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

[Ryle]

I have a question.

i just got a x360 this month, and been using it with my FW900, working perfect, but my BNC hookup with my computer results in a slight smear, looks as if there is AA on the desktop, it doesnt bother me all that much, but the VGA does look better then the BNC.

Would this be monitor related or crappy BNC cable? im thinking about getting one from bluejeanscable, but dont wanna spend 30$ just to get the same thing.

 

[Foe-hammer]

With the FW900, a widescreen monitor, I should have a true widescreen image with 16:9 simply slightly stretched to 16:10.
Am I correct?
With 1280x1024 widescreen do we have black bars until we manually adjust them, as well?

Correct.

No, the image will fill the entire screen. If you want a perfect 16:9 image then you'll have to manually adjust with black bars on top and bottom. But either way you'll end up initially adjusting the screen size fo the fw900 when you first hook up the 360 to it, or any other device, and when you initially choose a new resolution. So all this discussion on the matter is kind of moot.

i already tried setting the shutdown limit to its max ... didnt help

and then theres the problem that its more or less random if it will turn on or not
anyway im sure its some hardware error i just dont know how to diagnose it

Are you sure the new value saved? Once you turned off your monitor try saving the .dat file and then view it and see if the ABL_SHUTDOWN value you increased it to saved. You'll probably also need to ajust the ABL_CONT_LIMIT along with the ABL_SHUTDOWN. And do not max the values out. Try setting the ABL_SHUTDOWN to 200 and the ABL_CONT_LIMIT to 150. Then again make sure they saved after powering down.

 

[XAleX360]

Correct.

No, the image will fill the entire screen. If you want a perfect 16:9 image then you'll have to manually adjust with black bars on top and bottom. But either way you'll end up initially adjusting the screen size fo the fw900 when you first hook up the 360 to it, or any other device, and when you initially choose a new resolution. So all this discussion on the matter is kind of moot.

So I don't have to manually adjust the monitor to fill it, great.
I should have the monitor in 10 days or so, I'll post impressions later.

 

[Shotglass]

Are you sure the new value saved? Once you turned off your monitor try saving the .dat file and then view it and see if the ABL_SHUTDOWN value you increased it to saved. You'll probably also need to ajust the ABL_CONT_LIMIT along with the ABL_SHUTDOWN. And do not max the values out. Try setting the ABL_SHUTDOWN to 200 and the ABL_CONT_LIMIT to 150. Then again make sure they saved after powering down.

ive tried a lot of combinations and yes they were all saved

besides as i said the issue is more or less random sometimes it turns on flawlessly sometimes it doesnt at all which sounds much more like an obscure hardware error to me

 

[Guyver03]

I almost hate to post this, but I guess since I can't afford one right now I mght as well be a nice guy.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-GDM-FW900-...yZ116350QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

SONY TRINITRON GDM-FW900 24" FLAT SCREEN MONITOR

FOR AUCTION, WE HAVE A FULLY RECONDITIONED - RE-CERTIFIED SONY TRINITRON GDM-FW900 24" FLAT SCREEN MONITOR, IN A SEALED BOX SHIPPED DIRECTLY FROM SONY. THIS MONITOR HAS AN EXTENDED THREE (3) YEARS REPLACEMENT WARRANTY, AND IT IS IN GRADE "A" + CONDITION, AS IF YOU WOULD BE GETTING A MONITOR RIGHT OUT OF THE SONY FACTORY. THIS MONITOR IS THE REAL THING!!!

The all caps must mean this monitor is extra special! If you wanted one of these monitors, this may be a good auction for you to check out.

 

[Foe-hammer]

I almost hate to post this, but I guess since I can't afford one right now I mght as well be a nice guy.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-GDM-FW900-...yZ116350QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The all caps must mean this monitor is extra special! If you wanted one of these monitors, this may be a good auction for you to check out.

No matter how the seller wants to spin it, it is still refurbished.

 

[SH1]

Unkle Vito is a good guy. I'm working on a beautiful unit I got from him right now. And getting one recertified from Sony is very cool. But a big question as always is how many hours are on the tube.

 

[HardB]

Could someone help me with 360 vga resolutions?

