LCD/LED Monitor Selection for new build.. Vert/Horiz. best approximation..

[bperkins01]

Hi Everyone,

New to this group. My quick story - Centipede was my game..  Could play an hour on a quarter in college.  Usually between dinner and studying..  Every time I see one now..  I brush off the rust for a while and play..  last week I was at a trade show and they had a real one.. that was a bit broken..  trackball barely worked etc.   Every time I play I tell myself - I'm going to build a Mame cabinet and get it over with..  The broken frustrating machine did me in..

So here I am working on getting all of the components decided so I can design a cabinet.  I quickly figured out the Vertical vs. Horizontal monitor issue - but have not stumbled upon a happy medium of a solution yet..

All that said - I *think* a modern day LCD that will get pretty close would be a 16:9 x 28" Monitor with some boarders?
I found this site that was a help.
http://www.displaywars.com/19-inch-4x3-vs-28-inch-16x9

There seem to be many options - but most of the monitors are discontinued or hard to find (ex: 16:10 x 27" is a nice option - but not really available or a large 5:4 screen)

Like anyone - I want the best of both worlds..  but if I can get a size that will reasonably cover vertical and horizontal games - that would be best.  I've done a lot of search - but there are so many threads that overlap - it hasn't been easy to find a clear answer.

I have quite a bit figured out - but I know monitor size really determines a lot about how the cabinet is designed.
Thanks in advance!
Bob

[mourix]

Very awesome of you to build an arcade to get that centipede fix! As for your monitor quest...truth is that there are so many different games that there is no single best monitor to get.

If you just want centipede and early 80's games, there is no way around a vertical 4:3 19 inch monitor for that authentic vibe. Would fit perfectly in a compact and classy cabinet like the original.

A midway point could be 24 inch 16:10 monitor which is still attainable and would keep the cabinet relatively compact, while still functional for all games.

And then there is the recently popular option of going all out with a 16:9 28-32 inch screen with huge control panel and all the bells and whistles. This would make you play any imaginable game, but it's far away from that simple game of centipede.

Your choice

[bperkins01]

Thanks for the response

You are validating my research.  The 4:3 19" vertical shows 15.2" screen (I'm not sure if that is accurate for actual viewable area.. I don't have an old school machine to measure)

I found new 30" 16:10 screens that would allow the vertical hight for vertical games and have boarders for the horizontal ones.. super expensive.
The much less expensive 32" 16:9 will provide the 15.69" vertical and will be plenty wide..  I'm not a super purist (which I fully understand)  if Centipede is pretty close - I'll live..  all my friends are putting in their game requests.

I do plan on a dual set of controls for 2 player games - so maybe that is the way to go..  32" wide..


Project Arcade: Build Your Own Arcade Machine.  Just arrived - was well reviewed and should fill in a few blanks..

Getting a monitor that will work well for vertical and horizontal is my sticking point so far..  woodworking, wiring, sketchup for designing a cabinet.. no problem..
I'm no artist either as far as graphics go ..  but we'll see what happens there..
Thanks!
Bob

[mourix]

No worries! I've done lots of research too, but both horizontal and vertical leads to lots of compromise...

Personally I am not a fan of 32 inch screens for just 2 players because of the low pixel density but you might make it work.

There is also my favorite option I forgot to mention: a 25 inch 4:3 CRT, which is about the same vertical space as a 19 inch one. That option seems daunting but will blow all other options out of the water!

Have fun with the book and build

[lettuce]

You could mount the screen vertically that way you can keep to normal arcade width dimensions. A 42" LCD mounted vertically should give you approx a 24" display for horizontal games, just make sure you get a LCD that has good viewing angles, ideally 173° or higher