Anybody here know anything about the "professional" Sony monitors?

I have often wondered that myself-but it seems like they are very expensive, so I'd also really like to know exactly why the price was so freaking high on some of these...

Here's a link to a brochure on the BVM-D series of monitors:

http://bssc.sel.sony.com/Professiona...vm_dseries.pdf

Looks like these are 16:9, though. I see now you were asking about 4:3.

You don't have to pay alot of money for these things...

I found a Sony PVM-20L2MD medical monitor (2003 model) at a government surplus outlet a few months ago. Only paid $35 for it. Has an extra card inserted with component/RGB inputs (along with the on-board component/RGB).

The RGB feature is great for old computers like Commodore Amigas and the Apple IIgs that output analog RGB at 15khz scan rate.

The one I got works great and is built like a tank.

It's not a pure flat screen like a WEGA.

Type "PVM20L2MD_PVM14L2MD.pdf" in google.

Sony's old CRT broadcast monitors were great, but you should be aware of a few things.

As stated here most of them were 4.3. Additionally, most of them do not support any kind of progressive scan. (A few do, but the interlace-only models vastly outnumber them.) Most of them do not support Y-Pb-Pr.

So if you get one that fits the above description (very likely) then you will have to live with using composite, s-video, or RGB if you want to use the best image quality. This makes them great for older, classic video game systems like old Sega stuff, they tend to be coveted by classic game collectors for that reason. I don't think you are going to find one that was made after the late 90s. Even if you did, it is likely to have seen a lot of use, wherever it came from. If you really want one, they actually don't cost a lot to buy and typical freight shipping costs actually outweigh the real value of the screens nowadays, it is just difficult to recommend that you jump in with both feet when buying one that you cannot see in person or test out.

What purpose do you have for a screen like this?

I remember reading an article somewhere online in 2008 I believe it was that Sony was stopping manufacture of their Pro CRT line. In the article it said that the BBC purchased a bunch if not all of the remaining stock of said pro monitors because they would no longer be available. So if my memory serves me right the newest Sony Pro monitors should be circa 2008 but probably only a few models were still made till then.

Yes, it's that color.

I didn't notice any issues with focus, as it displays a very sharp image, especially in RGB mode. Maybe mine was used sparingly.

I can see why you'd want a late model broadcast monitor. But I'd only get one if it was $100 or less. I wouldn't ever use it in a "professional" manner, so I'm not willing to pay a "professional" price.

I've worked in production for over 10 years. I usually act as the post-supervisor these days.

Sony's BVM line of broadcast monitors is the pinnacle of the CRT for many reasons:
- highest resolutions of any CRT's of their respective sizes - for example the BVM D and A line of flat 16:9 multi-format displays are 1000 line tubes
- SMPTE C phosphors guarantee proper reference color rendering over the life of the tube
- greatest input flexibility due to the complete customization of your input card selection
- the D and A lines are multi-format: NTSC, PAL, 480i, 525i, 720p60, 720p50, 1080psf24, 1080i60, 1080i50, 1035i60, 1035i50
- BVM monitors can auto-calibrate to SMPTE bars, and can be calibrated by calibration probes
- BVM monitors have higher tolerances and levels of accuracy for convergence and geometry
- guaranteed uniform white balance across the entire CRT
- BVM D and A series monitors are Grade 1 mastering monitors - they are considered reference monitors for perfect color, black levels and brightness

The 32 and 24 inch models have flat 16:9 CRT's. 20, 14, and 9 inch models are 4:3 CRTs, capable of 16:9. You can attach 16:9 masks to mask off the top and bottom of the display tubes.

Most displays except input cards for composite, S-Video, RGB/component, SD-SDI, HD-SDI, and DV. You can get HDMI to HD-SDI or HDMI to component converters if you need to get HDMI based signals into these displays.

If you are willing to buy one used, you can get fantastic deals on these on eBay. However, you need to spend the time to properly calibrate these displays or else you will not get the proper picture out of them that you can.

Also, since these are reference displays, they are not made to have "punchy" hyped images. You can add more saturation, brightness and contrast to the monitors, but the purpose of having a BVM display is getting as natural and pure an image as possible.

If you don't want a CRT, and need HDMI/DVI based inputs, the new Trimaster BVM-L series is Sony's CRT replacement. They are OLED and LED based. I can personally attest to the quality of these displays - they are truly the only current technology that properly matches the performance of a CRT in every way. They range from $8000 (PVM Trimaster line) to over $25,000, but frankly you get what you pay for.

Wow-thanks for all the good info! The steep price makes sense now.

Wow, nice first post!!!

Thanks. I read a lot on here, but I haven't really felt like I've had much to contribute until now. I mostly work with professional products every day. I'm a monitor nut, and I can calibrate a consumer display based off a few test patterns once I have figured out a displays response characteristics.

That said, I think everyone here are bigger videophiles than I am at times.

What is your location? I'd pay money for you to calibrate my PVM.

Phoenix, AZ.

What model do you have?

I can give you some general instructions if you want.

I was just in Phoenix a few weeks ago

Anyway, I have a NEC XM 2950. In fact I have a thread up about it right now, maybe you can help. Do you know how to access the service menu on this think? Even if you were here in person I don't think you can do much without getting into the service menu.

I did some quick research and I can't find any information on that. It seems to be hard to find service manuals as well.

That would be my suggestion. Find a service manual - they usually contain menu and parts information.

Thats what I have been trying to do... I can't find the service manual for this thing

How many threads can you create?