Custom LCD Screen

[Xb0x3r]

I was just wondering, as an idea (shoot it down if you want) would it be possible to have a custom LCD screen sized and ready to be fitted inside the marquee box? Just thinking it would be neat to start a game and see it's marquee displayed above you.

Thanks in advance,

Xb0x3r

[Daniel B.]

Randy T did that very thing, only his wasn't custom sized.

Someone mentioned in that thread it would be thousands for a one-off.

[Barry Barcrest]

I guess the easiest way would be to use 3 small screens and display it across them. Alternatively get a betabrite type LED sign and send a compatible graphic to it.

[SavannahLion]

Someone mentioned in that thread it would be thousands for a one-off.

They exist in varying degrees of quality. There's a local Indian casino that uses screens in (too large) marquee ratios that have a better resolution than a betabrite, but less than a LCD/Plasma. I did spot one rotating marquee several months ago that appeared to be an LCD, but it was apparently moved during recent renovations.

I've been tromping the net for months to find the manufacturer.

I've tried asking the casino people but asking questions about their gambling machines is risky at best and guaranteed to get you black balled at worst. Photos are out of the question. I'm not really interested in being detained in a windowless room for eight hours.

[protokatie]

Have you thought of using a cheap projector (LCD or DLP) that is inside the marqee part of the cab? That way you could make it whatever weird dimensions or even shapes that you want. You would just need to get some dark tinted smoked glass or plexi for the image to show through...

Advantages:
Not custom
can be made to show the image on any shape of marqee

Disadvantages:
Bulb and or color engine replacement over time could be expensive
Needs to be far enough back in the marqee to show a wide enough image

Just my 2 cents...

[Dizzle]

I really liked Randy T's project and always thought it would be cool to do the same thing.  Only thing is I wouldn't know how to get the second monitor to display the appropriate marquee after selecting a game.  Anyone know of a front end/plug in that does that?

[BORIStheBLADE]

That would be dope if they made LCD's the dimensions of a marquee. I was the one looking for a custom LCD, I gave up on it.

[quarterback]

Randy T did that very thing, only his wasn't custom sized.

Whoa!  I must have missed this during my BYOAC hiatus.   Damn cool
Link to RandyT's LCD marquee thread

[leapinlew]

Randy T did that very thing, only his wasn't custom sized.

Whoa!  I must have missed this during my BYOAC hiatus.   Damn cool
Link to RandyT's LCD marquee thread

He won a mamey for it
http://www.mameworld.net/massive/NEWMAMEY/mod.htm

[NickG]

I found a kinda marquee shaped LCD which is made for automobile rear-view mirrors, but it is only big enough for bartop cabinets (if even that.)  Also,  I am doing the projector thing, and it is working out fairly well.  You can read about it here (link)

[Barry Barcrest]

Maybe you could use an LCD like randy did but lie it in the space of the marquee and use a couple of mirrors to display image? Might need to somehow tweak for disortion.. Basically set the mirrors like some sort of periscope arrangement.

[RandyT]

Maybe you could use an LCD like randy did but lie it in the space of the marquee and use a couple of mirrors to display image? Might need to somehow tweak for disortion.. Basically set the mirrors like some sort of periscope arrangement.

The reason a periscope presents an image to your eye is because there are a ton of precision optics in the tube to make it happen.  Otherwise, all you would see is a tiny dot of light far, far away.

Same  principles apply here.  If you use a "fold mirror", you will increase the apparent distance of the image by a good measure, making it look like it was sunk way back into the box.  It will also cut your viewing angles accordingly.  Think about a space invaders cabinet where it looked like the playfield was literally on the back inside wall of the cabinet.

He won a mamey for it

Thanks guys.  When did that happen?  Better yet, with Drew on the panel, how did it happen?

RandyT

[Neverending Project]

Anyone remember those little hologram thingys where you place a coin on the table, put the small, cone-shaped thingy over it, and it projects a hologram (using mirrors and lenses) of the coin in the top of the cone? You would reach to grab it, but it wasn't there...

Now someone only has to take that idea and "make it work" for a marquee. Boom. 3D holographic marquees. 

Found a link to the afore mentioned thingy.

[Xb0x3r]

Hey Randy,

I was just wondering... how did you get the marquee picture to display and also to the right game?

Thanks,

Xb0x3r

[quarterback]

Hey Randy,

I was just wondering... how did you get the marquee picture to display and also to the right game?

Somewhere in his original thread he mentions writing an app that runs outside of whatever front-end he's using that identifies what game has been loaded (or something like that).   It's in the latter part of the thread if I remember correctly.

EDIT:  Check this: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=70840.msg732084#msg732084

[Stobe]

Congrats Randy.  You didn't just make it work, you also made it look damn good!

Although whoever submitted that picture to the Mamey people without cropping out your (not-quite-as-revolutionary) trackball, should be flogged.

-Stobe

[RandyT]

Although whoever submitted that picture to the Mamey people without cropping out your (not-quite-as-revolutionary) trackball, should be flogged.

Heh, or I should be for never making it pretty.  One of these days I'll make a new panel for it that extends further out the front and mount one properly.  It would need to extend out quite a way to prevent me from having to cut up the cabinet more, but at this point that's probably a moot concern  .

RandyT

[DrewKaree]

He won a mamey for it

Thanks guys.  When did that happen?  Better yet, with Drew on the panel, how did it happen?

RandyT

I've lost control of "The Drew Crew"   Youse guys are in trouble - they're going native!

[vivelo]

I have a Betabright LED Golden Tee Cab I'm converting, but I cant find the correct software for the Betabright LED, It has an Incredible Technoologies board on it, I can connect, but it just keeps going to test mode after. Would look good as its 2 line and full length.

The lithium battery is holding a charge.......... 

Just can't get it to work!

Any idea's?

Tried betamsgr..........

[mhermann]

I was looking at this as well. I just sent an inquiry to a vendor who makes custom lcds. I gave him some specs and am going to see what the cost is. How much interest is there in something like this? You think we could get 50, 100, 200 people to commit to buying one? I am betting to buy one of these will be over $1000. But who knows. I will see what the vendor says. Doesn't hurt to ask.

[Jakobud]

There are companies out there that "cut" LCDs to custom sizes.  It's mostly for aircraft cockpit displays and stuff like that.  I contacted them about cutting a 26"-ish LCD to the size for a marquee and it would cost roughly $3000 for just one, not including the price of the original 26" LCD tv.

An actual custom from-scratch LCD would cost MUCH MUCH more.  Even if they did a run of 1000 of them.  TV manufacturer's put together LCD tv's in the hundreds of thousands.  Doing a specific run of only 1000 custom made LCDs would be EXTREMELY expensive.  A lot of engineering time goes into something like this before its even considered for actual manufacturing.

It's a nice pipedream, but not worth the price in this type of hobbie.

[mhermann]

Well you are probably right, but the email has already been sent. I will report back with what they tell me.