Just picked up a Sony PVM-2030 20" RGB CRT for $59! Checked them out online, people are asking $400 for them!
Built an adapter for all my consoles too, games look amazing on this bad boy! So much for my Commodore 1084!
I've been using a PVM-2130 for years and haven't had any real problems with it. The 2130 will accept composite video as sync for it's RGB input, no need for a sync seperator, but I'm not sure the 2030 does. I'll probably retire my 2130 soon, I just picked a 2730 (basically the same monitor, but 27 inch). I got the 2730 in exchange for repairing it's previous owner's TV, it was an easy fix with parts I pulled from a junk board so we're both happy.
Thats a cool option with the composite sync, I know the PVM-2030 is not like that. It does have a switch though to turn sync on green on or off, thats not bad.
Just been working on setting up the monitor with my AV equipment. I like the cubic style of the PVM-2030, its nice to be able to stack equipment on top of this monitor.
Thanks.
It seems that it's the Euro models of many monitors accept composite video as sync while the US models do not. It has come up on this forum many times regarding 1084s. After googling the PVM-2030 I did notice that it has the 25 pin "computer" input that neither my PVM-2130 nor PVM-2730 have, but they both have a SCART input that the PVM-2030 (and PVM-2530) do not have.
It seems though that Sony isn't always consistent. Their original "Profeel" (KX20PS1, KX27PS1) monitors have SCART connectors, but they are wired differently. They also used 34 pin connectors on some models and 8 pin connectors on others. Perhaps I should make a gallery of Sony monitors...
I have been pissing around with this PVM-2030 for a couple of days now and have only had one issue with it, that is finding out if the 25-pin "computer" connector will accept an audio signal.
I found one incomplete pinout for that connector and it had only stated something about mono-audio or being able to use another source (AV1/AV2, VTR/SVHS) as the audio source for the "computer" connection.
I did however manage to program a Sony DSS remote to control the PVR-2030!
What I would like to with this monitor is use it for watching standard cable TV, I just dont want to use a VCR or cable box hooked up through composite video to do so.
Thanks.
For what it's worth, every PVM I have seen with the DB-25 socket has had the same pinout, and none of the pinouts in any of the Sony manuals I have ever read had audio over it either. You've just got your colour, sync(s), and a whole gaggle of grounds to worry about.
This is the only partial pinout I have come accross...
Pin Signal Descr
---------------------------------------------------------------
1 IBM Select High: IBM mode (RGBI)
Low: 3 Bit TTL (RGB)
2 Audio Select High: Audio input from pin 13
Low: Audio input from LINE A/B/VTR jacks
3 HSync/CSync Horizontal or Composite Sync, Negative Pol.
4 Blue Input Video Inputs: Positive Pol.
5 Green Input (Sync on green optional in analog mode)
6 Red Input
7 NC
8 NC
9 Analog/Digital High: Analog mode
Low: Digital mode
10 RGB/Normal High: RGB input selected
Low: LINE A/B/VTR input selected
11 VSync Vertical Sync, Negative Pol.
12 Blanking High: Video input from RGB input only
Low: LINE A/B/VTR signal is superimposed over
signal from RGB input
13 Audio Input -5 dB / 100% mod.
14 NC
15-24 Ground
25 intensity Positive Pol.
Pin 13 is the only indication of any auditory input, mono I would guess. I have tried to use the audio inputs from another source for the "computer" connection, but no luck.
Just curious, anyone have the scart pinout for these things?
Thanks.
I just took another look over my last post there...
I guess if I grounded pin 2 it would accept audio from one of the other sources! Will have to give that a shot, the only connections I have on my connector are the R/G/B, sync and one ground.
I've had a PVM-2030 since '99 and it is definitely an awesome video monitor. This unit can accept composite video (as sync) on pin 3. I have the original manual and remote for this monitor. (For reference).
BTW. For arcade games, I use 160 ohm resistors in series on the red, green, and blue video signals. Without adding the resistors, the signal is WAY too strong!
There's a remote for these? I've never seen one. I guess I had assumed that as there is a Control S jack on the monitor it was intended to be controlled via whatever was being used as the source (assuming the source was another Sony product). That said I've never seen the matching speakers either, none that I have ever owned came with them.
My 2530 works with a universal remote. If your unit has an IR sensor on the front it should work.
I use my Sony Clie PDA as a remote for my PVM-2030, funny thing is though... where is the IR reciever?
I have looked the unit up, down and all around and still don't see it! Usually you can tell where they are because they use a shiny lens over the reciever, not on the PVM-2030 though. But this feature (or lack there of) actually adds to the overall aesthetic of the unit.
Thanks.
Its right below the power switch!!! :P
I just picked up one of these, and it's beautiful. PS2 and Duo RGB input are clear as day. However, with RGB from my Saturn and Genesis CDX, the picture is too dark. It looks like the blue level might be almost where it's supposed to be, but red and green are way too dark. I thought that my lack of capacitors in those cables was causing the problem, but after putting 220uf caps in my Saturn's RGB cable, I get the same result. Any ideas?
