So after I got done with my UMK3 restore/mame hybrid, I've been kicking around the idea of a bartop. However after spending $700+ on a WG 9000 lcd for UMK3 machine I'm not sure i'm willing to part with that much money for a bartop.
I started testing my LCD's I have for compatiblity with Calamity's Groovy Mame+Powerstrip method of variable refresh rates at native resolution.
So far I have tested 2 of them, and both will refresh at a custom refresh rate at 1920x1080
Viewsonic Va2223wm 21.5 LCD monitor: reports refresh rate with 3 digits of accuracy XX.X
Asus VH222h 22" LCD monitor: reports refresh rate with 2 digits of accuracy XX
I think that this new method of variable refresh@native resolution is an important step towards making LCD's a viable solution to CRT replacement.
Setting this up to test your monitor is very simple
Download calamity's newest mame build
http://mame.groovy.org/WindowsATIDrivers/groovymame64_0145u4.013f.rarDownload newest version of Powerstrip
http://entechtaiwan.com/files/pstrip.exeInstall Powerstrip and leave the default settings
Extract Groovy Mame to a fresh folder to avoid over-writing your current setup, rename groovymame64_0145u4.013f.exe to mame.exe for ease of use
Run command line
Mame -cc
to create a new mame.ini
Edit the mame.ini in these sections to turn on the variable refresh rate
replace the bold area's with the proper information for your monitor, in the monitor_specs0 line the last 2 sets of numbers should be your monitors last 3-4 digits of it's native resolution IE 1920x
1080#
# CORE SWITCHRES OPTIONS
#
modeline 1
monitor lcd
monitor_connector auto
monitor_orientation horizontal
monitor_aspect
XX:Xmonitor_debug 0
monitor_doublescan 1
monitor_dotclock 0
monitor_ymin 0
cleanstretch 0
changeres 1
redraw 0
monitor_specs0 29000.00-50000.00,50.00-70.00,0.636,3.813,1.906,0.318,0.064,1.048,0,0,
XXXX,
XXXX monitor_specs1 auto
monitor_specs2 auto
monitor_specs3 auto
monitor_specs4 auto
monitor_specs5 auto
monitor_specs6 auto
monitor_specs7 auto
magic_resolution auto
powerstrip 1
#
# WINDOWS VIDEO OPTIONS
#
video d3d
numscreens 1
window 0
maximize 1
keepaspect 0
prescale 1
waitvsync 1
menu 0
save the INI, now your all set up to test things out
Just run mame with whatever game you would like to try a few good ones are, MK,donpachi,loht,mpatrol.
Check your monitor's OSD info for what it reports as the refresh rate and compare that to F11 inside mame if mame reports 100% no frame-skip and your monitor is reporting a refresh rate close to what is expected congrats you have a monitor that is suitable to be put into an arcade machine.
If however your monitor goes all wonky or reports out of range better luck next time.
Lets get this list of compatible monitor's going especially for all those Bar-Tops out there.