Last of the top of the line Metz 4:3 CRTs (Europe)

[Andykara2003]

Hi all - I'm looking to source one or two of the later produced top of the line 29" (72cm) 4:3 Metz TVs.

The reason for this is that I'm looking for TVs that can display a 480p image & Metz are the only top brand I know of in Europe that often had a VGA input for 31Khz in their 4:3 CRTs.

Because I'm not worried about 15Khz, it doesn't matter if the TV is 100Hz - I'm just looking for the last of their high end 4:3 sets & just wondered if anyone here could shed any light on this?

Cheers :)

[apfelanni]

all metz tvs with 600-605 chassis are able to display 640x480 progressive mode via scart ( and even 800x600 ) . i recommend getting the latest models with " 605 " chassis , because some previous versions have some issues , like firmware update needed etc.  all 605 are working flawless off the box . all u need to do is to solder a specific vga to scart cable.  any uneeded picture processing is bypassed or can be disabled in the osd .

got some metz astral 72 with 605 chassis here . tube is a flat philips a68 ,  some metz magnums / linea  70 with a66 tube and a metz kreta with a59 tube . i d say compared to sony pgm29 , nec xm2960 or 29 inch nanaos they are top notch in any way . crystal clear image , perfect geometry , solid chassis and state of the art osd .  the 29 inch makes a nice sega naomi replacement monitor .  first time i saw dreamcast ikaruga  on the astral i nearly pissed into my pants .  605 chassis versions are named  72 blabla " tm " . dont go with a tn , ( its the shortneck version ) unless u cant afford the depth . these highend crt tvs ( 2k eu ) are selling for a few credits now  , sometimes can be picked up for free .

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tmzkhvo56l2o9me/metz.rar?dl=0


other vga capable crt tvs are grundig xentia 490 mf with a flat toshiba tube , gundig reference 410 with curved toshiba or a lg 29Q12IP ( guess with lg tube ) , technisat colani 72 , panasonic qintrix and a few loewe and thomson tvs .  another 29 inch option would be the philips cineos flat with hdmi input , but the samsung made in poland tube kinda sucks .

[Andykara2003]

Wow that's so appreciated Apfelanni, I don't know why I didn't ask you in the first place!

I have a couple of questions  if that's OK?

Are you saying that the image on these Metz TVs are even better than the NEC XMxx monitors? If so, that's fantastic - I have a XV29 & the image is brilliant but if these Metz are even better then I'm going to be collecting Metz from now on.

I have picked up a few Loewes and have found that they can be excellent but many of them are a bit blurry. In fact out of about 5, I only have one that is pin sharp. Do you think that the Metz are less susceptible than the Loewes to going soft with age?

Cheers :)

P.S. Cheers for the dropbox files - Looking through them now...

[apfelanni]

i would say picture quality of the expensive metz tvs ( the cheaper ones were all relabled grundigs ) is at the same level as nec xm or sony pgm . they are all ++ if in good shape . the pro metz is that they are <  10 years old , so u have the chance to pick up one in near new condition . any kind of crt monitor has its pros and cons , depending on the specs and  fabrication quality . rest is a matter of aging . as console gaming monitors i use the necs and sonys ( mitusbishis are another option )  and the tvs as cabinet replacement monitors . broadcast monitors do have some advantages over tvs , like multiple inputs , compact design and a nice casing .

[Andykara2003]

Thanks for that :)

So in all, would you say that the expensive Metz models for my purposes (480p VGA) are Linea, Astral, Magnum, Kreta (and possibly spectral?). Am I missing any others ?

Also, are the Linea De Luxe models significantly better than the normal Lineas?

And lastly, assuming the TV has a VGA socket, would I even need a VGA to scart cable? Am  I correct in saying that I should just be able to connect my Crescendo RTC 2200 component to VGA transcoder straight into the VGA socket on the Metz?

[apfelanni]

there is no vga socket on the metz tvs .  dont confuse a 9 pin sub on the rearside with a vga in connector . its for firmware updates only . all vga capable metz are using metzspecific pins of the scart input to handle the signals coming from your computer vga card . u dont need a transcoder if the source is putting out vga rgb . check some metz promotion pdfs for
the latest models . model names like linea , astral whatever dont say anything bout the device . its like vw beetle , golf .. you need the chassis number written on the reaside label .

older models mostly come with a curved philips , newer with a flat philips . some like the spectrals with panasonic ( spectral 72 )  or toshiba tubes ( spectral 84 ) .  u may use em for any rgb vga capable source , like xbox , dreamcast , pc . best is to add a mechanical 4in1 vga switch and plug the metz cable to it .   

[Andykara2003]

Ahh I see - that cleared a few thing up, cheers..

The thing is that I only want to use the TV for 480p from my Gamecube & Wii. For these consoles I use component outputs at 480p. I just use the transcoder to get the signal to my NEC XV-29 which only has a VGA socket for it's input.

Excuse my ignorance here - but to get my Gamecube & Wii component output to these TVs, am I right in saying that I could still use the transcoder (to convert the component signal from my Gamecube etc. to VGA) and then use the VGA to scart cable you mentioned to go from the transcoder to the TV?

It would be easier for me to do it that way rather than try to get VGA signals directly from the consoles as I already have all the cables and a great component swich. The transcoder is excellent too so I get a very nice VGA output this way. Also it means that I would be able to easily swap out my NEC for the Metz and vice versa when I wanted to..


I see what you mean re. chassis numbers - the model is irrelevant - so as long as it has '605' on the back to denote this chassis, it's the basically the same TV. Have I got that right?

Thanks again..

[apfelanni]

a transcoder on wii is ok . i m using 2 mayflash yuv>rgb sub d on my wii and a ps2 . no noticable degredation through transcoding .

and yes , there are several nearly identical models with 605 chassis , only in differnet casings or with a flat instead of a semi curved tube inside. some people prefer black and silver modern style , some oldtimers the classic woodgrain .

some metz like the spectrals have scart rgb and yuv inputs , but i m not sure if the yuv handles 480 p or 480 i .

[Andykara2003]

Thanks so much for all the info Apfelanni, it's been incredibly useful & I'm going for a couple of the higher range Metz I think.

Next hurdle is to get one that hasn't been used much - patience is the key I think. I would have never sussed the wiring for that VGA/scart cable either so thanks for that too.

I have to say I like the look of the all-black Astral 72 most out of all these models. Thank god for eBay kleinanzeigen - there's way more on there than eBay.de...