Fudoh's ode to old display technology

[Ed Oscuro]

Silly me - was dusting off the back of my Wega, and went after the aquadag. Got a spot on the left side where it's worn off a bit. I'll have to see how it works...might need to buy some replacement aquadag to paint it on. So yeah - don't rub that black paint stuff too hard!

[jedman]

Is there a way to reset the geometry on a bvm back to factory settings?

My geometry is good but not perfect and I don't know if the previous owners have messed with it, when I try adjusting it its like trying to compromise between one distortion or another. The right vertical edge is straight but the left is distorted at the top edge, If I try to fix this it just throws the right edge out, so annoying.

[Ed Oscuro]

Is there a way to reset the geometry on a bvm back to factory settings?

Don't try that. Are you sure you looked at all the adjustments?

[jedman]

yeah I had a go at adjusting each of the geometry settings myself but couldn't get it to look better than it is, I don't really know what im doing though truth be told. Its noticeable if the image fills to the edges of the screen, but the sides look pretty much perfectly straight when its in underscan mode.

I guess its impossible to get perfect geometry on a crt anyway?

Is their a way to do a factory reset? I have all the settings written down in case it looks worse.

[Ed Oscuro]

Factory reset might be there but again you do NOT want to do that. It might essentially "brick" your set. Word on the street has always been that CRTs are individually calibrated, so whatever use the arbitrary settings stored in ROM (that aren't tweaked per set) provides is unclear.

Now, if the set has a Sony style service mode you could always compare each of the service mode settings to the IRE defaults (or whatever it's called in the menu), but again I don't know what this would accomplish.

[Yamato]

Is there a way to reset the geometry on a bvm back to factory settings?

Read page 49. I did a factory reset on my BVM 20F1E and another user with his monitor too without any problems.

But do it at your own risk!!! Each model can be different.


BTW: Absolutely loving my Sony BVM

[jedman]

Did the reset on the deflection board, looks pretty much the same as before, actually the settings are exactly the same. I cant get the geometry right myself, just going to give up on it for now. If the right hand edge is totally straight the left is off and bends in the middle, It doesn't seem like its possible to get both sides straight without distorting one or the other.

[jedman]

240p looks amazing on the BVM, tried my dreamcast through scart and the interlaced picture looks pretty bad, anyone know how to go about connecting the dreamcast to the BVM-D d series via vga?

Have my Wii connected via component but all my gamecube games are PAL and don't have progressive scan

[Fudoh]

connecting the dreamcast to the BVM-D d series via vga

you need a VGA box and a sync combiner (to RGBs) or converter (to RGsB) after that. Combiner can be passive (T-connector or passive circuit) or active (Extron RGB interface). The interface will output both RGBs and RGsB.

[jedman]

Ok thats confusing, cant I just use a vga box and a vga to bnc cable?

[Fudoh]

VGA Box + breakout cable + sync combiner is what you need. The VGA does output RGBHV, your BVM only accepts RGBs and RGsB.

[jedman]

Ah ok I understand thanks, what sync combiner would you recommend?

[Fudoh]

I recommend an active one, since you can then use the DC on a component input (in RGsB) format. With a simple T-connector you have to use your only ext.sync input.

[jedman]

thanks yeah that's what I was thinking, I'm already using the ext.sync for my scart to bnc cable.

Is there any particular model of active sync combiner you recommend?

[Fudoh]

Any of the Extron RGB interfaces. Just type "Extron RGB" into your local ebay site. Starting from $20.

[jedman]

one like this? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Extron-RGB-10 ... 27e564e351

then what cable would I need to connect it to the BVM?

[Fudoh]

That's a very old one. I don't know if it has all the settings available I know from the newer ones. You're in the UK ? What about this one ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Extron-Univer ... 2ed2ce4df8

You would need a VGA/VGA cable from the VGA box to the interface and 3 BNC/BNC wires from the interface to the monitor. If you put RCA(Cinch)/BNC adapter plugs on both the Extron and the monitor, you can use a standard component cable instead.

[jedman]

that one looks good.

I could use a cable like this one? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Component-Cable ... B003CZOILC

or this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-High-Qua ... 485994a00e

and this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SVGA-VGA-15PI ... 416f075cd3.

Think this may be the most convoluted console connection process I have ever done.

[Fudoh]

First cable looks like shit, 2nd is too expensive. Nobody uses component cables anymore these days, so you can usually get high-end cables (once 50GBP) for next to nothing these days, e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IXOS-XHV804-C ... 1c4186d8a0

If you type RG59 BNC on ebay you can also grab single BNC cables (you need three).

[jedman]

these things? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10x-BNC-Twist ... 5d3d947d6a

I have some already.

On another note, you know the automatic adjustment for the picture in the control preset adjustment menu on the BVM. Do you need to have the corresponding color bar on the screen for the adjustment to work? I couldn't find any color bar patterns in the test patterns in the 90 + channels.

