24" Widescreen CRT (FW900) From Ebay arrived,Comments.

I don't think I'd want to remove the anti-glare coating unless it was damaged. It was no doubt carefully engineered by Sony and I'd imagine is part of these displays' reference quality performance.

Maybe the coating is more of a negative for folks who cannot control the ambient lighting or something...
 
Is static build-up a constant issue once removing the anti-glare coating?

Yes. My cat is really the only reason I notice it however. A hair on it every once and a while. Usually the staticide helps but there must be residue on there from the AG still.

I don't think I'd want to remove the anti-glare coating unless it was damaged. It was no doubt carefully engineered by Sony and I'd imagine is part of these displays' reference quality performance.

Maybe the coating is more of a negative for folks who cannot control the ambient lighting or something...

Well, if it's in perfect nic don't remove it. Try to keep it if you are in front of a window and glare will actually affect you. But the difference in overall brightness is VERY noticeable. I wish I had taken a few DSLR Manual shots before and after with this SGi. Or even cut the plastic in half to show it side by side. An amazing difference in the vividness of colors and the brightness of white actually looks comparable an LCD which many of you should know seems blinding compared to a calibrated 900 with the coating on.
 
Got a spare FW900 that will need to have its anti-glare coating removed since it has a few blemishes and what looks like hard water etching on it (seriously, like, water spot that won't go away no matter how much I buff the screen with a soft cloth and water).

Thanks for all the tips about removing the AG screen. It's really a shame we can't just press a new AG coating onto the screen once we're done removing the old one.

Best,

H
 
For those of you still searching for a WinDAS cable, the best one to get right now is a cheap one on eBay called a "USB to TTL" adapter. http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-serial-adap...016?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a09d1a678

Please refer to this post I made a few months ago about it: http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1035951906&postcount=6175

Hook it up exactly as shown in the above post. Make absolutely sure you do not at any point connect any of the wires on the TTL adapter to the +5v pin on the monitor... Doing so will most likely fry your adapter. Unplug the monitor while you are hooking up the pins! You WILL need some tweezers because it is impossible to reach the pins with just your fingers.

Realistically if you plan on doing any adjustments, especially the convergence adjustment procedure, you need a second computer. I ran WinDAS on my Windows 7 netbook, and left the monitor connected to my primary computer displaying adjustment patterns.

Uploading settings to the monitor takes a bit longer than downloading them. 3-4 minutes to download and maybe 5 to upload. During which the screen will make some clicking noises and go blank, this is normal.

Because it was so difficult to hook up the cable, I just left it connected to my monitor, coiled it up and taped it to the back. It can stay connected without problems.
 
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I'm on the opposite side of a problem...

I have a working FW900 (HP Branded)
(and 3 working GDM 5411 SGI branded) but have run out of space...

I moved to a much smaller place and have built a much smaller desk. I'm going to need to replace these with FP's but I don't want to see them in a dump or in a PC-Recycler warehouse.

I don't want to post in the for-sale forum because, really, they are nearly free to a good home if somebody will pay shipping (or pick them up?)
And, as we know, freight shipping these guys is serious business. I'm in 89509 (Reno, NV area) if anybody is interested.
 
Well now, my monitor suddenly clicked off then on, but only as if the beam shut off for a split second then started projecting again. After that happened.. it's a bit blurry again, like the convergence just got screwed. I spent an hour customizing that and the monitor decided to go haywire and ruin it, sigh.

Wish LCDs weren't garbage, or widescreen.
 
Well now, my monitor suddenly clicked off then on, but only as if the beam shut off for a split second then started projecting again. After that happened.. it's a bit blurry again, like the convergence just got screwed. I spent an hour customizing that and the monitor decided to go haywire and ruin it, sigh.

Flyback Transformer issue. One of mine has done that twice in the 6 months I have run it.

Wish LCDs weren't garbage, or widescreen.

Eh? you prefer the 4:3? I was a 4:3 fan for a while but now everything is widescreen. So a 16:10 Crt is a unique win!
 
Flyback Transformer issue. One of mine has done that twice in the 6 months I have run it.

