Fudoh's ode to old display technology

[Einzelherz]

Small update to the overscan issue.

With extensive help from a friend the Finlux (which turned out to be a rebranded Philips) has now been tweaked and tuned. The difference is immediately noticeable. The barreling problem is completely gone, the picture is no longer shifted to the side, and the NTSC overscan is no longer a real problem with SNES/SFC or PS1 and PS2. The N64 still cuts off a lot of stuff, but I can live with that so I'll keep it. In the future I'll try a greater variety of systems and games in cases like this.

What I also learned is that it's good to be curious and not judge a CRT by its brand. This thing has an amazing picture.

Any photo of the unit itself?

[Saturngamer81]

I think the red gun on my 20f1e is out of focus on the left side of the screen. On red only text it seems thicker on the left side. Doesn't seem to be convergence. Anyone have a solution?

[Ed Oscuro]

Sounds like a classic convergence problem. Read here for more details:
http://www.repairfaq.org/samnew/tvfaq/tvcrtpca.htm

[LEGENOARYNINLIA]

Small update to the overscan issue.

With extensive help from a friend the Finlux (which turned out to be a rebranded Philips) has now been tweaked and tuned. The difference is immediately noticeable. The barreling problem is completely gone, the picture is no longer shifted to the side, and the NTSC overscan is no longer a real problem with SNES/SFC or PS1 and PS2. The N64 still cuts off a lot of stuff, but I can live with that so I'll keep it. In the future I'll try a greater variety of systems and games in cases like this.

What I also learned is that it's good to be curious and not judge a CRT by its brand. This thing has an amazing picture.

Any photo of the unit itself?

Here you go. Finlux 3815. I need to get a tinted glass or plexi for it as it's missing the original. And unlike I stated earlier it actually only has one speaker. But the element is huuuge.

It looks like the front panel is loaded with controls but it only has brightness, volume, search, something that says <<->> and channel.

[BazookaBen]

Damn, that's a sweet looking monitor. Hit's all the right 80's nostalgia buttons.

[LEGENOARYNINLIA]

Damn, that's a sweet looking monitor. Hit's all the right 80's nostalgia buttons.

It's 35cm wide, but only 31cm deep if you don't count the little portruding bit for the neckboard which conviniently adds 6cm right above the SCART connector. About 35cm high too, so it's basically like a cube. I love it.

[kamiboy]

The design reminds me of early SONY PVM monitors such as 2530 and 2950 from the 80's. I'd sell my soul to mephisto to own a mint 2950. Best gaming monitor ever made, for my taste.

[waiwainl]

- Blinking screen with some PCB's ?-

I have a Pioneer 402E with MakStrike Supergun. Most PCB's work fine (Gunbird 2), except a few like Espgaluda, Gunbird, PGM's). Once turned on the Pioneer seems to think the signal is dropped/out of range/something, because the screen blanks and comes back again (<1 second).
This happens every 3-10 seconds, not constantly.

I tried it on another Pioneer 402E and it has the same behavior.
But with a B&O MX4000 is works just fine! Also the PCB's work flawlessly on my Candy cab.

So far I can only conclude something special is going on with those PCB's vs Pioneer? But I do not know what or how to fix it.

Anybody got some suggestions?

[Fudoh]

Could be a problem with the video levels (or sync level). Running the signal through an RGB interface to recondition the sync signal might help as well.

[Saturngamer81]

Sounds like a classic convergence problem. Read here for more details:
http://www.repairfaq.org/samnew/tvfaq/tvcrtpca.htm

I'm aware of the rings at the neck, but im scared to touch them, ruining the picture, and even more getting a shock and killed XD. Since many use a BVM some one should put a photo up showing what rings do what and what not to touch.

[Ed Oscuro]

What I also learned is that it's good to be curious and not judge a CRT by its brand. This thing has an amazing picture.

Who made the tube, though? Finlux themselves?

[MKL]

That's a 15" (A36... type number).

[waiwainl]

Could be a problem with the video levels (or sync level). Running the signal through an RGB interface to recondition the sync signal might help as well.

How can I run the signal through an RGB interface?

btw: output of the Supergun is SCART -> (retrogamingcables.co.uk) SCART-BNC&SYNC -> Pioneer.

[Fudoh]

If you got a multimeter, I would start by checking what your supergun does actually output in terms RGB and sync levels. You could compare a working board to one that produces dropouts. The Pioneer in RGBs mode expects consumer levels (~1V peak).

[waiwainl]

If you got a multimeter, I would start by checking what your supergun does actually output in terms RGB and sync levels. You could compare a working board to one that produces dropouts. The Pioneer in RGBs mode expects consumer levels (~1V peak).

Ah, thanks - I'll start measuring and report back

[LEGENOARYNINLIA]

What I also learned is that it's good to be curious and not judge a CRT by its brand. This thing has an amazing picture.

Who made the tube, though? Finlux themselves?

Philips. Rebranded usually means it was sold under a different brand in a different region.