I tried 1280 x 1024 (a 5:4 resolution isn't it) and I liked it because I could see as much width as 1280 x 720 but more vertical then any other resolution that I tried. However, I have one issue the screen size doesn't seem to match the dashboard like all my other resolutions do while I am in game. For all the other resolutions if I adjust my screen while in the dashboard it carries over to the game but for 1280 x 1024 I get black bars (big ones) in the game even though the dash fits my screen perfectly. I guess I can adjust it in game but it will probably make my dash look weird. I have a feeling this resolution isn't treated like a widscreen resolution like you say foehammer because it doesn't work the same as the other resolutions on my screen.

I hope Microsoft gets these issues worked out as it seems to me the whole thing is just too inconsistent it seems. 1920 x 1080 is messed up like yours foehammer with less width then the other resolutions and the distortion on the left side. The only resolution that seems to display the vertical space correctly is 1024 etc etc.

Anyway I am stumped on which resolution to use.

 

[Foe-hammer]

Could someone help me with 360 vga resolutions?

I tried 1280 x 1024 (a 5:4 resolution isn't it) and I liked it because I could see as much width as 1280 x 720 but more vertical then any other resolution that I tried. However, I have one issue the screen size doesn't seem to match the dashboard like all my other resolutions do while I am in game. For all the other resolutions if I adjust my screen while in the dashboard it carries over to the game but for 1280 x 1024 I get black bars (big ones) in the game even though the dash fits my screen perfectly. I guess I can adjust it in game but it will probably make my dash look weird. I have a feeling this resolution isn't treated like a widscreen resolution like you say foehammer because it doesn't work the same as the other resolutions on my screen.

I hope Microsoft gets these issues worked out as it seems to me the whole thing is just too inconsistent it seems. 1920 x 1080 is messed up like yours foehammer with less width then the other resolutions and the distortion on the left side. The only resolution that seems to display the vertical space correctly is 1024 etc etc.

Anyway I am stumped on which resolution to use.

Do not use the 1280x1024 NORMAL screen setting. Use the 1280x1024 WIDESCREEN setting. With the 360 vga 1280x1024, along with a few other resolutions, gives you the option of what format to use: 'Normal' or 'Widescreen'. Again, use the WIDESCREEN setting.

 

[HardB]

Sorry I even saw you say that before but I wasn't even thinking screen format when you said it. I was thinking you meant like a separate widescreen resolution and when I didn't see one I just forgot all about it and assumed my screen format would be set correctly. Once I switched it to widescreen I lost all that vertical space that I gained before which I guess was from being in normal screen mode. I guess that makes sense. It is too bad though.

Thanks.

I wonder what the 360 does since it must understand that 1280 x 1024 is a 5:4 resolution as it sets the screen type to normal by default. What does it do to the output to make it a widscreen resolution. Obviously it crops it because I lost vertical screen space while viewing the dash. The black bars go away in game which I don't know what that means. I'm just curious what exactly it does with all these resolutions.

 

[XAleX360]

It would be nice if everyone posted his 360 gaming settings.

 

[Foe-hammer]

Obviously it crops it because I lost vertical screen space while viewing the dash. The black bars go away in game which I don't know what that means. I'm just curious what exactly it does with all these resolutions.

Nope; there is no cropping going on. There is no loss of image when playing games and movies.

It would be nice if everyone posted his 360 gaming settings.

Brightness and Contrast (as well as all the other settings, such as the Landing and Convergence) will very greatly from monitor to monitor.

But at the monitors default settings (you have not used winDAS on it to change settings) the Brightness will be relatively low (15-25), and the contrast will need to be maxed at 100.

And make sure to use the Expert Color control and max all three of the Color Gains out, and then change the three Color Biases accordingly...like how i explained previously.

 

[XAleX360]

Brightness and Contrast (as well as all the other settings, such as the Landing and Convergence) will very greatly from monitor to monitor.

But at the monitors default settings (you have not used winDAS on it to change settings) the Brightness will be relatively low (15-25), and the contrast will need to be maxed at 100.

And make sure to use the Expert Color control and max all three of the Color Gains out, and then change the three Color Biases accordingly...like how i explained previously.

Yeah, I know. The monitor shipped today, by the beginning of the next week it'll be here.

 

[Foe-hammer]

Yeah, I know.

Then why did you ask?