I've had a pvm2030 for about a year now and was delighted to get it for $100. It does have some slight problems with tating and corner images, but for the price nothing beats it.
The CDX RGB is crap and doesnt work on my pvm either. Haven't tried the Saturn yet. Maybe you just need to raise the picture brightness setting on the monitor? If that doesn't work you may need to readjust the impedance for the video lines inside the Saturn.
-Segasonicfan
Thats strange, my Saturn looks great on my monitor. Have yet to find a console that does not look right on this monitor, although it does suffer from a bit of picture shift (looks as though it is off to the left a bit).
Does anyone know how to adjust this monitor in this way, there are no typical knobs or dials to adjust this. I actually used a bike spoke to tweak the dials in the back (did not have a long enough screwdriver), and it only adjusted the brightness and something else but not the position of the image.
Thanks.
you can adjust everything inside the monitor if you take it all apart. Kind of a pain in the ass, eventually i hope to make the adjustments external by wiring a bunch of pots outside the case. If you open it up and look from the back the picture adjustment controls you want are on the right side (facing the pack). there's a huge PCB you have to unscrew that has a ton of pots for adjustments.
-Segasonicfan
Sounds like fun!
Would make a great project log post I guess! I would hope that once I have made the proper adjustments that there would be no need to re-adjust in the future, so not having to drill holes for external pots would be nice.
I get to thinking though that it could just be the console itself and its cable and not the monitor (a bit far-fetched perhaps). I typically only use this monitor for the PS2 at the moment, my other consoles have been getting zero play time these days. Perhaps I should test out a couple of other consoles before I go taking this monitor apart. I don't even notice the distortion while playing on the PS2 anyways.
Thanks for the info none-the-less.
Edit: Just tested my Saturn on this monitor, same problems (suprise!) So it looks like I will have something to do this weekend!
The remote for the PVM-2030/2530 is model number RM-739.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Sony-RM-739-RM739-...1QQcmdZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Sony-RM-739-RM739-Remote-60-DAY-GUARANTEE_W0QQitemZ180056912438QQihZ008QQcategoryZ61318QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
It doesn't have a lot of buttons, but is handy for what it does offer. BTW, does anyone want me to post scans from the PVM-2030 manual on the GamesX Wiki?
The manual you have, is it the same one that is floating around on Google or is it a service manual? I did add the "Computer" pinout to the Wiki the other day, not very pretty but the information is there.
Sony PVM-2030 Wiki page (http://www.gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:pvm-2030)
I think you should add the manual there anyways, the more information the better!
Thanks.
I haven't checked google, but the manual I have is the one that comes with the monitor (user manual). So, the info that can be found via a Google query was probably taken from the manual that I have. The computer pinout is a page from the user manual (and is not exclusive to a "Service Manual").
At first glance, the info posted to the Wiki appears to be complete. I'll check it against the manual and update any omitted information. I hope to create a .pdf from the scans (hopefully Sony won't mind!). ^_^
I'm having trouble connecting my PC to the PVM-2030, it appears to only support up to 640 x 200 resolution, anyone else tried this?
The PVM can't connect to a PC since it can't run at 31 khz like PC monitors can.
Unless your video card can somehow sync down to 15 khz, it won't work.
QuoteThe PVM can't connect to a PC since it can't run at 31 khz like PC monitors can.
Unless your video card can somehow sync down to 15 khz, it won't work.
If you have an nVidia based video card (can't speak for ATI), you can custom tailor the timing for a particular resolution. In the case of outputting to the PVM-2030 you'd want to go no higher than 720x480. This can be found in the "Screen Resolutions & Refresh Rates" leaf of the nV card's advanced settings (in Win2k/XP). There is also an "Interlaced mode" check box in the "Advanced Timing" dialog box.
Make sure you have a newer nVidia driver. Also, be aware that you'll most likely have to use composite sync, which is on a different pin than H sync. Using separate sync signals on the 2030 seems to be reserved for "old ass" digital RGB.
Alternatively, you could use a program such as PowerStrip: http://www.entechtaiwan.com/ps.htm (http://www.entechtaiwan.com/ps.htm)
This program provides a more robust GUI, and may be easier to use. So, you'll probably have to do some more experimentation, but I thought this info might help you! :)
Okay, I figured out my problem. In my Saturn's RGB cable, I didn't have the shield wired to ground for some reason. Fixing that returned everything to the proper brightness. I'm sure my MD2 cable has the same problem.
I built a "VGA" cable for the PVM-2030 and gave the PowerStrip program a shot, no dice! I don't know if it was my cable or the software (or PC hardware for that fact) that was the problem, but I could not get it to work at all.
The software would not allow me to set my video card to anything lower than 25khz, so I guess it would be a problem with my PC hardware and not the PVM-2030 or the software. No big suprise really, I tested this using a EPIA VIA mainboard with the onboard S3 graphics.
Still something I would like to get working though, my only other choice is a KVM switch. I am running a Macintosh on a 21" CTX monitor now, but would like to run a PC too.
Thanks.
