Hi. As you can tell I am thinking about getting this monitor. First, I would appreciate anyone who can tell me where and how to get the absolute best deal on this monitor. However, if anyone feels like there is a better 21" monitor or think that the Sony plain rocks I would like to hear those people as well. I am looking right now for a great monitor (21" range) and so far the Sony (despite the two lines) seems the best deal. By the way... I love Sony anyway... got in on the Wega deal tonight! If you do not know about it you still have a little time. Check out the Hot Deals thread.
Help me decide on the Sony CPD-G500 21" monitor
- Thread starter BKnight
- Start date
GT1999
Diamond Member
- Oct 10, 1999
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I could type out a 3 page essay on how much Sony's technical support and RMA department are a bunch of complete and utter dumbasses. As a tidbit of info, Sony's monitor's are manufactured in Mexico. Most of the stuff that comes out of Mexico tends to be lower in quailty; as an example, look at Fender's guitars. The USA models are higher quality. That is part speculation on my part, but I've heard others say the same thing. Now, onto my personal experience with Sony monitors, as well as my opinion, which is probably what you're after.
First of all, buying a monitor is all about personal preference. DO NOT buy a monitor because the review "over at cnet.com" is excellent, or your best friend says it's the best monitor in the world. Only buy a monitor if you have first looked a the specs (max resolution, refresh rates, dot pitch, invar shadow mask/trinitron) and THEN looked at the monitor yourself, preferably in person. There is a world of difference between Sony's FD Trinitron series and KDS's, Viewsonic's and other brands, in my opinion. I take into consideration clarity and sharpness, color depth, and a nice crisp picture. With Trinitron monitors geometry tends to be the major problem.
As for Sony's in general, I have had quite a bit of trouble with their "support" and "RMA" departments. If you have a problem with your monitor, expect to stay on hold for a minimum of ~45 minutes if you call around dinner time, and after 7, expect to wait at least an HOUR. You will also probably have to call MULTIPLE times, because one of their support agents does not have enough brains to understand "my monitor's tube is defective, it's brown in the lower right corner and shakes like hell". I guess they don't understand English. As for their "repair" department, they will attempt to repair your monitor about three times, such as in my case, but it will come back in the EXACT SAME CONDITION prior to the so called "repair". Finally, after you bitch and moan, you might get a refurbished monitor that actually works, like I did. Sony also likes to ship their monitors will minimal protection (ie, padding), so you are at a gamble with your unit being shipped to you as well.
Despite what I have mentioned above, Sony monitors (especially the FD Trin series, such as the one you are planning on purchasing) are excellent. The only problem is:
Their RMA, shipping, support, and sales department are completely horrible
Once your unit is disfunctional, after a minimal 1 year warranty, you're screwed.
Cost
Don't expect your monitor to be "repaired" any time soon. Please note, the quotes are there because they don't repair it.
Other than that, once you get a FUNCTIONAL monitor from Sony that doesn't have weird geometry problems, it will probably have the clearest picture out of any monitor you've seen. From then on you will accept nothing less.. </rant mode off>
G|T
First of all, buying a monitor is all about personal preference. DO NOT buy a monitor because the review "over at cnet.com" is excellent, or your best friend says it's the best monitor in the world. Only buy a monitor if you have first looked a the specs (max resolution, refresh rates, dot pitch, invar shadow mask/trinitron) and THEN looked at the monitor yourself, preferably in person. There is a world of difference between Sony's FD Trinitron series and KDS's, Viewsonic's and other brands, in my opinion. I take into consideration clarity and sharpness, color depth, and a nice crisp picture. With Trinitron monitors geometry tends to be the major problem.
As for Sony's in general, I have had quite a bit of trouble with their "support" and "RMA" departments. If you have a problem with your monitor, expect to stay on hold for a minimum of ~45 minutes if you call around dinner time, and after 7, expect to wait at least an HOUR. You will also probably have to call MULTIPLE times, because one of their support agents does not have enough brains to understand "my monitor's tube is defective, it's brown in the lower right corner and shakes like hell". I guess they don't understand English. As for their "repair" department, they will attempt to repair your monitor about three times, such as in my case, but it will come back in the EXACT SAME CONDITION prior to the so called "repair". Finally, after you bitch and moan, you might get a refurbished monitor that actually works, like I did. Sony also likes to ship their monitors will minimal protection (ie, padding), so you are at a gamble with your unit being shipped to you as well.
Despite what I have mentioned above, Sony monitors (especially the FD Trin series, such as the one you are planning on purchasing) are excellent. The only problem is:
Their RMA, shipping, support, and sales department are completely horrible
Once your unit is disfunctional, after a minimal 1 year warranty, you're screwed.
