Is a flatscreen CRT monitor better/best for a cocktail cab?

[Zebidee]

Hi all, I've been a regular here for ages but haven't posted in a while as I haven't been building cabs. However, I'd appreciate some advice as I'm looking to build a new cocktail cabinet (maybe more than one) soon, and am planning to install a 20/21" arcade monitor in it. The biggest issue is that I don't have a CRT tube for the monitor yet!

I have the arcade monitor chassis right here and ready-to-go. It is a "Sharpfocus" generic chassis specifically designed to hook up with a TV tube around 20-21". The chassis was in brand new condition and worked 100% last time I tested it, about 6-7 or so years ago, then I moved countries and had to throw out a lot of stuff. So I threw out the CRT tube but kept the chassis! It has been living in a box since, with the original tube characteristics written on the side of the box.

So now I find myself again hunting for a CRT tube to suit this chassis. There are still some stores selling small generic-branded CRT TVs around 17-21"(no big ones) being sold for around $65-$85 (US equivalent) here in Thailand, which is great. My experience with arcade monitors suggests that my chassis will probably suit almost any tube from a small TV around 20-21" size (though not guaranteed). These tubes usually have the same number of neck pins and very similar yoke impedance values (but who knows for sure?). But my questions do not concern this kind of technical matter (yet), otherwise I'd have posted in the monitor/video branch.

My questions arise because I see there are TWO kinds of 20-21" CRT TVs available - traditional curved screen CRTs but also *flat screen* CRTs. It occurs to me that a flat screen CRT might be better for a cocktail cab as the monitor would be mounted horizontally and the viewing angle is honestly not great unless you bend right over it, and the screen curving away from you would not help at all.

What do you think? What would be better? Should I go the flat screen... or not? Why?

Cheers, Zebidee

PS - if the worst thing that happens is the TV tube won't work with my chassis, and I waste my $$, then that is a risk I'm prepared to take.

[Osirus23]

I've only used curved CRTs in cocktails, but I've seen LCDs used and the flat screen looks pretty good in them. I would think a flat screen CRT would combine the best of both worlds and be a good choice.

[nitrogen_widget]

Flat CRT's usually have a better picture plus svideo or component inputs over the curved models however i've noticed geometry issues in most of the 20" flat CRT TV's i've picked up.
it's barely noticeable with game consoles or mame games with busy backgrounds but with the classics where you have a lot of solid one color lines or platforms it is kind of noticeable as the image deflects up to a quarter inch.

[Zebidee]

... i've noticed geometry issues in most of the 20" flat CRT TV's i've picked up.

Yes, tube quality is a real concern of mine. At least I understand how to do static convergence, if needed. I like to see the TV working with a decent signal before buying it. All I need is a decent tube - I'll pull the TV chassis off and more-or-less bin it (I may keep it for a while, at least for recycling parts).

I'm going to give it a go. Put a flatscreen CRT into a traditional/classic two-sided vertical cocktail cab for Pacman/Galaga/Time Pilot etc. Keep this as a simple cab to JAMMA standard with a DC PSU & isolation transformer so I can put my stored PCBs into it if I want (I have more vertical game PCBs than horz).

I reckon I'll also do a second cocktail cab, three-sided (2x horz; 1x vert). Use a low-power PC or even a Rasperry Pi to run MAME. Primary horz panel will have just one joystick in the middle so you can play great games like Tetris, Wonder Boy and Ghosts n Goblins how they were meant to be (from the middle, not off to the side on a 2-player panel).

Today I also found a place in town that can do the metal control panels for me. I just have to make up my mind how wide I need them to be.

[Mike A]

Why cocktail cabs? They take up so much space.

[jdbailey1206]

Why cocktail cabs? They take up so much space.

So do I but people still love me.

[Zebidee]

Why cocktail cabs? They take up so much space.

Because I don't like having to stand up all the time (I get sore feet), we have the space, you can always put a cloth over it and/or pretend it's furniture, and besides my wife wants a cocktail to play Tetris on. I've found it is best not to argue with her once she had made up her mind.

And everyone seems to love cocktails. And I want a small double-sided cab with a dedicated horz single joy for certain games. And the flat-screen CRT vertical JAMMA cocktail would be just for me to play those vertical classics on (some of them play better on a small screen, less distance for your eyes to scan), and give me something to easily swap PCBs input/out of. Oh and I already have two upright cabs (one horz in the house, one vert in the shed needing a new MAME PC).

And the last cab I made/restored/sold was an upright space-themed lowboy with a 20" screen that had just one 8-way joystick and a 48-in-one and was just fantastic for playing Galaga on...

I know what I want. And what I want is something I can rest my beer on.

[Osirus23]

Why cocktail cabs? They take up so much space.

[Mike A]

That is interesting. I find the opposite true. Original cocktail cabinets are much cheaper than uprights. Nobody seems to want them. Two of my first cabs were cocktails. Centipede and Asteroids Deluxe. They were super cheap compared to the upright versions. The reason I asked is my cocktail cabs each take up the floor space of three or four upright cabs.  Once two people sit down at those things you won't believe how much space gets sucked up. Those two cabs wreak havoc with my arcade room floor plan.

You have your reasons. I just wanted you to know what you are getting into since I own two of them.

[Paradroid]

I know what I want. And what I want is something I can rest my beer on.

Hehe! I can relate to that!

Awesome that you're sticking with CRTs but I reckon flat screens suck: the geometry is never as good as a classic curved tube and they look less authentic.

Even though you already have a Sharp Image chassis (from Jomac?!), you should consider the advancements people have made with RGB-modding TVs: TV RGB mod thread

This process has been a godsend for regions that don't have an abundant supply of arcade chassis or SCART TVs. Some of the results people have got by modifying $5 20" Sony Trinitrons are just eye-wateringly good.

[opt2not]

I love cocktail cabs. The entire glass is meant for resting your bourbon on!  But yeah, they do require more floor-space if you count in the chairs. Makes me miss my Canucks Cocktail. I had an old PC running AdvanceMame in there, super fast boot-up, no fuss FE, just turn-on select a game and go.  Only downside was the DOS set-up but I'm an old school PC user, (my first machine was a 286!) so that wasn't so bad once I regained my "DOS legs".

As for the flat screen monitor. I don't really like flat screens for cocktails.  The curvature of a non-flat adds to the view-ability of vertical games I liked how the bottom part of the image would slightly curve towards you, while the top areas, like where the score was angled toward your buddy.  Something about that feels right, especially for shmups.

[Mike A]

I still miss WordPerfect for DOS.

[Zebidee]

As for the flat screen monitor. I don't really like flat screens for cocktails.  The curvature of a non-flat adds to the view-ability of vertical games I liked how the bottom part of the image would slightly curve towards you, while the top areas, like where the score was angled toward your buddy.  Something about that feels right, especially for shmups.

Good points. I guess it would help esp for games like Galaga where what happens on the bottom (ie you getting hit) is most important