SOLVED: Using vertical LED TV inside cabinet?

[Justin]

So I am thinking it would be a great idea to fit a 4K 43 inch tv inside my MAME cabinet. BUT PLACED VERTICALLY.
I would use the top portion of the screen only and would possibly benefit from playing vertical games and horizontal games with maximum area coverage (think of it as using a square portion of the screen towards the top... sitting vertically).

So many questions though:
1)vertical viewing angle is now horizontal viewing angle. Do modern TVs have a concern here like old TFT ones?
2) Can I even have MAME utilize the top portion of my vertical
Screen, in this rotated position?
3) Would I require a crazy powerful GPU to drive a 4K display with shaders for a proper crt look?

The resolution rotated will be 2160 horizontal pixels. That's more than my regular PC HD lcd which looks great with shaders (1920 horizontal pixels)

Has anyone tried this NOT using the entire tv screen area with bezel art etc?  I don't want to do that.  I want the game sitting towards the top and then the bottom of the tv just sits  under and behind the control panel area unused.

I know there are 1:1 aspect ratio monitors out there. Very costly. No thanks.  I can get a 43 inch 4K  kickass tv for $260 any day new.

[PL1]

2) can I even have mame utilize the top portion of my vertical
Screen?

You can do this by modifying the layout (.LAY) file in each game's artwork file available at https://mrdo.mameworld.info/mame_artwork_ingame.php.
- Once you figure out the values/code for one horizontal game view and for one vertical game view, you should be able to copy/paste that view into the .LAY file for other horizontal or vertical games.

https://mrdo.mameworld.info/mame_artwork_faq.php

https://wiki.mamedev.org/index.php/Layouts_and_Rendering_for_MAME_Artwork_System

https://wiki.mamedev.org/index.php/LAY_File_Basics_-_Part_I


Scott
P.S. Keep in mind that the layout file format was recently updated.

[Justin]

Thanks Scott.
I'm very familiar with layout files.    But is there a way to set up ONE layout file for all vertical games?  Vertical.lay ?

[Justin]

SOLVED!


This link shows how to apply a generic artwork layout to any Vertical game, and any generic artwork layout to a Horizontal game.

I simply created a basic Layout file for Horizontal games that movies the viewable portion to the top of the TV (rotated), and same for Vertical games.  Works flawlessly!

https://mameworld.info/mrdo/mame_artwork_generic.php

[PL1]

I simply created a basic Layout file for Horizontal games that movies the viewable portion to the top of the TV (rotated), and same for Vertical games.  Works flawlessly!

That sounds good for games that don't need any art assets.
- There are relatively few games with art assets that you might want to display like the color overlay in Space Invaders/Space Zap/Star Castle/Super Breakout, the Mission Control panel in Lunar Lander, or the asteroid backdrop in Asteroids Deluxe.

Another thing to consider is that doing the rotation with the layout file works in MAME, but what about your OS and front end program?  Do you have windows installed so that the monitor is in portrait (9:16) instead of landscape (16:9) mode?  Does the front end display right-side up?  Does having MAME rotate the display add any lag?


Scott

[Justin]

Hi Scott.

I tested rotating the display and using portrait mode in windows control panel.

The front end works fine this way (hyperspin).  However hs does not have the flexibility to entirely shift the display area up or down the screen. It will be centered on the screen and not at the top.   This means I will have to set the tv up higher but it is doable.

Also in case I anyone is interested I ran some numbers:

Even using the smaller portion of the 4K display gives you 82% more pixels than the regular 1600x1200 area used on a WUXGA display.
Also the pixels are 41% more packed! (Higher pixel density)

Huge difference this. Even with a rotated 4K screen and a subset of the area used.  Not to mention I get vrr and G-Sync as well as ability to view vertical screens just as large as the horizontal ones. Amazing.

Tv is 42" LG C2.  The blacks are absolute.

[dmckean]

I just want to add for everyone else reading, a 42" OLED TV turned vertically and masked off will provide a 4:3 screen area that's roughly equivalent to that of a 29 inch arcade monitor.

[Zebidee]

Should this thread be pinned?

[Justin]

I just want to add for everyone else reading, a 42" OLED TV turned vertically and masked off will provide a 4:3 screen area that's roughly equivalent to that of a 29 inch arcade monitor.

No Way near!  It is equivalent to a 25.5 inch 4:3

[dmckean]

I just want to add for everyone else reading, a 42" OLED TV turned vertically and masked off will provide a 4:3 screen area that's roughly equivalent to that of a 29 inch arcade monitor.

No Way near!  It is equivalent to a 25.5 inch 4:3

You're right, I did the calculation as if it was masked off for 3:4