Thanks for that information. I took a quick look at the wiki article and now I am afraid that mine will fail. I'm tempted to open my old CRT up and try to repair that (which it's still usable, just, the picture at the top has an inch cut off and it's squished a bit in the center on the left/right sides) just in case this one fails, which would extremely sadden me because it's an incredible monitor, even if the text is a bit colorized (convergence I blame, looks like just cleartype on a CRT) and shaky. I'm unsure which bothers me more.

Eh? you prefer the 4:3? I was a 4:3 fan for a while but now everything is widescreen. So a 16:10 Crt is a unique win!
Yes, I prefer 4:3. And actually, I think I prefer 5:4 now. 1280x1024 feels better than 1280x960. (And I can run casual games at 1280x960 in window mode now instead of full!) To me, more vertical space = better. Extreme widescreen displays aren't something I'm into, nor do they function all that well for computer usage aside from gaming, although I've never actually used one to find out. I suppose when I do finally manage to move to a flat panel I'll use two in portrait mode, provided I can even pay for such a thing.

That said, yes, a 16:10 CRT is win, just for the sole fact it's a CRT. I would still take my 1600x1200 over anything else though. This can also run 1800x1440 @80Hz (which imo is too big for a 21") and the spec sheet says it can sync to 2048x1536@80Hz, which is quite insane, but I've never gotten to work regardless of refresh rate, which saddens me.
 
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It really depends on the game if you're losing any vertical FOV or not with a widescreen. This is why all games should be HOR+ instead of VERT-.
 
Reference Pages for Sony FW 900 on this thread
Buried on 1st page of thread
1. For most general links
65. Focus Pods Adjustment
84. Windas G2 default level adjustment
88. Maxdrive is increased for blacks Drive_Max to 250
91. Windas Installer
112. Gamma & Contrast
114. Link to pods
115.Focus Pods & Convergence
117. Pics to open monitor
118 .Drive max/contrast settings
126. ABL shutdown for contrast
141. G2 settings stock
143. Pics of G2 before and after
148. Windas guide for convergence test
151. Settings for color
160. Apply final step to save settings for convergence
171. Refreshrate Vista
184. Bezel replacement
191. Focus
196. Landing
204.Lower G2 to 130
216. DAT file (orginal)
234 .Black & Contrast Levels
248. White Balance RLC-2 Level converter
249. Correct Pins Setup for Windas
253. Damper Windas, White Point Balance, Uncle Vito
255. Anti Glare Film Removal
256. G2 problem Uncle Vito
262. ATI Driver Help
264. Degauss
266. Fixed Refresh Guide
273.RCL-2 Link
274 Big Link Page
275. Uncle Vito Gain Link
277. More Calibration Hints Uncle Vito
281.Find Drivers XP
282. RGB Video signals Graph
287. Calibration software
299. Windas Problems
302. Windas G2 Black Level
304.DVI to BNC Ati Fly
305. ATI CUT DVT Adapter Pins
309. Windas success Pin Links
312.Link to Remove Anti-Glare Screen
313.Guide Windas Convergence
314.ATI & anti glare removal
Made this quick reference list for myself when I got tired of searching this thread for quick answers!
Boiled down from 3 pages of a master reference guide
 
One of my three FW-900s had a fairly poor AG screen on it. So I just got done removing it. I must concur with what others have said. Wow is it bright and vibrant! My only reservation about removing the coating is glare. But that hasn't be a problem in my situation. Very happy with the image quality!
 
One of my three FW-900s had a fairly poor AG screen on it. So I just got done removing it. I must concur with what others have said. Wow is it bright and vibrant! My only reservation about removing the coating is glare. But that hasn't be a problem in my situation. Very happy with the image quality!

How bad was the glue? The two I have done the first was perfect and clean the second was a PIA..
 
Flyback Transformer issue. One of mine has done that twice in the 6 months I have run it.
I took a quick look at the wiki article and now I am afraid that mine will fail.
Well, bad news for me. The monitor is doing that action after 10-15 minutes of first turning it on in the morning, every day. Not only that, but it did it just an hour ago, which is twice in 16 hours. I can only assume, at this rate, it's going to fail by the end of this month. Cannot afford even a cheap monitor and I don't want to go back to using my old damaged one..
 