Cost
Don't expect your monitor to be "repaired" any time soon. Please note, the quotes are there because they don't repair it.
Other than that, once you get a FUNCTIONAL monitor from Sony that doesn't have weird geometry problems, it will probably have the clearest picture out of any monitor you've seen. From then on you will accept nothing less.. </rant mode off>
G|T
Check out the Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 200, comes w/the Diamondtron NF CRT.
Label on rear reads "Made in Japan" the plastic housing also seems more rigid than the Sony and is very compact, has two video cable connectors and a 1394 port in the rear.
I'm not familiar enough with either the Sony or the Mitsubishi to evaluate performance, they both look excellent to me.
I have the Diamond Plus 91 -19" flat screen and really like it. I would love to have the 200 but unfortunately the price of any high quality 20" eludes me right now................................?
Label on rear reads "Made in Japan" the plastic housing also seems more rigid than the Sony and is very compact, has two video cable connectors and a 1394 port in the rear.
I'm not familiar enough with either the Sony or the Mitsubishi to evaluate performance, they both look excellent to me.
I have the Diamond Plus 91 -19" flat screen and really like it. I would love to have the 200 but unfortunately the price of any high quality 20" eludes me right now................................?
I would really suggest you forget about getting the Sony 21". It costs twice as much as other 21" Aperature Grill monitors from other manufacturers and isn't really better quality. In fact, from the threads I have seen here, a number of the Sony's have had problems with shaking and geometry.
A few excellent flat 21" AG monitors:
KDS AV21TF (uses sony tube)
Samsung NF series (don't recall the exact model but check samsung's website)
Iiyama series (again, dont recall exact model)
These all will cost significantly less than the Sony. The KDS and Samsung I know have a standard 3 year warranty with an express replacement program. I believe the KDS goes for around $700. The Samsung should be close to that, and the Iiyama will cost a bit more.
I am sure our resident monitor expert will drop by soon
A few excellent flat 21" AG monitors:
KDS AV21TF (uses sony tube)
Samsung NF series (don't recall the exact model but check samsung's website)
Iiyama series (again, dont recall exact model)
These all will cost significantly less than the Sony. The KDS and Samsung I know have a standard 3 year warranty with an express replacement program. I believe the KDS goes for around $700. The Samsung should be close to that, and the Iiyama will cost a bit more.
I am sure our resident monitor expert will drop by soon
Hellraven I must respectfully disagree. I have seen the KDS AV-21tf and Sony G500 side by side recently and the Sony *looks* much better. The G500 is very solidly built, and there isnt really a huge difference whether the monitor was made in Mexico or Korea. NEC also assembles their high end monitors in Mexico. Sony has really crappy packaging, but when you get an intact monitor they are the best out there. Price is what kills the Sony. I would almost recommend getting another monitor because although the picture is better, it is not 50% better. The only reason I got the G400 is because I got an awesome deal on it. If money is no object then then I feel confident in saying that the G500 is as good as it gets.
GT1999
Diamond Member
- Oct 10, 1999
- 5,261
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F500R would be as good as it gets, if you wanted the best 21".
G500 is basically the same thing except lower refresh rates, and of course normal things are brought down a notch (in speculation: probably a lower nudge in video bandwidth, etc).. This is where you will get differences in opinion. The Samsung 900NF is an excellent choice, and NEC's 19-21" monitors are also good. If you've got the money for the Sony, TAKE A LOOK at it if you can at a high end computer store, and see if you like it.
G500 is basically the same thing except lower refresh rates, and of course normal things are brought down a notch (in speculation: probably a lower nudge in video bandwidth, etc).. This is where you will get differences in opinion. The Samsung 900NF is an excellent choice, and NEC's 19-21" monitors are also good. If you've got the money for the Sony, TAKE A LOOK at it if you can at a high end computer store, and see if you like it.
*shrug* All I can tell you is what I have read here Ben88. Like you said, the price is the biggest difference. If it were just $100 difference or something I too might be persuaded to try a Sony, but the difference is just too much.
I personally respect Samsung when it comes to monitors. They are very well priced and look great. I have seen several in person and I trust them more than some of the other companies.
According to Geekish, Sony tech support / customer service is a mess and their warranty is not nearly as good. I don't know about you, but if I was paying $1000 for a monitor I would want to be damn sure if anything went wrong it would be taken care of.
I personally respect Samsung when it comes to monitors. They are very well priced and look great. I have seen several in person and I trust them more than some of the other companies.
