If you had an 19" and 27" TV what would you use?

[bmb]

I know this is more  a personal opinion thing but I was curious on some feedback...

I have two old CRT TV's a 19" and 27" Sony.  They are both heavy as hell with the 27" twice as heavy as hell.  Both only support s-video unfortunately.    I was initially going to use the 19" for my first 2-person cab build.  But after doing some reading someone remarked that vertical games with a bigger monitor (mounted horizontal) looked great.  I tried it and it's true, will look almost like a full-size vertical monitor behind some tinted glass.   

My cab is going to be a "standard" 2 player upright with some usb ports on the side for game controllers on the rare occasion we have 4 players. 

1)  Should I stick to simple and light weight (19") for my first cab attempt.
2)  Is 27" monitor overkill when standing so close on a 2 person cab?
3)  I don't think the wider cab would increase material cost too much.  Is this true?

Thoughts?

Thanks.

[Hoopz]

27" is my vote.  That's what I used in my first cabinet and wouldn't want to play on anything smaller.

Cutting a few extra inches won't add to the cost that much.  Just plan ahead and make sure each cut is correct.  It's not simpler to go smaller, it's just smaller. 

I don't think you'll be too close.  The best thing to do is determine how close you'll be to the monitor, then set each up and see what you think.  If possible, hook up the computer to the TV and "play" a game at that distance.  Maybe use the keyboard just to see what it's like to look at 19" at that distance and 27" at the same distance.

[JustMichael]

bmb,
If you stick the 19" TV in the upright cabinet, you will soon be wishing you had put the 27" TV in instead.  Besides, save the 19" for your following project, the bartop cabinet... 

[saint]

bmb,
If you stick the 19" TV in the upright cabinet, you will soon be wishing you had put the 27" TV in instead.  Besides, save the 19" for your following project, the bartop cabinet... 

 

[mrtuesday42]

i have a 25 " arcade monitor in a standard size cab. so if you decased i think you just barely make it if you are doing a retrofit, if its a scratch built you dont really have to worry. even with a smaller monitor you still need an almost equal amount of space for the cp, so its more the cp that dictates how wide the arcade needs to be. so go big

besides you are probably going to want the 19 for a bartop or a secondary vertical cabinet

[Smeghead]

sometimes size IS important, no matter what women say

[mrtuesday42]

size is ALWAYS important but bigger isnt always better...

[bmb]

Thanks for the replies...  You guys confirmed what I was coming around to...    Now I just need to make sure I don't throw my back out getting it into the cabinet...   If no one regrets going with a bigger screen I might as well go with it from the start.

[Smeghead]

I removed the plastic back to my 25" tv so I could fit it easily and accurately, dealing only with a light plastic rear cover.
Then after I had the mounting hardware in position and ready I put the back on the tv and slotted it in.
Just a suggestion so you dont have to lift the whole TV in and out 10 times while you get the fitment right.
See my build link below for pics

[Trebeck]

I vote for the 27"

Whatever you do, don't built a cab for a 27" and stick a 19" in there with a thick bezel.  Guh.... blasphemy.


btw s-video only really sucks when your in the Windows environment.

[nickynooch]

1)  Should I stick to simple and light weight (19") for my first cab attempt.
2)  Is 27" monitor overkill when standing so close on a 2 person cab?
3)  I don't think the wider cab would increase material cost too much.  Is this true?

1. No, 27 inch is WAY better.  Mine has a 27 inch TV, and it's awesome.
2. I thought it may be an issue, but it's not at all strangely enough.  Plus it's great for if you ever wanna add light gun games.
3. The material cost difference is next to nothing.  I wouldn't really worry about that at all in the decision.  Unless around 10 bucks makes or breaks your decision.

[Smeghead]

bmb,
If you stick the 19" TV in the upright cabinet, you will soon be wishing you had put the 27" TV in instead.  Besides, save the 19" for your following project, the bartop cabinet... 

damn your avatar now I really want some cheesecake   

[DeLuSioNal29]

"vertical games with a bigger monitor (mounted horizontal) looked great"

I'd have to disagree with this statement.  I have a 27" monitor and most vertical games look curved on the left and right sides on my horizontal setup.  I was so unhappy with it that I'm in the process of building a new dedicated vertical machine (with a 19" monitor by the way - mounted sideways)

D

[bmb]

"vertical games with a bigger monitor (mounted horizontal) looked great"

I'd have to disagree with this statement.  I have a 27" monitor and most vertical games look curved on the left and right sides on my horizontal setup.  I was so unhappy with it that I'm in the process of building a new dedicated vertical machine (with a 19" monitor by the way - mounted sideways)

D

That is interesting you say that...   Are you stretching the output (fill the screen)?   Or does the tube have an excessive curve? 

Well maybe I have a future project with my 19"...    Although I'm not sure I can put a Sony trinitron on it's side but that's a problem for later...

[sherbert]

I'd say 27".  I mounted a 27" TV vertically in a cabinet that would have used a 19" monitor. I had to move the control panel back because it felt too close, but the larger screen is way better.

[severdhed]

i'm torn on this subject....i guess it depends on the cabinet you are putting it in.  my first cabinet has a 19" LCD, it was a simple 2 player cabinet.  i didn't build it, i used an empty cabinet i picked up cheap, it originally had a 19" arcade monitor, so the 19" fit well.  you'd never get a 27" monitor in there.   i later came across a 27" tv that i wanted to use in a cabinet. i was going to put in in a cut-corner dynamo cabinet, but  i found that in a standard type cabinet, it felt too close, it was hard to focus on.  i ended up putting it in a showcase cabinet and it worked out great.  having played alot of arcade games recently, alot of them with large monitors seem to hurt my eyes when they are so close.  so for a standard upright, i'd prefer a smaller monitor.

[BurgerKingDiamond]

S-video is more than good enough for playing games. It actually looks really good. You will just need to enlarge the font sizes for navigating in Windows. Definately gor for the 27". And if you really want to do something special, decase it and go for a dedicated 27" vertical cab. If you're into shmups, like I am, you can't go wrong with that setup.

[JustMichael]

bmb,
If you stick the 19" TV in the upright cabinet, you will soon be wishing you had put the 27" TV in instead.  Besides, save the 19" for your following project, the bartop cabinet... 

damn your avatar now I really want some cheesecake   

 

[jasonbar]

My cabinet started life as a Simpsons long ago, which used to have a 25" monitor.  I fit a Betson 27" monitor in there with just a little hacking.  I love it.  Nice & big, and vertical games look good too.  My control panel is rather large (which sets me back a few inches from the monitor), & my monitor is angled a bit, so I don't feel too close to the screen.

I don't ever plan on building another cab, so I went big all around, to try to accommodate as many types of games & controllers as possible.   

Thanks,
-Jason