 

[XAleX360]

Then why did you ask?

Just to have a real picture on how much they can vary.
I'll have the Sony model, not the HP one, tho.

 

[Foe-hammer]

I'll have the Sony model, not the HP one, tho.

Makes no difference.

 

[Traxx]

Got my video transcoder in... mmmm, PS3 action

It won't accept 1080p for some reason, anyone got any solutions for that one? It's currently set for 720p and looks perfect. 1080i gets weird scanlines, though.

 

[Foe-hammer]

Damn; i wanna play those two games!

How does Resistance and Motorstorm compare to similar 360 games? Is it worth getting a ps3 for those two games?

Sadly those component transcoders do not accept 1080p; the H. freq. is too high for them to handle. You should have got an HDMI to vga transcoder; it does 1080p. But there has got to be a way to get true vga out of that damn system.

 

[XAleX360]

Got my video transcoder in... mmmm, PS3 action

It won't accept 1080p for some reason, anyone got any solutions for that one? It's currently set for 720p and looks perfect. 1080i gets weird scanlines, though.

http://arstechnica.com/articles/headstart.ars/2


It's odd to see it—a tiny little chip—but this may be one of the secret weapons the 360 has against the PS3. The PS3 has no internal hardware scaler, which means games that are 720p native can only be shown in 720p or 480p; there is no scaling up to 1080p or 1080i. This causes people with older HDTVs to have issues with the available resolutions, and keeps them from playing the games in anything but 480p. It's a vexing problem for a system that's supposed to be HD, and this issue is one of the most challenging that Sony faces.

Btw, I really expected more from PS3. Resistance looks just like Call of Duty 3 and Motorstorm is meh.
At the moment 360 games are generally superior, Foe. There is no reason to get a PS3 at all.

 

[Traxx]

http://arstechnica.com/articles/headstart.ars/2


It's odd to see it—a tiny little chip—but this may be one of the secret weapons the 360 has against the PS3. The PS3 has no internal hardware scaler, which means games that are 720p native can only be shown in 720p or 480p; there is no scaling up to 1080p or 1080i. This causes people with older HDTVs to have issues with the available resolutions, and keeps them from playing the games in anything but 480p. It's a vexing problem for a system that's supposed to be HD, and this issue is one of the most challenging that Sony faces.

Btw, I really expected more from PS3. Resistance looks just like Call of Duty 3 and Motorstorm is meh.
At the moment 360 games are generally superior, Foe. There is no reason to get a PS3 at all.

It's not a hardware thing, it's software thing. My plasma only accepts 1080i as its native resolution, so I'm stuck with 480p for most current games that are programmed for 720p. However, the GT HD concept is programmed for 480i-1080p (as are a few other launch titles), so it runs at 1080i flawlessly. I imagine there will be a firmware update to fix this, but it is nothing the hardware isn't capable of doing.

You're very wrong when it comes to current gen games for the PS3. Resistance is, by far, the best launch title out there. Call of Duty is shit in comparison. I am (and always have been) a huge FPS computer gamer, and Resistance is easily up there with my top 10 favorites. It's on par with Half Life for graphic quality and storytelling... and that's saying alot. I would have never expected a console game to be so... polished like Resistance is, especially considering it's a launch title. Amazing game.

Obviously you haven't played Motorstorm. The stills aren't much to talk about, but when you see it in person, it's amazing. One of my friends is a die-hard 360 fan and hates everything Sony, and even he was impressed with how Motorstorm feels. It will be quality title.

Look out in the next few months when the second wave of exclusive titles hits... Lair, Assasin's Creed, Motorstorm, Heavenly Sword, Metal Gear 4... the 360 will have a bigtime run for it's money then. It's well worth your time and money to purchase one right now, not to mention all the other fun functionality things it has.

 

[ThEMighTyTh0R]

Look out in the next few months when the second wave of exclusive titles hits... Lair, Assasin's Creed, Motorstorm, Heavenly Sword, Metal Gear 4... the 360 will have a bigtime run for it's money then. It's well worth your time and money to purchase one right now, not to mention all the other fun functionality things it has.

Assasin's Creed isnt an exclusive.