[Ed Oscuro]

I just missed that you said it was a rebranded Philips - thanks for the info

I was guessing Philips given the region, but edited it away.

[speedswan]

Hello, this is the longest thread ever but I thought I'd ask here before starting a new one.

I've just picked up a Sony BVM-D32E1WU and BKM 10-R controller a week ago which was starting up fine (with 'Initializing' on the screen).

However now starts up with a green power light and the normal 'boing' type noises that you expect from a CRT but no image whatsoever - the controller seems to work but with no on screen display at all. The 'degauss' and 'power' buttons work and the buttons light up but nothing.

I tried removing all of the cards and reseating only the ISR/Remote card (it seemed to need that to boot up) along with the included input card and no change.

I have the service manual but was wondering if there was any sort of button combination to send it into a factory reset.

My next step is to take the case off and look if there's anything fishy going on and attempt to change any suspicious caps.

Anyone have any better advice?

[LEGENOARYNINLIA]

I just missed that you said it was a rebranded Philips - thanks for the info

I was guessing Philips given the region, but edited it away.

One of your best edits yet.

The Finlux badge came off easily as it was just a sticker. Without it the monitor is so sleek and stylish.

[kamiboy]

Looks like that Finlux had some sort of glass screen mounted in front of it once. Perhaps a contrast screen like on certain B&O CRT's.

[Saturngamer81]

Looks like that Finlux had some sort of glass screen mounted in front of it once. Perhaps a contrast screen like on certain B&O CRT's.

or for a magnavox odyssey overlay XD

[Shining]

Anything to look out for when hunting down a Sony Trinitron CRT? Any special model number? As i understand it, some of those are 100hz and that is not suitable for 240p sources?

[R2-2D]

Make sure it runs 60hz.
i just bougth a small sony trinitron which only runs 50hz..

[bobrocks95]

Best consumer model is the KV-xxFV310, see if you can figure out the European version of it.

[jedman]

I would like to know this as well. Picked up a later model UK wega, but 240p content is not handled well as there are no scanlines and their weird effects from processing visible.

[Xyga]

It seems the KV-**X1* were the last curved consumer Trinitrons (if like me you don't like flat tubes).
KV-21X1B, KV-25X1B, KV29X1B for instance.
The last letter is a region code, can be A, B, U, K, L, R, U.

The one bobrocks95 mentions is supposedly the best of their flat tube consumer series indeed, but I can't remember the European p/n as well...

[bobrocks95]

It seems the KV-**X1* were the last curved consumer Trinitrons (if like me you don't like flat tubes).
KV-21X1B, KV-25X1B, KV29X1B for instance.
The last letter is a region code, can be A, B, U, K, L, R, U.

The one bobrocks95 mentions is supposedly the best of their flat tube consumer series indeed, but I can't remember the European p/n as well...

Good point that some prefer the curved ones. Did those ever have component inputs?
Double-checked my service manual and it only lists info for mainland US, Hawaii, Canada, and Latin America, so no good there...

[Fudoh]

None of the these had component connections IN EUROPE. Instead they all had RGB Scart over here - even the cheapest and smallest ones. In the US the lower end models only had s-video, with component available upwards from a certain price point.

[jedman]

Has anyone here connected their PC to a PVM or BMV type monitor to play MAME? would like to do this but not sure the best way to go about it.

[wyatt8740]

Has anyone here connected their PC to a PVM or BMV type monitor to play MAME? would like to do this but not sure the best way to go about it.

yup. You need VGA or an analog DVI port. You also need to either make or buy a cable that has RGB breakouts AND A SYNC OUTPUT. Set your computer to output 480p (or 480i if you can't get 480p working). On linux at least, you can set 480i by running:

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cvt 640 480 60 --interlaced

it will print something like:

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Modeline "640x480_60.00"   25.00  640 664 720 800  480 483 487 522 interlace -hsync +vsync

Copy everything but the "Modeline " part. So copy:

Code: Select all

"640x480_60.00"   25.00  640 664 720 800  480 483 487 522 interlace -hsync +vsync

now, type:

Code: Select all

xrandr --newmode (paste your line here)

for example:

Code: Select all

xrandr --newmode "640x480_60.00"   25.00  640 664 720 800  480 483 487 522 interlace -hsync +vsync

I want to clearly label it as interlaced, so I'll change the name. the line will now look like:

Code: Select all

xrandr --newmode "640x480_60i"   25.00  640 664 720 800  480 483 487 522 interlace -hsync +vsync

then, set add that mode to your output. You can check what your output is called by running 'xrandr' with no arguments. On this computer, it is "DVI-I-0", but on some it may be "VGA-0" or "VGA1" or basically anything else.

anyway, now do, for example:

Code: Select all

xrandr --addmode DVI-I-0 "640x480_60i"

and then, set it to active:

Code: Select all

xrandr --output DVI-I-0 --mode "640x480_60i"

Assuming you have everything right and external sync turned on, this should do the trick.