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Buy this TV? Or one just like it?
wp34:
If I recall we had that same TV. It is HD but doesn't have HDMI. I considered using it for my first cabinet. We hooked MAME up to it (using RCA inputs) and the kids and I tested it in the living room. It was way too big for what I wanted and I ended up going with a 27" arcade monitor instead. It seems like it did produce a nice picture though.
--- Quote from: badhairday on October 20, 2019, 10:28:49 am ---I want a thirty-some inch screen for another reason as well. Scaling. A twelve year old in 1983 was only 80% the height of the cabinet. When I finish this (hopefully the summer of 2020, but if it's the summer of 2021 I'm okay with that) then I should still be 80% of the height of the cabinet. And since I have the gimbal, it's just inviting me to scale up the size of the monitor as well.
--- End quote ---
This is an interesting goal. Whenever someone mentions they are trying to recreate the feeling of being in an arcade BITD the issue of scale pops into my head for the same reasons you mention. Seems like you would have to have buttons and joysticks that were slightly larger as well. Dunno. Interesting thought exercise anyway.
Good luck and make sure you post your build here. :cheers:
badhairday:
Large buttons, LOL. You're right, that would add to it.
When I stand in front of a Defender game nowadays, I have to wear a ballcap so the glare from the marquee isn't directly into my eyes. All my memories of games are of me having my head a little into the cabinet to minimize the light and noise distractions. Galaga and Pac Man were the best for that, as the monitor was closer to being flat with the ground.
I'm not worried whether the seller of that particular TV will sell it for any particular price.
I want to know what monitors that are in the size of 35 to 40 inches will faithfully reproduce the look of a 1982 video game monitor.
Mike A:
That is a flat screen. The games you listed were played on arcade monitors with curved screens. It will not faithfully reproduce the look of a 1982 video game monitor.
buttersoft:
If that thing really is capable of 1080i then it's going to upscale your 240p/15kHz input. It might look ok, but it won't look as nice as an older, curved 15kHZ only model - a standard definition model, in other words. A big old panasonic, NEC, mitsubishi or JVC might be a better bet, will be cheaper, and will also have a simpler chassis to work on when it comes to repairs. And will probably fit your gimbal better.
Upscaling also adds a bit of lag - you might not notice, but then again you might. I would suggest getting the monitor working and set up and first and trying a few games on it before buying, building or modifying anything else. What were you planning to run games from? A PC, a console, a multiboard like a Pandora, original hardware? And how were you planning to connect it to the CRT?
badhairday:
Yes, I would want the 15KHz only model, then. Thanks Buttersoft.
I figure to have a computer run MAME. I am still trying to learn what kind of hardware and software I would need to connect the PC to the monitor.
This forum seems to deal mostly with troubleshooting and repairing monitors. Where can I go to get a more basic education on what the technology is behind different monitors and the TV signal. I'm 50 years old and my dad was a tech for IBM so we had computers in the home before anyone else. But my memory is so fuzzy on the details. I remember CGA, EGA and VGA being important, but I just can't place where those acronyms (and SO many others) all fit into helping me find the best picture and monitor for my cabinet.
For instance, I realize that a 19" monitor in use in 1982 produces an image that covers 440 square inches. If I buy a 40" monitor, that will have just under 2,000 square inches of screen. There will have to be a lot of... I forget. Is it overscan/underscan, magnification, or what?