Reference
12 min read

Sony Model Numbers Decoded:
What the Letters and Digits on a Badge Mean

Sony never published a key to its monitor model numbers. There is no Sony document, in any language, that says “E means this, 5 means that.” What there is instead is thirty years of manuals, brochures and press releases in which the same letters keep landing in the same places — and once you line them up, most of a Sony badge reads like a spec sheet. This page does that lining-up from Sony’s own literature, and says plainly where a reading is Sony’s and where it is a pattern. It sits beside the BKM card reference and PVM vs. BVM: three pages on what the badge tells you.

There is no official decoder

Sony’s manuals treat the model number as an opaque label. “The model and serial numbers are located at the rear. Record these numbers…” is all the PVM-20L5 operating instructions say about it5, and the LMD-9050/9030/9020 manual opens with the same sentence24. A 2012 thread asking how to read Sony model numbers got the consumer-set prefixes and screen sizes and nothing else; nobody could decode the pro lines12. The one collector attempt at a key cites no Sony source13.

So the honest frame: the prefix, the size and the region suffix are Sony-documented; the series letter and the grade digit are readable from Sony’s model lists but never defined by Sony; everything else is inference and is labeled as such. The strips below carry a tag per generation so a reader always knows which is which.

Lit in the fleet, links the profile Sony-documented stated in a Sony document Pattern consistent across Sony’s model lists, never defined Open question no document found yet

Anatomy of a badge

Three badges, pulled apart. The lit segments are the ones the rest of this page explains.

PVMline
-
20CRT size
Lseries
5tier
BVMline
-
Dgeneration
14CRT size
Htube
5controls built in
Umarket
BVMline
-
Ageneration
24CRT size
Etube
1display unit
W16:9
Umarket
SlotSony saysPatternExample
LinePVM, BVM, LMD are Sony’s catalog headings; BKM is the accessory prefix—PVM-20L5
GenerationBVM-D “DTV ready”; BVM-A “successor to the BVM-D Series”1,2Earlier BVMs carry no generation letterBVM-D14H5U
Size“Refers to the CRT size,” not the picture1Four-digit PVMs fold the size into the first digitsPVM-20L5 · PVM-2950Q
Series / tubeE/F pitch and line count printed in the E/F manual3; M2 vs M4, L1/L2/L5 described per model5,6,16,17Sony never says “E means…”; it never reuses a letter for a different tube eitherPVM-20L5 · BVM-20E1U
DigitBVM: 1 = “display unit,” 5 = “stand-alone”1,2,3PVM: the tier within a series (M2 < M4, L1 < L2 < L5)BVM-D14H1U vs D14H5U
W“16:9 aspect HR Trinitron CRTs … exclusively for the BVM-D32E1WU and BVM-D24E1WU”1On LCDs, the widescreen panelsBVM-A24E1WU · LMD-940W
MarketU, E, J named in the manuals’ compliance pages3,23No suffix usually means the Japanese or all-areas listingBVM-20E1U

The line: PVM, BVM, LMD, BKM, AMS

PrefixWhat it isSource
PVMSony’s production monitor. Every PVM files under “Professional Monitors” in Sony’s catalogs, and the CCTV catalog carried the security tier. “Professional Video Monitor” is how collectors and this site expand it; no Sony brochure opened spells the initials out.1,4,8
BVMThe master and reference line — “a full and consistent line of master-grade CRT monitors” in the BVM-A brochure; the D brochure splits it into master monitors (32/24/20) and picture monitors (14/9). “Broadcast Video Monitor” is the collector expansion; Sony’s heading is “Broadcast and Professional Monitors.”1,2
LMDThe professional LCD line, branded LUMA in Sony’s own press material. Sony does not expand “LMD.”9,14
BKMThe prefix on every accessory for BVMs and late PVMs — option boards, control units, probes, memory cards, rack kits. It is an accessory family, not a card prefix; the cards themselves are on the BKM reference.1,2,3
AMSThe audio monitor speaker — the plate reads “Audio Monitor Speaker,” per the monograph, which has its own rulings and is not repeated here.15