 

[Foe-hammer]

It's not a hardware thing, it's software thing. My plasma only accepts 1080i as its native resolution, so I'm stuck with 480p for most current games that are programmed for 720p. However, the GT HD concept is programmed for 480i-1080p (as are a few other launch titles), so it runs at 1080i flawlessly. I imagine there will be a firmware update to fix this, but it is nothing the hardware isn't capable of doing.

You're very wrong when it comes to current gen games for the PS3. Resistance is, by far, the best launch title out there. Call of Duty is shit in comparison. I am (and always have been) a huge FPS computer gamer, and Resistance is easily up there with my top 10 favorites. It's on par with Half Life for graphic quality and storytelling... and that's saying alot. I would have never expected a console game to be so... polished like Resistance is, especially considering it's a launch title. Amazing game.

Obviously you haven't played Motorstorm. The stills aren't much to talk about, but when you see it in person, it's amazing. One of my friends is a die-hard 360 fan and hates everything Sony, and even he was impressed with how Motorstorm feels. It will be quality title.

Look out in the next few months when the second wave of exclusive titles hits... Lair, Assasin's Creed, Motorstorm, Heavenly Sword, Metal Gear 4... the 360 will have a bigtime run for it's money then. It's well worth your time and money to purchase one right now, not to mention all the other fun functionality things it has.

It is most definitely a hardware issue. The ps3 does not have a scaler chip in it, like the 360 does. So unless each ps3 game is developed for every resolution, then those games that are not developed for 1080i, etc. will not run at those resolutions. A firmware update cannot fix this. Most 360 games are developed at 720p, and then the scaler chip scales it to whatever resolution the user wants.

Resistance looks awesome, but its average scores (high 80's) are not in the same caliber as halflife and halo. It is much better then CoD3, though (I have that game and was not as impressed with it as I was with CoD2).

As mentioned, assasin's creed will also be coming out on the 360 at the same time.

As much as i'd like to play resistance (the main reason for me to get a ps3 right now), i am content with gears of war and rainbow 6: vegas for the time being. I'll probably wait until some better exclusive games come out...heavenly swords. Now if there was a true vga cable for the ps3, then i'd probably change my mind.

 

[XAleX360]

It's not a hardware thing, it's software thing. My plasma only accepts 1080i as its native resolution, so I'm stuck with 480p for most current games that are programmed for 720p. However, the GT HD concept is programmed for 480i-1080p (as are a few other launch titles), so it runs at 1080i flawlessly. I imagine there will be a firmware update to fix this, but it is nothing the hardware isn't capable of doing.

You're very wrong when it comes to current gen games for the PS3. Resistance is, by far, the best launch title out there. Call of Duty is shit in comparison. I am (and always have been) a huge FPS computer gamer, and Resistance is easily up there with my top 10 favorites. It's on par with Half Life for graphic quality and storytelling... and that's saying alot. I would have never expected a console game to be so... polished like Resistance is, especially considering it's a launch title. Amazing game.

Obviously you haven't played Motorstorm. The stills aren't much to talk about, but when you see it in person, it's amazing. One of my friends is a die-hard 360 fan and hates everything Sony, and even he was impressed with how Motorstorm feels. It will be quality title.

Look out in the next few months when the second wave of exclusive titles hits... Lair, Assasin's Creed, Motorstorm, Heavenly Sword, Metal Gear 4... the 360 will have a bigtime run for it's money then. It's well worth your time and money to purchase one right now, not to mention all the other fun functionality things it has.

Sorry guy, but to say that Resistance can be compared to Half Life is kinda awfully exaggerated. And as Foe pointed out, it is rated in the high80s, just slightly above CoD3. It is not even close to masterpieces like Half Life, Halo, and Gears; and it is way worse than Gears visually, as well(hell, even PSM acknowledged it).
Assassin's Creed is not exclusive, and MGS4 could be multi as well in a few, just like other titles. Sony is honestly losing pace to both Nintendo and Microsoft and the consensus over the net is pretty much global, the last news about the lack of a scaler chip and the lack of force feedback with wheels are just the icy on the cake.
Also, by the time those few games are out, X360 will have Lost Planet, Crackdown, Too Human, Forza Motorsport 2, GTR2, Shadowrun, Blue Dragon, Mass Effect, Bioshock, just to name those exclusive games that will come out in the first part of the year. Run of it's who?


