CRT:Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Where are all the nice CRTs?

A. Joebot's garage.

Definitions

Term	Definition
TV Lines (TVL)	The maximum number of alternating light and dark vertical lines that can be resolved per picture height. Limiting factors include the driving circuitry, the number of phosphors on the tube, and the number of slots in the slot mask or aperture grille.
Flyback	(need a good definition)
Deflection	(need a good definition)
Pots	Potentiometers are components that can be adjusted to affect things like deflection, color balance, and voltage levels. Twistable knobs are just potentiometers that are accessible.
Convergence	Proper convergence means that the red, green, and blue spots generated by the three color CRTs inside your set are hitting the same point and therefore are creating the proper color.
Input Board	Input boards, or input cards, are modular cards that can be added or removed from professional CRTs. With Sony CRTs, only BVMs have input boards.
CVM	Color Video Monitor. Sony's original branding for PVMs from the early 1980s with composite and RF only.
PVM	Professional Video Monitor. Sometimes used generically to mean any professional monitor, but usually used to refer to Sony models starting with "PVM-". Originally used for professional image and video editing. They do not have removable input boards. Comes as a standard light gray color or a white color for medical variants. A very small amount of presentation PVMs (such as a PVM-2030) come in a beige color.
BVM	Broadcast Video Monitor. Sony models starting with "BVM-". Originally used for monitoring the master signal at broadcast studios when live on air to ensure perfect quality. These sets generally use the same tubes as equivalent PVMs, but have removeable input boards. All units come in light gray.
Phosphors	The patches of chemicals on the inside of the glass that lights up when the electron gun beam hits it. There are different phosphor formulations that fit standards such as SMPTE-C, EBU, P22, and EIA. They play a part in color accuracy and some phosphors output light for a longer period of time than others leading to a trailing or ghosting effect when a bright object is moved across a dark area, such as a cursor across a black background.
Pincushion	(needs a definition)
SSM	Security and Surveillance Monitor (?). Sony's line of monitors aimed to be used for security cameras. Generally the same internals as PVMs but with a dark gray shell.
VTR	Video Tape Recorder. Many sets have a VTR port on the back which can carry audio and composite video.
ISR	Interactive Status Reporting. A Sony proprietary system in which you can get diagnostic information from your Sony devices using a serial cable and the BZI-500 (or BZI-501) software on a Windows 95 / NT4 based PC.