The best money can buy | Sony GDM-FW900 Flat Widescreen 24" FD Trinitron CRT Monitor

one of the best ever made | Sony GDM-FW900 Flat Widescreen 24" FD Trinitron CRT Monitor

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	• Sony GDM-FW900 Flat Widescreen 24" FD Trinitron CRT Monitor Sony Sony average customer review:based on 14 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Paradise Lost

At the risk of being that guy who comes in and pulls down the rating of a product that everyone else loves and gives "This suxors!" as a reason, I must relate my tale of woe. I will go into more detail than the normal dimwitted party pooper.

Witness the death of a dream. Three years ago, I took the plunge and bought the truly awe-inspiring Sony GDM-FW900 monitor: 24 inches of viewing goodness, 16:10 widescreen ratio, flat screen, and a Trinitron tube. Bliss! The admission price was a hefty $2300, but I couldn't imagine needing or wanting another monitor for at least five years, maybe more!

The honeymoon was out of a dimestore romance. I had the brains, she had the looks, and together we made a lovely couple. Widescreen movies and gaming (in those titles that supported it) was intoxicating. Carrying her mammoth-like girth over my third-floor threshold nearly killed me (literally), but otherwise we had the makings of a solid, long-lasting relationship.

Then came the blues. Sadness and heartache, yes, but, more importantly, a blue cast that crept into the image about eight months from purchase. No amount of tweaking the color calibration controls could remove it. Changing cards, cables, and computers proved futile. Over the next year, the problem worsened, with blacks growing lighter and lighter.

Finally, after playing Fade to Blue, Blue and White, and Bluehawk Down, I called Sony for a replacement. Still under warranty, I said. Refurbished units only, Sony said. You've got to be kidding, I said. Read the fine print, Sony said. Within a week, the refurbished model arrived at my door. I nervously hooked it up, hoping that I hadn't undergone life and death drama-hauling the replacement up three flights of stairs and lugging the original down three flights of stairs-in vain. Lo and behold, the blue cast was gone! There was a green cast instead.

And that's how it was for nearly a year. I decided I'd rather deal with the green than face another game of upstairs downstairs (seriously, the thing weighs 95 pounds and comes in a gigantic cardboard cube that makes it impossible to hold or get through normal doorways or stairwells; carrying the monitor to a third-floor walk-up is a friggin' trial of Hercules). Fiddling with the color controls only resulted in changing the green cast to brown. At least I had options.

Last night, the refurb died. Well, it might as well have. The screen is now blanketed in serene, fuzzy white, as if fresh powdered snow had fallen inside the monitor overnight. I was afraid I'd developed glaucoma until I looked away. It occassionally flashes red and green, giving the whole room the ambience of Studio 54. No amount of calibrating, screaming, hitting, or crying makes any difference. I am now beyond my original three-year warranty and the refurb's 90 day(!) warranty. Both my huge monitor and my huge pile of money have passed on. All that's left is to write the eulogy.

GDM-FW900, I hardly knew ye. No, that's not true. Ye were a piece of crap.

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The best money can buy

I've had this monitor for well over two years now, and i'm still loving it as much as i did when i first got it. I've had very few problems with it, but i did/do have some.

First problem was the 'jittering' or shaking that occurs at certain resolutions and certain refresh rates. I'm not sure what causes this, dirty power lines, EMF interference from other electronic devices, or what, but using Powerstrip and setting it to a different refresh rate (like 83 instead of 80 or 85) will fix this. I believe my problem was EMF or something from other devices, because now i don't have the problem... but when i did, powerstrip fixed it.

Second problem is convergence... there just isn't enough options, and you can't get it to be 100% perfectly converged, but you can come close enough, and just expanding the screen so it fills up all the edges takes care of it just fine.

Last problem is the casing or bezel or whatever you want to call the front of the monitor, but it's quite fragile. I've nicked it twice now from bumping things into the monitor (coffee mug as i walked by, and lifting a computer and accidentally striking the bezel). They're very small nicks, but still.

Other than those problems... this monitor has been absolutely perfect. I paid over $3k USD for this over two years ago, and although the price has dramatically dropped over the years, this is still one of best (if not the best) monitors around. Everybody who has seen a game on this at 1920x1200 or 1920x1440 are absolutely amazed at it, including me after these years.

Oh, i guess i should mention a couple of problems... but these aren't Sony fault. One, not all games are available at 1920x1200 and higher... which means sometimes i end up playing at 1600x1200. The only problem with this, is that you'll end up having black bars on either side of the screen.

Second, is that when you're playing at such extreme resolutions, your computer - especially your video card - has to be very uptodate, especially for the newer games. This means i'm literally buying a new highend video card and processor every year.

So if you can afford this monitor, and you keep your system updated often, then treat yourself to this monitor. I see people spending $2000+ on a system, then $200 on a 19" low end monitor, and that just boggles my mind. To me, the monitor should be THE most important aspect of a computer. Buy a good monitor, and it'll not only be a treat and pleasure, but it'll last you YEARS, and live through several computer upgrades/purchases.

