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

There a reason you won't do 72hz? There's a native mode in the FW900 that is 1920x1080p @72hz for movies I suspect.

I don't have it. Now I have 75, 85 and 95Hz.

Native Hz for movies and TV is irrelevant with modern shader controls. Setup MPC-HC with the MadVR renderer and even at 85Hz you will never want for anything more

Thanks, everything is up and running, I kept the 95Hz though :D

1920x1080@120hz isn't possible because the pixel clock is too high for the FW900.

I see, I thought that custom timings would achieve the impossible :D
 
1920x1080@120hz isn't possible because the pixel clock is too high for the FW900.
Nvidia also blocked CRTs from being used with stereo 3D.

No, it's possible. I've done it with my displays. Thing is with the FW900, you may not want to because of the different dot pitches of the screen (corners aren't as sharp as the center). GDM-F520 should be able to rock 3D though, as its aperture grille is .22mm across the entire screen.
 
I don't have it. Now I have 75, 85 and 95Hz.

You should be able to. 72hz is selectable for me. It may not be for you yet, but I think you should be able to create a custom resolution. Heck, if you want - you could even do 1920x1080 @72hz on the dot if you want. It's a preset mode on the monitor. You just have to let your computer know that yes - your monitor supports that resolution. No need to jack your screen all the way up to 95hz at that res and shorten the tube life.
 
Oh yes, I forgot to mention. I got my A+ GDM-F520 Unkle Vito monitor yesterday. Gorgeous screen. Sharp and crisp, and not to mention it looks slick as hell too. In a few respects, I'd say it's better than the FW-900. But still, the 900 is widescreen, so neither one can really replace each other. All about taste I guess. But yes, it's a sweet screen. If any of you can get your hands on a good F520, I'd say go for it. You won't be disappointed.
 
No, it's possible. I've done it with my displays. Thing is with the FW900, you may not want to because of the different dot pitches of the screen (corners aren't as sharp as the center). GDM-F520 should be able to rock 3D though, as its aperture grille is .22mm across the entire screen.

I think the phosphor afterglow is what is responsible for the crosstalk in 3D on a crt like the FW900. Shouldn't have anything to do with dot pitch.
 
I think the phosphor afterglow is what is responsible for the crosstalk in 3D on a crt like the FW900. Shouldn't have anything to do with dot pitch.

Interesting. There is a department of defense review of the F-520 as a stereoscopic display. It looks like the 520 beats the 900.
 
Interesting. There is a department of defense review of the F-520 as a stereoscopic display. It looks like the 520 beats the 900.

If we're talking about the same evaluations (National Information Display Laboratory), the reason that the F520 passed the stereo criteria is due to the higher pixel clock of the F520 - the criteria was to be able to show 60 hz in each eye at 1024x1024. The F520 can do 60.5 hz in each eye (total of 121 hz at that resolution), while the FW900 can only do 56 hz in each eye (total of 112 hz).

The issue of crosstalk has to do with phosphor persistence, which I believe what the "extinction ratio" measurements were about. Both units passed the extinction ratio criteria, although if I'm reading the data correctly, the F520 did better.

The F520 also has less flare (halation) - although this isn't really relevant to stereoscopic performance.

Congrats on the new display - looking forward to hearing about your experiences with it :)
 
if you're gonna attempt stereo, I recommend not going above 1280x800 - you can get 120 hz and 140 hz no prob at that resolution.
 
I picked up a Diamond Pro 2070 off craigslist for cheap. He didn't have any cable to hook it up so I bought it display unseen. I knew it was a risk but it was only $20. It looks okay overall, but I notice it shows ghosting. Especially noticeable with text and desktop icons. Is ghosting, or what looks like a fuzzy bleed over, a sign of a bad tube or is it something that can possibly be fixed?
 
Definitely wish it was closer to where I live in Springfield, MO..
Hey, small world, neighbor. I used to wish that I would luck into finding one of these in Springfield for a reasonable price. But I long ago forsook my (non-FW900) CRT monitors, mostly because I found the peak luminance to be unacceptable. I clicked on this thread because I was curious to see if there were some white level measurements in here. Spacediver's measurements of 86 - 87 cd/m2 (25 fL) seem to confirm what I expected; even the best CRT monitors are extremely dim.
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-GDMFW9...594?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a8b765e5a

Definitely wish it was closer to where I live in Springfield, MO.. I'd buy it in a heartbeat if it was closer.. currently using an HP Branded FW900 (GDM-FW9012) and not getting rid of it for anything.. love these monitors!

