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Yet another Tempest - Done!
ChadTower:
How is the monitor dealing with the speed of the game? Rasters commonly have a bit of trouble, the XYs were built for raw speed.
Paladin:
Are you reffering to raster arcade monitors? I'm using a 19" CRT PC monitor, and don't notice any speed issues. I would think a modern PC monitor would be just as fast as a 25 year old vector monitor.
How would you tell if the monitor isn't dealing with the speed? Would it be blurred, or have jerky movement? I guess it runs fine as I don't see any odd behaviour, but I don't know what to look for.
ChadTower:
--- Quote from: Paladin on April 17, 2007, 11:17:49 am ---Are you reffering to raster arcade monitors? I'm using a 19" CRT PC monitor, and don't notice any speed issues.
--- End quote ---
That is a raster monitor, for the most part the same as an arcade monitor, just running at a different frequency. The tube itself isn't all that different in either case nor is it all that different (if at all) from a vector monitor. It may vary in terms of depth and deflection angle but that's pretty much it.
--- Quote ---I would think a modern PC monitor would be just as fast as a 25 year old vector monitor.
--- End quote ---
Not at all. A vector monitor is drawing only the lines that are specifically requested by the game board. A raster monitor is performing a set frequency of complete screen (line by line) scans regardless of what it is drawing. A PC monitor is drawing at 60khz (or a bit higher if configured that way) but that would still be far less efficient than directly drawing based on the raw XY coordinates. This is why the vector monitor only draws lines and points and also why the vector monitor has no background.
--- Quote ---How would you tell if the monitor isn't dealing with the speed? Would it be blurred, or have jerky movement? I guess it runs fine as I don't see any odd behaviour, but I don't know what to look for.
--- End quote ---
I'm guessing it would vary by monitor and possibly by how efficient the vector translation component of MAME works. I haven't seen it firsthand very much so it's hard to tell. The bottom line here is whether or not you're happy with what you have, really, so if it looks good to you you're all set.
Paladin:
Thanks for the education! I wasn't thinking about the whole screen vs. just the vectors issue. I can see how that would definately make the raster type monitor work harder. I'll have to pay attention once I get the cabinet further toward completion and get up to the higher levels with more going on.
This is the first time I've heard of this issue being raised, I wonder if anyone else has any input.
Paladin:
I went to make the monitor bezel, and didn't like how far the monitor was from the glass. I ended up cutting a couple 1" strips from the original mounting board so I could mount the monitor through the front. In no way did I alter the ability to mount an original Tempest monitor in the future. The cuts are covered by the bezel, and are not as dramatic as the cuts that my last two converted machines had. Another benefiet is that the monitor doesn't stick so far out the back. I'll still have to make a custom back door though.
I then made a bezel out of some mat board I had left from another project. The board has a white core, but I used a black marker to fix that after I took the picture below. I still have to glue the 4 pieces of mat board together, and find or buy the smoked glass. The cabinet came with clear plexi.
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