Thinking about getting a PVM

[bartre]

top secret intel

I'm..... eyeing something now.
good knowledge, I'll make sure not to share

[geise]

Does your monitor have an impedance switch? It would say 75 Ohm or "open".

No, it does not.  Yeah I thought it was strange.  I still think it's that pvm's s-video, especially since they all work fine in color on my other pvm through s-video.

[SignOfZeta]

What are the two boards?

[geise]

Captain America and the Avengers and a 138 in 1 multi mvs cart.

EDIT:  Oh and here is what's weird on the 138 in 1.  It's only the menu that's B/W.  All the games are fine and in color.  That doesn't happen on the other pvm.

[SignOfZeta]

Okay, that weird. Do you have a ROM of the exact multi cart you have?

[GohanX]

I have one pvm that now has discoloration on the side like speakers were sitting next to it for a long time.  The degaussing coil to a shit and now I am stuck with it.  There is a place near me that still fixes tube tv's but I'm sure it's $$$$.  I got a 2nd pvm and it works awesome.  However now the S-Video makes (for some reason) two of my arcade pcb's black and white. EVERYTHING else through that S-Video port shows color.  Just not two of my pcb's.  On my other pvm those two pcb's show in color fine through S-Video.  It's little shit like that you can run into.  Even though a Framemeister is more than a pvm, in the long run it might be the best route to go.  I do hear certain games like on Genesis have issues.  Sonic is one I believe.  Tons of good videos on youtube talk about that stuff.  With all that said I do love my current pvm though, just sometimes it can be a pain with the little minor shit I mentioned.

Get a deguassing wand, that should do the trick. If the screen is small you might get away with using a corded drill, you can find directions on Google.

[Groover]

Anyone have any tips for buying a PVM locally? I mean like where to look?

[SignOfZeta]

There are so many on Craigslist near me I can't imagine needing any other tips. Thrift stores occasionally pay off really well.

[crazydean]

Anyone have any tips for buying a PVM locally? I mean like where to look?

Unfortunately, I have to buy mine off ebay. Depending on what part of the country you live in, it can be very easy or very hard.

[SignOfZeta]

Even South Carolina has TV stations.

[crazydean]

Even South Carolina has TV stations.

Sure there are, but I've never seen any production monitors for sale locally. Has anyone tried just going into a TV station to see if they have any for sale?

[johnnykonami]

Even South Carolina has TV stations.

Sure there are, but I've never seen any production monitors for sale locally. Has anyone tried just going into a TV station to see if they have any for sale?

I tried MPT (Maryland Public Television) near me but they are not allowed to sell/donate/give away any equipment as it's government owned.  Maybe if you live near more private run TV stations you might have some luck, but for me that's pretty much it around me for TV stations.

[PunkicCyborg]

best place to find PVMs is from medical equipment resellers

[SamIAm]

When my university splurged on a big fancy business department building around 2000, they spent top dollar on all kinds of redundant crap, including many of what I think were the largest size PVM/BVM monitors ever made. The university holds auctions on old equipment every year or so (a few of the chairs in my house came from there), and if I still lived in town, I'd be watching them like a hawk for those monitors.

[SignOfZeta]

I'm not saying to go to TV stations. That's not probably going to work. I'm saying that if you have TV stations in your area then some of these things exist or at least existed in your area. They go to auction, they go to employees, they go on Craigslist, eBay, whatever. TV stations, video services, things like that, these are the only places that bought these things originally. No consumer wanted a 19" display in 1998 with no tuner and a price tag of $1800, just the commercial market.

Keep looking, check Craigslist more than anything, be prepaired to drive if you live in BFE. If you live in a city don't be afraid to drive *to* BFE. Be creative in your search terms. Most people in the real world don't use terms like "PVM". Don't limit yourselves to Sony, I have a JVC that is amazing (quite possibly it's a rebadge Sony, I don't know).