Anyway, this is hugely OT, let's stop this now. Back on topic, only two days to the monitor, finally.
Can't wait.

 

[mathesar]

Thought i'd mention that i was able to adjust the focus on my new HP A7217A without removing the case. The pots are visible from the outside by shining a flashlight into the left rear top of the case, and with a small screwdriver, they were easily accessible thru the ventilation slots. The metal cage inside the plastic case has round holes, and the pots are directly under two holes, which happen to be directly under two ventilation slots. It looks intentional from the outside, but i could just be lucky.

Looks like your right! I can easily see the focus screws on my FW900 just by looking through the top of the case, they're lined up nicely under the ventilation slots ,Now all I need is a screwdriver thin enough to fit in there and im good to go lol ,ill adjust it later and post results.

 

[Traxx]

It is most definitely a hardware issue. The ps3 does not have a scaler chip in it, like the 360 does. So unless each ps3 game is developed for every resolution, then those games that are not developed for 1080i, etc. will not run at those resolutions. A firmware update cannot fix this. Most 360 games are developed at 720p, and then the scaler chip scales it to whatever resolution the user wants.

Resistance looks awesome, but its average scores (high 80's) are not in the same caliber as halflife and halo. It is much better then CoD3, though (I have that game and was not as impressed with it as I was with CoD2).

As mentioned, assasin's creed will also be coming out on the 360 at the same time.

As much as i'd like to play resistance (the main reason for me to get a ps3 right now), i am content with gears of war and rainbow 6: vegas for the time being. I'll probably wait until some better exclusive games come out...heavenly swords. Now if there was a true vga cable for the ps3, then i'd probably change my mind.

Either way, I'm not too worried. My plasma is four years old and will be replaced sooner than later anyway. My FW900 takes care of me for now.

If you have played Resistance, you'll understand. It's a quality title, both extremely challenging and satisfying. It's the only game I own, and probably will be the only one until the next wave hits in about a month or two. Easily worth the price of admission.

Sorry guy, but to say that Resistance can be compared to Half Life is kinda awfully exaggerated. And as Foe pointed out, it is rated in the high80s, just slightly above CoD3. It is not even close to masterpieces like Half Life, Halo, and Gears; and it is way worse than Gears visually, as well(hell, even PSM acknowledged it).
Assassin's Creed is not exclusive, and MGS4 could be multi as well in a few, just like other titles. Sony is honestly losing pace to both Nintendo and Microsoft and the consensus over the net is pretty much global, the last news about the lack of a scaler chip and the lack of force feedback with wheels are just the icy on the cake.
Also, by the time those few games are out, X360 will have Lost Planet, Crackdown, Too Human, Forza Motorsport 2, GTR2, Shadowrun, Blue Dragon, Mass Effect, Bioshock, just to name those exclusive games that will come out in the first part of the year. Run of it's who?

Have you actually played Resistance? If not, you have no place to talk. I don't care what other reviewers say, I've read almost every one until it was released and was still impressed while playing through it. I'm a jaded gamer and it takes alot to impress me... I expect great things from everything, and Resistance proved it for me.

Gears is an excellent game as well (played all the way through it on co-op), but it's unfair to compare the two. GoW isn't a FPS and was released a year after the 360 launched. Resistance is a pure FPS and is a launch title. While it isn't as graphically stunning, considering the circumstance, it's very close.

Rumble effects are gone, ForceFeedback is not... the GT HD concept supports the Logitech wheels and the technology that uses it.

Bioshock is no longer an exclusive title either. MGS4 will stay exclusive, just like another little franchise called FINAL FANTASY. Not to mention GTA4 as well (although that will eventually end up as mult-plat anyway). Both systems will have their hits, but Sony will continue to have bigger support from Japan and the big classic franchises (Tekken, Ace Combat, God of War, Final Fantasy, etc).

I really didn't expect any different from a guy with "360" in his name, but whatever. I'll wait for the upgraded 360 before I pick up one, because the only title that's exclusive that I would want to play more of is Gears. Nothing else really sparks my interest yet.

 

[mathesar]

Forgot to mention I picked up an NEC 20WMGX2 LCD last night, Dont worry it doesnt look like ill be leaving CRT land anytime soon I just had to see what the latest LCD had to offer .. More detailed comments here: Link

 

[XAleX360]

Either way, I'm not too worried. My plasma is four years old and will be replaced sooner than later anyway. My FW900 takes care of me for now.

