Buy one of those new 27" CRT tri-sync arcade monitors from Happ while they are on sale. I just bought one as a spare:
27" is a much more pleasing size for old arcade games and being able to play CGA, EGA and VGA games at native res is great.
CRT monitors and Tv's are not nearly as rare as some people on eBay think. These things were in every home and arcade on the planet for a number of decades. There is still plenty left.
I would pay $300 for a curved 25" CGA arcade monitor used but in good condition (I.e. No burn) and I think Happ's price of $527 for a new tri-sync is a fair.
I can't see many people being happy with a tiny 17" for their main monitor. Maybe for a novelty bartop build. I would pick up one of the many 27" curb dump CRT tv's off Craigslist over a 17". You can easily find a Sony Trinitron with component video for $30.
I want one so bad.. but don't have the $600 to spend at the moment.
With materials I can have, i can easily find and RGB mod a trinitron for between $0 and $40. While it's not perfect (I have to downscale some games or play them at 480i), it's pretty damn close.. And **MOST** of the stuff I want to play is 15khz anyways.
If only I had the $600 tho....
It's probably now or never if you want a new crt arcade monitor. There won't too many more opportunities.
I couldn't live with a modded consumer tv for Mame / arcade games. I used to use a Sony Trinitron with an RGB scart port when I lived in the UK. They were great for my Neo Geo, SNES and PS1 etc. For arcade games, they were problematic for two reasons:
- arcade games come in all sorts of obscure / custom resolutions and refresh rates. I have to adjust the image size and position every time I switch games. On Sony Trinitrons, the only way to do that was to go into the service menu which is a pain in the ass. My arcade monitors have v size and H size pots on a remote board which I keep on my desk.
- many arcade games use unusual vertical refresh rates and every Sony Tv I owned here and in Europe was fussy when they were not close to NTSC or Pal spec (60hz and 50hz). Net net, you probably won't be able to play some games at native res and refresh without the image rolling. My arcade monitors will accept anything from 47hz to 70hz.
Don't get me wrong, a crt tv with an RGB mod is a decent third best option (arcade and pro rgb monitors being 1 and 2). I just couldn't tolerate their limitations for this.
Zebra, what you say is basically true for good quality arcade monitors in good condition. However it is not that simple.
For example, I prefer my Sony Trinitron PVM2730QM for most horizontal games simply because on the Sony the colours are clearer, the picture brighter and there are adjustment pots to handle fine convergence issues etc.
But I don't like the Sony for rotating/vertical games (cylindrical screen makes it look weird/wrong). This issue is specific to Sony Trinitron TVs, other brands don't have this issue.
Good TVs will rarely have insurmountable image size problems, with a big exception for overscan. Most normal TV users would get upset with seeing a black border before screen edge around the image, they'd feel that they are missing something, so ironically the TV makers make the image bigger and you lose the 3-7% that goes past the screen (image overlaps into the black surrounds, getting lost). People usually don't complain about what they don't see (suckers!). Obviously we don't like that, and minimising overscan usually takes a lot of fragging around in service menu and with pots to get it good. But once you have done this once, you shouldn't need to do it again.
Another thing about TVs (and particularly PVMs) is that they are usually uber-engineered compared to a arcade monitor, which means they are less likely to have problems like HV regulation and such which are common issues I have with arcade monitors, even new ones. Images on TVs are usually more stable etc. Just have a look at the back of a typical TV and the amount of electrical componentry in there, compared to a arcade monitor.
Of course, downside of more complicated electronics is that TVs are harder to fix, and it can be hard to find TV repair people with relevant experience with your particular set (esp these days as they move onto other things). Some TV repair guys refuse to look at it if it is de-cased! By comparison, I can look at an arcade monitor chassis and have a pretty good idea of what most parts do, and probably repair it myself or find people who know how to repair them (although even that is getting hard).
Another thing is that CRT TVs, even the cheap ones, usually got better tubes than arcade monitors. Some of the very best displays I've setup for clients have involved recycling a late-model TV tube to use with a good quality arcade monitor chassis. This combo is truly awesome.
Regarding vertical frequencies, good arcade monitors usually handle the mid-50s hz frequencies better than NTSC/PAL TVs, though even then they still often lose it around 55hz. Obviously you expect better results with better quality. However, this is all kind-or irrelevant when using software like Groovymame which can run your 55hz game in 60hz modes and "emulate" the difference.
Aside from the fact that I probably can't find a new arcade monitor (with tube) for sale in this country, I'm not sure how I could justify spending $300+ on an arcade monitor given the alternatives available around (and in my shed). On the other hand, if it is good quality then maybe it really is worth $300 "out-of-the-box" - CRTs are becoming scarce and it will only get worse, not better. I'm hoarding all my CRTs.
In summary, I use both TVs and arcade monitors and judge each set on it's individual merits. I collect/use both, it is all "grist for the mill" to me, stuff I can churn to make more arcade cabs etc out of. Cost is an issue, though not the main one. Often I chop/change components, esp tubes. Arcade monitor are simpler to use, often more flexible, but TVs often (not always) give a superior image. Cost and availability is obviously part of it too. I can easily get a good quality CRT TV (2nd hand) for maybe $100 or less. This is a lot cheaper than buying a new arcade monitor for $300-$527 and gives very good results. Or combine a good quality TV tube with a good quality arcade chassis for great results.
Home
Help
Search
Login
Register
Send this topic
Print
Topic: value of an arcade monitor (Read 10250 times)
