Sony HMD-A200

...the same basically monitors. A Sony designer product, probably in line with the modernist fashion of our time, that appeals to the eye when seen in a shop and the little card with it's features is read. So let's do this the right way.

Features:

For an extensive list head off to Sony's website. Here I'll point out those that most users are particularly interested in when buying a monitor:

1. Virtually flat ...
...hubs these days, you'd think Sony is giving it for free. Well, they are NOT. For the cost of engineering and including that hub in the monitor has taxed the primary function of the unit. Being a monitor. And the problems their users encounter are listed below.

1. APPALING GEOMETRY
What???? A Sony monitor with appling geometry? Am I nuts???? Just check the newsgroups guys. Talking from personal experience, the majority of these ... more

The word cannot include the feelings one receives upon actually using one of these monitors. Both the HMD-A200 and A220 are the same basically monitors. A Sony designer product, probably in line with the modernist fashion of our time, that appeals to the eye when seen in a shop and the little card with it's features is read. So let's do this the right way.

Features:

For an extensive list head off to Sony's website. Here I'll point out those that most users are particularly interested in when buying a monitor:

1. Virtually flat tube monitor
2. Trinitron tube
3. 0.25 aperture grill
4. supports a very wide range of resolutions
5. single button on-screen monitor feature adjustment
6. 4-way USB hub
7. Full powersaving features
8. Does NOT have the usual swivel, but little front legs and a peg for
the back to change the monitor's forward tilt (no sideways rotation)

So all this looks nice and peachy. I mean, any other monitor out there with a USB hub? No. And for teh price of USB hubs these days, you'd think Sony is giving it for free. Well, they are NOT. For the cost of engineering and including that hub in the monitor has taxed the primary function of the unit. Being a monitor. And the problems their users encounter are listed below.

1. APPALING GEOMETRY
What???? A Sony monitor with appling geometry? Am I nuts???? Just check the newsgroups guys. Talking from personal experience, the majority of these models fail to achieve a truly rectangular full-screen display setting. Am I asking too much? Well, NO. Why? Cos I had a 15" sony trinitron in the past, as did many of my friends, and this was very easily and quickly achievable. So no1. stands. And if you ask all your friends that have it, of those that know what they are doing, only a few should be happy with this monitors geometry.

2. ELECTRON GUN ALIGNMENT
A smaller number of these funny monitors suffer from this problem. What is electron gun alignment? Well, on traditional monitors that use the TV concept, three guns shoot electrons in the monitors cathode tubes and stimulate the screen's particles. These particles light up to a certain colour, the famous red, blue and green. Each gun shoot only towards specific particles and these guns should be aligned so that the screen is focused. If this is not achieved you get to a lesser or a greater extent what happens in misprinted newspapers: some colours in one place and some colours in another. Yes this can happen to your HMD-a2*0 too.

3. FLASHING
What's this? The monitor for no reason will start flashing in and out dragging the edges of the projectable screen inwards and outwards, sometimes to the point you think it will turn off. I really have no clue what this is. This is a common problem too.

4. RESOLUTION CHANGE SWITCH-OFF
When attempting to go back and forward through various resolutions, the monitor will simply switch off. Not loose power or go into power saving mode (the little greeen light that stays on confirms that), but power to the screen is lost. Unplugging is then required.

5. BAD REFRESH RATES AT HIGH RESOLUTIONS
Unfortunately is seems that Sony havent mastered the trick of high resolution high refressh rates. Dropping to 65Hz at 1280*1024 the flickering is barely perceptible but enough to give you a headache. Not that you will need such a high resolution, but this is a comprehensive analysis of the monitor. For comparison, check a Nokia monitor.

So what you think? Want another con against this monitor? Check out on ebay how many of these get weekly sold at half price as refurbished items. Want to know where these come from? Displeased 1st time users, and so far there must have been hundreds of them. I dont think that Sony does demos using 10 of these on a weekly basis. And if you ask Sony Tech Support why their monitors are so shit, you know what the reply is?

"The cathode tube has to warm up for about 30 minutes first"

WHAT???????????

The last TV I saw that needed that was made in the frigging 70's!!!! Their previous models snapped to function from the first minute, not half an hour later!!! Thewir excuses are simply ridiculous, and directed to people that think they are imbecilles.

So if you were to ask me wether to buy this product or not, I would give it a definite NO NO.

Sorry Sony, but you have ruined your reputation with this one. 

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