QuoteThe software would not allow me to set my video card to anything lower than 25khz, so I guess it would be a problem with my PC hardware and not the PVM-2030 or the software. No big suprise really, I tested this using a EPIA VIA mainboard with the onboard S3 graphics.
If powerstrip didn't allow you to set the output lower than 25kHz, then there is a very good chance that the integrated S3 chipset is incapable of going down to 15.75kHz. Have you tried a more robust video card yet?
I have yet to try the Powerstrip software with any other video card, I do have an ATI card that should go below 25khz that I will be testing out sometime today. I will post my findings/results here in this thread, perhaps even a picture or two if I can actually get it working!
Thanks.
Edit: I just checked the ATI Radeon 7200 card I have, it will only go as low as 25khz too.
RGB32E,
thanks for posting about the powerstrip sw, I'm almost able to get my PC to connect to the PVM2030. I got the sync down to 15.75 but the picture's fuzzy and looks oversized. Anyways, can someone recommend a good resource that explains the differences in the multiple ways video can be transmitted, RGB, SVGA, etc. I'm really confused why I can't get this to work,
also, I've been using this monitor with my gamecube for a while and I love it, I just use the s-video connection on it. Are other people using the cmptr input for gaming? If so is it easier than connecting it to a PC?
edit:
I just read the primers by Lawrence, it appears some of the links are bad but the ones on the wiki work, this has helped me alot,
There are some things that I can think of that may be causing the problem with your PC to PVM:
-Composite Sync wasn't used (can be software selected)
-Polarity of the sync isn't correct (positive instead of negative?)
-Insufficient ground
-Resolution set above 720x480 (e.g. 800x600)
As far as the computer input is concerned, it is perfect for the RGBS signals that many video game systems output. :P
bioelectronicsam,
What kind of video card are you using?
Thanks.
kripp
I'm using an older card, ECS AG305-32M, yes the 32m is for 32MB. I use this computer for some audio recording because it's virtually noiseless and for experimenting on. I'm using a SiS 305 driver. I have a nVidia card in my good computer, I'm going to try the power strip program on it now that I feel a little more comfortable with it. I'll let you know if it works on that. Also, I have the users manual for the PVM2030 on pdf, can't remember where I downloaded it from, if you want it I can email it to you.
RGB32E
I verified your recommendations, my resolution is set to 640 x 480, the users manual says the RGB resolution is 640 x 200, I can't get that setting to work with my current video driver, also, when I change the Hsync down to 15.75kHz, the Vsync wants to automatically change with it and ends up being about 31kHz. Do you think the VSync might be some of my issue, or maybe the resolution difference? I'd like to know if there's a typical value for the Vsync freq's, do you know what some of the game consoles have as Vsync?
Thanks, any input at this point is good input for me.
QuoteAre other people using the cmptr input for gaming? If so is it easier than connecting it to a PC?
Just noticed this bit--heck yes it's worth it. That "CMPTR" input is RGB, which is most of what this site was founded on. :)
QuoteRGB32E
I verified your recommendations, my resolution is set to 640 x 480, the users manual says the RGB resolution is 640 x 200, I can't get that setting to work with my current video driver, also, when I change the Hsync down to 15.75kHz, the Vsync wants to automatically change with it and ends up being about 31kHz. Do you think the VSync might be some of my issue, or maybe the resolution difference? I'd like to know if there's a typical value for the Vsync freq's, do you know what some of the game consoles have as Vsync?
Well, the vertical sync should be around 60Hz. Game systems that output NTSC video (North America, Japan, and a few other countries), all have a 60Hz (close enough) refresh. The sync output on consoles (with a few exceptions) is composite (H+V syncs).
As a side note, the PVM-2030 will strip the sync from Y or composite video. This is good to know if you ever try making an RGB cable for the Playstation 1, 2 or 3, as there are not enough pins on the PS style connector to output composite sync. Ehh... :ph34r:
I was testing out most of my consoles on my pvm-2030 last weekend and noticed a few things...
The Nintendo 64 does not produce the image distortion that all the other consoles seem to suffer from, the image fills the entire screen area. Each and every other console I tested has a horrible inward bowing effect on the right hand side, very rounded!
Also, the RGB cables/dongles I have built that use resistors on the sync line (SMS, Genesis 1 & 2, Neo Geo CD) do not work on this monitor, I can get an image to display for a brief second and then it appears to burn or fade to black. The cables/dongles produce the exact effect on the Commodore 1084 without the resistors on the sync line.
Just a few observations, thought I would share.
I still plan to open the monitor up and make some adjustments to the pots inside, perhaps I can re-tune this monitor.
Thanks.
hey kripp,
You can fix the problem with the SMS/Genny like I did. I had to use a good sync splitter (the ISL59885 from Intersil, an amazing chip) and then the fade to black stopped and I got a *prefect* image. That's also an interesting observation on the N64...I do hate that curve but if you open up the monitor that can be adjusted to look a little better :)
If you do open it up please take some pics as I forgot to last time I opened mine..
-Segasonicfan
I guess I could make a sync splitter adaptor, but I am thinking that I will keep my PVM-2030 and let the 1084 go. What I would really like to do is use the PVM-2030 as my main display, for consoles and TV (working on RGB output for a Sony DSS box).
