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

Does anyone here have any recommendation for a desk or a workspace that works well with the FW900? I read some stuff around these forums for the Ikea "Galant", but there's quite a few variants, so I'm not sure which one works best to support these juggernauts.

And yeah. FW900 forever. The day my FW900 dies, I will either buy another one or quit gaming altogether.
 
Someone know why my FW900 gets blurry after about 15 minutes.
Solution for this is to turn it off wait 1 minute and turn it back on, then it runs perfect the rest of the day. But next day i turn it on the same thing happens again. :confused:

I dont want to abuse the power button every day.
 
Myramond said:
Someone know why my FW900 gets blurry after about 15 minutes.
Solution for this is to turn it off wait 1 minute and turn it back on, then it runs perfect the rest of the day. But next day i turn it on the same thing happens again. :confused:

I dont want to abuse the power button every day.
Click to expand...

If you leave it on like that for a bit is there a loud pop, after which the image becomes normal again?

If so, you have a flyback problem...

Days are limited, start saving up for a new one.
 
REALLY jealous. I shoulda kept my CRT from back in the day. I didn't realized the difference between 60 and 120hz until recently. What a world of difference.
 
hmm sometimes this pop with instantly sharpness happens but its rare.

Is the flyback changeable? or is it unpayable expensive.
 
Yea that issue is usually the flyback transformer. I was going to replace mine but I was spooked to open her up because of getting shocked lol. I think you have to be careful opening up crt's they can be dangerous.
 
Myramond said:
hmm sometimes this pop with instantly sharpness happens but its rare.

Is the flyback changeable? or is it unpayable expensive.
Click to expand...

I think it is around $100 from Vito + whatever shipping will cost.

If you are going to replace it yourself you need to be good at soldering, plus you will need to discharge the HV wire from the old one, that goes into the CRT tube (~27 kV), need to be very careful with this.

It's probably doable if you know what you are doing but if you don't you can mess it up bad.
 
Hi, I just got a FW900 the other day (Sony version, Dec/02) and it seems to be in good shape.
I have removed the AG coat etc and all is good.
There is one issue troubling me, for the moment I am mainly using it for my xbox and I found that when set to 1920x1080 it had a few geometry issues in the corners etc and I figured this was an xbox issue as I know they were never originally intended to render in 1080. I set the console to 1200x720 and everything straightened up great, then I just adjusted the height of the image so circles are round and not oblong. The only thing I got now that I can't solve is when the monitor is warming up in addition to the black bars I made to fix the aspect ratio I also get two 1/4" grey bars top & bottom of the image, they blend into the bar bars once the monitor warms up but it makes me think something needs adjusting. I tried playing around with the sizing again to see if the image needed to stretch into these grey bars, but no matter what they just travel with the image instead of being over lapped?
Any pointers appriciated.:)
 
yeah i know, and i will definetly not doing it because my soldering skills are weak.

Maybe E.L.A.S. (german company which is an authorized Sony service center) has that part and then i only have to find someone who can repair it for me.
 
There are two currently in my area for sale. One @ 280$ and one @ 249$. Either I pick those up or I'm gunning for a U2412m from amazon.
 
My FW900 is on the floor now and I've spent a few days with the GV278. At the risk of drifting OT, I thought I'd leave my impressions of the current best replacement option for those with dying FW900s looking for a 27" 120Hz 3d Vision capable monitor. I suspect many of you will be in the same boat soon.

Clarity: While text is crisp, 1080p on a 27" will require increased distance to avoid visible pixel structure. I can see pixels at 30", but not at my new viewing distance of 34-36". From that distance reading is superior. Everything looks big so fonts will need to be adjusted. VG278 wins.

Black level: I know CRTs are usually capable of better blacks than LCDs. Maybe it was the age of my FW900, but the blacks are much better than the best I could get on my FW900. They are flawless inky blacks, unlike the washed out blacks I have seen on other LCDs. I am pleasantly surprised. VG278 wins.

Backlight: No issues at all, but several have had problems with backlight bleed with the VG278.

Color: After hours of tuning, the colors look good on the desktop, but a little washed out in games with a flat gamma curve setup. There are settings that allow very rich game colors at the expense of a screwed up gamma curve. Also, there is significant color banding with static images, especially if they are dark. You will never see this on a CRT. However, in games I never see any banding. Also, video looks much better on my old FW900. FW900 wins.

Response time: The ASUS is excellent. I haven't noticed any input lag with FPS games, but technically nothing will beat a CRT for a long time. FW900 wins.

Overall if I had to choose between a new calibrated FW900 and the VG278 it would be a close call for me. With the exception of text and maybe black level the FW900 is superior, but the VG278 has a lot going for it with the larger more immersive screen, less weight and space, and decent image quality. If you want to do video or photo work it is definitely not the monitor for you, but for reading and 3D games it is probably your best option.
 