If you have played Resistance, you'll understand. It's a quality title, both extremely challenging and satisfying. It's the only game I own, and probably will be the only one until the next wave hits in about a month or two. Easily worth the price of admission.



Have you actually played Resistance? If not, you have no place to talk. I don't care what other reviewers say, I've read almost every one until it was released and was still impressed while playing through it. I'm a jaded gamer and it takes alot to impress me... I expect great things from everything, and Resistance proved it for me.

Gears is an excellent game as well (played all the way through it on co-op), but it's unfair to compare the two. GoW isn't a FPS and was released a year after the 360 launched. Resistance is a pure FPS and is a launch title. While it isn't as graphically stunning, considering the circumstance, it's very close.

Rumble effects are gone, ForceFeedback is not... the GT HD concept supports the Logitech wheels and the technology that uses it.

Bioshock is no longer an exclusive title either. MGS4 will stay exclusive, just like another little franchise called FINAL FANTASY. Not to mention GTA4 as well (although that will eventually end up as mult-plat anyway). Both systems will have their hits, but Sony will continue to have bigger support from Japan and the big classic franchises (Tekken, Ace Combat, God of War, Final Fantasy, etc).

I really didn't expect any different from a guy with "360" in his name, but whatever. I'll wait for the upgraded 360 before I pick up one, because the only title that's exclusive that I would want to play more of is Gears. Nothing else really sparks my interest yet.

That means nothing, Gears of War and Resistance were in development for roughly the same amount of time. Also, Gears of War was still running at E3 2005 on 6800Ultra in SLI, and therefore cannot be touted as truly pushing 360(just as Epic stated).
Bioshock is still exclusive, that news was a confirmed fake. And GTA4, man, is already hitting 360 the very first day it will hit PS3. http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/735/735718p1.html
Not to mention those already announced two downloadable, exclusive, epic episodes of GTA4 available on 360 just months after the release of the title, each of will include "hours of entirely new gameplay exclusively for X360."
Actually my name has nothing to do with the Xbox360, it has to do with 360° changes. And the one who seems not well-informed, is you...Anyway, as I already said we are off-topic here, so let's just end it.
Gonna post impressions and pics on FW900 as soon as it arrives

 

[Traxx]

That means nothing, Gears of War and Resistance were in development for roughly the same amount of time. Also, Gears of War was still running at E3 2005 on 6800Ultra in SLI, and therefore cannot be touted as truly pushing 360(just as Epic stated).
Bioshock is still exclusive, that news was a confirmed fake. And GTA4, man, is already hitting 360 the very first day it will hit PS3. http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/735/735718p1.html
Not to mention those already announced two downloadable, exclusive, epic episodes of GTA4 available on 360 just months after the release of the title, each of will include "hours of entirely new gameplay exclusively for X360."
Actually my name has nothing to do with the Xbox360, it has to do with 360° changes. And the one who seems not well-informed, is you...Anyway, as I already said we are off-topic here, so let's just end it.
Gonna post impressions and pics on FW900 as soon as it arrives

MGS4 on the 360 was also confirmed as fake.

If you haven't played it, your opinion has no relevance. I've played through both from beginning to end. Gears has better graphics and feel, but Resistance has better gameplay and story. Play it and you'll see.

Wow, episodic content after a games' release on the 360?! Shocking! PR may say "hours of exclusive content," but you have to wonder how accurate that really is. Who cares about a few extra missions or goodies when the core game is the same on both platforms?

I'm done... both consoles have their pros and cons... back to monitor discussion...



Is there a way to have discrete settings for the BNC and the VGA input? I want to crank up the intensity of the VGA image (since it's pretty dark running through the scan converter), without affected my already-calibrated BNC image for the PC. Is this possible?

 

[Foe-hammer]

MGS4 on the 360 was also confirmed as fake.

He said GTA4, in reference to what you typed about GTA4, not MGS4.

But anyway....have you looked into those HDMI to VGA transcoders? They do true 1080p.

 

[ellover009]

traxx where did you get your transcoder and how much does one of those bad boys cost?

