Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Arcade Collecting => Pinball => Topic started by: RayB on February 21, 2011, 11:35:53 am

Title: Make a smaller vid pin with a laptop
Post by: RayB on February 21, 2011, 11:35:53 am

I'm thinking of building something more on this scale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It_DXE9vngc&feature=player_embedded#at=201 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It_DXE9vngc&feature=player_embedded#at=201)

Title: Re: Make a smaller vid pin with a laptop
Post by: ChadTower on February 21, 2011, 12:52:59 pm

That's pretty cool. 

Title: Re: Make a smaller vid pin with a laptop
Post by: JeepMonkey on February 21, 2011, 03:04:06 pm

I like this idea.

Title: Re: Make a smaller vid pin with a laptop
Post by: Pinball Wizard on February 21, 2011, 03:18:17 pm

It needs a good case to make it complete but this is a project that I want to do too.

Title: Re: Make a smaller vid pin with a laptop
Post by: Dizzle on February 21, 2011, 07:56:06 pm

The full size video pin tables are cool, but I really like mini pin cabs.  I get a lot of use out mine -- it uses a 15" monitor for the backglass and a 24" playfield.  It was a whole lot cheaper than a full size one too!

Title: Re: Make a smaller vid pin with a laptop
Post by: Xiaou2 on February 23, 2011, 06:27:20 pm

Its an interesting idea... but afaik, virtual pinball tables take a lot of horsepower to run well without skipping frames, delays..etc.    As can be seen in the video, the ball pretty much vanishing at times.   That would be very frustrating to me.

 I think a small form factor motherboard with desktop cpu (not reduced mobile cpus) would be the better workhorse solution internally.

 Also, LCDs bulbs have a lifespan.  So maybe better to use brand new LCDs rather than a used laptop, which could expire in a short time... thus having to rebuild the thing / repair the backlight.

Title: Re: Make a smaller vid pin with a laptop
Post by: HanoiBoi on February 24, 2011, 07:46:00 am

When he said "This is basically how to turn your laptop computer into a pinball machine" , I was hoping for more than a
3 minute video of him playing The Getaway.

To echo Xiaou2, I'd be concerned about the laptop power to run this properly.

If anyone knows of a laptop based pin that's been done well, please share PC specs.  :)

Title: Re: Make a smaller vid pin with a laptop
Post by: RayB on February 27, 2011, 02:56:50 pm

I would assume that you can get away with a bit lower resolution when dealing with this style screen, so that may help. I'm real curious about minimum specs.