I really have lost interest in the whole console collecting thing, I have let numerous consoles go in the last 6 months. I only keep the consoles I intend on playing, all of the others have been sold off.
I plan on opening up the PVM-2030 over the Christmas holidays and will take pictures of the internals as I go. I really enjoy the PVM-2030 and would like to get as many years of use out of it as possible.
Will keep you all updated as I go.
Thanks.
heh, you're doing the exact same thing as me kripp ;) I use my PVM-2530 for all my video games now and I've let almost all my consoles go because I'm almost soley into the arcade market now.
I also forgot to mention about the Powerstrip...I worked a lot on that with my PVM but that thing is a nightmare. I got so close to a perfect image but the adjustments take hours upon hours and you can't even watch any norm videos. Probably just better to get a downscan converter.
-Segasonicfan
Kripp,
I finally got around to using the power strip sw on my good computer. I have an nVidia GEForce 5200, even with the newest drivers I was not able to get the card to put out a composite sync, however the v and h syncs were easily adjustable to the proper freqs. I found this circuit online to make sync on green from a VGA source,
http://www.tkk.fi/Misc/Electronics/circuits/sync_r.html (http://www.tkk.fi/Misc/Electronics/circuits/sync_r.html)
I'm gonna try it next weekend, I used the S-video output on my PC card and it works fine with the PVM, I also started modifying my Gamecube cable for RGB until I realized my NTSC Gamecube won't put out RGB, I guess I should have RTFM closer.
Any thoughts on how much Sync on green will degrade the signal compared to normal RGB?
bioelectronics- thanks for the info on the powerstrip fix. I thought V and H sync might improve it but was too lazy to build a new set of adapters. Now I know I must :)
As for sync on green..why do you even need this? The PVMs support both sync on green and regular C sync. To answer your Q thought, this would not degrade the quality on any noticeable measure.
-Segasonicfan
Well, I ended up taking the back portion off of my PVM-2030 a week or so ago. I did not see any pots in there for making adjustments to the picture, just the three that are accessible from the back with the unit assembled.
What I did notice though, when testing out my Dreamcast RGB cable is that not all of my consoles suffer from the screen distortion. The SNES is the worst of the bunch, the picture is very rounded in the upper and lower left hand sides. The Dreamcast seems perfect, no picture distortion at all.
I ended up testing out video through a VCR on the unit too, flawless! So I wonder why certain sources produce this effect and others do not.
kripp- Hopefully you haven't put your PVM back together. You *definitely* can make video adjustments of all sorts as I have done them myself. You have to unscrew and swing open the giant PCB on the right side (looking from the back of the TV). There are half a dozen+ pots on that PCB all used for different picture adjustments (all sync I think not saturation levels or anything like that). Just unscrew the 6 main screws on the PCB and it will swing out (it's held in by some bendy plastic clips). Use a mirror to adjust it from there...
-Segasonicfan
I have put it back together again, but it was quite easy to take apart. I will have to check for those pots and make adjustments the next time I feel the urge to open it up. It (the distortion) doesnt really bother me, I usually only use the monitor for playing Guitar Hero and I don't notice the distortion when doing so.
Kind of an out of sight, out of mind scenario! But thanks for the informaion on the pots.
Quote
As for sync on green..why do you even need this? The PVMs support both sync on green and regular C sync. To answer your Q thought, this would not degrade the quality on any noticeable measure.
-Segasonicfan
My vid card wouldn't put out C sync so I thought Sync on Green would be the simplest solution, after i looked at that circuit I realized I could just leave the Green out of it and combine the H and V, and it works!! Finally, the power strip sw was still a little cranky, I had to use a predifined setting labeled "640 x 480 (arcade)" This automatically set my H sync to 15.625 and my V sync to 29.762. The display looks fine other than being a tad to long on the top and bottom, but I'm sure I can fix that later.
I tried to fire up my Total War game but had some problems. I have 2 resolution settings on the game, the "strategy map" setting has a minimum setting of 800x600 which is obviously an issue. The game appears to start up OK for the intro screens but then just goes blank. I guess if I want to do any gaming I'll use the s-video input. I'm pretty much a nintendo guy so I'm not worried about this...yet.
Hey Segasonicfan,
Did you use the circuit here: http://www.intersilsemi.com/data/an/an1269.pdf (http://www.intersilsemi.com/data/an/an1269.pdf) with your ISL59885 chip? From what I understand of the application note (admittedly very, very little), it seems that that pin is for telling the difference between HD and NTSC, and I just plan on using the chip for separating sync from composite video for my Genesis & SMS.
If not, how did you hook things up?
Yea, it works great for the application you are using. Just ignore the HD pin altogether...that schematic is not good for your app.
Just connect it like a LM1881 except put the cap on C set instead of the 680k resistor. I just used 2 .1uf caps in series for it. Of course you can draw H sync from pin 7 if you like too. Other than that it's just like the LM1881 ;)
-Segasonicfan
i didnt realize much distortion, besides the signal strengths between the consoles and their modifications.. the screen is alway perfect, and i have yet to see it fail in any system i throw at it..