Size: the number is the CRT, not the picture

Sony’s footnote on every brochure: “32”, 24”, 20”, 14” and 9” refer to the CRT size. For viewable area, measured diagonally, please refer to the specifications.”1 A 20L5 is a 19-inch picture; a 14F5U is 13⅛ inches; the 29-inch PVM-2950Q shows 271,2,7. Two-digit sizes are the rule from the D series on; the four-digit PVMs (1354, 1944, 2950, 8045) fold the size into the leading digits and use the rest as the model within that size — a pattern across every four-digit PVM in Sony’s catalogs4,10,11. The LMD line does the same with a trailing zero: 9050, 9020, 9030 are 9-inch; 2030W, 2050W, 2450W are 20 and 249,14. Drawn to Sony’s dimensions, the whole fleet is on the monitors page.

The series letter, by family

This is where the badge turns into a spec sheet. Sony never defines the letter, but it never reuses one for a different tube either. Each strip runs oldest to newest; lit models are in the fleet.

PVMProduction monitors

Q series1980s – mid 1990s
PVM-1354QPVM-1910QPVM-1944QPVM-2950Q

Four color systems — NTSC, PAL, SECAM and NTSC 4.43 — in Sony’s own words on every Q manual. Standard Trinitron, 350–600 TV lines.

Sony-documented
M series1997
PVM-14M2UPVM-14M4UPVM-20M2UPVM-20M4U

M2 is a 600-line Trinitron with a dark-tint tube; M4 is the HR Trinitron at 800 lines with SMPTE-C phosphors.

Sony-documented
N series2000s · security
PVM-14N6UPVM-20N6U

500 TV lines in a metal cabinet, sold through the CCTV catalog.

Sony-documented
L series2002 – 2007
PVM-9L1PVM-14L1PVM-20L1PVM-9L2PVM-14L2PVM-20L2PVM-14L5PVM-20L5

L1 is the entry 600-line set; L2 adds an option slot; L5 is the multiformat HR Trinitron, 800-plus lines, 15–45 kHz.

Sony-documented

Reading the PVM digit: within a series the digit is the tier — M2 below M4, L1 below L2 below L5 — and Sony’s brochures state the tube difference each time5,6,16,17. It is not a year and not a revision. Two more PVM markers: the Japan-market L5 carried a leading D (PVM-D20L5J), and a second D before the J marked a built-in SD/HD-SDI decoder (PVM-D20L5DJ)18; MD on an M2 or L2 is the medical variant of the same chassis, which Olympus also rebadged19.

BVMBroadcast and master monitors

E / F generation1990s
BVM-14E1BVM-14E5BVM-14F1BVM-14F5BVM-20E1UBVM-20F1

The tube letter follows the size: E is the finer grille, F the step down. The digit after it: 1 = display unit that needs a BKM-10R, 5 = controls built in.

Sony-documented
G generationlate 1990s
BVM-14G1BVM-14G5BVM-20G1

Controlled from the same BKM-10R system as the E and F. No Sony document opened so far gives the G tube’s pitch or line count.

Open question
D generation1999 – 2000
BVM-D9H1BVM-D9H5BVM-D14H1BVM-D14H5BVM-D20F1BVM-D24E1WBVM-D32E1W

“DTV ready,” multiformat 15.6–45 kHz. H marks the picture-monitor tube; W marks a 16:9 CRT.

Sony-documented
A generation2003 – 2008
BVM-A14F5UBVM-A20F1BVM-A24E1WBVM-A32E1W

Sony’s successor to the D: Ethernet control, and BKM-6x cards that fit nothing earlier.

