Review: Sony PVM-20M2MDU CRT Monitor

Miru

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I wanted to share a short review (written with my S4)
about this little gem of a monitor.

One of the few of its kind, used in medical centers for displaying endoscopies and cathetherizations, this Monitor works great with our Amigas.

The picture is crisp, you can connect at least three different sources but will need to make your own cable or use y/c for the cd32 or cdtv. It has BNC inputs for rgb as well as a sync signal which you can get from your amiga rgb video port.

The cool thing is it recognizes PAL and NTSC, so rare here in the USA which lacks the good old euro scart connectors.

It has a 20 inch Trinitron P22 phosphorus tube which displays wonderful pictures. Since I used the indivision in the past until I found this baby, I found watching demos or playing games which depend on smooth scrolling, the indivision and the tfts i used are no match for this gem.

The Specs:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Color System: NTSC, PAL automatically selected
Resolution: 600 TV lines at center
Aperture Correction: 0 ~ +6dB
Frequency Response: LINE 10.0MHz (±3DB) * Y signal only
RGB 10.0MHz (±3dB)
Synchronization: AFC time constant 1.0mS
CRT 20": 20-inch CRT with P-22 phosphor, Visible picture size
479.8mm (19-inch measured diagonally)
AG Pitch: 0.4mm

Normal Scan: 7% over scan
Over Scan: 20% over scan
Convergence: Center 20" less than 0.6 mm (typical)
Peripheral: 20" less than 1.0 mm (typical)

Color Temperature: 6500K, 5600K, 9300K, USER
USER: factory adjusted to 6500K
adjustable range: 3200K-10000K

AC Input Range: AC 100 ~ 240V, 50/ 60Hz
Total Power Consumption:
1.5 ~ 0.6 A
Audio Out: 0.8W monaural (distortion less than 5%)
Operating Conditions:
0 ~ 40°C temperature, 700 ~ 1,060 hPa pressure
30 ~ 85% humidity
Storage Conditions:

-10 ~ 40°C temperature, 700 ~ 1,060 hPa pressure
0 ~ 90% humidity
Dimensions:
W: 450mm x H: 457.5mm x D: 503mm
Mass: 30.0 kg
INPUTS:
Line A: Video In
Line A: Audio In
BNC connector, 1 Vp-p ±6 dB, sync negative
Phono jack (X1), -5 dBu, more than 470 kilo-ohms.
Line B: Y/C In
Line B: Audio In
4-pin mini DIN (X1)
Phono jack (X1), -5 dBu, more than 47 kilo-ohms.
RGB/Component A/B:
R/R-Y, G/Y, B/B-Y IN
Audio In
BNC connector (X3)
-R, G, B channels: 0.7 Vp-p, ±6dB
-Sync on green: 0.3 Vp-p, negative
-R-Y, B-Y channels: 0.7 Vp-p, ±6dB
-Y-channel: 0.7 Vp-p, ±6dB
(Standard color bar signal of 75% chrominance)
Phono jack (X1), -5 dBu, more than 47 kilo-ohms.
EXT SYNC IN
BNC connector (X1)
4 Vp-p, ±6 dB, sync negative
Remote
D SUB 9 PIN (X1), 9 PIN RJ45 parallel (X1)
Line A: Video Out
Line A: Audio Out
BNC connector (X1) loop-through, Automatic 75 ohms termination
Phono jack loop-through
Line B: Y/C Out
Line B: Audio Out

4-pin mini-DIN (X1) loop-through, Automatic 75 ohms termination
Phono jack (X1) loop-through
RGB/Component A
R/R-Y, G/Y, B/B-Y OUT:
Audio Out:

BNC connector (X3) loop through
Automatic 75 ohms termination
Phono jack (X1) loop through
EXT SYNC OUT
BNC connector (X1)
Automatic 75 ohms termination
Speaker Output
Output level: 0.8 W
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Now the pros and cons:

Pros:
1. Quality of picture is outstanding. No lag or scrolling artefact.
2. On screen display
3. Compatible to PAL and NTSC as well as 110V/220V, so it is really a worldwide useable system
4. Has input and output, you could use multiple ones to display one Amiga on 2 monitors, great for 2 or multiplayer gaming if you have the space :)
5. Multiple color temperature settings possible, no as limited as LCDs which have usually only 3 settings.