I broke out the stereo ofcourse from my ghetto housing that ive made for the pvm as you can see here:
(http://bp2.blogger.com/_2N-HuuZ5Otk/Rj-LVzBKeYI/AAAAAAAAAF8/asPD3X22g0s/s320/DSC08078.JPG)
the housing
(http://bp3.blogger.com/_2N-HuuZ5Otk/Rj-LWDBKeZI/AAAAAAAAAGE/PgjYvL5-j74/s320/DSC08079.JPG)
(http://bp1.blogger.com/_2N-HuuZ5Otk/Rj-LWjBKecI/AAAAAAAAAGc/26SNCBosM0g/s320/DSC08085.JPG)
and the break out of the stereo cable. I have it looped from standard rca, and headphone just incase.. make sure the conections are solid (this helped fix the feedback noise)
(http://bp0.blogger.com/_2N-HuuZ5Otk/Rj-LWTBKebI/AAAAAAAAAGU/4Gx1_qxVxYk/s320/DSC08082.JPG)
so far ive tested with all j21 rgb cables:
superfamicom (sound doesnt knock as good as the megadrive for some reason)
famicom (unbelievable, requires a lot of brightness/picture adjustments from the norm. Maybe due to the internal rgb chip?)
pcengine (duo.. words cant describe it)
neogeo (under 10000 model, perfect)
megadrive 1 (depending on the cable, i have both a stereo modded rgb cable, and standard.. the standard mono delivers an insanely strong signal, while the stereo modded cable works standard even with the neogeo)
megadrive 2 (the rgb signal and colors seem washed out, not a good choice)
cdx (colors again are insanely washed out. almost like a different console)
nomad (see cdx.)
jvc x'eye (second favorite rgb output next to the original megadrive/genesis 1)
master system (use the megadrives amazing rgb output... converter for both mark, and sms, or use a power base converter which works well)
saturn (perfect)
n64 (thanks to the japanese version for the brighter clearer picture, however still needs adjustments)
psx (perfect on both old dualshock model, and PSOne)
ps2 (runs amazing, even with the godofwar2 high res code)
xbox (eh.. stick to the component hd at this point)
dreamcast (does a great job, but...id rather be using the vga connector)
one thing i learned is that you should never base a quality of the image on its raw feed,. almost always ive noticed its usually the cables fault. make sure you check with 2 different types of rgb cables before making any unnecessary adjustments to tv settings and consoles. I have 2-3 different types of rgb cables for multiple systems, and noticed a quality change, even an rgb pattern change based on certain cables..
as for pc's all you need is a fixed frequency supported vid card, you can buy a few different types at this website:
http://www.si87.com/Products/Videocards/ (http://www.si87.com/Products/Videocards/)
hopefully this helps i'd like to see pictures of how you guys connected the cables? or made any other special cables for this tv.. the pvm is by far my favorite rgb monitor because of its strong signal.. im working on another project which will be on a 29" NetTV which has db15 connectors and is capable of running 15khz rgb.. wish me luck.
tsenzen
Awesome info. I just picked up a pair of these monitors myself. One question though. Someone in this thread earlier mentioned that he used 160 ohm resistors for arcade boards. I have tried this myself, and I always get washed out colors. Does anyone know exactly how to wire these resistors up?
Quote from: andy251203 on July 02, 2008, 02:44:56 AM
Awesome info. I just picked up a pair of these monitors myself. One question though. Someone in this thread earlier mentioned that he used 160 ohm resistors for arcade boards. I have tried this myself, and I always get washed out colors. Does anyone know exactly how to wire these resistors up?
I was the one that mentioned it ;) 160 ohm resistors on my setup are wired in series... so, from the each video output on the jamma harness (R, G, & B only) -> 160 ohm resistor -> DB25F connector -> PVM monitor. I actually use a 130 ohm resistor for red, 150 ohm resistor for green, and a 160 ohm resistor for blue. Hence, since these monitors are set for 9300K (factory), and not easily adjustable to 6500K (color temp), I adjust the levels this way to get a nice colorful picture. If I use all the same resistor values, the picture looks too blue (and green to a lesser extent)... giving the effect of a washed out image. Also, setting the Picture/Contrast setting higher than the brightness setting will help. If brightness is set too high (instead of upping the picture setting), the picture will look washed out.
Also, this applies to the Genesis 2 RGB output (different resistor values for RGB). Others on this forum have stated that the Genesis 2's RGB output looks washed out... On my Genesis 2 RGB cable, I use 62 ohm, 68 ohm, and 75 ohm resistors (for RGB respectively) in series instead of all 75 ohm. The result is a very colorful picture on the PVM monitor.
Oh, and turn the nob on the back for "New Dynamic Color" to the OFF position...
Hmm, well I see what I did wrong in the first place. What I did was actually connect my resistors in parallel, going from each RGB line to ground. Now I'm back to square one, though, with nothing but a white screen. I cut my RGB lines and stuck a 150ohm resistor inbetween each RGB line and soldered them in place so that it goes from board to wire to resistor to other end of the wire to the monitor. Still just a white screen. Do I need to put a resistor on the sync line as well? If so, what value?
