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Author Topic: Watching TV on an Arcade  (Read 2834 times)

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zr5-2002

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Watching TV on an Arcade
« on: December 15, 2002, 09:52:23 pm »
I've been a lurker here for a while, and its finally time for me to step up and start participating in the forums.  

I'd like to build a cabinet, but being a poor college student my budget is limited.  I'd love to have a 27" TV in my cab, but the problem is that my only 27" tv has to stay useable as a TV for normal TV/movie watching from the couch.  Has anybody setup a cabinet like this?  

The only thing I can think of is to raise the screen be a couple inches above normal and push it back a couple inches so that it is sitting on a flat shelf.  Would this work, or would the whole mess just be goofy looking?  If anyone has tried this or seen someone that has, I'd apprecaite hearing about it.

Thanks,

Joe

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2002, 10:03:43 pm »
you could build a show case type cabinet and thats it.tv in a show case..that will also save your eyes yo..think..can you really play games that close to tv like normal cabs :-\.

i recall someone built a cab..err..umm.. ???..no idea what the link was but anyone else?

it is a complete scratch built show case type cab that look similer to 33" show case cabs.

zr5-2002

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2002, 11:32:36 pm »
Does anyone have any links to showcase cabinets, converted or otherwise?????

you could build a show case type cabinet and thats it.tv in a show case..that will also save your eyes yo..think..can you really play games that close to tv like normal cabs :-\.

i recall someone built a cab..err..umm.. ???..no idea what the link was but anyone else?

it is a complete scratch built show case type cab that look similer to 33" show case cabs.

CthulhuLuke

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2002, 01:05:34 am »
Having limited resources can be a b1tch for sure, so what I suggest is just building a 2-player control panel with all the right spacings and such, so it feels like an arcade, and setting it up on a table in front of your couch.  This way you'll have arcade play when you want, and you can have all the tv watching you want by just moving the joystick.
  I don't have the link on me, but someone here built a REALLLY nice showcase cab, and put up pics of it.  I'm sure if you look around you can find em, I know www.massystems.com sells a modifyied version of em, but building it is so much cheaper so use that for reference.
   -good luck
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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2002, 01:43:32 am »
Does anyone have any links to showcase cabinets, converted or otherwise?????

Here you go:
http://www.webchoice.net/laserrot/ultarcade.htm

This is designed to play standing, but if you are the ultimate couch potato, you can reduce the height of the TV stand and pedestal, so you can play it it sitting or watch it at a confortable height from the couch.

-- android
« Last Edit: December 16, 2002, 01:47:42 am by android »

zr5-2002

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2002, 01:47:22 am »
That may well be perfect for what I want to do......too bad the site seems abandoned :(


Jakobud

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2002, 03:00:31 am »
It sounds like you don't need to make a fullout cabinet.  Sounds like you need to get something like the X-Arcade stick or the HotRod joystick and hook it up to a computer that is by your TV.  Then you can do all sorts of good gaming from the couch!  You can just set it on the coffee table and game away on your normal TV without having to reorganize how the TV is setup.

Lilwolf

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2002, 10:13:43 am »
design your own.  It's not hard.  Look around the web and you will tons of pictures.

For a showcase, the monitor has to be higher then most others.  Since you aren't tilting it up.

Then you can have an area between the tv stand and the controller.  I like this because it gives a  good area to put your computer in.  Right between the controls and the TV.

Next, add a pedistal for the controls.

Top view

+-----+
|****|
|*TV*|
|****|
+-----+
**|*|**  <--computer
*+---+
*|***|** <-- controllers
*+---+

ignore all *'s  (spaces seem to get removed.

Side view

+-----+
|****|
|****|
|****|
|****|*****+-----+
|****|*****|****|
|****|------+|****|
|****|****||****|
|****|****||****|
+-----+------++-----+

Then you can add below the control panel an opening for a VCR, DVD player on the side (near the computer... or have the whole front plate from your computer stick out).  If you have some extra cash, get a ATI vivo card (or the NVidia ViVo and the special adapter) and get your TiVo support.



zr5-2002

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2002, 11:07:48 am »
This all has me thinking.....I  might just make a control pedastal/console that we can pull right up to the couch (maybe two of them for 4 player games) and build an entertainment center that can hold the stereo equipment and TV and such.  Then make the cords have a plug on them  so that they can be detached or hidden away when we don't want to look too geeky for the ladies..... :)

I'll have to draw something up and see where I end up.