According to Geekish, Sony tech support / customer service is a mess and their warranty is not nearly as good. I don't know about you, but if I was paying $1000 for a monitor I would want to be damn sure if anything went wrong it would be taken care of.
Geekish thoughts: the F500R has the same refresh rates as the G500, the only difference is the dot pitch of .22mm instead of .24-.25 of the G500. I have looked at both side by side and couldn't see any apparent reason apart from the ridiculous price of the F500...
I have a G500 and love it! I wouldn't change it for anything (and I work with some of the best monitors money can buy).
I have a G500 and love it! I wouldn't change it for anything (and I work with some of the best monitors money can buy).
Every single Sony G-series monitor I've seen has problems with the tube. (And I've seen over 100 of them; they're used in all our labs) No, I'm not talking about bad colors or poor contrast. Sony's established themselves as one of the leaders in that regard.
I'm talking about the electronics behind the tube. Bad power regulation causes the image to "bubble" when you switch between black and white windows. Poor regulation also causes the lower left corner to shake like crazy. Sony claims to have never heard of these problems, but everyone person who I've shown the shaking to can attest to the problem.
Their RMA policy stinks - seriously, why don't you consider getting a KDS AV-21TF or a Samsung 1200NF?
I'm talking about the electronics behind the tube. Bad power regulation causes the image to "bubble" when you switch between black and white windows. Poor regulation also causes the lower left corner to shake like crazy. Sony claims to have never heard of these problems, but everyone person who I've shown the shaking to can attest to the problem.
Their RMA policy stinks - seriously, why don't you consider getting a KDS AV-21TF or a Samsung 1200NF?
GT1999
Diamond Member
- Oct 10, 1999
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JPT- Yes, the G500 and F500[R] both have the same set refresh rates, but you will note that the .22 Aperture Grille Pitch makes a world of difference at higher resolutions. When you had the two monitors side by side, by setting them both at their Maximum Resolution of 2048 x 1536 @ 75Hz, I probably could tell the difference with sharpness on a decent 2D board.
G|T
G|T
Lore, as an owner of a Sony G400 monitor, I have never had ANY of the problems you described. The only problem i have had are slight geometric irregularites that ALL Flat screen 19" monitors exhibit to some extent.
The_Wildcard:
I consider you lucky. What resolution/refresh/video card do you use? The ones in our labs are E200/E210/G200 monitors, and then there are a few G400s for the scanning/imaging stations in the lab.
One of my friends has a Dell FD Trinitron and hers exhibits the same problem as the branded Sonys.
edit: Even if the monitor you get (whoever you might be) doesn't have the problems I described, why spend that much more money to get a product backed by an inferior policy?
I consider you lucky.
What resolution/refresh/video card do you use? The ones in our labs are E200/E210/G200 monitors, and then there are a few G400s for the scanning/imaging stations in the lab.One of my friends has a Dell FD Trinitron and hers exhibits the same problem as the branded Sonys.
edit: Even if the monitor you get (whoever you might be) doesn't have the problems I described, why spend that much more money to get a product backed by an inferior policy?
I currently own 2 G500s. I went through 5 of them before I found 2 that didn't exhibit severe problems. Even the ones I've got now still have minor problems regarding convergence and fuzziness in corners.
After reading a bit about them in these forums, I believe Sony has some serious quality problems with these FD line of monitors. I would recommend you stay away from them.
After reading a bit about them in these forums, I believe Sony has some serious quality problems with these FD line of monitors. I would recommend you stay away from them.
Doggiedog: I personally went through 3 G500s before deciding to use a cheapie 14" for several months while I researched my options some more. Each one had fuzziness in the corners, but it wasn't that which caused me to return it - it was the shaking of the display.
Lore: I can give you two examples. First, my Sony G400 runs at 1024 x 768 @ 85hz with a CL TNT 2 Ultra. Second, my roomate has a Dell FD 17" trintion monitor with a Nvidia Geforce 1 running at 1280 x 1024 @ 75hz (i think), with no problems at all.
Now let me ask you, when you bought your Sony monitors, did you order them online and have them shipped to you? Cuz i assume you know about Sony's absolutley HORRID packaging and maybe these monitors were damaged.
I also heard about these stories so i opted to go to a local retailer and buy and pick it up myself. Maybe that's why my Sony G400 hasn't had any problems hehe.
I opted for the Sony over models like the Viewsonic PF790; Pf795, Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 91, Samsung 900NF and KDS AV-195TF for a couple of reasons.