 

[Ryle]

I have a question.

i just got a x360 this month, and been using it with my FW900, working perfect, but my BNC hookup with my computer results in a slight smear, looks as if there is AA on the desktop, it doesnt bother me all that much, but the VGA does look better then the BNC.

Would this be monitor related or crappy BNC cable? im thinking about getting one from bluejeanscable, but dont wanna spend 30$ just to get the same thing.

A new BNC cable from bluejeanscable.com fixed it!!! and wow what a difference in the quality of the cable. much thicker sheilding, overall better quality. So happy it wasnt the monitor, and only the cable

 

[oldskooler79]

Hello, new to the forums and love it very much. I was directed here by someone from gamespot because I find interest in the FW900. I am about to hit the "but it now" button for this monitor, but first have a couple questions that need answering.

btw.. I did read through most of the pages on this topic and it's nearly overwhelming with such good info but still.. I need some quick confirmation before dumping money into it. I currently have a Sony x34br960 which is nothing short of phenominal so I hope to get similar performance here as well.

1) How well does this set handle 1080p? I plan to to watch blu-ray movies with my PS3 on it and need someone which has tried this to share their thoughts (or hd-dvd..doesn't matter).

2) Someone mentioned earlier about an hdmi to vga transcoder? I didn't think there was such a product. What is the best possible way to hook up my PS3 into this monitor to get 1080p (hopefully)?

3) Can someone tell me from experience if this monitor is superior to the 34xbr960 in gaming and movies? I find the idea of 24" crt better in my bedroom, but if it means cutting performance in any way then I won't do it.

Looking forward to joining the community here. Thanks!

 

[uberwurst]

I just got mine from accurateit.com

http://www.accurateit.com/details.asp?iid=156

It's great so far, with one annoying exception:

The far-left side of the screen blurs text. My icon fonts all along the entire vertical range of the monitor--on the farthest left side--are blurred, and it is very noticeable in font. When stretching some wording across the range of the monitor that goes from the side to the center, you can see the font becoming more clear and focused towards the middle.

This seems to be the case on the far-right side as well, but seemingly not as pronounced.

Is there anything that can be done about this? I'm thinking I'd have to take the sucker apart and mess with the focus POTs. I'm running it at 2304x1440.

Any ideas?

 

[mathesar]

3) Can someone tell me from experience if this monitor is superior to the 34xbr960 in gaming and movies? I find the idea of 24" crt better in my bedroom, but if it means cutting performance in any way then I won't do it.

Looking forward to joining the community here. Thanks!

I have both a FW900 & XBR960 in my room and to be honest
there's no way I'd get rid of my XBR960 ..The picture quality is untouchable by basically any other type of TV or CRT, Ive compared Xbox360 on my FW900 via VGA vs. XBR960 via Component cable and the XBR960 won hands down for its brighter contrast / colors and extremely deep black levels.(some of this can be blamed on 360's VGA output rather than the monitor itself) Same goes for DVD movie playback but I have an upscaling (1080i) dvd player connected via HDMI on my XBR and Ive never seen DVD's look so good. Some people just assume that all CRTs have excellent black levels but in reality it depends on the model , The XBR960 has the best black levels Ive seen even when compared to any Sony PC monitor with its G2 level adjusted.

I tried connecting my PC to the XBR960 but the results wernt what I had hoped (over scan issues / imperfect geometry , locked 60hz refresh , 720p was the only good looking resolution (1280x720) So for PC the FW900 is the clear choice.

 

[oldskooler79]

I have both a FW900 & XBR960 in my room and to be honest
there's no way I'd get rid of my XBR960 ..The picture quality is untouchable by basically any other type of TV or CRT, Ive compared Xbox360 on my FW900 via VGA vs. XBR960 via Component cable and the XBR960 won hands down for its brighter contrast / colors and extremely deep black levels.(some of this can be blamed on 360's VGA output rather than the monitor itself) Same goes for DVD movie playback but I have an upscaling (1080i) dvd player connected via HDMI on my XBR and Ive never seen DVD's look so good. Some people just assume that all CRTs have excellent black levels but in reality it depends on the model , The XBR960 has the best black levels Ive seen even when compared to any Sony PC monitor with its G2 level adjusted.

