FW900 killer? Panasonic plasma monitor 42PF50U

Huh? The GDM-FW900 is absolutely sharp and clear on the UFO test best I can tell. And for example, it's got higher pixel density, faster refresh, and is true multi-scan. Fantastic display that I was still thrilled to have as my daily driver until last year. And resolutely remains unkilled. :)
 
The FW900 is a tremendous piece of technology, but let's not ignore the inherent limitations of CRT technology.

Scalability - The largest CRT displays are smaller compared to the more accessible Plasma options, and we cant deny a larger screen can deliver superior immersion.
Uniformity - Due to the nature of the electron beam and mask, it's impossible to get perfect focus from corner to corner, perfect convergence, purity and geometry. This is not a problem at all for fixed pixel displays, which can deliver sharp pictures at higher resolutions without softening.
Performance - Latest OLED offerings can already reach speeds up to 480hz at higher resolutions, while the FW900 can only do 170hz at very low resolutions. If we're talking about Plasmas, they're also capable of blur-free 60hz.

And let's not ignore the benefit of modern technologies such as VRR, HDR, ULMB/BFI and so on.

Not hating on the technology as I also own many CRTs displays, but let's not pretend it doesnt have drawbacks compared to current technologies.
High-end CRTs were great during the period of expensive crappy 60hz TN LCDs, but it has become increasingly hard to justify using one.

We're also dealing with aged technology, and the FW900 in particular is very unreliable, a brief look at the dedicated FW900 should tell you that much. Nothing wrong with having aged/vintage technology, but when the asking price for these FW900's is close to modern displays that arguably offer superior performance, it makes even less sense getting one.
 
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The FW900 is very immersive. Certainly a key part of its appeal. One sits much closer to it naturally.

That 480 Hz OLED still isn't enough to match CRT clarity.

All that said, I had to move to an LG CX as my daily driver, because I needed the real estate for work. And I'm quite fond of it. Especially its advanced BFI. Not as fast as CRT or what could be done with 480 Hz, but enough to make a big difference though.
 
tongshadow said:
Too bad Plasmas are only 60hz, but at 60hz they're the undisputable king of displays.
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My only regret is that I wish I'd known about these units back in 2013 when they were released. It would have saved me alot of time and money tracking down, shipping and maintaining crts. I realize that my specific units are going to be difficult to find, but if you truly want a crt replacement and prefer the image plasma produces over oled, then this is the only game in town. I stress that it's because of the phospors and lack of any image processing that makes these units so special. There is no comparable crt monitor that comes close to how fast these ultra low persistence phosphors perform. No mouse trails, no haloing or blooming; nothing like the phosphors used in the FW900. I owned an FW900 back in 2007 during the rage produced by the FW900 thread so I have direct experience with both units. Gaming is a true pleasure; especially if you have a desk deep enough to sit about 3-4ft away from the unit. Also retrogaming is really nice as my TH60PF50U has component input in addition to VGA, BNC, DVI and HDMI. It's just a great display for the all around gamer.
 
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SH1 said:
Huh? The GDM-FW900 is absolutely sharp and clear on the UFO test best I can tell. And for example, it's got higher pixel density, faster refresh, and is true multi-scan. Fantastic display that I was still thrilled to have as my daily driver until last year. And resolutely remains unkilled. :)
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I never critiqued the motion clarity of the FW900 during the UFO test. It's an excellent performer in that test. The only thing the FW900 has over the units I have is the higher PPI due to being on 22.5 viewable compared to the 42in of the TH42PF50U or the 60 inches of the TH60PF50U. That said DSR nullifies that advantage at least in gaming which is the sole basis of comparison I'm using. Refresh rate? The FW900 wins at least on paper in this regard, but in practice with both units set to 60hz, the difference is so small that I cannot tell which is which in a side by side comparision. Multiscan? The TH60PF50U that I own scans everything from 480p all the way to 1920x1200 and it's 1:1 pixel mode can present aspect ratios from 4:3 to 32:9 with perfect clarity just like a crt, except 32:9 is actually fully playable on a 60in screen whereas on the FW900 the playable area is so small that it defeats the purpose of having a relatively large crt. Here's a screenshot with Dead Space remake in 32:9 being presented in perfect 1:1 clarity on a 60in panel.
 

