on end!

[ryu]

Also, pretty much all Trinitrons I own have a slight ghosting effect with bright white colors on dark backgrounds, is this normal?

Quick comment on this from the OP.

The PVM i use does this also, if what you're referring to is a slight horizontal 'smear' that stretches out of bright white colours on a dark background. A lot of the PVMs i've seen produce that same effect which i would imagine is likely due to ageing/worn out tube or other components inside the monitor...

Even though they still perform reasonably well, in a lot of cases these screens were workhorses that are now retired from TV studios and broadcast walls where they were on pretty much 24/7 for years on end!

yeah it's an aging issue related to the phosphor screen

[Xan]

Thanks for the answers!

Any ideas on why the image quality w/ RGB looks better from the PSX than it is from the GC? Is it just that PSX games used more saturated colors? I'm using a 3rd party RGB cable with the PSX and the original Nintendo RGB cable with GC. And actually with N64 and S-Video the image is horrible, I've heard that a special cable is needed, is that true?

Also what is the point of HR tubes if most monitors only accept 480i/576i?

[ryu]

the image quality even between rgb signals can vary depending on the console, that's normal. the n64 has to be mmoded to support rgb cables & output, and even that will not look nearly as crisp as rgb does with other consoles. on the n64 it kind of looks like composite, only with proper colors.

i think the HR is about the number of vertical lines supported by the monitor. the more, the clearer the image

[Xan]

I know that the N64 generally has a bad output, but when I tried a generic S-Video cable the image was very dark and desaturated. I also get a similar image when I plug the composite (sync) cable into the line with GC. With RGB the image is fine on GC. On PSX all composite, S-Video and RGB give an expected image.

[Xan]

I recently picked up a PVM-1453MD. The tube must have way fewer hours on it, the image is much brighter and there is no phosphor trailing on it. The only problem is that the image seems to be rotated clockwise just a bit. How would I got about fixing this?

[nyder]

I recently picked up a PVM-1453MD. The tube must have way fewer hours on it, the image is much brighter and there is no phosphor trailing on it. The only problem is that the image seems to be rotated clockwise just a bit. How would I got about fixing this?

Most of the smaller sized PVM's always look brilliant.

You may need to adjust the geometry pots inside the monitor to fix that, try and find service manual. If you are lucky it can be done via the service menu.

Nyd

[Xan]

Well, I made a picture of the issue...
http://i42.tinypic.com/15ml0kh.jpg
It's not really rotated as I said, just the left side of the screen seems to be distorted... how can something like this even happen? Could something have been thrown off calibration during shipping? Either way I'd be very glad if someone could give me a hint if it's fixable and if yes how I should go about doing it, as I couldn't find any legit service manual download....

[ryu]

it's probably a geometry issue. might be fixable by playing around with geometry related settings or pots

[nyder]

it's probably a geometry issue. might be fixable by playing around with geometry related settings or pots

Never seen that before, the whole screen sorta off set.
You need to open the case, see what pots are there.

Nyd