My roomate found one of these in perfect working condition at a recycling plant for the bargain price of $10 ;)
 
I paid $250 for mine a few weeks ago off craigslist. He was asking $350, I offered $200. He wrote back and said that was a little low, so I threw in an extra $50. Told him that was my best offer. He got back to me a couple of days later and took me up on it.

It has been a good one, no scratches on the screen at all. The silver paint shows wear on the edges of the frame, other than that it looks and displays like new. He took good care of it.
 
It pains my inner hoarder but just came across a very new looking relatively cheap fw900 on ebay for $350 starting bid $450 buyitnow with a $150 shipping in Rochester, New York.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-GDM-FW900-...4973?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item27b69be69d

Followed your link and then I expanded the eBay search generally and ran across this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEC-MultiSync-F...9569?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item3362b23a31

I think that's the final high end Diamondtron made? Or close to it and new and black and dirt cheap...

It says no returns and I assume no warranty unless factory still applies somehow...so as ever you take your chances...

I remember avoiding this monitor a few years ago after some complained about text quality, but then others said text was sharp. I suspect it comes down to the adjustments and luck...

Already got a CRT and a spare or otherwise I would go for it...(still considered doing so, considering both my tubes are used to some extent, but I'm trying to resist...)
 
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I paid $250 for mine a few weeks ago off craigslist. He was asking $350, I offered $200. He wrote back and said that was a little low, so I threw in an extra $50. Told him that was my best offer. He got back to me a couple of days later and took me up on it.

It has been a good one, no scratches on the screen at all. The silver paint shows wear on the edges of the frame, other than that it looks and displays like new. He took good care of it.

Silver Sharpie worked for me to hide some blemishes on the silver bezel.

If it's the very edge that's worn, that would be a different story I suppose...
 
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Silver Sharpie worked for me to hide some blemishes on the silver bezel.

If it's the very edge that's worn, that would be a different story I suppose...

The worn edges don't bother me, just normal wear and tear. The screen and display being flawless is the main thing :)
 
I've got an FW900 that I'd like to move. It's in fine working condition, with some scratches on the bezel but other than that its good to go. For local pickup in CT I can do $300 even.
 
Just a reminder: have a video source connected to your monitor while using WinDAS to download/upload settings. The last time I used DAS was in 2007, and I was scratching my head as to why my cable wasn't working (cobbled together a converter). Scope revealed monitor kept dropping to standby and cutting power to the +5V rail that is exposed at the ECS connector.

Still on the hunt for a reasonable desk/setup that will support 3 of these suckers, hah. I guess I will just wait another like...8 years until I'm a homeowner somewhere.

e: Wow, that PL-2023 based cable is cheap. Cheaper than the parts would cost to build one when you factor in shipping. Tempted to get one now so I can just leave the ECS port connected.

e2: Would there be any interest in a USB 2.0 hub for the monitor base? Thinking about laying out a PCB that will physically fit in there with the ports lined up appropriately. USB 3.0 is possible as well once those connectors and ICs are easily available. They should be relatively low-cost, the more people that buy them, the cheaper they'll get.
 
Has anyone here tried a 3 screen CRT set up? Is this something that works well or is it more of an LCD thing?
 
Has anyone here tried a 3 screen CRT set up? Is this something that works well or is it more of an LCD thing?

Bezels on CRTs tend to be huge compared with many LCDs, and gigantic compared with thin bezel LCDs, so CRTs don't really lend themselves to multi-display setups. At least, not for gaming.
 
Bezels on CRTs tend to be huge compared with many LCDs, and gigantic compared with thin bezel LCDs, so CRTs don't really lend themselves to multi-display setups. At least, not for gaming.

You'd be surprised how well bezels hide themselves when you're focused on a game. Though, a bezel this big may push the limit a little to far. I'm not even sure the drivers would allow for proper bezel compensation for a gap that big.