Sony-documented

The E/F/G/A letters sit in two places and mean two things. Before the size they are the generation: D, then A. After the size they are the tube, and Sony’s E/F manual prints the table that defines it3:

ModelAperture grille pitchCenter resolution
BVM-14E1 / 14E50.22 mm900 TV lines
BVM-14F1 / 14F50.25 mm800 TV lines
BVM-20E10.25 mm1000 TV lines
BVM-20F10.30 mm900 TV lines

So E is the finer tube and F the step down: at the same size, E beats F by a hundred lines3. The D and A generations keep the letters — D20F1 at 0.30 mm and 900 lines, D24E1W at 0.25 mm and 1000, A20F1U at 0.30 mm1,2. H is the picture-monitor tube on the D9 and D14: 0.25 mm, 800 lines at 14 inches, 450 at 9, and the 9-inch is the only BVM tube with P-22 rather than SMPTE-C phosphors1. The G generation sits between F and D and is controlled from the same BKM-10R system1,3; its tube spec is in no document opened for this page.

The digit after the tube letter is Sony-stated, three times over. The D brochure: “Display unit (BVM-D14H1U/D9H1U) and stand-alone (BVM-D14H5U/D9H5U) monitors”1. The E/F manual: the 20E1/20F1/14E1/14F1 “are controlled by a separate control unit, such as a BKM-10R Monitor Control Unit,” while the 14E5/14F5 have the panel built in3. Sony Japan’s D-series release calls the D14H1J a display unit and the D14H5J an integrated-control model21; the BVM-A spec table says “Display unit” for the A20F1U and “Stand-alone monitor” for the A14F5U2. 1 = display unit, needs a BKM-10R, 11R or 15R. 5 = stand-alone, controls built in. Every 20-inch and larger BVM is a 1; the 14s and 9s came both ways. The practical consequence is on the BVM-20E1U profile: without its BKM-10R there is no way to adjust the monitor.

Earlier BVMs — the 1911, 2010, 2011P — used the four-digit PVM-style numbering; the tube-letter system starts with the E/F generation22.

LMDLUMA professional LCDs

The 9-inch run2004 – 2011
LMD-9020LMD-9030LMD-9050

One Sony manual covers all three: the 9050 is the XGA panel with HD/D1-SDI, the 9030 is VGA with D1-SDI, the 9020 is VGA with no SDI. Sony states the differences, not what the digits mean.

Pattern
Widescreen2007 –
LMD-2030WLMD-2050WLMD-2450WLMD-940W

W lands on the wide panels — 1920×1200 and 1680×1050 on the 20s and 24s, 800×480 on the 9-inch.

Pattern

The region suffix

SuffixMarketSony evidenceSource
UUSA / CanadaThe D-series manual addresses “For the customers in USA (BVM-D20F1U, BVM-D24E1WU, BVM-D32E1WU)”; the D brochure is headed “NTSC area” and lists only U models; the 2950Q service manual: “US Model / Canadian Model: PVM-2950Q.” U-model BVMs use SMPTE-C phosphors.1,3,7,23
EEurope (CE marking)“For the customers in Europe (BVM-D20F1E…)”; E-model BVMs use EBU phosphors — the E/F manual prints separate chromaticity tables for E and U units.3,23
JJapanSony Japan’s releases list every model with a J: BVM-D32E1WJ, D14H5J, PVM-D20L5DJ. J-model BVMs are specified with EBU phosphors, like E.18,21
Q / QMFour-standard PVMsQ is the US/Canadian model, QM the export one: “AEP Model: PVM-2950QM, Aus Model: PVM-2950QM.” Both display NTSC, PAL, SECAM and NTSC 4.43. AEP is Sony’s own destination label, left as printed.7
PPAL-market early BVMsAppears on the 2011P and 1410P in collector lists; no Sony document opened for this page.community20

A model with no suffix in a Sony document is usually the Japanese-domestic or all-areas listing — the PVM-1944Q manual, for instance, carries none10. The D-series manual also groups an A suffix with E under “customers in Europe” without saying what differs; it is left out of the table for that reason23.

BKM: reading a card number

Sony never explains BKM numbers either, but its own card names make the letters legible — a pattern across every card title in the brochures1,2,3. The number is a family; the letter is a function.

