The Unofficial Sony GDM-FW900 thread - Page 4

I can't find it now... Anyway you're better off using WinDAS with a RS232 to TTL cable (use MAX232 IC) and fixing it the right way. WinDAS will allow you to change any parameters of the monitor, G2 voltage included.


You mean, focus. These monitors are known for behaving like that, you can't get perfect focus on the whole screen. Though using Nokia Monitor Test will help.


Use Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 (free download from Microsoft).

how about this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=250399285596
seems like a deal. drop shipped from china though.

ya actually, after i messed with the flyback adjustments, the next day and since then after full warm up the picture has been much better. text is no longer killing my eyes. i somehow managed to get the blacks tweaked out pretty well and crysis is looking much nicer.


hmm.. i am in win7 ultimate, i should have the xp mode. is it something different from the properties tab? cuz that was not working. did xpsp2 and nothing.
on the other hand i could just plug my xp drive bag in.

and thanks for the reply. i'm feeling better about this monitor now. considering still getting an LCD, but i'll lug this monitor around to the grave if it will last. i actually may build a racer seat setup with it. nvidia + 3d glasses.

ok, one more thing. you say focus over convergence but which is it with the red/blue. right now everything is looking pretty good except purples.
the best example is the typical bright purple/pink of OCD colors. like rivatuner showing vid card info and framerate over a game in the corner.
you can very obviously see the red and blue split in the letters.

Should work. I'd still use a "real" serial port to be 100% sure, but if your computer is new enough it might even not have one (especially if it's a lappy, my laptops don't have serial ports either).


I mentioned already that you need to download it. It's basically a preconfigured XP virtual machine which integrates into Win7. Edit: The one with red/blue split is convergence. If i'm not mistaken you can adjust it in the user menu. At least on my 21" IBM P275 you can. Oh, and don't use the image restoration feature again before you get the cable and adjust with WinDAS, it has the bad habit of increasing G2 voltage every time you run it.

Decided it may be time to make the move to a flat panel display... my GDM-FW900 was purchased refurbished by Sony from the Sony Outlet in Rehoboth, Delaware back in 2006. I have adjusted the G2 voltage correctly using the WinDas S/W and cable, and will include all manuals (including a full-printed copy of the Service Manual) the drivers on the original CD, cables etc., etc. Screen coating, display and case are flawless (seriously - no marks!)... is anyone interested? If yes, PM me... in Syracuse, NY area - local pickup only - unless you want to send a shipping company to my house to box/crate it and bring it to you.

PS - Haven't seen the blur/focus problem I mentioned in an earlier post re-occur since we moved to our new house... and I still use this monitor every day for our computer viewing...

Here is a link to the software. You will have to reconstruct the link.

bloggybloggy com / randomdownloads / windas zip

anyone in the houston area perhaps interested in my monitor?

i think i really just don't have the time or patience to collect the things to get it back to 100%.
you could of course come look at it beforehand

for anyone needing this...ive packaged everything you need for windas in one zip file(including instructions).



http://haste.4saken.org/windas/WinDAS.zip

enjoy!

Thank you very much for WinDAS!

I'm looking to buy either this model or a rebadged SGI. Any ideas where to look besides eBay?

I have the HP A7217A I may part with PM me

After pining over this thing for a while now, I finally managed to pick one up for a mere $100. So far I've been really thrilled with it, but had a few questions and thought I'd see if anyone had any thoughts:

1. This is a 16X10 monitor, right? Why is it when I use resolutions like 1280X800 that I still get a letterboxed(slightly) image? I've tried it with two games so far, both at the mentioned res, and using the "Size" settings, even at 100% on the vertical stretching, I can't make the image reach both the top and bottom of the monitor.

2. Speaking of the "Size" setting, what the difference between "Size" and "Center"? There doesn't appear to be a difference at all.

3. When trying out a new res, how does everyone else handle it? For 4:3, I switch to the res, switch to the highest possible refresh rate, hit "APC" on the settings bar, then go to "Size" and stretch it vertically until it reaches the top and bottom of the monitor. For 16X10, I do the same but also stretch it horizontally until it reaches both sides of the monitor. Is this the correct way to do it?