I owned a 3x LCD setup and wound up going back to the trusty single FW900. Not that many games really gain much from the extra viewspace. And the cost to setup such a rig, the power consumption, the heat. All wind up not being worth it, IMO.

Anyways, 3 FW900's should technically work in a surround/eyefinity setup...so long as they all have same EDID. If the monitors have differing EDID's, setup will be a PITA. I have no idea if it would work or not with EDID disabled (via removing a pin from the VGA cable), while using a custom driver.
 
Has anyone here tried a 3 screen CRT set up? Is this something that works well or is it more of an LCD thing?

I used a 4 CRT setup, but I'm not bothered by the bezels as I was using it for trading. Different charts on each screen.
 
I used my CRTs for individual apps, not split-screen gaming, so didn't care about bezels. They just took up so much room.

Got my FW900 back up and running, but now it's extra-dim, and I'm feeling too lazy to take it back-apart and re WinDAS it. apparently I knicked some more AG film on it too, so I should probably peel it off at this point. Getting more and more tempted to just buy a U3011 and put the FW900 back in storage with its 2 brothers for some other day.

No interest in USB 2.0 replacement hub for FW900?
 
I use the FW900 with an LCD on each side. I overlap the LCD bezels over the CRT bezels. Works like a dream; great display with all the CRT advantages for the main screen, cheap, low power display for the periphery.
 
Thanks guys. So it sounds like 3 CRTs to achieve a panoramic view might be questionable. (Though dual CRT or more running separate apps perhaps is more reasonable. Or matching a CRT display up with some flanking LCDs perhaps...)
 
Thanks guys. So it sounds like 3 CRTs to achieve a panoramic view might be questionable. (Though dual CRT or more running separate apps perhaps is more reasonable. Or matching a CRT display up with some flanking LCDs perhaps...)

You mean like this?
2001_mq_080.jpg


Personally, I prefer an 8xLCD setup with a webcam at eye level.
 
Just want to say how sweet this monitor is. I've owned it now for a year, and though the geometry isn't dead on, nor is the PQ as great as it could be with some windas, it's still such a great display. I just purchased a brand new 2010 63" plasma and have owned many LCDs, both monitors and TVs, and still appreciate my fw900 every time I use it. My plasma has been contesting the fw900 for gaming as the input lag (much to my surprise) was pretty close to reference, and well who couldn't enjoy gaming on a 63" :-P. Having owned a plasma, lcd, and this CRT, it amazes me how this CRT display fairs so well in terms of faults / tradeoffs (as all displays have these) and is 10 years old! I look forward to the day some new tech comes along sporting 0 input lag, deep blacks, bright colors, perfect picture, and is energy efficient. Until then, this CRT and my Plasma will have to do :-P
 
Just did my bi-Monthly monitor swap from one of my fw900's to another. I knew I would need to recalibrate the colors and I wasn't sure how to go about it. Then I remembered an image I came across on the previous monitor that made me go into Paint Shop Pro and check something.

This screeny.. I had noticed the gray background had some red in it. And sure enough it did when I checked it over. So swap monitors and this shot had no red in it. I bumped the Red Bias a few notches and got it looking exactly like it did on the last (better calibrated) fw900.

So I made up a bunch of test images for you guys without a colorimeter. Basically this first is 128, 128, 128 Neutral gray. You should see no coloration of any kind looking at this image. If you do one of your 3 colors is off.



These images are labeled but you should be able to see clearly in all 3 levels (5%,3% and 1%), the color bias. If you don't see one is more red or green or blue then the neutral image.. adjust.

5%

3%

1%


Just for fun I put all the 3% colors and neutral into one image. If you cant see all 4 panels something is very wrong.

 
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I can see all the different colors. All the colors are very faint, but the difference is plainly seen. I guess my fw900 is cooking with gas!
 
i'm trying to get Windas installed for my G400, but when I try to install the setup.exe for Astro SG, an error message appears saying my OS is incompatible. I've tried compatibility mode in Vista 64, but I still get the error message. Any ideas why I can't install the program? I just need the files:TransDLL.dll, RegDLL.dll and LimitDLL.dll.
 
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