Question on TV for Cabinet.

[papadoc]

Hi,
Been reading these forums for years, just never got an account.
Anyways, always talked about making a mame cabinet, something just always got in the way, (I.E. job, kids, fishing, etc..).
Anyways, I finally got an old computer, got it running with mame and all the bugs worked out.
I want to finally start the cabinet, but wanted to get my monitor so i could ensure it was going to fit in the cab, and after reading all the posts and faq's decided I was going to try to get an old 25" or 27" tv with s-video for the cabinet and go s-video from computer to the tv. I would also like to hook up an xbox to the tv, which was one of the big selling points of going that way.
I can't find a crt tv anywhere , Walmart and electronics stores don't even sell crt tv's anymore, I tried craigslist, but people are only selling tv's that the color is off, a console tv, or small ones.

Anyways, not to ramble, but tv's that I have sitting in the closet are:

19 Inch WXGA LCD TELEVISION
Emerson Model SLC195EM8
Resolution WXGA+ (1440 x 900)
8ms delay
this has pc-in as well as s-video

or I have an older sony 27" tv with only RCA jacks on the back.

My computer has s-video out, which is what I was going to ideally use to a 25"-27" tv.
Any suggestions? Should I use the 19" lcd with computer in and if I find a 25"-27" tv later on, try to put that in the cab?
Or I see they make an adapter for s-video to rca, but not sure how that would look on the 27" tv.
Any suggestions, ideas, or comments, other than buy a 27"WG....
Budget is a concern.
Thanks for all your help.

[bkenobi]

PC in is much easier to work with, but since you want to go CRT that one isn't an option.  I would go with a bigger screen than 19" if I had the choice.  I have a 27" TV in my main cabinet and a 20" PC CRT in the driving machine.  Although it originally had a 19" arcade monitor in there, it looks SMALL compared to the other cab.  I'd keep looking on Craigslist for a little longer (you've already waited years, wait another month or so) to get something more to your liking.  Heck, have you considered posting in the "Wanted" section?  I've actually had some luck with doing it that way for certain items.

[Beretta]

there are a few options here.

the svid to rca cables are'nt gonna give good results.. so that would be like a last resort.

tv wise not many CRT tv's are being made anymore.. they are but it's becoming slim pickins.

to make matters worse the LCD tv's are mostly wide screen now days.. so that means going with a smaller screen then you could normally fit.

the same goes for computer LCD's about biggest you can still find that is'nt wide screen is about 19inchs.

if you can't find someone selling say a 25/27 inch arcade monitor then you have one final option that will cost you time and 100 bucks or so.

i dont have their website handy atm.. and im getting ready to leave.

anyway they sell chassis (circuit boards) made to order, so all you need is a working 25 or 27 inch CRT tv tube.
thi would turn the tv's crt tube into a arcade monitor, with the help of an arcade vga or soft 15khz you'll beable to output directly to it from your VGA on your video card, it will be the best possible picture quality.

this will require you to handle the insides of a tv though.

[bkenobi]

The pixel size will not change if you get a new circuit board for your TV, so if it's cheap to begin with, it will still look cheap.  Many Sony sets used Trinitron CRT's, which are some of the nicest ever made IMO (I have 3 of them personally).  Just FYI.

[DJ_Izumi]

If you wanna go CRT, I'd vote going on Craigslist or any similar site.  I mostly use http://usedeverywhere.com/ (UsedOttawa.com specifically) since it's oriented all towards used stuff.  It doesn't feature personal ads so there arn't any prostitutes.

I paid $90 and picked up a 27" 2002 Sony Wega Trinitron with a flat tube. It has S-Video and component input.  A lot of PC graphics cards with the right OEM adaptor can natively output component video to a TV.  Though how this is done varies with each card.  A Sony Trinitron is probably the best tube you can get in terms of consumer retail products, lots of people are clearing them out as they make room for their new HDTVs.  I almost picked up a second near identical TV (2003 model) for $75.  It's a hell of a clear image.  S-VIdeo looks great too, at least with s-video you don't have composite dot crawl 'dancing ants'.  Of course it's also a 100lb TV, I dunno how heavy when decased but I doubt much lighter.  So you'd need to built that cab well to mount said monsterious tube.

[MarcusTurtle]

if you want to find a crt try craigs list or any second-hand stores that you can think of. My crt i got for free, it doesn't have s-video input but i'm find with a componet input, it doesn't look that bad. if your going for that exact arcade feel then if s-video to compoent isn't that bad, if you really looking for something clear i would try either a computer moniter or one made for mame....

[DJ_Izumi]

i'm find with a componet input, it doesn't look that bad.

Ahem, you mean composite.  Composite is a single RCA cable.  Component is THREE RCA cables in tandum, used for a much higher quality image.

[papadoc]

Thanks for the replies all.
I have put a wanted ad on craigslist, and I'll keep looking for someone selling one.
I tried the usedeverywhere.com website, but there is nothing close to me (Upper Michigan).
I'll try the secondhand shops locally, but they usually charge almost full price for things.
I'm sure i'll find something.
 

[Turnarcades]

Thanks for the replies all.
I have put a wanted ad on craigslist, and I'll keep looking for someone selling one.
I tried the usedeverywhere.com website, but there is nothing close to me (Upper Michigan).
I'll try the secondhand shops locally, but they usually charge almost full price for things.
I'm sure i'll find something.
 

Get the biggest youcan to fit within the confines of your donor cabinet. Connectivity is not necessarily an issue for your PC as you can pick up dirt cheap graphics cards that will allow S-Video, RCA or whatever so just be sure it will display your consoles well and have enough connectivity for them. For my first cabinet, I got a switchable multi-SCART connector that had both my PC's S-video connection plugged in as well as my PS1. It was a decent 'internet TV' which had a fairly clear display so was ideal, and meant I could switch between my PS1 (with G-Cons for gun games and hacked joypads for fighting games) and my PC (connected with an I-Pac). Your best bet will be ebay for the biggest range of used TV's.

[bkenobi]

ebay may be best selection, but it's also going to add to the price due to the large shipping cost.  But, if there's nothing local, he really doesn't have a choice I suppose.

[Ummon]

Sometimes you can find stuff pretty local on ebay. Utilise the search parametres, thusly. I'd say skip the pawn shops an ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. Freakin thieves. Also, check out Freecycle.org . I've gotten a few things through there, including a 21" PC monitor in killer condition I ended up selling (over a year later, when I decided I just wasn't going to use it) for thirty bucks!

I've also found two different 19" PC monitors in great condition by dumpsters in my complex, and many here over the years have seen things on the curb as they've been passing through neighborhoods, etc.