Warborg

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2002, 11:11:35 am »
you could build a show case type cabinet and thats it.tv in a show case..that will also save your eyes yo..think..can you really play games that close to tv like normal cabs :-\.

i recall someone built a cab..err..umm.. ???..no idea what the link was but anyone else?

it is a complete scratch built show case type cab that look similer to 33" show case cabs.

As a matter of fact, my Showcase has my 27" TV in it right now...  I use it for standard watching, DVD, VCR, Playstation 2, Dreamcast, and my arcade Emus...

Eventually I plan on getting a replacement TV for standard watching, and move my Showcase cabinet elsewhere in the house...


zr5-2002

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2002, 11:20:25 am »
Do you have a webpage somewhere with pictures????????????

you could build a show case type cabinet and thats it.tv in a show case..that will also save your eyes yo..think..can you really play games that close to tv like normal cabs :-\.

i recall someone built a cab..err..umm.. ???..no idea what the link was but anyone else?

it is a complete scratch built show case type cab that look similer to 33" show case cabs.

As a matter of fact, my Showcase has my 27" TV in it right now...  I use it for standard watching, DVD, VCR, Playstation 2, Dreamcast, and my arcade Emus...

Eventually I plan on getting a replacement TV for standard watching, and move my Showcase cabinet elsewhere in the house...



Brad Lee

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2002, 11:35:54 am »
I had to make similar accomdations to comply with the wife  ::)

I'm using a 20" TV in a upright cabinet, it'll be slightly tilted back, maybe a 80' angle instead of a 90' straight up. On the back of the cab I put a 2 port faceplate, for network and cable, with a short piece of cable on the inside going to the TV

This works out for my needs because the cab is next to the treadmill, when she's walking, her eyelevel is high enough that its almost like watching straight ahead. Got the remote, and no bezel yet but i plan on leaving a clear or tinted spot infront of the remote receiver on the tv


Warborg

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2002, 12:28:35 pm »
Do you have a webpage somewhere with pictures????????????

you could build a show case type cabinet and thats it.tv in a show case..that will also save your eyes yo..think..can you really play games that close to tv like normal cabs :-\.

i recall someone built a cab..err..umm.. ???..no idea what the link was but anyone else?

it is a complete scratch built show case type cab that look similer to 33" show case cabs.

As a matter of fact, my Showcase has my 27" TV in it right now...  I use it for standard watching, DVD, VCR, Playstation 2, Dreamcast, and my arcade Emus...

Eventually I plan on getting a replacement TV for standard watching, and move my Showcase cabinet elsewhere in the house...



Unfortunately not at this point...  The only pictures I have online are of the empty cabinet when I first got it, and a couple pictures of the guts of my homebrew spinner...  I will put some more up when I make a little more progress tho...


zr5-2002

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #13 on: December 16, 2002, 01:47:18 pm »
I'll buy you a beer next time I see you if you email me a couple pictures or point me to whatever you already have online....pretty please ..... :-\

Warborg

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #14 on: December 16, 2002, 01:59:08 pm »
I'll buy you a beer next time I see you if you email me a couple pictures or point me to whatever you already have online....pretty please ..... :-\

Hehe...  Ok, I'll post up the links to the pics I have, but like I said it really isn't much as of yet...  I plan on actually putting up a small site and some better pics when I get to that point in my project that will allow it...

http://home.attbi.com/~w.colvett/podium.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~w.colvett/Display.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~w.colvett/spinner1.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~w.colvett/spinner2.jpg
http://home.attbi.com/~w.colvett/spinner3.jpg

There ya go, that's it...  More to come someday...

zr5-2002

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2002, 02:06:22 pm »
You are my new hero!!!!!  And I owe you next time you are in KC.

One last question now and I'll leave you alone......how tall is the top of that podium?  

Thanks a lot

Warborg

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #16 on: December 16, 2002, 03:01:11 pm »
You are my new hero!!!!!  And I owe you next time you are in KC.

One last question now and I'll leave you alone......how tall is the top of that podium?  

Thanks a lot

Actually, I don't really have any of the dimentions handy right now, as I am at work...  When I have time I can take a couple of quick measurements and post them up...

zr5-2002

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Re:Watching TV on an Arcade
« Reply #17 on: December 16, 2002, 03:11:57 pm »
Thanks a lot, whenever you can would be great.  I'm also going to go scope out a couple in an arcade but there are no arcades within almost an hour of here......and I live in a town of 100,000 people!!!!!