Yes but the asus vg278 has a horrid anti-glare coat which muddles whites and colors. I have three Samsung S27A750s in landscape mode and Eyefinity 3D is Orgasmic once you get crosstalk levels in check. However, the Fw900 yields a totally different kind of experience with regard to black level, color reproduction and motion...yes the 120hz lcds are snappy, but the Fw900 is Silky.

Both have their pros and cons and both should be in your collection.....Why don't you buy another fw900 from AcurateIT? I got two from them and have had good luck. One is C+ grade and the other one is a B++ grade, which is not bad for the $325 I paid for each (they are asking $375 now).
 
I finally got one :)

Some pics:
NEC PA301W (2560x1600@60hz) , HP A7217A (rebadged Sony GDM-FW900,1920x1200@85hz), Viewsonic vp2290b (rebadged IBM T221, 3840x2400@13hz)
SU0Ac.jpg


There's so much difference in blacks/contrast
s1NBJ.jpg

oZMi7.jpg
 
just picked up a nokia 21" CRT monitor was brand new inbox manufactured in 2001 november.

it is sharp corner to corner but only in 1024x768@85hz beyond that resolution i need to lower the refresh rate to retain the sharpness.

is there something that can be done about this? is this normal ? thanks

this has the same tube as 21" sony trinitron which goes to 2560x1600.


there is also a vertical band running with a 1 inch margin from the left of the screen is around 1-2" thick from the top to the bottom of the screen. this is visible when the monitor is receiving no signal. i wonder if that has something to do with it?
 
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DDuckMan said:
My FW900 is on the floor now and I've spent a few days with the GV278. At the risk of drifting OT, I thought I'd leave my impressions of the current best replacement option for those with dying FW900s looking for a 27" 120Hz 3d Vision capable monitor. I suspect many of you will be in the same boat soon.

Clarity: While text is crisp, 1080p on a 27" will require increased distance to avoid visible pixel structure. I can see pixels at 30", but not at my new viewing distance of 34-36". From that distance reading is superior. Everything looks big so fonts will need to be adjusted. VG278 wins.

Black level: I know CRTs are usually capable of better blacks than LCDs. Maybe it was the age of my FW900, but the blacks are much better than the best I could get on my FW900. They are flawless inky blacks, unlike the washed out blacks I have seen on other LCDs. I am pleasantly surprised. VG278 wins.

Backlight: No issues at all, but several have had problems with backlight bleed with the VG278.

Color: After hours of tuning, the colors look good on the desktop, but a little washed out in games with a flat gamma curve setup. There are settings that allow very rich game colors at the expense of a screwed up gamma curve. Also, there is significant color banding with static images, especially if they are dark. You will never see this on a CRT. However, in games I never see any banding. Also, video looks much better on my old FW900. FW900 wins.

Response time: The ASUS is excellent. I haven't noticed any input lag with FPS games, but technically nothing will beat a CRT for a long time. FW900 wins.

Overall if I had to choose between a new calibrated FW900 and the VG278 it would be a close call for me. With the exception of text and maybe black level the FW900 is superior, but the VG278 has a lot going for it with the larger more immersive screen, less weight and space, and decent image quality. If you want to do video or photo work it is definitely not the monitor for you, but for reading and 3D games it is probably your best option.
Click to expand...

Ambient light reflected on the screen will defeat CRT's black level advantage. However, if in a darkened room your LCD has a darker black, then I would certainly suspect that your CRT was out of adjustment, hadn't warmed up yet, or something. It shouldn't have even been close. (Unless the LCD is aggressively turning down the black light or something, but such a dynamic arrangement will also attenuate the parts that are suppose to be brighter and are not a great solution...)
 
quantum112 said:
If you leave it on like that for a bit is there a loud pop, after which the image becomes normal again?

If so, you have a flyback problem...

Days are limited, start saving up for a new one.
Click to expand...

Way back when, after a few years, I had this issue with my original FW900. Solution for me was to leave it on for several days straight. And when I went back to normal usage, the problem was gone.

I probably just got lucky, but just leaving on it for 2 days straight would be something to try...
 
l88bastard said:
Yes but the asus vg278 has a horrid anti-glare coat which muddles whites and colors. I have three Samsung S27A750s in landscape mode and Eyefinity 3D is Orgasmic once you get crosstalk levels in check. However, the Fw900 yields a totally different kind of experience with regard to black level, color reproduction and motion...yes the 120hz lcds are snappy, but the Fw900 is Silky.