DigitsFamily (which chassis)Source
2x, 4xHDBVM-E/F/G and the 20–32-inch BVM-D (BKM-20D to 28X; 41HD, 42HD, 48X)1,3
1xx9- and 14-inch BVM-D, PVM-L5, PVM-L2 (120D, 127W, 129X, 142HD, 150CP, 155DV, 126M)1,5,16
6xBVM-A only — “The BVM-A Series input boards are not compatible with other earlier BVM Series monitors” (61D, 62HS, 68X)2
2xx, 3xxLMD (LUMA) LCDs (220D, 227W, 229X, 243HS; 320D)14
LetterReads asSony’s own card names
DDecoder (SDI)BKM-20D “SDI 4:2:2 Decoder Adaptor,” BKM-120D, BKM-61D “SDI/Analog Multi Input Adaptor”
XExpansion — extra inputs, no decoderBKM-22X “SDI Input Expansion,” 28X “Analog Input Expansion,” 129X and 68X “Analog Component Input Adaptor”
N / P / M / TNTSC / PAL / PAL-M / tri-standard decodersBKM-24N, 25P, 26M, 27T
WNTSC and PAL (“world”) composite inputBKM-127W, 227W “NTSC/PAL Input Adaptor”
HD / HSHD-SDI / HD and SD SDIBKM-41HD, 142HD, 62HS “HDSDI/SDI Input Adaptor,” 243HS
CP / DVSDTI-CP / DV (i.LINK)BKM-150CP, 155DV
RRemote (control unit)BKM-10R, 11R, 15R
Y / L / H / EMemory card / probe / attachment kit / rack kitBKM-12Y, 14L, 32H–36H, 30E20

Nothing in the number says which slot. That is what the BKM card reference is for.

Worked examples: the fleet’s own badges

BadgeReads
PVM-20L5Production monitor, 20-inch CRT, L series top tier (5): HR Trinitron, 800-plus TV lines, multiformat 15–45 kHz, one option slot. Japan sold it as PVM-D20L5J, and with SDI built in as PVM-D20L5DJ.
PVM-2950QProduction monitor, 29-inch CRT, four-standard (Q) — NTSC, PAL, SECAM, NTSC 4.43 — US/Canadian model (export units are 2950QM). 600 TV lines.
BVM-20E1UBroadcast monitor, pre-D generation, 20-inch, E tube (0.25 mm, 1000 TV lines — the finest 20-inch Sony made), 1 = display unit that needs its BKM-10R, U = US, SMPTE-C phosphor.
BVM-A14F5UBroadcast monitor, A generation (Ethernet control, BKM-6x cards only), 14-inch, F tube (0.25 mm, 800 lines), 5 = stand-alone with built-in controls, U = US.
LMD-9050 / 9030 / 9020 / 940WLUMA LCDs, 9-inch. Sony’s one manual for the three 90x0s sets them apart by panel and SDI — XGA with HD/D1-SDI, VGA with D1-SDI, VGA with none — and the 940W is the widescreen panel.

Quick answers

What do the letters in a Sony PVM model number mean?

The prefix is the line (PVM production, BVM broadcast and master, LMD LCD), the number is the CRT size, the letter is the series — Q four-standard, M and L production tiers, N security — the digit is the grade within the series (M2 600 lines, M4 800; L1, L2, L5), and the last letter is the market (U USA, E Europe, J Japan). Sony never published a key; this is what its manuals show.

What is the difference between a BVM-D14H1U and a BVM-D14H5U?

Controls. Sony calls the 1 a “display unit” — it needs a BKM-10R control unit — and the 5 a “stand-alone monitor” with the control panel built in. The tube and inputs are the same.

What does the U or E at the end mean?

The market it was sold into: U is USA/Canada, E is Europe (CE-marked), J is Japan. On BVMs it also sets the phosphor: U units are SMPTE-C, E and J units are EBU.

What does Q mean on a PVM?