First, i was working during the summer and the reason why i was working was cuz i was tired of saving money when it came to computer equipment and FOR ONCE, i wanted to splurge a bit, so well you'd agree with me that a Sony monitor constitutes SPLURGING, lol. ( if that's even a word )
Second, I considered everything, including weight and dimensions. First off, i live in a multi-story building so every pound makes a differnce when lugging it up the stairs. Second off I had a very small desk and every inch mattered because if you have ever dealt with small deskspaces, you'd know inches can make the difference between JUST making it or not enough space. Both the Samsung 900NF and KDS AV-195TF were the heaviest and longest out of all the monitors.
BTW, I agree with you that sony's tech support sucks. Although i haven't had the honor of going through it yet, I have read hundreds of stories about how bad they are.
Now let me ask you, when you bought your Sony monitors, did you order them online and have them shipped to you? Cuz i assume you know about Sony's absolutley HORRID packaging and maybe these monitors were damaged.
I also heard about these stories so i opted to go to a local retailer and buy and pick it up myself. Maybe that's why my Sony G400 hasn't had any problems hehe.
I opted for the Sony over models like the Viewsonic PF790; Pf795, Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 91, Samsung 900NF and KDS AV-195TF for a couple of reasons.
First, i was working during the summer and the reason why i was working was cuz i was tired of saving money when it came to computer equipment and FOR ONCE, i wanted to splurge a bit, so well you'd agree with me that a Sony monitor constitutes SPLURGING, lol. ( if that's even a word )
Second, I considered everything, including weight and dimensions. First off, i live in a multi-story building so every pound makes a differnce when lugging it up the stairs. Second off I had a very small desk and every inch mattered because if you have ever dealt with small deskspaces, you'd know inches can make the difference between JUST making it or not enough space. Both the Samsung 900NF and KDS AV-195TF were the heaviest and longest out of all the monitors.
BTW, I agree with you that sony's tech support sucks. Although i haven't had the honor of going through it yet, I have read hundreds of stories about how bad they are.
GT1999
Diamond Member
- Oct 10, 1999
- 5,261
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<< I also heard about these stories so i opted to go to a local retailer and buy and pick it up myself. Maybe that's why my Sony G400 hasn't had any problems hehe. >>
I used to think the same thing.
How do you think the monitors are sent to CompUSA, Best Buy, MicroCenter, etc? They are shipped, of course - usually UPS or FedEx Ground (RPS). Let's assume they use FedEx overnight; one time when Sony shipped me my monitor, after one of the "repairs", they sent it FedEx overnight, and the monitor still came to me horribly padded. The point is: Just because you buy from a retail store doesn't mean it won't have the same shipping problems - it has to get to their store somehow. The one thing buying from a retail store does do for you is offer a easy replacement opportunity if the monitor is disfunctional upon arrival at your residence..G|T
Geekish Thoughts: Hmm true, BUT there is possibly one difference. When monitors are shipped to stores like CompUSA and such, i would assume they are shipped in bulk with dozens of other monitors too. In addition, these monitors are probably all wrapped in sets of 6 or maybe pairs. Plus, to move all these monitors you need some heavy equpiment. So it's it's a little harder to "drop" these monitors since you probably need some type of forklift to move these monitors..( i am guessing )
HOWEVER, if you have just one of these monitor boxes, well then, it's quite easy to just pick up these boxes and shove them into a truck.
LXi: Hmm, you're right about the weight. I guess i must have remembered wrong.
HOWEVER, if you have just one of these monitor boxes, well then, it's quite easy to just pick up these boxes and shove them into a truck.
LXi: Hmm, you're right about the weight. I guess i must have remembered wrong.
The_Wildcard: Actually, the Sony monitors I used myself (3 CPD-G500s) I bought from a store. The boxes had NO sign of shipping (no dirty marks, no creases, etc) They were definitely brought in via forklift on a pallet.
The ones that were bought for our labs were the same; since we bought so many of them at the same time it would have been stupid to have UPS/FedEx ship 50 of them at once..heh.
The ones that were bought for our labs were the same; since we bought so many of them at the same time it would have been stupid to have UPS/FedEx ship 50 of them at once..heh.
"Every single Sony G-series monitor I've seen has problems with the tube. (And I've seen over 100 of them; they're used in all our labs)"
I have the G400 and it has NO problems at all. I find it odd that you've seen 100 of these monitors and they all have problems, while two people in this thread alone have them with absolutely no problems. There are many other people on this forum who have the G400 and the only bad things i've heard about the monitors themselves are the bad packaging and high price.
I have the G400 and it has NO problems at all. I find it odd that you've seen 100 of these monitors and they all have problems, while two people in this thread alone have them with absolutely no problems. There are many other people on this forum who have the G400 and the only bad things i've heard about the monitors themselves are the bad packaging and high price.
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