32 inch CRT. Too big?

[Donkbaca]

I got a free 32 inch with composite, and s-video, super nice picture, 4:3 CRT TV.  Is it too big for a non-showcase cab?

[ahofle]

Just my opinion, but I would say too big for non-showcase.  Even 27" is pushing the limit to me.

[RayB]

yeah, too big

[Popcorrin]

You could do it, but you will need to design a cab with a deep control panel or maybe slope the monitor a good bit in order to get some separation from the players viewpoint and the monitor.

[BadMouth]

Easy rule of thumb is the monitor needs to be as far from your eyes as it's size.
32" TV = at least 32" from your eyeballs to the screen.

You could build a mini-showcase.  Not as deep as a regular one, but just big enough to put you far enough away from the screen.

I use a 32" tv for my main setup (not a cab, but very functional).
I really like it, especially for gun games.

[Vigo]

If this is a TV with standard hookups, I would think you could just test it out. Can you just grab something with VGA output, like a nintendo, and just try playing 15-20" from the screen? See if it gets difficult or not.

I personally never had a problem with too big of a screen, but I guess my crappy eyesight is either the cause or effect of that.

[jasonbar]

I agree--32" is pretty big for a cabinet.

I have a 27" in my MAME cab (based on a Simpsons cabinet) & I wouldn't want to go any bigger when I'm standing that close to it.

Thanks,
-Jason

[bkenobi]

I've got a 27" and there are some games that require me to move my head and not just my eyes to see the action.  I would think the rule should be if you have to move your head to see the screen comfortably, then it's just too big.

[Donkbaca]

I won't go showcase cab, they just take up too much space.  I do like the size of the screen for gun games though.  I may ditch it and see what else is around.  CRT TV's are easy to find, but finding one with auto power on and s video is harder than I thought. 

[ahofle]

If you have a console lying around, hook it up and sit a couple feet away from the screen and try playing.  Then you'll know if you like it or not.

[Donkbaca]

Its not so much for me as it is other people, if other people hate playing on the cab, then all my work will be for nil

[Baldark]

I had a 27 inch in my centuri cabinet and after about two hours of playing street fighter alpha 3, I would have to stop playing because my eyes hurt too much.  It's even worse when I played super street fighter 4 on it.
I'm going to make a showcase for my 32 inch hd tv.

[Malenko]

I put one in a KI2 cab.....


sideways.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Sideways... brilliant.  It's probably easier to run Horizontal games on a vertical monitor too correct?  Rather than the other way around when you have to screw around with vertical settings and such.  How big would Horizontal games be?

D

[Malenko]

just a hair under 25" like 24.5"

[Donkbaca]

Can you post a few more pics of the horizontal games?  How do you like that setup?  I am thinking that may be the way to go, then you can put smoked glass in front of it and you wouldn't even notice the borders that much.  Do you have a link to your build?  How did you mount it?

Thanks!

[leapinlew]

Damn Malenko...

How many people did it take to mount that thing?

[upprc04]

Can you post a few more pics of the horizontal games?  How do you like that setup?  I am thinking that may be the way to go, then you can put smoked glass in front of it and you wouldn't even notice the borders that much.  Do you have a link to your build?  How did you mount it?

Thanks!

Here's the link with a few more pictures: http://tinyurl.com/thom05

[Malenko]

Damn Malenko...

How many people did it take to mount that thing?

well I cold have done it by myself, but my uncle helped. We measured (twice) and drilled the holes in the side and put the brackets in. Laid the machine on its side and screwed it into the mounts.then stood it up while praying. the TV PCB board is mounted into the side with 2 screws.

the tiny URL works, but the direct link is here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=97260.0

I can take more pictures if you'd like.

[Donkbaca]

Have you figured out a way to run emulators on it?  I want to run the SNES and NES ones....

[Malenko]

Have you figured out a way to run emulators on it?  I want to run the SNES and NES ones....

yeah, it runs a script to rotate the desktop since the console emulators wont let me rotate like MAME does. When I exit the emu it rotates back. it was a pain but would be MUCH easier if Kega and ZSnes would allow me to rotate. But honestly I almost never play consoles on the cab, thats what the xbox runing the emulators is for on my TV

[Frigo]

FWIW, I have a 36" monitor that I now wish I didn't have.

[ahofle]

Very interesting Malenko.  How do the horizontal games look? Kinda hard to tell from the pictures.

[severdhed]

i also agree that a monitor that size is too large for anything but a showcase cabinet.  personally i like 19" monitors for an upright cabinet, i think that even the 25/27" monitors are sometimes too big at that distance (depends on the way the cabinet is designed).  i have a 27" in my showcase and it is great at that distance...i can't imagine being any closer to it, it hurts my eyes.

although that KI cabinet with the rotated monitor looks pretty sweet

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

... (depends on the way the cabinet is designed) ...

This. I had a 31" Destination in my first cab (http://quarterheaven.livejournal.com/) and no one ever complained about the size of the monitor being too big.   Maybe I just have a lot of blind friends! 

That said, that cab was a big ol' beast. Not nearly as much of a footprint as a true Showcase-style cab, but it was big.  My new apartment simply didn't have the space for it...  :'(  I've always thought Malenko's solution is a unique and effective one, and especially if vert games are your "thing."

[Donkbaca]

Ryori, how big was your CP?  I am already about done with my CP, and don't want to make a new one.  How far from the monitor is the CP on the KI cab?

[Malenko]

Very interesting Malenko.  How do the horizontal games look? Kinda hard to tell from the pictures.

to stop thread jacking, Ive updated my thread, took some more pix, if theres a particular game you wanna see, LMK

[Donkbaca]

No, please feel free to thread jack. 

[ahofle]

How is that threadjacking?  The OP is trying to determine the feasibility of using a 32" monitor.  Your pics would be more than relevant.

[Malenko]

well when I borrow my GFs good camera I'll post some pix in here, I'll leave my crappy iphone pix in my project thread, lol

[Donkbaca]

What did you use for your bezel?  Did you decase the TV?  I am afraid to decase mine.  I think this may well work, like I said, if you put some smoked tempered glass so that the image "floats" in the screen, it should look pretty cool.  I am making a scratch build cab, the main things I am concerned about are decasing and mounting the tv...

[Malenko]

TV is decased, instead of a bezel I just put black shelf paper on the front and back of the monitor glass (rather then paint it) so if I ever get another working 25" arcade montior, I can revert this back to KI2 pretty easily.