4. Does anyone else have some oddities with the image around the top, left hand corner of the screen as well? I don't really know how to explain it other than to say that the image starts off well enough at the bottom left hand corner, but then start going towards the center of the screen at a slight angle, resulting in a small bit of space where the image no longer touches the side of the monitor. The settings under "Screen" seem to help a little, but I can never quite get the image to a perfect rectangle. Plus, even when I do get it to an acceptable level, you can tell it's not quite right as anything up there looks squished, tiny or just distorted. It's weird, my Sony CRT HDTV(34") does this as well when hooked to my HTPC. Never have been able to figure it out.

5. 1280X720 doesn't quite look right, it's because it's not a 16X10 resolution right? It's 16X9? The only reason I even try it is because it allows me to set a refresh rate of 85hz where as 1280X800 only allows me to do, get this, 59 or 60. I don't know why. My card is a Radeon X1950 Pro, you'd think it could handle more. I'm also using the driver from Sony, to enable as many refresh rates as possible.

6. I wish it would remember my refresh rate settings. Seems like every time I switch back to the res I normally use, it just sticks with whatever the refresh rate was of the last res I was using. Sometimes it remembers, sometimes it doesn't. Anything to that?

None of these issues are deal breakers, just sort of minor annoyances(especially when you figure that my last few monitors had no real issues in most of the applicable areas). If anyone has any thoughts, they would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

DM

Hi all, noob here, im sorry if ive posted in the wrong section but im in need of some help, my sony gdm-fw900 crt monitor stopped working on me, the picture just went off, no bang no smoke just no picture, when i turn it on there is NO hv start up, the static thing that has to happen, and when i have the pc connected the orange lights blinks repeatedly and thats about it, if i remove one of the wires from i think its the d board that has the flyback on it i get a normal start up with degausse with the normal sounding relay click but no picture, i have some knowledge of looking inside the unit and i have a basic DMM i really dont want to throw this in the bin because its a rare monitor to come by thankyou.

ps, the flyback is making the normal sound as if its working, all 3 cathode heaters are on fine.

That doesn't sound quite right. Try at 1600x1000@100 I know more people use this monitor at that for games but I still just use 1920x1200@85.


..... SHUT UP!


You have to leave a 1/2" inch black bar at the bottom or top or split between the two in order to have a perfect 1:1 image with no distortion @ 16:10.

Get a ruler out and measure this circle. If it is the same up and down as left to right your perfect.


If it is your HTPC then I can't help. But the geometry setting you can adjust for a while in order to try and remove the kind of distortion you are talking about. Try and straiten this grid out.



Also use this to check if you can see the dots at the VERY edges of the image.

NOTE: You should be adjusting all these settings at 1920x1200@85hz


Well that explains it. Your stuff is screwed up. What monitor input are you using? RGBHV-BNC or the D-Sub-HD15-VGA? What OS?

I am on XP-sp3 with my 4890 and on RGBHV and I must force the driver install and used ATiTrayTools to override the DDC info that was limiting my monitor.


ATItrayTools can force everything to use the same refresh rate. Should help you out with alot of your issues


The resolutions you are talking about using on this are terrible. Get your drivers worked out and it running at 1920x1200 and then you will benefit from what this monitor has to offer.

Well, a lot of the problem with going that high is that games simply don't run as well(at least on my machine). This is why I refused to go with an LCD: I didn't want to be screwed with a single native res that was too high to keep most games running at a decent rate.


Literally, they both show the *exact* same commands(that's why I ask).


Ok, I'll take a look in to that. Perhaps that's why I was getting the issues at 1280X800 in a few games.


Much appreciated, will give it a shot.


Even if I won't be using that setting?(it just makes everything way too small for me)


I'm just using regular'ole VGA from my video card under Windows XP Home, 32-bit(SP3).


I didn't have any issues installing the driver for the monitor, disabling EDID in the CCC didn't seem to do anything, or allow for anything further(in terms of a refresh rate).


That'd be nice. I tried out that "Powerstrip" software and it was about worthless. Didn't seem to allow me to do much of anything that everyone touted that it would(force refresh rates, etc). Will give ATI Tray Tools a shot though!


It's just too small for me. Right now I've found a comfortable compromise running the at 1440X900, 85hz(the most it'd allow for at that res). It seems to be about right, though I get those issues in the corners that I had mentioned earlier.