I don't mind having it shipped. It's much cheaper than other quotes I've seen. Hoping it's a good one. I noticed how rough the outer casing looks and the seller says the case is broken on the back.
 
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-GDMFW9...594?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a8b765e5a

Definitely wish it was closer to where I live in Springfield, MO.. I'd buy it in a heartbeat if it was closer.. currently using an HP Branded FW900 (GDM-FW9012) and not getting rid of it for anything.. love these monitors!

So you're the one who posted that Craigslist wanted. I'm over in Columbia. Currently have no plans on selling my FW-900 though.

EDIT: NVM - maybe you didn't. :)
 
As an eBay Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Hey, small world, neighbor. I used to wish that I would luck into finding one of these in Springfield for a reasonable price. But I long ago forsook my (non-FW900) CRT monitors, mostly because I found the peak luminance to be unacceptable. I clicked on this thread because I was curious to see if there were some white level measurements in here. Spacediver's measurements of 86 - 87 cd/m2 (25 fL) seem to confirm what I expected; even the best CRT monitors are extremely dim.

No -- completely wrong. I'm using a CRT right now, set to but a fraction of its luminance, and if anything it's too bright.

More seriously...this obviously depends on your ambient lighting. :)
 
No -- completely wrong. I'm using a CRT right now, set to but a fraction of its luminance, and if anything it's too bright.

More seriously...this obviously depends on your ambient lighting. :)

I do remember CRTs being pretty bright, especially much more so than the first LCD monitors I owned. Does the phosphor coating on CRTs get weaker over time?
 
No need to jack your screen all the way up to 95hz at that res and shorten the tube life.

Has anyone knowledgeable, like Vito, confirmed whether this is true or not? I mean, the cathode is burning constantly either way, I don't see how changing the position of the electrons faster is affecting the life of the tube
 
Has anyone knowledgeable, like Vito, confirmed whether this is true or not? I mean, the cathode is burning constantly either way, I don't see how changing the position of the electrons faster is affecting the life of the tube

Vito has said many times on this thread that running it at higher than recommended isn't good for the tube. So yes, he's confirmed it. ;)
 
I picked up a Diamond Pro 2070 off craigslist for cheap. He didn't have any cable to hook it up so I bought it display unseen. I knew it was a risk but it was only $20. It looks okay overall, but I notice it shows ghosting. Especially noticeable with text and desktop icons. Is ghosting, or what looks like a fuzzy bleed over, a sign of a bad tube or is it something that can possibly be fixed?

I've had that happen when I didn't use a high quality cable. Hope it's that easy of a fix for you.
 
On the topic of CRT wear and tear, never use a blank screen saver. Read somewhere that it dirties up the internals in some manner.

(But do use a screen saver. I recall seeing later model Sony tubes with logon screens literally burned in at a copy place...)
 
Vito has said many times on this thread that running it at higher than recommended isn't good for the tube. So yes, he's confirmed it. ;)

That is correct! All I have to say for those of you performing experiments on your units, who think they know what they are doing is... "You Play.... You Pay..."

UV!
 
Hey, small world, neighbor. I used to wish that I would luck into finding one of these in Springfield for a reasonable price. But I long ago forsook my (non-FW900) CRT monitors, mostly because I found the peak luminance to be unacceptable. I clicked on this thread because I was curious to see if there were some white level measurements in here. Spacediver's measurements of 86 - 87 cd/m2 (25 fL) seem to confirm what I expected; even the best CRT monitors are extremely dim.

80-100 nits is perfectly fine with good ambient lighting conditions. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, most studio production work in video is done at around 100 nits.

