I picked up a NOS Sony PVM 20M2MDU off ebay and it came in today. I already had one of these but it was used. I couldn't pass up the chance to get a brand new one for what I think was a decent price ($250 after shipping) Now I will put my old one in storage as a backup. Although my original one looks great this one is even more vibrant. Sorry for the crappy picture. The camera really doesn't do it justice.
A surplus electronics store in town that gets electronics from the military and broadcast stations had one of these but they wanted $80 for it (which is overpriced for a used one). But hats off to you I would love to own a pvm of my own so I can finally experience rgb (which I think your aware of also living in the states).
Thank you! I just hope it lasts a long, long time. lol. Was it the same model as mine? If its a 20m2mdu and in good shape I think $80 is a fair price for that particular model. However, it can be a crapshoot with those old crts. If you have a crt tv with component inputs, getting one of those scart to component converters is a good alternative, I used one of those for a few years.
Nice. I have the exact same model. It's an awesome monitor - incredibly crisp and vibrant (as good or better than a computer monitor), nice size, lots of inputs. Also, I know it's not everyone's bag, but I think it's a really attractive monitor externally. Mine's not brand new, but it's in great condition and works perfectly. These things are designed to be very reliable. If I were to get another one, I'd probably get the 20L5, since it supports ED and HD resolutions. I've also been looking for a GVM for their ability to display 24khz video, but they're hard to come by.
I really like the way they look too. And needless to say the picture quality is simply insane. Even the NES in composite looks amazing on this beauty. I imagine this one will last for many years to come. It was manufactured in 2003. I believe they stopped making these a few years later. I wish I could use the older pvm for a dedicated TATE setup but I simply don't have the space right now. perhaps in the future. A 20L5 would be awesome for dreamcast, wii, ps2, etc. I've never heard of the GVM line before though. interesting stuff.
It looked okay, I have seen some panasonic regular tube tvs that have component input which looks like a good alternative. Those tvs are designed for medical use and sometimes television for that specific model so they're meant to last very long.
I forget the U.S. model name of that (I think it's the 2030) but what's funny is my brothers friend had one of those and donated it to good will (my brother and him do a lot of work on music videos and commercials) long story short I asked him if he had one and he said he donated it and he asked why, and I told him for the rgb for video games and you would not believe how hard him and my brother laughed. In the industry it's considered nuts to use those types of sets for gaming. Sad really cause often you either have to pay a decent amount or be lucky to find someone who has one they are throwing out.
When I was in Post Production we had dozens of these, the special thing about 'em is they are damn accurate monitors when you put in is what you get out, at the time they were far more reliable, accurate and adjustable then your standard "TV". They can also take some serious punishment, don't think I ever saw one turned off for 6+ years.
Yes, Sony and Panasonic monitors are workhorses and can really take a beating. They're designed for broadcast so they give an accurate picture - for a long time. Although "just" being for RGB would be sufficient. $80 for a 20" is a decent price. $250 is a lot, but if you want a brand new one, why not? I lost count of how many 2950s I could have picked up cheap by now. And the US model number can't be 2030 - 2950 is a 29" monitor, 2030 is a 20" monitor! I guarantee you the PVM-2950 was a model in the US.
What really costs is the shipping (if you're not able to find one locally), because these things are heavier than Moses.
Heck, no kidding. It seems currently I have to look 15 miles from my address to find a damn Guitar Hero game on ebay. The nearest apparent Call of Duty is 10 miles...
