Should I pick up this Sony Trinitron?

[Winniez]

I was only talking about my own experiences. Its true that PVM are built to last and to be on 24/7,  and most of them have been. What I was trying to say is that there are plenty of CRT TVs out there that haven't seen that much use. I'm sure you can somehow access the service menu and see the actual hours. And they are usually free, I  had to pick up 4 until I found one that I'm happy with.
Like I said in the US it might me different considering the RGB and SCART support.

[SignOfZeta]

There are a lot of medical use PVMs here that were made just for comp/YC but from my experience most have some sort of component video. It's never SCART though as that had zero market penetration here ever. It's usually BNC or some f-ed up combo connector.

[GohanX]

I don't know about the US but in Europe I think 90% of the time you are better off buying a good CRT TV than a PVM. CRT on average has way more life left in it (atleast without adjustements/repairs), supports 60hz, RGB, SCART, S-video, multiple inputs, is bigger, has integrated speakers etc. In my experience Sony Trinitrons and Panasonics are the best bet. For me the sweet spot is mid to late 90s, before the flatscreen and widescreen. And screen size between 25-28 inches.

I'm in the US and I used to have a pvm but I agree with you and went back to a consumer Trinitron with a RGB to component converter. It's really much better suited to my needs than a pvm. It doesn't quite have the same pure RGB image as my old set but the component is really close, it's bigger, and it's a lot better for other uses like playing DVDs or Laserdiscs.

[SignOfZeta]

Yeah, for movies a PVM is not the best choice. PVMs have basically zero post processing. No 3D comb filters, the pitch is often much finer on a TV. TVs have tons of features that make them better than PVMs for actual viewing of motion picture content. PVMs are designed to show you the most accurate version of the signal you are providing, nothing else.

But, not to brag or anything, I have more than one monitor in my house.

[johnnykonami]

Someone just posted a 13" PVM for $140 near me yesterday.  A bit too much for the size and I don't know the hours on it.  I would be perfectly happy with the consumer model Toshiba I have now if it weren't failing, I also had it connected via a component to scart adaptor and it looked pretty decent, except for maybe some blurriness at the corners.  If I can talk the PVM guy down (if he still has it) I might consider the 13", I'd like to get away from having to move heavy CRTS.

[SignOfZeta]

Personally, I'll buy anything regardless of size. 13" is no problem, but the input selection and the integrity of the tube matter big time.

[crazydean]

Not all PVMs have RGB input. As far as I am concerned, it's not worth the hassle if there is no RGB. At that point, you might as well get a consumer set with component.

[jperryss]

I've owned a bunch of different Sony/Olympus PVMs and none of them counted the running hours. BVMs do this but I don't think any PVMs do. If it was a medical unit (usually white instead of gray) I figure chances are good it wasn't on for weeks or months at a time.

Definitely make sure it accepts RGB input otherwise it'll barely be an upgrade from a nice CRT TV. Most of the ones that take RGB will also accept component YPbPr on the same inputs. The inputs are mostly BNC connectors. You can get RCA-BNC adapters, or the easier way is to pick up a a SCART-BNC cable like this one, and then just pick up SCART cables for each system.
https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/sony-pvm-scart-converter-bnc

$140 is a bit high for a 13". I would try to get it for around $100 if it's in really good condition.

[SignOfZeta]

On a 16-bit game system Y/C is just as good as RGB or component. An s-video hacked Genesis on one of those old C64 monitors is, IMHO, a better experience than a larger more convoluted set.

Obviously this is only practical if you have a dedicated gaming display, but who's got room for that what with our complete Wii collection and demo kiosks and shit, right?

[Gypsy]

Got a tiny little baby pvm on the way. 9'' Ikegami. Tops out at SVideo. Was pretty much dirt cheap considering shipping. I was actually thinking about having a family member pick it up (for safety reasons) as it's in SE Michigan where a lot of my family is but I realized it will probably be at least a year before I'm up there again.

Anyway I'm intrigued to try it out, hopefully it survives the trip.

[TDIRunner]

But, not to brag or anything, I have more than one monitor in my house.

[Dicer]

Not all PVMs have RGB input. As far as I am concerned, it's not worth the hassle if there is no RGB. At that point, you might as well get a consumer set with component.

This is correct logic...

[Gypsy]

I will direct compare PVM svideo and good ole component on a consumer SD trinitron for you guys.

[jperryss]

Got a tiny little baby pvm on the way. 9'' Ikegami. Tops out at SVideo. Was pretty much dirt cheap considering shipping. I was actually thinking about having a family member pick it up (for safety reasons) as it's in SE Michigan where a lot of my family is but I realized it will probably be at least a year before I'm up there again.

Anyway I'm intrigued to try it out, hopefully it survives the trip.

I still have an 8" Sony PVM. It's portable and has a handle on top so it's easy to just move it to where I need it to quickly test a console or a cable. Kinda tough to play games on it for any period of time.

I've tested various 8/16-bit consoles on a few different monitors and often s-video is almost as good as RGB. The difference between composite and s-video is night and day.

[johnnykonami]

You guys reminded me of one of my primary methods of playing my  original TG-16 back in the day, at least before I got a Duo and could finally use something other than an RF connector.  My family had this black and white TV with a tiny screen, maybe like  8" actually.  We got it for camping or something, it had a radio and a kickstand built in.  Eventually, it just ended up in my room and I remember clearly playing Dragon's Curse in B&W on that thing.  Eventually I got a Duo and switched over to composite on my C64 Monitor, which I used for a super long time afterwards until it kicked the bucket.