[Fudoh]

I guess you an external pattern generator (or a DVD player with test disc) AND a colorimeter which is compatible with the Sony.

And no, not those plugs. Those are for screwing in bare wires. You want RCA/Cinch to BNC adapter plugs.

[bobrocks95]

Is there anything available over here in the US that's like the Samsung PDP's (i.e. 480p)? Looks like they're sold in developing countries just like the newer super slim CRT's are/were, is that right?

I was thinking of upgrading my Panasonic EDTV, but I've been focusing solely on the Panasonic brand, as I haven't heard of any other options.

[jedman]

And no, not those plugs. Those are for screwing in bare wires. You want RCA/Cinch to BNC adapter plugs.

sorry lol yeah not those I know the ones you mean to go from bnc to component. I bought a pack of ten so have a few left over in case I get another input board.

Thanks for your help with this.

[jedman]

So many sexy crt's on ebay, wish I had a car so I could go and get them, I like the look of this one but don't know what the picture quality would be like http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-FD-Trini ... 3390113b14

check out this bad boy http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-Trinitro ... 233b5b6b1a

Also found this one that I've never seen before, looks like it was made in Japan as well http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-Trinitro ... 2c84dbacef

[jedman]

Has anyone owned a bvm, pvm and a standard trintron crt?

Would be interesting to see examples of the differences between them.

I have a bvm and while the picture looks amazing, it is very different to how I remember it as a kid playing on an old trinitron. I can't really remember seeing scanlines that vividly from when I used to play snes and PS1 back in the day. I live in England so I played PAL games with borders so maybe this is why, I always played games in RGB mind through scart.

Really noticed when playing FF7 last night just how visible the scanlines are on the BVM.

[TheShadowRunner]

To BVM owners, I'm a bit concerned by how hot mine gets and wonder if it's normal behavior.
After a couple hours running, the part circled in pink runs extremely hot, to the point where I would burn myself if I just touched it for a couple seconds.

Do you experience the same?

[Yamato]

Has anyone owned a bvm, pvm and a standard trintron crt?

Yes, no and yes

Would be interesting to see examples of the differences between them.

When I got my BVM 20F1E a couple of weeks ago, I took some VERY quick and dirty comparison shots between the BVM and my old Sony FD Triniton consumer TV. The BVM's picture wasn't even aligned properly back then, so the pictures just resemble the factory reseted settings.

I uploaded some of these pictures for you, because you said that you would be interested.

PAL Super Mario World:
Consumer Triniton: http://www.nescenter.de/CRT/_fdtriniton-mario.jpg
BVM: http://www.nescenter.de/CRT/_bvm-mario.jpg

PAL F-ZERO:
Consumer Triniton: http://www.nescenter.de/CRT/_fdtriniton-fzero.jpg
BVM: http://www.nescenter.de/CRT/_bvm-fzero.jpg

it is very different to how I remember it as a kid playing on an old trinitron. I can't really remember seeing scanlines that vividly from when I used to play snes and PS1 back in the day. I live in England so I played PAL games with borders so maybe this is why

You are right: Scanlines are less intensive on a normal consumer TV. Just keep in mind that a consumer CRT has less vertical lines than a high resolution PVM or BVM. This is why scanlines are so vivid here, even with 288p sources including PAL borders at the top and bottom

Personally I like those scanlines very much. To me it's pure CRT goodness along with the amazing picture quality

[Ed Oscuro]

It partly depends on the sets being compared. The reverse of "pvm good, consumer set bad" seemed true to me: 240p material on my PVM didn't impress without correct settings, and even then my Wega seems to have sharper 240p scanlines. That's comparing a 20" PVM and a 27" Wega, though - sets closer in size might make a better comparison (not only do the larger pro monitors tend to have higher TVL specs, but there's also more physical room to separate scanlines).

[jedman]

To BVM owners, I'm a bit concerned by how hot mine gets and wonder if it's normal behavior.
After a couple hours running, the part circled in pink runs extremely hot, to the point where I would burn myself if I just touched it for a couple seconds.

Do you experience the same?

Mine is the same, figured it supposed to be that way, it has a heat warning sticker on the back.

[jedman]

I uploaded some of these pictures for you, because you said that you would be interested.

PAL Super Mario World:
Consumer Triniton: http://www.nescenter.de/CRT/_fdtriniton-mario.jpg
BVM: http://www.nescenter.de/CRT/_bvm-mario.jpg

PAL F-ZERO:
Consumer Triniton: http://www.nescenter.de/CRT/_fdtriniton-fzero.jpg
BVM: http://www.nescenter.de/CRT/_bvm-fzero.jpg

thanks for the photo's, im going to test my PS1 instead of running games on PS2, I think I tried it before and the PS1 had a bit of a softer image. Just played street fighter alpha anthology which is one of my only 480p PS2 games, damb you PAL!

The lack of progressive scan PAL PS2 and Gamecube games is just shocking.

looks pretty much like my LCD! albeit with better colors and black levels and a slightly softer image like a 2 x sai filter.