Question for people using TVs in their MAME cab.

[2PacMan]

I need to buy a TV for my MAME cab.  I need it to be a 20'' TV, that is no more than 24'' across.  Nearly all the 20'' will fit, with the exception of the one with the big speakers on the side.

My question is, what brand/model of TV should i use??  Or which ones work the best for you guys? 

I need one with an S-video out.  I also would like it to stay on the "video" channel when the TV is turned off and on.  Some TVs revert to channel 3 if you turn it off when the "video"channel is on. 

Also, i know this is a long shot, but ideally, i'd like to have a TV that if I cut power to it while it's on, then when i power it up again, it automatically comes back on, like i don't have to push the on button again.  I don't think any newer TVs are like this though.  I found some older TVs that do this, but they don't have the S-video out on it.

Any suggestions?? 

[Goz]

All of the newer TOSHIBA tv's have the feature "Power Return" which powers the unit back on when power is restored automatically. Check out their website for features, suggested price and dimensions.

Toshiba TV's

I'm sure a ton of other vendors offer the same feature.

Oh and I think you meant that you want S-Video INPUT

-Goz

[Frosty]

I used to have a 20" flat tube Funai TV (I'll see if I can track down the model number) in my cabinet with S-video, and it worked really well--nice color and picture from a basic model.  But, I only used it for about two weeks, after repairing the arcade monitor that originally came with my cabinet.

It had a small footprint and 'remembered' the last input setting on power-up.  So, no switching to S-video every time I turned the TV on.

If you're anywhere near the DC/Metro area and you're interested, I'm looking to sell the TV--still have all original packaging, etc...

[Dagg]

I am using a low end 27" JVC (won at a bachelor party) but its only actually 25 inches wide side to side, you might be able to squeeze that in a 24 if you took the case off.

I think I looked it up online and it was about 190.00 has svideo and comp[onent and always powers on to input1.

[Veinman]

I just bought a 27" JVC, and it does everything you want, including returning to the last used input. It also features component video, so that's a big plus.

I would be willing to bet that a 20" JVC would also have the same features.

[MinerAl]

I used a flat screen 24" APEX in my Atari Football MacMAME machine.  It doesn't return to the correct channel after you turn it off, so it isn't ideal.  I also took the tube and tuner board entirely out of the TV case to make it fit.  It has stood up to that abuse admirably, as well as a 200 mile move in the back of a bouncy truck.

I've heard good things about Toshibas and JVC (even outside of this thread). 

I put a little $50 Daewoo 13" TV in my niece's Jakks-TV mini-cab.  It returrns to the right station after power has been cut completely off, and has a decent picture from composite.  For low end, it rocks.

[pacmod]

I had an old Omega Racer cab that i modified and bought a sharp 25" tv from Bestbuy with s-video out.  It worked great.  I too had a 24" wide cabinet and in order to fit the tv, I routed out about 1/4 inch on the inside of the cab, just enough to fit the front 6 inches of the tv into the cabinet and poof!  the TV worked perfectly.  I did not have to route out the open because the casing flares out about 3-4 inches back from the screen.  It was a perfect fit and would do it again.  Especially if you are thinking about the size difference.

Good Luck!

[97thruhiker]

PacMod, thats exactly what I plan on doing.  My cabinet is 24 inches wide so I am either going with the 25 inch sharp or the 27' SVGA monitor from Happs.  Either one I will need to route out a bit from each side.  If you don't mind me asking how is that 25 inch sharp?  What video card are you using?  Thanks in advance.

[paigeoliver]

My giant cocktail has a 27" tv in it. I don't recall the brand, I just bought the cheapest one they had. I decased it for clearance reasons (and so I could use a happ bezel). Truthfully I am not super happy with the image quality. It looks fine by itself, but it looks like crap compared to the other monitors I have (27" D9200, 29" Nanoa dual res, 19" WG VGA, and 19" WG CGA, 20" Nanoa CGA).

I did find that slightly unfocusing the TV (using the knob on the flyback) actually increased the image quality quite a bit.

[HyperHautian]

Heya, I'm searching for a TV also... I found this one at circuit city
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=120394&WT.mc_n=4&WT.mc_t=U It's a 24'' with a Black border and has component in.

[paigeoliver]

Also, stick with standard classic tv sizes and curved tubes (19", 25" and 27") because the Happ bezels fit those tubes, plus they are usually cheaper anyway.

[Trenchbroom]

Pacman, decided to put a TV in your classic Midway cab, eh?  I was in the same boat a few years ago.  Picked up a Panasonic 20" S-Video TV model # CT-20D11E.  22" wide, not a flat tube, S-Video & stays in Video mode when power off. 

Checked the net...looks like it might be a hard TV to find now.  But if you come across one pick it up.  I think it works well.  The only problem I have with it is heat--I put it in at the original monitor angle (not 45 degrees from horizontal but close...you know what I mean) and like most TV's that are in that position the heat doesn't vent properly.  So I have no door on the back of the cab and I have a 6" box fan I found at a yard sale blowing air into the cab to help cool it off.

[paigeoliver]

Pacman, decided to put a TV in your classic Midway cab, eh?  I was in the same boat a few years ago.  Picked up a Panasonic 20" S-Video TV model # CT-20D11E.  21" wide, not a flat tube, S-Video & stays in Video mode when power off. 

Checked the net...looks like it might be a hard TV to find now.  But if you come across one pick it up.  I think it works well.  The only problem I have with it is heat--I put it in at the original monitor angle (not 45 degrees from horizontal but close...you know what I mean) and like most TV's that are in that position the heat doesn't vent properly.  So I have no door on the back of the cab and I have a 6" box fan I found at a yard sale blowing air into the cab to help cool it off.

If you just decase it then the heat problem goes away.

[pacmod]

The sharp had a great picture.  I went to every store imaginable to find a 25" without side speakers and s-video.  The shart worked perfectly.  I would spray paint the casing black before you put it in, but other than that, the picture looked good.  It did not have the auto-on feature you see in many of the toshiba's, but there has been plenty of threads about fixing that.  I went with something simple.  Pinhole through the bezel and used the remote to turn it on.

[MustardTent]

My giant cocktail has a 27" tv in it. I don't recall the brand, I just bought the cheapest one they had. I decased it for clearance reasons (and so I could use a happ bezel).

I've heard this a couple of times here.  Why is decasing the TV necessary when using a Happ bezel?

[DrewKaree]

Not having done it myself, I'm only guessing here, but I'd think the case bezel of the TV would get in the way of a decent fit/finish of the Happ bezel.

Why go over an existing bezel when you can remove it and get a better fit?

[Trenchbroom]

If you just decase it then the heat problem goes away.

Actually, in my case I don't have a back to the cabinet (was water damaged and broke into two pieces when I picked the cab up from the disposal area of the local distributor).  And with little ones in the house who could get access to the back I figured it would be best just to leave it as is for now.  But for Pacman decasing might work.

Not having done it myself, I'm only guessing here, but I'd think the case bezel of the TV would get in the way of a decent fit/finish of the Happ bezel.

Why go over an existing bezel when you can remove it and get a better fit?

Well the nice thing about the Midway cabs is that they are setup for the sliding plexiglass bezel with the artwork on the sides. The TV already has a bit of a "bezel" from the case anyway, and with the artwork bezel in place it looks pretty professional.  Especially since you are looking at a square screen that is wider than the vertical monitor that was intended for that space.

Of course, since I don't have a back door to the cab I wasn't going for the "arcade authentic" look anyway...    maybe someday.