Sony PVM 2730QM questions.

[Rupert H]

I've recently acquired one of these stunning monitors but there are a few things I'm unsure about and I hoping there's a knowledgeable and benevolent soul on here that might help me out.
Does it support RGB through the 21 pin scart socket? The scart socket is labeled AV and there is a separate port that looks very similar to a VGA socket with nine pins labeled "RGB". What is this port? The monitor also comes with two hefty speakers that connect to the back but I can't seem to get any sound out of it when I have my Saturn connected to it via RGB scart. Does it only output sound through certain outputs?

Is it possible to use any configuration of adapters to connect VGA (for most Dreamcast games) or S-Video (for S Video/composite-only games like Gunbird 2) or component to the monitor?

Finally if anybody has the software manual that would probably answer a number of questions. It would have to be for the UK model though, as I've been told the US model is different.

Thanks for reading.

[msm]

the scart input definitely takes rgb - is it not working? don't really know about the other questions sorry, mine doesn't have speakers and i've never used the other inputs.

tried tating it? - do the colours look ok?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

If you can post a pic of the backside of the Sony RGB monitor with all the various inputs, it would give us a better view of what options you have. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[it290]

The 9-pin dsub connector is semi-standard for analog RGB input, and should work fine, but if you have SCART and can get it working that'll probably be easier all around. Pretty sure this monitor is low-res only, so no way to get VGA res, but a Dreamcast SCART cable should work fine for Gunbird 2 or any other DC game.

[Rupert H]

msm

The scart socket does seem to work and the colours are absolutely perfect, both yoko and tate. It's not quite a pin-sharp as I was hoping though, which made me wonder if it was definitely RGB. I'm going to spend some time with the settings to see if I can get any better results. How do you get sound out of your games without the speakers?

PC Engine Fan X!

A picture would no doubt be very useful but I don't have a digital camera. Thanks to it290 though I can say that it features 2 x BNC inputs, 1 x 9-pin DSUB input, 1 x RGB scart, 1 x VTR input and two speaker connectors.

it290

I've read that it supports up to 800x600 resolution but that may not be the case. I need S Video because certain Capcom-published DC games (like Gunbird 2) don't support RGB or VGA and will only play through composite/S Video.

Thanks for the replies so far.

[msm]

for sound i use a scart switch block thing like this and use the phono out:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Scart-Auto-Select ... 7C294%3A50

they often sell them in aldi.

good to hear the colours are ok i must have been pretty unlucky to get 2 dodgy ones!

[it290]

Ah - well, if it does feature high res, and has BNC inputs, getting a VGA->BNC cable and using that would most likely be the easiest route (assuming by BNC inputs you mean RGBHV connections and not just composite BNC). Regarding Svideo, if there are no dedicated composite/Svideo inputs on the monitor, it seems likely that it will accept those signals through the SCART socket (composite in particular, but there's a chance for Svideo as well). Unless you can find a manual, though, the only way to find out is to give it a try, and you won't find a cable like that for the Dreamcast - you'd have to hack one together. It'd probably be better to try running some other device that way first before going to all that trouble. The VTR connector you describe also carries composite signals, but I'd only mess with that as a last resort.

About Gunbird 2, that's interesting. I knew the game wasn't VGA compatible, but I thought that it worked with RGB at least. If you're not averse to using a backup, I know there's a VGA patch floating out there that would most likely fix the RGB issue as well.

[Rupert H]

msm

Problem solved on the sound front. It turns out that the illuminated displays on the front of the panel are actually buttons. A little fine-tuning on those has also increased the sharpness of the image too. This thing is truly a beast of a monitor!

it290

Thanks for the info. I'll look into those adapters and the patch for Gunbird 2.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Is the VTR input on your Sony monitor a special custom 8-pin input, Rupert H?

If it is, then you could use a special RGB cable that Sony made to input RGB signal. I've got a 9" Sony CPD-9000 series RGB monitor that only has that special VTR input connection and nothing else. It works like a charm and displays those cool Neo-Geo MVS games piped through a supergun setup with razor sharp RGB perfection. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[ninn]

Hi!

Sorry for reviving this thread, but I guess I could need some help.

I recently purchased a SONY PVM 2730QM, and it does not exactly what it should do!

The picture is superb, except for some light color bleeding. But the main issue right now is that it behaves oddly: It flickers from time to time. okok -, most of the time. First I thought it was the SCART-Cable, but I changed it. Maybe it is the SCART-Jack.

The flickering is best described by two symptoms:
* fast (re)appearing / flashing thin white lines on random positions, that appear horizontally in yoko mode.
* shaking of the picture, like it becomes squished on the top and expand on the bottom, and in the next second alternating with expanding of the top and squishing of the bottom part. very slight, but constantly.

So, the picture is constantly interrupted by flashing lines and some shaking.

Do you know any good hints what this could be?

It is not that bad, I could even got to the second stage of Ikaruga, but ... you know ... it's about my beloved screen!

thanks for your read,
ninn

[Strider77]

the "red box" of doom..... sounds like it's going and needs to be replaced

[ninn]

Your answer was not helpful at all to me.
I dont know what a "red box" of doom is, nor do you backed your statement up.

... your post just makes me unhappy.

[Drachenherz]

I just got one for cheap from our local auctioning website...

Soo... My question is:

What do you happy pvm 273qm owners out there think about this monitor?

[ryu]

i used to own one - they're pretty nice but unfortunately don't have any osd controls for resizing and repositioning the picture

[Drachenherz]

i used to own one - they're pretty nice but unfortunately don't have any osd controls for resizing and repositioning the picture

But are there any pots where I can resize and reposition the image?

[ryu]

i used to own one - they're pretty nice but unfortunately don't have any osd controls for resizing and repositioning the picture

But are there any pots where I can resize and reposition the image?

yes, inside of the pcb on the left of the tube when you're positioned in front of it

[Thamiel]

Yep, plenty of pots. Not easily accessible though. I'm thinking of running everything through an Extron RGB interface so I can at least get external H Pos and V Pos controls, constantly taking off the back of the monitor is completely impractical.

[Drachenherz]

Would it be possible to build an external board for the screen-adjusting pots?

[Drachenherz]

Wow. Simply wow. Picture quality is just amazing! Those colours! Those crisp and clear images! Those scanlines!

Wow, it is miles better than the B&O mx4000 or mx6000, does anybody want an mx4000 for free?

Btw, what kind of small boxes would you recommend for the pvm? And could somebody direct me to a pvm 2730qm manual, please?

[Lawfer]

Why is Sony listing the resolution of this screen in the service manual as being 640x200? It is obviously wrong, is it not?

[Rupert H]

Wow. Simply wow. Picture quality is just amazing! Those colours! Those crisp and clear images! Those scanlines!

Wow, it is miles better than the B&O mx4000 or mx6000, does anybody want an mx4000 for free?

Btw, what kind of small boxes would you recommend for the pvm? And could somebody direct me to a pvm 2730qm manual, please?

I've got a PDF of it at home. I'll PM it to you later.

Incidentally I never did get around to removing the back and adjusting the geometry. If anybody has a good guide on how to do so that would be great.