Both have their pros and cons and both should be in your collection.....Why don't you buy another fw900 from AcurateIT? I got two from them and have had good luck. One is C+ grade and the other one is a B++ grade, which is not bad for the $325 I paid for each (they are asking $375 now).
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have seen good reviews of the Samsung and don't doubt that the image quality is a bit better than the ASUS. However, 1) I'm pretty invested in 3D Vision 2) I had 2 Samsung BluRay players die on me in less than a year, so I didn't really consider the Samsung monitors seriously. If you don't care about 3D Vision you have good points.

I thought about grabbing another FW900. I got about 5 good years out mine, but now they are all 10 years old to start with so it's likely the next one won't make it that long. Eventually we will all have to move on so I just wanted to pass on my experience in light of several bad reports on the ASUS.

SH1 said:
Ambient light reflected on the screen will defeat CRT's black level advantage. However, if in a darkened room your LCD has a darker black, then I would certainly suspect that your CRT was out of adjustment, hadn't warmed up yet, or something. It shouldn't have even been close. (Unless the LCD is aggressively turning down the black light or something, but such a dynamic arrangement will also attenuate the parts that are suppose to be brighter and are not a great solution...)
Click to expand...

All true. Perhaps I could have done better with some WinDas tuning, but at least at the end I couldn't achieve perfect blacks on my FW900 even in a dark room while maintaining decent contrast. They were good, but not as good as the ASUS (except if you are talking about a perfectly dark room and a full black screen, but how often do we need that?). Having dealt with many CRTs and LCDs over the years, the blacks on the ASUS amaze me. I don't think I have ever seen them this close to perfect. However, shadow detail and dark scale fidelity is not even close. The FW900 is so much better. We are still a long way away from having it all.
 
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just spotted this on facebook... whoever brought an FW900 to the Xana LAN CS party: you're pretty much the king. i wish i could have made it, i would have brought mine.

533126_321534404595248_1475168499_n.jpg
 
That pizza box is disrupting air-flow.. He must be destroyed!

EDIT: He also has a comfy chair. So this man has a truck or a van. And is smarter than all around him.
 
even to this day I still prefer CRT over LCD's..... maybe it's cause im a CS 1.6 player, 800x600 res at 120hz is just amazing with no LCD bluriness..
 
also its amazing how you guys are spending up to 400-500 dollars on one! i had no idea they were worth that much! i picked one up sometime in late 2010 on craigslist for $20 lol
 
I'll echo the FW900 to ASUS LCD transition. I didn't go with the 27", I went with the VG236H, but after using it since September, and previously having only used CRTs, the VG236H is a very nice replacement for the FW900. I miss it for the black reproduction, but in games like BF3 which I mainly play, the VG236H shines supreme for everything else. And yes, I was in the alpha for BF3 so I was able to try it on my FW900.
 
SH1 said:
Way back when, after a few years, I had this issue with my original FW900. Solution for me was to leave it on for several days straight. And when I went back to normal usage, the problem was gone.

I probably just got lucky, but just leaving on it for 2 days straight would be something to try...
Click to expand...

Do you kept it running for 2 days with total white screen or do you also used it in this time. And after that the problem was gone and never appeared again?

Hmm i think this would be worth a try.
 
Myramond said:
Do you kept it running for 2 days with total white screen or do you also used it in this time. And after that the problem was gone and never appeared again?

Hmm i think this would be worth a try.
Click to expand...

Well...not with a white screen -- I always use a screen saver. (Anything that isn't "blank" screen screen saver, which I heard is damaging to CRTs.) However, otherwise, yes -- the two days constantly on fixed it. (However, I think it might have appeared again a few years later while my dad had the monitor. But it went away again or wasn't bad...the monitor ultimately lasted more than 9 years of steady usage...still my favorite computer purchase ever....)

Anyway, an easy thing to try. Hopefully you'll get lucky like I did....
 
asdf123 said:
even to this day I still prefer CRT over LCD's..... maybe it's cause im a CS 1.6 player, 800x600 res at 120hz is just amazing with no LCD bluriness..
Click to expand...

800x600. with 1.6? Just crank that to an actual resolution on any semi-modern video card and you will still get 120Hz and fluid motion.
 
what resolution are you guys running the monitor at? i have trouble with text at anything over 1024x768 on the 21" sony crt
 
DDuckMan said:
My FW900 is on the floor now and I've spent a few days with the GV278. At the risk of drifting OT, I thought I'd leave my impressions of the current best replacement option for those with dying FW900s looking for a 27" 120Hz 3d Vision capable monitor. I suspect many of you will be in the same boat soon.

Clarity: While text is crisp, 1080p on a 27" will require increased distance to avoid visible pixel structure. I can see pixels at 30", but not at my new viewing distance of 34-36". From that distance reading is superior. Everything looks big so fonts will need to be adjusted. VG278 wins.