I switch from widescreen to 4:3 quite a bit as well, as I develop websites and I need to see them in the resolution that the majority of people are using(still 1024X768 or a higher 4:3-based res). The 4:3 res never gives me any issues.

Thanks for the input, I'll take a look at the images and software you mentioned and see what I can get going(and will report back).

DM

FBT are replaceable but it's the costliest part of CRT and they don't go visit manitou when all other circuitry is ok. So changing flyback only would only resolve that another FBT will show same symptoms in half -a year. Cleansin out power supply or dead capacito as someon said is the main issue. and large dampering horizontal block capacitor could make job done. Uncle Vito do you have a large stock (hoche lager) of that fbts when you recommend that or you just spicing up the price.

FBT is neede to be changed when ther's nothing on the screen and when he really past to the other world. And again i answering in log dead thread hoping for the same answer cause my rebranded g520 has the same issue now. Thorough cleansing from dust some 2yrs ago reduce problem and prolong life. So that might be mild medicament if no one or holly uncle vito doesnt really know what caps change in psu-fbt path to remove pops.

Manula degauss also reduces problem, by shortening settle down time. If you're not in far north or siberia with 0C room temperature and 85% relative humidity.

First, to clear this out we're not all live in texas or give red ants oversized names like fire ants.
Second g520, ..... as i have few of them with the same problem, and problem occurred very early in their lifespan (2-2.5yrs old somewhere in 2004) and "out of focus feature" is very popular for all g520 models even when they're "working properly" --- white balance is simply set to high on this c-r-a-p and ghost on b/w change (text) is a feature of this tube. Second this model have heavy and very small em mesh so any kind of bugs (except some lices like or smaller bugs) is practically impossible to get in (estimation) but they managed to get in into yours monitor which demise my estimation.

Anyway out of focus (not popping out of focus feature) is there caused by high white balance and poor decoupling on AGT. While inproper discharge of tube caused by some of capacitors in fbt network, and probably bad fbt ps (acting as tandem , or maybe some trio-quartet)

Greetings. Im posting here because im told (and by the looks of the display) that my monitor (HP A7217A) is identical to the Sony GDM-FW900 monitor.

I picked this up from a friend who got a new LCD. I thought i would be great.. and it is,... sort of..

I have it setup on two computers (using the input switch). On the Component side, i have my laptop. an X205 9349 running a Geforce 8700M GT, and Windows 7 64-bit.. On the VGA side, i have a custom built desktop running a 7800 GT OS with Windows Xp (sp3)

On the XP side. It looks almost as i would expect. The display is alittle dim for what i think it should be, and turning up the brightness, while it does help me see things, it washes out the image too much (this happens on both machines). But other than that, pretty much what i expect.

On the Laptop running Windows 7 however, the display is 'fuzzy'. Not to the point of being hard to read or anything, But i can tell its not a sharp as it should be, and certainly not as sharp as when i switch to the XP machine.

I have tried using the same machine on both inputs, changing the drivers under Windows 7, even added in the Color profile. I messed with the nvidia color settings and lowered the refresh rate to 60, and while it helped alittle bit, its still not as sharp as it looks on the XP computer. Both machines are set to 1920x1200 resolution.

There are a few other little issues, but this is the main one thats driving me nuts. Any ideas?

Just curious if there is any more in-depth information on windas tweaks.. I finally noticed that my CONTRAST was set to 255 instead of 220 (original settings) and that was what caused my fw900 to really "bloom" whites and crush blacks, and it also made convergence errors much more noticeable. Having gone back to 220 contrast the picture is much more "clean" but I still seem to have a black level that is more a slight gray/green. What exactly does the windas BRIGHTNESS setting affect on my monitor, I've tried changing it from 81 to 66 but didn't really find much of a difference, no where as much as changing G2 does.. Also, my G2 is now at 100, if I decide to drop it how would I change the hex values, would it be like 095 or would I delete the first bit and just have 95? I've also had some problems with geometry that I've failed to fix with Windas procedures, is there any method or guide to fix geometry; should certain settings be changed before others (such as bow, pin, etc.)?

