Screen...How small is too small?

[axefreak]

Hello all.

When building a small arcade, how small is too small when it comes to the screen?  I know this could be considered a "personal" preference question but I just want to get your opinion.

Thanks,

Rick

[pointdablame]

small arcade as in a small upright? bartop?  mini-arcade??


For uprights, I don't like any screens smaller than 19" personally.  Cocktails vary on the size of the cocktail you are making.  Most bartops I've seen use 13" - 15" monitors

[dema]

An N-Gage screen would be too small.

[Samstag]

Some people like MAME just fine on an N-gage, so I'm thinking even that size must be okay.

I don't think I'd want to play on a screen the size of my digital watch, though.  Maybe that's the limit.

[Nipedley]

I dont think it matters too much as long as the screen is near the size of the "hole" that its in. I've seen too many cabinets with the space for a 25" monitor filled with a 15" and huge one-colour bezels for example... they look *horrible* imo, apart from that anything looks fine! Mine has a 10" that looks perfect =)

Like this for example, sorry for the BYOAC'er that posted that but you see what I mean =( Seems such a waste to do that much work and then just stick in a massively tiny monitor

[RayB]

Keep it balanced. The size should be proportional to the cabinet size and also the # of players.

For example, If you're building a 4-player cab, then make the screen a 25" so everyone can see properly.

If it's a 1 player cab, you can get away with a 13" but make your cab more of a "mini" so it's still all proportional.

[axefreak]

Keep it balanced. The size should be proportional to the cabinet size and also the # of players.

I dont think it matters too much as long as the screen is near the size of the "hole" that its in.

You guys are right.  If you build something to fit a small screen the cabinet should be balanced.  I guess you could think of it this way....

Use a persons head... If it's way too small/big it looks abnormal.  I guess the screen and cabinet are the "same".

Thanks,

Rick

[ChadTower]

I can't deal with the top heavy poor center of gravity took a regular cab and altered it to jam a 29" monitor in there cabs... I mean really, how you gonna play Missle Command when you have to actually keep turning your head back and forth.

[Stingray]

I can't deal with the top heavy poor center of gravity took a regular cab and altered it to jam a 29" monitor in there cabs... I mean really, how you gonna play Missle Command when you have to actually keep turning your head back and forth.

Which brings up a good point. It's almost as easy to go too big as it is to go too small. 27" monitors just seem too big to me. 19" seems about right. This is of course, only my opinion. I'm sure Drew would be happy to tell you exactly what that's worth.

-S

[Nipedley]

I've got two cabs, a 19" and a 25" and the monitors seem just right for both - any bigger, or any smaller in each and it'd look freaky. It really depends on the size of your cabinet

[ChadTower]

Depends on the games being played, really, but 25" seems about perfect, with 19" being completely acceptable.

[RandyT]

My vote is 27" whenever possible.

Why?  Simple.  Anything smaller than 19" is too small (unless it's a bartop.)    So, unless you have dedicated vertical and horizontal cabs, the very important vertical games are going to be too small on a 19" horizontally oriented monitor.

On a 27" horizontally oriented monitor, the vertical games viewed on it are almost exactly the same size as a 19" vertically oriented monitor.  This gives you a REALLY big screen for horizontal games (which I actually prefer.)  But if it's too big for you, shrink it in software by setting the screen res to something higher than the game's native res and turn off scaling.

RandyT

[Lilwolf]

I would vote for a rotating 19"   adds some coolness (and an extra 2 months of planning / building)

I have a 27" and love it for most games... but some games are really bad on the larger screen.... like robotron.

But the How small is too small.....  15" monitors in a full size cab LOOKs weird.  I've never seen a single example that looks right.

19" look great... but if you play the wrong oriented game, you will have some problems.  Remember, if its a real CRT your dealing with low resolutions... and running them where your wasting 1/3 of the realistate your even lower.

So rotating is the way to go for the smallest...