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one of the best ever made

7 years after it's debut this CRT still defines what clarity is. Vibrant colors, clear text, and like with all crts, you can switch resolutions with no distortion between your applications. For 24", it isn't any bulkier (depth) than a 19". It is heavy but how often do you get to move it anyway. The tilt and swivel adjustement is precise, stable and smooth, surprising considering the base supports 100lbs.

Screen adjustments are as expected exhaustive, but the color selection menu shines. It is one of the very comprehensive ones ever, only rivaled by some viewsonic models. Resolution and refresh rates are a perfect match as one can see from the specs.

Glare is no worse and no better than the other sony trinitrons. Screen spread is perfect.. no dark corners, no distortion.

For CRT fans and people who need to change resolutions, there is really nothing else in this size that can compare. I wish i had a stock of those, for i can use them for life... Though i would like a 28" version i'll be honest, as an upgrade in 2007

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The pinnacle of CRT technology.

I received this monitor over 3 years ago as a gift. It cost around $2000. I have never had one problem with this monitor. I have had dozens of monitors and none have ever come close to this monitor in quality. In fact the new LCDs just don't compare. I don't think I will find another monitor with a screen that is better then this for many years to come.

As other reviewers have said this monitor is big and heavy. I say "so what!" Why do you buy it if you don't have the space? It's not like this is a state secret. This is a BIG/HEAVY MONITOR! Small desk need not apply.

I would love to buy a new bigger version of this for one of my other computers. I don't care if its 150 lbs, destroys the environment or burns my eyes out it would be worth every penny. This is the end and pinnacle of the CRT computer monitor. There will never be another monitor like it.

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It's got the most OOOOOOHh factor.....

I have been using Sun's near flat 21" monitor, but when we finally started to have image problems with them (actually, they were getting really old..:o() I knew the time had come to pony up some bucks again for monitors. So after some research into what's out there today new and used, we found some 3 year old 24" tru-flat Trinitron's, off lease. I decided to give it a shot and picked up a handful of them.

Surprisingly, each one had a consistent picture either using graphics programs, viewing images, or even playing DVD's. While I can't speak on Sony's warranty support of the unit (not replacing defective new units with another new one, etc. etc.), I am extremely satisfied with each of the units I am working with. Since we weren't planning to shell out a few grand each for the latest widescreen L.C.D's, preferred to avoid a high interest lease payment, and flat our refused to downsize (perish the thought), we decided to roll the dice on these used Sony C.R.T.'s.

In retrospect, I'm glad we did. We have been extremely happy with this model Sony. In fact from my perspective, the image quality for hi-res graphics rendering (and the occasional game, off company time of course!)with the GDM-FW900 is superior to a comparable LCD.

I, like perhaps you, have also read on line that there might be a slight chance of an uneven or inconsistent image with this Sony monitor. So expecting the worst, I checked with a local repair shop on the cost of a CPU before I made this purchase. They told me a replacement would run me about $200. installed. Not bad considering the cake we saved.

While it's true that the big LCD's do take up far less desk space. And yes, it does take 2 people to move one of these bulky 95 pound things around. Do I also need to mention there's no warranty on 2nt owner monitors from Sony no matter how new they are?

Yet, I couldn't escape the wallet factor. While they weren't on fire sale by any means, I was able to keep nearly $1500 clams per monitor in the bank by moving in this direction. To me, while warranties and desk space are important, they ain't that important! (read I made my Xmas bonus and then some on this deal). And if one does happen to self destruct, it won't be that big of a deal to simply get it fixed locally. Plus, I don't have to worry about spending the big bucks to send a unit on a 4 week vacation to California for a warranty claim. Or even worse, have Sony charge me the freight to replace a defective one with a refurb.

Besides, I love the OOOOHh factor when someone sees them....There's nothing else like it.

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The Sony FD Trinitron Wide Aspect Display meets the exacting demands of graphic artists, CAD/CAM engineers, animators and other professional users who require extraordinarily accurate colors and crystal-clear images. This extra-wide 24" display offers an incredible 22.5" viewable image size in a monitor that requires about the same desktop space as most 21" class models. Its virtually flat screen surface provides more true-to-life images, so lines actually appear straighter and circles look round. Contemporary styling in shades of metallic silver and dark gray will appeal to your refined design sensibilities.The FW900 is perfect for graphic designers, architects, photographers, engineers and other professionals who need as much screen space as possible. Its panoramic 16: 10 aspect ratio means you can easily view double-page layouts with room to spare. Or see your entire design at once?without scrolling! Plus there's room to open more menus, toolbars and applications. Just imagine how much more efficiently you'll be able to work!The FW900 includes its own USB hub to make connecting your USB devices even faster and easier. Rather than fumbling in the back of your computer looking for an available USB port, simply plug your peripheral directly into the monitor's base. Now that's true plug and play!

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