Description

Appearance

The Sony PVM-2950QM is an exceptional monitor. With its 29-inch (27 inch viewable) diagonal, it is one of the biggest consumer CRT’s of its time. The 2950QM is a professional monitor with a high-end Cubic Fine Pitch Super Trinitron color tube. Additionally, the monitor provides a high-contrast, well-focused, high-quality picture on a nearly flat screen. The anti-glare feature enhances viewing in lighted environments by refracting light at angles other than directly back at the viewer for better contrast, while the anti-static feature reduces the level of particles/dust from collecting on the face of the CRT.

The monitor has a cubic design which is stackable. Two handles on the side make it reasonable portable for two (strong) persons. Two additional Sony speakers (SS-X6A) can be mounted to the side. There is also an option for a TV-tuner (USA-only).

In use

The 2950QM is one of the best monitors I’ve used so far. At 29 inches, it’s a large CRT, so you can also game or play movies from a distance without losing immersion. Due to the relatively high resolution, the image is however also sharp at a short distance. The black levels are also excellent, and the colors look natural.

The best aspect of the monitor, however, is the possibilities offered by the on-screen menu. You have an internal degaussing feature, and numerous settings options. For someone like me, who has 10 different retro consoles hooked up to the monitor, this provides the ability to quickly make a few adjustments with the remote control. Whether I’m cranking up my 1970s Vidopac or my 2006 PS3, I can easily change a few settings, so I always have an optimal experience.

In addition, the monitor also has a number of physical buttons on the front panel of the housing that allow the user to select the appropriate channel without reaching for the remote control. The buttons are illuminated in yellow/orange.

Special features

The monitor has a resolution of 600 TV lines, has beam current feedback, on-screen display, index remote control function, component (Y/R-Y/B-Y) or analog RGB input available on BNC and three color temperatures (9300K/6500K/3200K). It even has a ‘blue only’ feature.

Especially handy for gamers is that the monitor supports 5 color standards (NTSC/PAL/SECAM/NTSC4.43/PAL 60). So, you can hook up every region locked console you can imagine.

The Sony PVM-2950QM is nowadays hard to find and expensive.

Impressions

I tested the 2950 QM with several consoles. Hereby some impressions. Note: the photos don’t do just to the real quality of the monitor.