Was buying this monitor a stupid decision?

M

markyf

Well-known member
Sony Trinitron PVM-14N6U for US $100. Seemed like a very good deal, but I neglected to think about the date of manufacture... 1998! It likely has some major hours on it. See link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:31&Item=330148342425

Question: How will I know if it's a dud? I am in the market for a monitor for pre-production and production, not post. Basically, I want something I can use to set up my scene files and use as a framing monitor while we're shooting. I know this sounds ridiculous to say but the colours in the pictures look fine. Should I compare it side by side with my colour bars on my DVX?

And I'll know if it's a dud if it doesn't turn on, obviously. Not that dumb. I just won't know how to make sure that the picture is still semi-legit. Will I find this out during calibration?

Cheers!
 
My only concern is that the number of hours on the tubes will hinder it's ability to reproduce a very accurate image, which is the only reason one would buy a video monitor in the first place. If it's off because of its age and the sheer number of hours it's been used, I don't really want to be using it to set my camera. Make sense. But how will I know if it's off?
 
The only offness would probably be the inability to calibrate it. You'll see that right way if it's going to be a problem.

I've got a monitor even older than that that still works.
 
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