Every Q model displays four color systems — NTSC, PAL, SECAM and NTSC 4.43 — and Sony’s manuals say so in those words. QM is the export version of the same monitor.

Is a BVM “E” better than an “F”?

At the same size, yes: Sony’s own table gives the 14E a 0.22 mm grille and 900 TV lines against the 14F’s 0.25 mm and 800; the 20E1 reaches 1000 lines where the 20F1 reaches 900.

Sources

Where this page says “Sony says,” the words are from a Sony manual or brochure below; where it says “pattern,” the reading is ours and the models it rests on are named. If you have a Sony document that defines any of these letters, the contact form is open.

  1. Sony Electronics, BVM-D Series Professional Monitors brochure, NTSC area, 2000 (MK7317V3TC00MAR). archive.org/details/bvm_dseries
  2. Sony, BVM-A Series Broadcast and Professional Monitors brochure. archive.org/details/sony_BVM-A_series
  3. Sony, BVM-14E1E/14E1U/14E5E/14E5U/14F1E/14F1U/14F5E/14F5U/20E1E/20E1U/20F1E/20F1U, BKM-10R — Operation and Maintenance Manual, 1st ed. archive.org
  4. Sony, CCTV Systems / Network Video Surveillance catalog 2000–2001 (PVM-14N6U/20N6U, 8045Q, 2950Q). archive.org
  5. Sony, Multiformat PVM-14L5 / PVM-20L5 Operating Instructions. archive.org
  6. Sony, PVM-M Series brochure, 1997 (PVM-14M2U/14M4U/20M2U/20M4U). archive.org
  7. Sony, PVM-2950Q / 2950QM Service Manual (US / Canadian / AEP / Australian model table). archive.org
  8. Same as 4 — the PVM-N6U security-tier specifications.
  9. Sony Marketing Japan, press release 2007-03-20, LUMA LMD-2450W/2050W/2030W. sony.jp
  10. Sony, PVM-1944Q / PVM-1942Q Operating Instructions, 1989 (3-750-719-21). archive.org
  11. Sony, PVM-1910Q sales sheet. archive.org
  12. Videokarma forum, “How to read Sony model numbers?”, 2012–13 — consumer KV decoding only; establishes the absence of a pro key. videokarma.org
  13. ConsoleMods wiki, AV: Sony Model Prefixes — a community key with no Sony citations. consolemods.org
  14. Sony, LMD-940W Operating Instructions, 2009 (4-134-739-11). archive.org
  15. Orlandu’s Arcade, Sony AMS-100: A Technical Monograph — the plate reading and the (SY) sales-region note.
  16. Sony Electronics, PVM-L2 Series Quick Spec, 2003. archive.org
  17. Sony Electronics, PVM-L1 Series sheet, 2003 (U edition). archive.org
  18. Sony Marketing Japan, press release 2002-11-11, PVM-D20L5DJ / PVM-D14L5DJ. sony.jp
  19. Olympus / Sony, OEV143 / OEV203 (PVM-M2) manual, Russian edition. archive.org
  20. Retro Gaming Cables, Professional RGB monitor compatibility list — model spellings with MD, QM and P suffixes as reported by owners. Community source.
  21. Sony Marketing Japan, press release 2000-03-09, BVM-D32E1WJ and the D-series J lineup. sony.jp
  22. Archive.org catalog entries for the BVM-1911 Operation and Service Manual and BVM-2811 Service Manual — the existence of four-digit BVMs only.
  23. Sony, BVM-D20F1U/E/A, D24E1WU/E/A, D32E1WU/E/A Operation Manual, 1st ed. rev. 7. archive.org
  24. Sony, LMD-9050 / LMD-9030 / LMD-9020 Operating Instructions, 2006 (2-593-389-11) — one manual for all three; Features and Specifications pages. sony.com

How to cite: Orlandu’s Arcade (“Orlandu81”), Sony PVM, BVM & LMD Model Numbers Decoded, orlandu.com, 2026.

The BKM card reference →   PVM vs. BVM →   Compare two monitors →