I tried connecting my PC to the XBR960 but the results wernt what I had hoped (over scan issues / imperfect geometry , locked 60hz refresh , 720p was the only good looking resolution (1280x720) So for PC the FW900 is the clear choice.

You my friend, are most helpful.

This is exactly how I figured the results would turn out. I just had to ask before I ordered it. My XBR960 hooked up via component with my Xbox 360 is way beyond any other display (lcd, plasma, crt) I've ever seen or heard of in my life. Your right about the black levels, I would even say this tv goes blacker than black!

I haven't tried using an upscaling dvd player on the XBR960 yet, as I'm using just a 480i player and letting the tv do the scaling. I've heard the 960 has really good internals and to be honest, I would say that dvds on my XBR960 looks as good as the Sony XBR1/2 lcds with an hd feed. I'll even go that far and say that only a Pioneer or Panasonic 42+ plasma can even get remotely close to the black levels, detail, sharpness, and overall picture quality (from hd feed) of my XBR960 with just dvds! I know, because I've tested nearly every model in the past 5 years and currently own a Pioneer 5070hd which still fails miserably next to it. (although the size comes in handy for the main room).

So I think I'm gonna go with an 24" lcd (dont know which yet) for internet/multimedia purposes in my room and let the XBR960 do the other dirty work. lol

Thanks again!

 

[mathesar]

You my friend, are most helpful.

This is exactly how I figured the results would turn out. I just had to ask before I ordered it. My XBR960 hooked up via component with my Xbox 360 is way beyond any other display (lcd, plasma, crt) I've ever seen or heard of in my life. Your right about the black levels, I would even say this tv goes blacker than black!

I haven't tried using an upscaling dvd player on the XBR960 yet, as I'm using just a 480i player and letting the tv do the scaling. I've heard the 960 has really good internals and to be honest, I would say that dvds on my XBR960 looks as good as the Sony XBR1/2 lcds with an hd feed. I'll even go that far and say that only a Pioneer or Panasonic 42+ plasma can even get remotely close to the black levels, detail, sharpness, and overall picture quality (from hd feed) of my XBR960 with just dvds! I know, because I've tested nearly every model in the past 5 years and currently own a Pioneer 5070hd which still fails miserably next to it. (although the size comes in handy for the main room).

So I think I'm gonna go with an 24" lcd (dont know which yet) for internet/multimedia purposes in my room and let the XBR960 do the other dirty work. lol

Thanks again!

Yea I've tried connecting my DVD player to Component and setting it to 480i (my player wont do 480i over HDMI) and I was shocked how good it looks ,from what I understand this tv upscales 480i sources to 960i , either way the 480i dvd quality is excellent. The main reason I went with an HDMI player is to free up one of the component inputs on my TV.

 

[ellover009]

Got my video transcoder in... mmmm, PS3 action

It won't accept 1080p for some reason, anyone got any solutions for that one? It's currently set for 720p and looks perfect. 1080i gets weird scanlines, though.

Where did you get your transcoder from? I have the ps3 and the fw900, I am looking for a transcoder, hard to decide since they all look similar.
Btw I think most transcoders top at 1080i and wont display 1080p unless you get an expensive unit.

 

[uberwurst]

The images in Mighty Joe's focus pot tutorial are down.

Does anyone have them saved? Could you mirror them??

 

[oldskooler79]

Well it looks as if I haven't given up on this monitor yet. I was initially going with this monitor until I decided on either keeping my sony 34xbr960 or getting the westinghouse 37w3 1080p lcd.

Now that I've seen the 37w3 at Tweeter (and even calibrated), it handles sdtv very poorly and the black levels are washed out IMO. Soooo.. this brings me back here. I think I will just hang on to my Sony 34xbr960 and get the FW900 to go along with it for surfing the web and playing games.

Can someone tell me if this monitor is relatively easy on the eyes? This is the only factor that puts the lcd over this one. But if I can surf the web and read text just fine on the FW900 that would be great news to hear!

Btw.. I had a 21" Sony trinitron in the past and I thought it was easy on my eyes (if that tells you anything). But most other crts (like viewsonics ultrabright) is too harsh for my tiring eyes now.

Thanks in advance!

 

[haste]

1920x1200 is the optimal resolution for the FW900.
it's very easy on the eyes for every day use...web surfing, etc...