Black level: I know CRTs are usually capable of better blacks than LCDs. Maybe it was the age of my FW900, but the blacks are much better than the best I could get on my FW900. They are flawless inky blacks, unlike the washed out blacks I have seen on other LCDs. I am pleasantly surprised. VG278 wins.

Backlight: No issues at all, but several have had problems with backlight bleed with the VG278.

Color: After hours of tuning, the colors look good on the desktop, but a little washed out in games with a flat gamma curve setup. There are settings that allow very rich game colors at the expense of a screwed up gamma curve. Also, there is significant color banding with static images, especially if they are dark. You will never see this on a CRT. However, in games I never see any banding. Also, video looks much better on my old FW900. FW900 wins.

Response time: The ASUS is excellent. I haven't noticed any input lag with FPS games, but technically nothing will beat a CRT for a long time. FW900 wins.

Overall if I had to choose between a new calibrated FW900 and the VG278 it would be a close call for me. With the exception of text and maybe black level the FW900 is superior, but the VG278 has a lot going for it with the larger more immersive screen, less weight and space, and decent image quality. If you want to do video or photo work it is definitely not the monitor for you, but for reading and 3D games it is probably your best option.
Click to expand...

I have a Sony FW900 and a VG278. The black levels are superior in every way on my FW900. The VG278 cannot compete with black levels. Also Diablo 3 has several areas where the color banding is evident in the dark areas.

If I had to choose between the two it would also be a close call because I love 3D and the FW900 cannot compare. 3D on the VG278 is amazing.

I think you need both, I cannot imagine playing games that do not support 3D on anything but the FW900. When I am not running Diablo 3 in 3D I switch over to my FW900.
 
The main draw of CRT is the lack of blur while having very little in the way of tradeoffs on most other fronts (uniformity, color, black level, playable resolution/ppi, hz, etc).
All LCDs blur. Though 120hz 2ms + aggressive RTC TN's have an appreciable blur reduction compared to most LCDs - at the cost of TN's tradeoffs and a lower ppi - nothing has even come close to the unsmeared motion clarity of a CRT.

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038753293&postcount=25

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038811403&postcount=2653
 
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i wanted to let my monitor run for 2 days but after a few hours he started getting blurry again. im not sure if i should keep him running for 2 days when its blurry. wouldnt that make it more worse as it is?

Maybe i should look after a new Flyback.

Uncle Vito, do you have this part and can i buy i from you?
 
Myramond said:
i wanted to let my monitor run for 2 days but after a few hours he started getting blurry again. im not sure if i should keep him running for 2 days when its blurry. wouldnt that make it more worse as it is?

Maybe i should look after a new Flyback.

Uncle Vito, do you have this part and can i buy i from you?
Click to expand...

If it doesn't pop and then clear up, it's a more severe problem than I encountered.

Maybe Uncle Vito can help.
 
Sinizar said:
I have a Sony FW900 and a VG278. The black levels are superior in every way on my FW900. The VG278 cannot compete with black levels. Also Diablo 3 has several areas where the color banding is evident in the dark areas.

If I had to choose between the two it would also be a close call because I love 3D and the FW900 cannot compare. 3D on the VG278 is amazing.

I think you need both, I cannot imagine playing games that do not support 3D on anything but the FW900. When I am not running Diablo 3 in 3D I switch over to my FW900.
Click to expand...

elvn said:
The main draw of CRT is the lack of blur while having very little in the way of tradeoffs on most other fronts (uniformity, color, black level, playable resolution/ppi, hz, etc).
All LCDs blur. Though 120hz 2ms + aggressive RTC TN's have an appreciable blur reduction compared to most LCDs - at the cost of TN's tradeoffs and a lower ppi - nothing has even come close to the unsmeared motion clarity of a CRT.

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038753293&postcount=25

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038811403&postcount=2653
Click to expand...


Agreed. Now that I have had some more time with it, banding is occasionally evident in the dark blue forest areas, but it's not nearly as severe as I see with photo work.

I didn't mean to imply anyone should ditch their FW900s. I wish mine still worked. Some have had bad experiences with the ASUS LCD so I was bummed that was my best replacement option. Now that I have it, it's not so bad. In fact it's actually quite good in some ways. It's too bad we have to have two monitors to have it all now and for some time to come.
 
Sounds like it is going to highlight anything that is too similar in near black contrast that you wouldn't pick up with your eyes on an LCD. BOOOO
 
they quote 3.4 ms response time on an ips , which I would have to see to believe. Also what kind of ips? there are several cheaper variants now. Another question is, is it only 60hz ? It would need to have a very low response time (2ms - 3ms) , 120hz input, and aggressive Response Time Compensation / overdrive to compare to a gaming TN that has all three. This still wouldn't compare to essentially blur free / lack of FoV movement scene-smearing fw900 of course.
 
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