Response from Act-Labs about TV Lightgun...

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wee beastie:
I actually emailed them the first day the VGA guns came out. I expressed my disappointment that there was not a TV version. I don't think that they like us too much :-\

Dave_K.:
Sorry if this has already been answered in another thread, but is the problem with it not being compatible with a TV because it can't read a sync rate a low as 15khz?? Has anyone actually tried it on an arcade monitor 640x480 at 15khz (via PowerStrip)??

Mannix2:
I added my two cents!

Howard_Casto:

--- Quote from: Dave_K. on November 29, 2002, 03:31:59 pm ---Sorry if this has already been answered in another thread, but is the problem with it not being compatible with a TV because it can't read a sync rate a low as 15khz?? Has anyone actually tried it on an arcade monitor 640x480 at 15khz (via PowerStrip)??

--- End quote ---

I'm thinking the gun would be hackable, it's just with a botched job the accuracy would be horrible.

That's what makes me so angry, actlabs went to soo much toruble to make sure it runs at different resolutions and refresh rates it would have been realitively easy to go the extra mile.

Here's all they would need to do....

#1 Make the drivers able to calculate at 15khz and at tv resolutions.

That one's a simple math thing except the 15khz, but it's still not impossible or increadibly hard.

#2 Make a screen blanker that works on tv-out.

This one is simple if you limit it to svideo/component out. A bit harder if you use composite, but if your picture is that bad you probably have other troubles.

#3 Adjust the sensor in the gun so it can pick up white on a tv.

The contrast and luma is slightly different. I don't even know if that is necessary.

So with maybe 4 more months of work they could have got the existing gun to work on tv's and virtually anything.

I'm not an expert on lightgun technology or anything. But from my readings it's very simple. If there would be more to it I wish the act labs guys would explain it to me. If not then they are just missing out on a massive customer base.

Dave_K.:
I'm no expert at light guns either, but I think its may be even simpler than you think. I don't believe optics have anything to do with it. The optics don't need to be better for it to pick up larger dots on an NTSC screen.

No, the problem is strictly software. This is something they should be able to release as a patch. You should be able to setup your machine in 640x480@60hz, hookup your TV through an s-vid card, and tell the driver to exactly halve the sync rate (31.5khz) when it does its calculation. Thats it. I bet the mod they are thinking they'd have to do is add an s-vid input to the box to grab the 15.7khz sync.

Someone could probably even test this out, but setting up a machine via powerstrip or s-vid out at 640x480@60, and shooting the gun at the lower right corner of the tv screen. I bet it will register a hit around the middle right of your tv screen (since the bottom right is at 15.7hz which is the middle right if the gun thought your sync was 31.5khz vga).

PS make sure your TV is setup with proper brightness and contrast adjusted (just like you'd do for console light guns). You may also want to calibrate it on your computer monitor first, and then try aiming at the tv to see where it registers the hit (providing your card can display s-vid and monitor at the same time).

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