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CRT being multi-scan not relying on a 1:1 mode because of its ability to internally project the intended image at whatever resolution within its limits on to its full set of phosphors. Or even onto a subset of its phosphors vertically in the case of aperture grill units, which are not bounded vertically, while still maintaining full resolution in terms of phosphors. (Or pixel equivalents anyway.) What once was common place is now exceptional. Don't know if we'll ever see such a thing again. (Guess it's basically similar to what one can do optically with a projector. Though not my UST projector, which is entirely fixed in place in this regard.) I love creating custom CRT resolutions and will miss that. With a PC, one can hopefully go full screen/full resolution though in any case.

BTW...2007 is a long time ago. You'd need to compare them directly today. And you'd never run a CRT at 60 Hz with any choice in the matter. Also some of my FW900's have been brand new or at least NOS at purchase. Probably also shaped my perspective.

Anyway, sounds like you have the pinnacle of Plasma tech there. And a remarkable display.

As to skipping to these units directly over acquiring/maintaining CRTs, my analogous experience is keyboards. After acquiring a number of Model Ms, wish I had jumped straight to a Model F.

EDIT: Ok...seeing some scenarios that would be 60 Hz on a CRT. However, I always try to do at least 85 Hz. Preferably 100 Hz. (The FW900 can do that while maintaining a 1080P pixel count equivalent. Almost like an Easter Egg Sony hid in there.) Also I agree having a larger display is a valid element of picture quality. (For a TV, I picked my best wall and put the biggest thing I could fit against it.)
 
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Received confirmation that my custom desk will arrive this weekend so decided to start getting everything setup and ready to game. Running bezel corrected resolution of 7080x3840@60hz downscaled to 1920x3240 @60hz sitting about 10 feet away. Viewable screen size of 172 inches approximately. I placed a cup of coffee in front of the screens for reference. It's not practical? It's not efficient? Yes, that is correct.......but it's over 170 inches of crt like motion clarity with image quality that rivals anything currently on the market for SDR content. Will post an update once my desk is setup. BTW, shout out to any fans of The Silmarillion! :)
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jbltecnicspro said:
Impressive. I will definitely commend you for such a ridiculous setup. It's how we roll around here. :)
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jbltecnicspro said:
Impressive. I will definitely commend you for such a ridiculous setup. It's how we roll around here. :)
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Thanks. I'm constantly impressed by these units and how well they scale resolutions. The downsampled 7k res is razor sharp both on the desktop and in game. Have to set windows scaling to 200 percent while using the desktop and other tasks but the amount of desktop space is impressive.
 
cesarioFL71 said:
Took some work getting 3x 150 lbs of monitor positioned perfectly so that bezel is minimized. :)
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Haha I bet...I have not seen a PC stonehedge feat like that since vega debezzeled the THREE FW900s and ran em in surround.

5x1 portrait surround 120hz 1080p displays back in the BF3 days were my apex....wooo what a nightmare getting quadfire gpus working with 5x1!

Im taking it slow with a solo alienware 4k240 oled now lol
 
l88bastard said:
Haha I bet...I have not seen a PC stonehedge feat like that since vega debezzeled the THREE FW900s and ran em in surround.

5x1 portrait surround 120hz 1080p displays back in the BF3 days were my apex....wooo what a nightmare getting quadfire gpus working with 5x1!

Im taking it slow with a solo alienware 4k240 oled now lol
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I needed this project. It's really fired up my gaming again. I've went back and replayed a bunch of older games and made a dent in my Steam backlog. I'm glad Nvidia doesn't support 5×1 portrait. Lord knows I'd probably find a way to get two more of these. 😉
 
cesarioFL71 said:
I needed this project. It's really fired up my gaming again. I've went back and replayed a bunch of older games and made a dent in my Steam backlog. I'm glad Nvidia doesn't support 5×1 portrait. Lord knows I'd probably find a way to get two more of these. 😉
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Sounds like it's time for a retro build 🫠

https://www.ebay.com/itm/116054467738
 
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Ohh by retro build I mean get that 5x1 6990 card and add two more plasmas to your setup rofl
 
l88bastard said:
Ohh by retro build I mean get that 5x1 6990 card and add two more plasmas to your setup rofl
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Nice ....but 5 freakin behemoths is beyond even my wants at the moment. :)


You really have to see this setup in person to appreciate how big it is. The thought of adding two more......wow!!!
 
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