Do not connect any resistors from R, G, B, or sync to ground! I'm not sure what you mean by "still just a white screen"... unless there's something wrong with your monitor. Here's a picture to help clarify (hopefully :P ).
Also, what arcade board are you connecting? Are you even using a jamma harness (could be answered by first question)? Are you sure the board outputting a white image even works correctly? Do you have other boards to test with? Do both of your PVM-2030s display a white screen? Are you yanking any chains here? :P
Well originally, with no resistors at all, I got a white screen on any jamma board, (the main one I'm testing here is a lethal enforcers PCB, which should be the same sync as other konami games like TMNT, etc) and yes I'm using a jamma harness. One particular board, a Magical Drop, I can actually make out the image, but it's washed out and white and barely visible. Also, I can't get v-hold steady on anything. The only thing I'm doing differently, is I didn't ground EVERY pin on the d-sub that needs to be grounded, but I don't think that would make a difference.
BTW, this occurs on both of my pvms.
Quote from: andy251203 on July 03, 2008, 09:36:33 AM
Well originally, with no resistors at all, I got a white screen on any jamma board, (the main one I'm testing here is a lethal enforcers PCB, which should be the same sync as other konami games like TMNT, etc) and yes I'm using a jamma harness. One particular board, a Magical Drop, I can actually make out the image, but it's washed out and white and barely visible. Also, I can't get v-hold steady on anything. The only thing I'm doing differently, is I didn't ground EVERY pin on the d-sub that needs to be grounded, but I don't think that would make a difference.
BTW, this occurs on both of my pvms.
Without resistors in series, the expected result is that a stable image is displayed, but with a signal that is way too strong (very bright, but not all white). Only one connection to one of the ground pins is needed (pins 15-24). Are you connecting jamma pin 14 (video ground) to one of the PVMs ground pins? If so, can you verify that there is continuity between the video ground pin and the DB25F you are using to connect the RGBS to the PVM? (http://www.jammaboards.com/jcenter_jamma_pinout.html) Also, the V-Hold nob on the back of the PVM should be somewhere in the middle (not turned all one way or the other).
Hey guys, im new to this forum, I have a KX-27PS1 that I just got recently. I am trying to hook my Xbox 360 up to it, but I'm having trouble. As far as I'm aware, I need something like a VCR to plug the Xbox into as the KX-27PS1 is a monitor, and doesn't have any TV tuning ability. HOWEVER, the VCR I have, has 1 scart connection and then an RF connection.
If I were to plug my xbox into the scart, would the RF connection out of the tv work? If not, could someone recommend something that would work? I would appreciate ANY help or advice, I just bought my xbox and I'm DYING to play it! thank you!
Hi, just thought I'd post an update - I think if I hook up my xbox connection with a phono-to-phono and then a phono-to-BNC I should have video. Then I should be able to hook audio into the audio input on the monitor but first I need to visit the electrical shop. I think if I go straight through the BNC it will eliminate the need to go through a DVD or VCR player as I think that the monitor is set to display whatever BNC has got into it.
I'll let you know what happens, maybe if somebody else comes across a similiar problem it will help.
Does anyone know how well an X-Select D4 would work with one of these for displaying old systems in RGB? Assuming of course I had a 15-pin to 25-pin RGB cable. A seller on ebay has one of these cheap and I could pick it up locally. The plan would be to feed old systems into the X-Select via the 21-pin RGB input. I've been using the X-select like this on an old Sony Wega TV via a D-Terminal to Component cable which looks decent, but I'm sure the PVM would give a much better picture.
Quote from: Sabishii Hito on November 04, 2009, 06:30:21 AM
Does anyone know how well an X-Select D4 would work with one of these for displaying old systems in RGB? Assuming of course I had a 15-pin to 25-pin RGB cable. A seller on ebay has one of these cheap and I could pick it up locally. The plan would be to feed old systems into the X-Select via the 21-pin RGB input. I've been using the X-select like this on an old Sony Wega TV via a D-Terminal to Component cable which looks decent, but I'm sure the PVM would give a much better picture.
From the scenario you've described, there isn't much of a point in using the X-Select D4 with the PVM-2030 if all you are connecting to the X-Select is RGB via it's one RGB input.
The PVM-2030 accepts RGB, but not component. So, if you wanted to also connect component output from consoles (without building RGB cables), the X-Select might be more useful!
Hence, if you just want to connect RGB sources to the PVM-2030 via 21-pin JP RGB cables, just build an adapter like the one
tsenzen shows pictures of above! ;)
http://cgi.ebay.com/Scart-Coupler-Joiner-21-Pin-Female-To-Female_W0QQitemZ220496250135
(http://alpinetop.suntekstore.com/showimage.php?id=10007117&img=image.jpg)
plus
http://cgi.ebay.com/DB25-Female-Solder-Cup-DSUB-25-Pin-Qty-20-100261_W0QQitemZ400083161030
(http://i6.ebayimg.com/05/i/001/12/aa/7f3c_35.JPG)
How about another scenario then: instead of one of the Sony monitors with the 25-pin connector, what about one with BNC? It'd be pretty easy to find a 15-pin D-sub to BNC cable, as the XSelect outputs analog RGB in addition to D-terminal/component. I guess the only thing I'm not sure about is synch, but seeing as how it can take RGBCS, RGBSG or RGBHV input, theoretically it should just spit out whatever signal it receives.
