Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony GDM-FW900 Flat Widescreen 24" FD Trinitron CRT Monitor

I've owned this monitor for about three months now, and I must agree with Scott Pope's review in toto.

It IS quite heavy, but I don't mind this so much since I don't move my monitor very much, as a rule. It is also deep, but if you have the space for a 21-inch monitor, then you'll have enough space for this one.

I, too, use the 1920 x 1200 resolution, as I've been unable to find a card that supports the 2304 x 1400 res. Currently, I use an ATI Raedon 9700 Pro and am quite happy with the results. This monitor also supports inputs from two boxes, someting that may be of interest to people like me who have a small LAN but don't want the clutter of multiple monitors.

The controls on this monitor are quite easy to use. I quite agree with Scott that, although the monitor is targeted for CAD pros and such, there are many advantages for the more "casual" user: DVDs are SUPERB in widescreen mode (the monitor having a true 16 x 10 aspect ratio), desktop space is greatly enhanced; and applicatins like Adobe Photoshop and Pagemaker are greatly benefitted by the additional workspace that this monitor affords.

Web pages are no problem, either. Given browser controls, text size etc. are easily controlled, and surfing is actually more pleasurable.

In sum, don't worry about the weight or the space required of this monitor. They're not so much an issue. Just get a friend to help move it, and a sturdy table to put it on, and you'll be fine. The rewards this monitor offers more outweigh (pun intended) the physical proportions of the monitor.

Oh, if you do buy the monitor, be sure to visit the Sony site and get the .inf file.

I've had this monitor for about a week now and I'm thoroughly happy. You haven't played a game until you've played it on a 24inch monitor! Also, the pitch is .23 - .27, anyways! The screen functions are accessed from a console that rotates the buttons in to view from the bottom of the screen. Altering the look/appearance of your screen is a snap. Also it's possible to have multiple computers hooked up to this bad boy. ... You can have two word documents open and on screen at the same time without having to squint and break out the magnifying glass. If you want the best and don't mind dropping the dough, this is your best bet.

I've been using this monitor for six months now. I work as a professional web-designer and the extra screen estate really makes a huge difference. No problem viewing two web-pages side by side, with extra space for other applications.

The picture quality is *perfect*, the best color I've ever seen on any monitor and a really sharp image in 1920x1200x85hz which is the resolution I use most.

Perfect for DVD and video as well, I've since thrown out my TV because the picture quality on this monitor is so much better.

If you've got the money, don't even hestitate for a moment to buy this monitor now!

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.

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.