It's perfectly possible to boost the contrast to higher levels, using WinDAS, but I suspect that would wear out the tube/video amplifier faster.
 
buddy just brought over his unit for calibration. So there were four FW900's under the same roof. Couldn't resist a photo :)

2psg0ud.png
 
Has anyone knowledgeable, like Vito, confirmed whether this is true or not? I mean, the cathode is burning constantly either way, I don't see how changing the position of the electrons faster is affecting the life of the tube

My understanding is that when you run at a higher frequency, the signals that control the deflection coils have to be updated at a higher rate, and the signals that control the beam intensity also have to be updated at a higher rate. I imagine pushing these circuits beyond their normal operating range can stress these components.
 
On the topic of CRT wear and tear, never use a blank screen saver. Read somewhere that it dirties up the internals in some manner.

(But do use a screen saver. I recall seeing later model Sony tubes with logon screens literally burned in at a copy place...)

interesting, I've just been using wallpaper that I rotate every few days. I suppose an animated screen saver makes more sense though. Thing is, I don't like to have something automatically turn on after x minutes of inactivity. I may use an app or something that I can activate manually.

thanks for advice.
 
Alright, so here are my impressions on the F520.

First and foremost, the 0.22mm aperture grille steals the show. I was kind of expecting it to be the CRT equivalent of LCD, as far as text sharpness is. No, it's not quite LCD. It actually didn't seem to be all that much sharper than the FW900 either, at least not in prime mode. Where this grille shines though, is in its ability to reproduce even higher resolutions. Whereas the FW900 loses its sharpness above 1920x1200, the F520 retains it sharpness right up to its maximum. Right now, I've found my sweet spot resolution is 1920x1440 @ 75hz. And I'm having no issues reading anything at this resolution. It looks sharper than FW900's 1920x1200.

There's really something to be said about gaming at this resolution. Half Life 2, Far Cry 3, Skyrim (the games I tried so far) all look drop-dead gorgeous at this resolution. The color reproduction of this monitor is also amazing. Deep blacks, with no crush. Again - it must be seen to be believed. Yesterday, my wife and I spent our evening looking over honeymoon photos with this monitor. Breathtaking, to say the least. I really can't say enough good things about this monitor. There are only two strikes I can find against this monitor:

1. The biggest drawback that most will have of this screen (and it's the FW900's trump card) is that it's 4:3. Personally, I like 4:3 and even prefer it to a degree.

2. Apparently the 4-pin connector is hidden under case, with no access from the outside. Not the end of the world (since, honestly - you shouldn't be calibrating this thing more than once every 6 months to a year - not to mention it's easier to dial in the focus of a monitor with the case removed anyways).

Compared with the FW900:

1. Less ghosting. It's still there, and it's a CRT thing (I'm talking motion, not bad cable ghosting).

2. Sharper - much sharper. Easily able to better handle higher resolutions. I think the F520 is a much better do-all monitor.

3. 4:3 Aspect. Enough said

4. More "picture" preset options. Actually, the FW900 doesn't have this at all. The F520 has a few picture preset options that control the black levels and white levels. Most televisions have this kind of option ("Professional, Standard, Dynamic") built into them, and I found it curious to find it here.

Vito also gave me a different bezel. L-50, I believe (correct me if I'm wrong, Unkle Vito). It's a dark-gray bezel, and it looks slick as hell - especially in the dim lighting in my computer room. Apparently most of his photo pro customers like the dark bezel, and think the silver bezel is distracting. Since I don't do that kind of stuff, I never noticed it, but I'm really glad he swapped it for the old Silver one, because it looks awesome.

All in all - I'm really happy. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Worth every cent I spent on this screen. Expensive? Yeah, but you get what you pay for. This unit is a gem, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to own it.
 
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thanks jbl, nice review :)

LD 50 also refers to half the lethal dose of a particular substance ;)

Always better to have a dark gray bezel (preferably the same chromaticity as d65) as this allows for a better image. Having other colors in the surround can actually change the appearance of the image dramatically.

See this for some incredible examples.

That's interesting that there are different picture preset options. What are they called?
 
Alright, so here are my impressions on the F520.