Also, for anyone using HDFury2 to hook up there PS3 (mine connects via VGA) do you have your PS3's Full Dynamic Range on or Limited? I read the HDFury2 already sends a full 0-255 range, already modulating a Limited 16-233 or whatever color range to 0-255... I've found this requires an even lower brightness setting on my monitor and when looking at lagom LCD test images the black levels are very impressive..

I purchased one of these monitors on ebay about 3 years ago for $150, I had to drive about 100 miles to go pick it up. I can easily say that its the best $150 I have ever spent on a computer component.

Mine has worked flawlessly ever since I've owned it, I run it at 1024x640 at 85 hz and leave it on for about 18 hours a day (I only turn it off when I go to bed). So far there are no signs of the tube aging.

But I do have a question about the Image Restoration function - over time, my black levels slowly deteriorate, but running the Image Restore seems to fix this 100 percent. I find that it takes about a month after restoration before I even start to notice the contrast ratio decreasing, and its about 3 months before it gets bad enough that I feel the need to restore. My concern has always been whether or not the monitor has a limited number of restores in its lifetime, so I use it sparingly.

Could I use it say, once a month? Is there any risk to running it more often? I don't even really understand what it does.

After a power outage, my FW900 will not turn on.

Here are the symptoms of my problem:

Unit makes a noise when trying to start up
The green LED will turn orange and will blink twice, with a 1 second interval between blinks, then a pause, followed by two blinks again, etc.
When I look at the back of the unit, I can see a bluish, white light coming from the left side of the monitor when facing the front of the monitor.
I think the manufacturing date is 2002-03

I've heard from two people that it could be caused by the power supply (G) board or a tube misfire. Anyone have an idea as to the problem?

I'm on the opposite side of a problem...

I have a working FW900 (HP Branded)
(and 3 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 free to a good home if somebody will pay shipping.
And, as we know, freight shipping these guys is serious business. I'm in 89509 (Reno, NV area) if anybody is interested.

What condition are the monitors in?

How much would it cost to ship one to 15090?

Monitors are in good shape, they probably all need to be calibrated (though they are not off by much)

One of the 5411's has a small crack in the plastic swivel base (but still swivel's fine) and another has the characteristic small horizontal line (I have not tried to correct his, perhaps I can)

It would cost hundreds of dollars to freight one to PA.

Hundreds of dollars or one hundred dollars?

How much do these things weigh? Aren't they under 100 lbs.?

Are you giving away your FW900 or just the 5411s?

My beloved FW900 died. CRT shot, it's been a long love affair that tragically ended. I'm interested in one of those monitors, Markam. YGM
It's either give you a few hundred dollars to ship, or crapshoot a few hundred on eBay from a seller who hasn't responded to my question yet. So....

Sorry for resurrecting, but need to ask MKaram if the monitors are still available. I live close by. (Silver Springs.)

I didn't know this thread existed! I have a GDM FW900 I picked off CL not long ago. I really like it for gaming. I lucked out and got a good one, it seems.

Right now I am on XP with the FW900 drivers installed. I use BNC cables that hook up to my video card with a dual link DVI > VGA adapter > http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-DVI-C...cm_cr-mr-title

Everything works great and looks good at the recommended settings of 1920 X1200 @85hz.

For some reason I can't get the options to appear to bump the res to the max setting of 2304 X 1440, so I have never seen it display that high. That is the only issue with the monitor, other than that it works like a dream.

Also, if anyone is interested there is a mongo thread for the GDM FW900 here > http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=952788.

It is pretty active too. I subscribe to the thread and someone seems to post at least once a week. It is a tremendous resource for this monitor

Did you ever download the drivers for it? If so, then what you need to do is reduce your refresh rate in "Advanced" under the "Monitor" tab to 60hz, then 2304x1440 should appear.

I don't have the same monitor, but I have a similar 21", 4:3 trinitron, and that's what I had to do to display 1920x1440.

Thanks for the tip but it didn't make any difference. I set the res at 60hz in both the properties box and the Catalyst Control Center.

The FW900 driver is installed and the FW900 is listed in device mgr and the properties box. Default monitor is listed as well, but I have it disabled in both locations. The CCC however doesn't list the FW900 but only default VGA monitor. So that may be the problem.

It's not a big deal. I would probably run everything 1920 X1200 @85hz most of the time anyway. I was mostly curious how games looked in 2304 X 1440.