Cons:
1. Size and weight: this is a beast to ship and you will need to reinforce your furniture if you get IKEA or similar tables
2. CRT induced radiation
3. Availability may be limited


All right, now some pictures: so far only one made it... will try with my peecee later
 

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Even though I haven't used my Amiga on a PVM series monitor, I can attest to the fact that they are wonderful monitors for the 8-Bit Commodore machines. As you said, it's a perfect option for those of us who want to run PAL systems here in the USA. Mine is a 13" monitor, but I'm keeping an eye out locally for a larger one.

Thanks for the quick review!

Heather
 
You can't do better than the pvm and bvm monitors for retro :) My only gripe is their footprint is so large, they can be hard to place.
 
I had one of these but traded it for Amiga gear.
I sometimes regret it since I know the chance to find another one locally is slim.

The new owner uses it for an arcade cabinet & it looks amazing!
 
I have one 20" SONY PVM monitor too and i can only agree that it's great, Somehow it makes even composite video looks quite ok.

But the monitor is ugly and very large so i'm using a 28" tv instead. It has much worse picture but it's easier to place.

Is there any value in these monitors nowdays? i have had mine for years but now it's time to let it go because i "cant" use it.
 
There's definitely value in them. On AmiBay, you need to figure out that value yourself. It's unfortunate that shipping costs are such a hindrance when selling them. That's part of the reason I only have a 13" version. :D

Heather
 
I recently got a sony pvm-20m4e which is a 800 line which is awesome :) it replaces my other pvm (600 line) I also got it shipped only because it had its box. You can buy BNC to female scart cable which works great add a scart selector and you can have a few consoles connected ready to go ;)
 
I'd love to get one if I could. but shipping for those is a killer since they aren't exactly lightweight. ;)
 
No, they are quite the opposite :LOL:

I got lucky and was able to get one within decent driving distance.
 
Best thing to do is search for a PDF of the user manual then look at the specs to see if it has everything you need. :)

Heather
 
Yeah, checked a bit ago, looks like it should work. I've sent an email asking if it is still available (y)
 
I own two of these babies, an MDU and one in the standard grey livery. I was lucky enough to find them both NOS a few years back. The MDU has an extra set of inputs, overscan, and a splitscreen mode (both inputs at once). The regular one (more broadcast oriented) has a 16:9 setting in lieu of (the pretty useless for Amiga) overscan. (Let's just say, it's doubtful you'd need to blow up the image of a colon from your A1200). If you're sitting near the screen, underscan tightens the picture a bit so it doesn't look so ridiculous.

Picture quality is as mentioned excellent, and I dare anyone to watch a standard definition DVD on one of these babies and not be thoroughly blown away.

Something worth mentioning - unlike other monitors (BVM series comes to mind) these PVMs do NOT have extensive, let alone easy tweakable convergence options. You have to open the case and mess with the neck and magnets (might be one pot on some of the PVMs, IIRC). So if perfect convergence is a requirement, please inspect the monitor thoroughly before purchase, or get one of the BVMs which allow very detailed convergence adjustments (per quadrant).

That aside, sitting some feet away and watching demos, slideshows, or playing games is a real joy. Not too good for Workbench or productivity obviously, but perfect for a second monitor or dedicated games rig.

**edit** One final note, the smaller 14" models are less likely to have convergence problems, or suffer damage during shipping (easier to pack well). WRT the PVM series, the 14 and 20" "M4U" models theoretically have better tubes, though I've read that the difference is negligible.
 
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