First and foremost, the 0.22mm aperture grille steals the show. I was kind of expecting it to be the CRT equivalent of LCD, as far as text sharpness is. No, it's not quite LCD. It actually didn't seem to be all that much sharper than the FW900 either, at least not in prime mode. Where this grille shines though, is in its ability to reproduce even higher resolutions. Whereas the FW900 loses its sharpness above 1920x1200, the F520 retains it sharpness right up to its maximum. Right now, I've found my sweet spot resolution is 1920x1440 @ 75hz. And I'm having no issues reading anything at this resolution. It looks sharper than FW900's 1920x1200.

There's really something to be said about gaming at this resolution. Half Life 2, Far Cry 3, Skyrim (the games I tried so far) all look drop-dead gorgeous at this resolution. The color reproduction of this monitor is also amazing. Deep blacks, with no crush. Again - it must be seen to be believed. Yesterday, my wife and I spent our evening looking over honeymoon photos with this monitor. Breathtaking, to say the least. I really can't say enough good things about this monitor. There are only two strikes I can find against this monitor:

1. The biggest drawback that most will have of this screen (and it's the FW900's trump card) is that it's 4:3. Personally, I like 4:3 and even prefer it to a degree.

2. Apparently the 4-pin connector is hidden under case, with no access from the outside. Not the end of the world (since, honestly - you shouldn't be calibrating this thing more than once every 6 months to a year - not to mention it's easier to dial in the focus of a monitor with the case removed anyways).

Compared with the FW900:

1. Less ghosting. It's still there, and it's a CRT thing (I'm talking motion, not bad cable ghosting).

2. Sharper - much sharper. Easily able to better handle higher resolutions. I think the F520 is a much better do-all monitor.

3. 4:3 Aspect. Enough said

4. More "picture" preset options. Actually, the FW900 doesn't have this at all. The F520 has a few picture preset options that control the black levels and white levels. Most televisions have this kind of option ("Professional, Standard, Dynamic") built into them, and I found it curious to find it here.

Vito also gave me a different bezel. LD-50, I believe (correct me if I'm wrong, Unkle Vito). It's a dark-gray bezel, and it looks slick as hell - especially in the dim lighting in my computer room. Apparently most of his photo pro customers like the dark bezel, and think the silver bezel is distracting. Since I don't do that kind of stuff, I never noticed it, but I'm really glad he swapped it for the old Silver one, because it looks awesome.

All in all - I'm really happy. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Worth every cent I spent on this screen. Expensive? Yeah, but you get what you pay for. This unit is a gem, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to own it.

I am so happy and glad that you are very satisfied with the GDM-F520. The bezel I sent with the unit is the LD-50 neutral gray, which is standard on all Sony GDM-C520 Artisans. It is less distracting than the standard shinny silver bezel which comes with this model, and ergonomically much better when working on dim and/or reduced light environments.

As to why my prices are higher than other units being offered in the trade... Well said: You'll get what you paid for... Grade A+ (flawless screens), fully calibrated and adjusted to Sony factory standards, with absolutely no functional flaws...

Enjoy your GDM-F520 monitor...

Sincerely,

Unkle Vito!
 
thanks jbl, nice review :)

LD 50 also refers to half the lethal dose of a particular substance ;)

Always better to have a dark gray bezel (preferably the same chromaticity as d65) as this allows for a better image. Having other colors in the surround can actually change the appearance of the image dramatically.

See this for some incredible examples.

That's interesting that there are different picture preset options. What are they called?

LOL!!! Mistype... Is L50 neutral Gray... Not LD50... Surely, I didn't want to harm Jbl by sending him a hazardous material bezel...

UV!
 
lol, though I imagine two of your F520's might be enough to kill someone out of sheer excitement - would be a decent death though :)
 
Hello!
I'm new to this forum so allow me to explain what brought me to this specific thread. Recently I've been replaying one of my favourite games from my childhood.Thief II The Metal Age. As I was playing throug it slowly but secuirly a thought that something is off grew on me. I went to my basement to get my old pc with it's 17' lg flatron crt monitor. After starting both up it was obvious there is something silvery about black on my philips ips monitor. Now I want to get a crt monitor to play all the great games like baldurs gate 2 . I won't mind a 4:3 crt, but 16:10 is preferable. There is one avalaible for sale close to where i live but it's not gdm-wd 900 but gdm-w900 instead. What's the difrence between them? Is it any good?
 
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