Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Monitor/Video Forum => Topic started by: oceanman93 on December 23, 2004, 07:50:59 pm

Title: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: oceanman93 on December 23, 2004, 07:50:59 pm

I have a 55" HDTV and was wondering if it is worth while to get a DVI (my current PC video card) to component HD converter for displaying my PC (and more importantly MAME games) on my widescreen TV.  I have access to a USB hub merely a few feet away from the widescreen and can plug in any controller I might come up with.  Has anyone put a PC display on a widescreen in HD?  I can only salivate at playing these games on the big screen and use a real control to boot.  As a plus, I am working on a cab that I can remove the controller and use it on the PC near the HDTV as a plus.

I understand that the old games are very low resolution but I just can't help wondering what it would be like on the bigscreen.  Xbox games are awesome.  Even the Midway oldstyle games that I could mimic in MAME.

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: anthonylitz on December 23, 2004, 08:45:58 pm

My Uncle doesn't use MAME, but does have a 54 inch HD tv hooked up to a computer like that.  Works great!!!  We read the instructions for the tv together before hooking it up.  The instuctions state the DVI plug on the TV is NOT meant for a computer but we decided to try it anyway ;)  Like I said, it is great, he has had it hooked up for a few months and uses it daily, to surf the net, movies, and music.

Good luck, and yes I a drooling thinking about a 54 inch MAME.....

Anthony

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: D_Zoot on December 23, 2004, 09:47:04 pm

I have a PC connected to my home theater system that exact way.

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: ericball on December 23, 2004, 10:03:01 pm

Note: burn-in problems only related to CRT based projection TVs and maybe plasma screens.

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: Kremmit on December 23, 2004, 11:06:33 pm

If you do it, be sure to try a game called Darius.  We used to play the heck out of it back when.  It originally used three monitors, side by side, to make a really wide playfield.  MAME runs it in a letterbox mode, which makes it into this thin little band 1/3 the height of your monitor.  Worthless unless you have a pretty big monitor, but fun if you do!

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: oceanman93 on December 23, 2004, 11:10:59 pm

I don't think I will have a burn in problem unless I get hooked into a game endlessly.  But then again, I missed a midterm in college "way-back-when" because of Donkey Kong so maybe I will need to hook up a timer to the power of the HDTV so that I dont' abuse it.   Afterall, I wouldn't want to miss SuperBowl on the widescreen (like I missed that midterm!)

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: Trimoor on December 23, 2004, 11:28:10 pm

You can always add some nice filters to the low res games.  That should take advantage of the extra resolution.

As for the burn problem, you could screw with the color output settings on the computer, or play some of the bootleg versions with different colors.  That should take care of sustained colors.
Or you could move the image off center and back, seeing how the 16:9 ratio leaves extra space.

Makes me want to get a vga->component adapter for my 47" tv.
Who the hell invented component yuv video anyway?  Why create yet another input standard when there are plenty of better ones around?
I hate consumer electronics.........

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: ericball on December 25, 2004, 08:06:16 pm

Quote from: Trimoor on December 23, 2004, 11:28:10 pm

Makes me want to get a vga->component adapter for my 47" tv.

Depending on what kind of sync your TV can handle (i.e. if it only handles interlaced NTSC), you may need more than a simple RGB->YUV transcoder.

Quote from: Trimoor on December 23, 2004, 11:28:10 pm

Who the hell invented component yuv video anyway?

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: Zakk on December 25, 2004, 09:13:59 pm

I did it with an LCD projector and an 8' X 8' screen.

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: oceanman93 on January 05, 2005, 04:07:34 pm

Wow, make me drool.  That is awesome.  I can only hope someday I'll be able to take advantage of a setup like that.  Maybe I can have the projection on the side of my neighbor's house.  Kind of like of drive-in video games.  I can sit in my car with a wireless controller. 

Thanks for the responses.   I'm going to pick up a DVI to component HD converter since I didn't get one for Christmas and try that out on the 55".

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: ras2a on January 05, 2005, 04:42:21 pm

Zakk, that looks awesome.  I now need to get an LCD projector...I've been after one for a while for watching DVD's etc.  Wouldn't know where to start though  Any recommendations for some good (yet affordable) models?

thanks

Craig

Title: Re: Putting that game on the big screen
Post by: lusid on January 08, 2005, 04:42:00 am

I've got mame on my bigscreen.  It's a 61" DLP, hooked to an HTPC via DVI.   I wrote a MAME front end plug-in for the PVR app that I use, so I can pick & launch the game with the PVR remote.   Front USB ports on the HTPC let me plug in gamepads and get in some big screen mame time. 

It looks great over DVI, and with DLP I'll never have to worry about burn in.