Quote from: Sabishii Hito on November 06, 2009, 04:47:18 AM
How about another scenario then: instead of one of the Sony monitors with the 25-pin connector, what about one with BNC? It'd be pretty easy to find a 15-pin D-sub to BNC cable, as the XSelect outputs analog RGB in addition to D-terminal/component. I guess the only thing I'm not sure about is synch, but seeing as how it can take RGBCS, RGBSG or RGBHV input, theoretically it should just spit out whatever signal it receives.
Uggg... sounds like you don't own a PVM monitor and do not want to build any custom adapters or cables, right? The best Sony PVM was the PVM-2950Q, and it uses BNC connectors for the RGB/Component input. A VGA to 5 BNC breakout would work fine with this PVM, as it will accept composite sync, or separate sync.
This is a shot of Street Fighter Zero on my Sega Saturn, using 21-pin RGB > XSelect-D4 > Sony 27" Wega TV. Would a PVM give a major boost in picture quality?
(http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4224/dsc00449i.jpg)
It may be a moot point, as I won an XRGB-2+ on eBay today.
Quote from: Sabishii Hito on November 08, 2009, 09:18:19 AM
This is a shot of Street Fighter Zero on my Sega Saturn, using 21-pin RGB > XSelect-D4 > Sony 27" Wega TV. Would a PVM give a major boost in picture quality?
(http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4224/dsc00449i.jpg)
It may be a moot point, as I won an XRGB-2+ on eBay today.
It looks like your color setting is a little on the high side... ;) I'm sure that RGB might look a little bit better than component, but you'd be hard pressed to find a PVM that isn't worn out. Besides, Sony didn't make any PVMs with flat faced tubes (like in your Wega).
Congrats on the ebay'ed XRGB-2+... $210.16... that's how much they used to sell for new! ;)
Quote from: RGB32E on November 09, 2009, 10:51:04 AM
It looks like your color setting is a little on the high side... ;) I'm sure that RGB might look a little bit better than component, but you'd be hard pressed to find a PVM that isn't worn out. Besides, Sony didn't make any PVMs with flat faced tubes (like in your Wega).
Congrats on the ebay'ed XRGB-2+... $210.16... that's how much they used to sell for new! ;)
Hey...how'd you know that's how much I paid ;D
Quote from: Sabishii Hito on November 09, 2009, 11:30:54 AM
Hey...how'd you know that's how much I paid ;D
lol... a little thing called Completed Auction search. On top of that, I was watching the auction as well! ;) Not that I needed the unit, as my new XRGB-3 will be here in a few days. :D
Quote from: RGB32E on November 10, 2009, 03:16:54 AM
Quote from: Sabishii Hito on November 09, 2009, 11:30:54 AM
Hey...how'd you know that's how much I paid ;D
lol... a little thing called Completed Auction search. On top of that, I was watching the auction as well! ;) Not that I needed the unit, as my new XRGB-3 will be here in a few days. :D
I thought long and hard about an XRGB-3, but the price was way too high ($479 for the only seller on eBay US that has any). I could beat myself for letting one slip by a couple of months back than went for <$250.
Quote from: Sabishii Hito on November 10, 2009, 04:23:10 AM
Quote from: RGB32E on November 10, 2009, 03:16:54 AM
Quote from: Sabishii Hito on November 09, 2009, 11:30:54 AM
Hey...how'd you know that's how much I paid ;D
lol... a little thing called Completed Auction search. On top of that, I was watching the auction as well! ;) Not that I needed the unit, as my new XRGB-3 will be here in a few days. :D
I thought long and hard about an XRGB-3, but the price was way too high ($479 for the only seller on eBay US that has any). I could beat myself for letting one slip by a couple of months back than went for <$250.
Yeah, $500 is an unreasonable amount to pay for the XRGB-3. Would you pay $330 for a new XRGB-3?
I just wanted to mention that I have the same "left shift" problem mentioned by kripp with the Sega Saturn and Genesis on this monitor when in RGB mode. If I play in S-Video or Composite then it's absolutely fine. If I made adjustments to it, would there be a way to only change the CMPTR mode or would it shift every display mode? I use S-Video a lot, still, so I'm not sure I'd want to adjust it if it would just end up shifting S-Video.
Quote from: mugenmidget on May 03, 2010, 04:42:04 PM
I just wanted to mention that I have the same "left shift" problem mentioned by kripp with the Sega Saturn and Genesis on this monitor when in RGB mode. If I play in S-Video or Composite then it's absolutely fine. If I made adjustments to it, would there be a way to only change the CMPTR mode or would it shift every display mode? I use S-Video a lot, still, so I'm not sure I'd want to adjust it if it would just end up shifting S-Video.
While I haven't made any of the internal geometry adjustments on my PVM-2030, I'd imagine that it would affect all sources. Others on this forum have adjusted those settings... Since the 2030 doesn't have external geometry settings, you might be better off picking up a sync shifter off of eBay for cheap. That way you'd have an easy solution. You might need to change your cabling around though... :-\
That sounds like a good solution, do you know what the name of any decent sync shifters are? I can't seem to find any on eBay. I'm also thinking of hooking up all my different DB25 cables to a switcher box, could I put the sync shifter in between the plug for the main output cable and the output cable itself? That way I wouldn't have to change all the cables, I would think.
Quote from: mugenmidget on June 18, 2010, 10:44:05 PM
That sounds like a good solution, do you know what the name of any decent sync shifters are? I can't seem to find any on eBay. I'm also thinking of hooking up all my different DB25 cables to a switcher box, could I put the sync shifter in between the plug for the main output cable and the output cable itself? That way I wouldn't have to change all the cables, I would think.
Many Extron RGB devices have shifting built in, and the devices are relatively inexpensive for decomissioned models:
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=extron+rgb+190 (http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=extron+rgb+190)
I have one of these myself! Works good for troubleshooting.
Quote from: RGB32E on June 22, 2010, 11:11:35 PM
Quote from: mugenmidget on June 18, 2010, 10:44:05 PM
That sounds like a good solution, do you know what the name of any decent sync shifters are? I can't seem to find any on eBay. I'm also thinking of hooking up all my different DB25 cables to a switcher box, could I put the sync shifter in between the plug for the main output cable and the output cable itself? That way I wouldn't have to change all the cables, I would think.
Many Extron RGB devices have shifting built in, and the devices are relatively inexpensive for decomissioned models:
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=extron+rgb+190 (http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=extron+rgb+190)
I have one of these myself! Works good for troubleshooting.
Awesome, thank you so much!
Quote from: Segasonicfan on January 07, 2007, 09:49:09 AM
kripp- Hopefully you haven't put your PVM back together. You *definitely* can make video adjustments of all sorts as I have done them myself. You have to unscrew and swing open the giant PCB on the right side (looking from the back of the TV). There are half a dozen+ pots on that PCB all used for different picture adjustments (all sync I think not saturation levels or anything like that). Just unscrew the 6 main screws on the PCB and it will swing out (it's held in by some bendy plastic clips). Use a mirror to adjust it from there...
Just in case someone finds this in a search (like I did), here is a super-useful tip!
Instead of unscrewing and swinging the PCB out (which is a huge pain and could stress the PCB (the corner of mine broke off and I had to solder a wire to reconnect two sections!)), if you look at the PCB, you'll see areas that have a silk screen printed label like "[H-FREQ]" and "[PIN-AMP]". Those are where the pots are on the inside of the PCB. If you look closely, you'll see there are holes in the PCB where you can put a very small screwdriver (some of mine were phillips and some were flathead) and adjust the pots without removing the PCB!
I kept thinking, "These are professional monitors designed to be maintained and serviced by professionals! Sony would've have made it THIS hard just to adjust horizontal and vertical centering!"
Segasonicfan's tip of using a mirror is also super effective!
To be honest, I am not 100% satisfied with the image quality of my SONY PVM-2030.
1) Compared to my 13" Commodore 1084S-D1, the scan-lines (which I love to have, don't get me wrong) are STRONGLY pronounced, and the actual R, G, B pixels standout prominently: Maybe this phenomenon is a feature of the Trinotron tube, but the image quality of my 1084S-D1 is much sharper/smoother. (Maybe it is the size of the 1084S-D1, but everything seems sharper.)
2) I managed to open my PVM-2030 and adjusted many settings, but I still could not get to produce the image that I came to love and adore with my 1084S-D1.
3) Using my SONY PVM-2030, when I launch different emulators, the image is completely off, so I have to spend time and manually adjust for each individual emulator. On my 1084S-D1, amazingly they stay pretty much centered and the way I like, (not to mention that 1084S-D1 features the adjusting knobs in the back for easy access, unlike the PVM-2030, which force me to leave it opened all the times for constant fine tuning.)
Obviously, this is a very subjective matter, but in my opinion, my 1084S-D1 is capable of producing a more sharper image. I will post some images to prove my observations.
After all the time and money spent, I guess I am back to my trusty Commodore 1084S-D1 for retro gaming emulation, but I think it was worth the try.
sorry to bump an old thread.
but i just picked up a sony pvm-2030 monitor.
looking for US sources to help me build the RGB adopter cable for retro consoles. i want to hook up SNES, GENESIS, PS1/PS2, Saturn and Vega Jr Supergun.
Thanks for any leads!!
I also just picked up a Sony PVM-2030
What's the official word on this 25-pin "Computer" port? How does one go about hooking up consoles in RGB to it?
Anyone sell an adaptor? Or have a guide to making your own?
I have the parts to make adapters, I have a couple PVMs myself so I can test the cables...