Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: rlemmon on August 23, 2006, 11:33:29 pm
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Anyone have pic of games running on a pc monitor with the avga 2 card. I might have to get one when the pci e version is released. :)
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I am confused...? ???
are you talking about a video card for arcade monitors and still using your PC monitor?
Why would you do it?
If you are still going with a PC monitor just buy a 21 inch monitor off eBay and use your PCs video card.
I have EBay bookmarked on 21inch monitors with in a 70 mile from my zip
I pick one up next week for $10.00 and about $20.00 in gas
need 1 more. Have 2 now
FYI: 21 inch PC monitor = 19 inch arcade monitor. WISH I new this before I bought 3 -19" PC monitors :censored:
link to one I just won.
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065-29393-2357-0?uid=27914427&site=0&ver=BCA080805&lk=URL&Item=110021673927
Scratch will not bother me. Going behind smoked glass. I have used scratched monitors before. Never see the scratch when game play is going. Behind smoked glass I do not think anyone will ever know its scratched.
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I already have a 19" pc monitor and the new arcade vga card can display arcade games native resolutions on a pc monitor through windows.
http://ultimarc.com/avgainf.html
Im waiting for the PCI e version to be released on September 1st
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Still seems like an awfully expensive way to do something your computer will already do on a VGA monitor and standard video card.
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Still seems like an awfully expensive way to do something your computer will already do on a VGA monitor and standard video card.
That's not correct. A standard video card does not support most video game resolutions without stretching (ie; not pixel for pixel). The new AVG2 will allow you to, as I understand it, use the actual arcade resolutions on a standard PC monitor. I believe it will be crisper than an arcade monitor so maybe not for the purist (read anally retentive).
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I would like to see some pics.
I am interested what the actual process is: ie what is being doubled (vertical refresh?). Something must be, as it IS technically impossible to show a 320x240@60Hz full-screen on a 31Khz PC monitor.
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Well FWIW, I will still use genuine arcade monitors, mainly becasue they are cheaper and easier for me to find than comperable sized computer monitors.
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That's not correct. A standard video card does not support most video game resolutions without stretching (ie; not pixel for pixel).
The new AVG2 will allow you to, as I understand it, use the actual arcade resolutions on a standard PC monitor. I believe it will be crisper than an arcade monitor so maybe not for the purist (read anally retentive).
To use arcade resolutions on a PC monitor you must either double the number of lines or double the refreshrate. The AVGA card does this internally.
The benefit of using an AVGA with a PC monitor is the same as with an arcade monitor: it is easier to setup but doesn't give you a "better" image than other solutions.
(The most important thing for the image is the monitor tube, not the electronics controlling it)
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I received my AVGA2 card today (AGP version). I've been doing some testing with mame .103 and mame32.
I am still unsure of proper settings with a PC multisync monitor. I've followed the notes for configuration on ultimarc.com but still don't think I have things set properly. I've been trying to set it up to compare the image from mame Joust with those of my actual Joust upright. They are getting pretty close at this early stage but my limited understanding of proper configuration of mame and the AVGA2 is probably getting in the way.
With an LCD monitor and DVI connection, the AVGA2 is very interesting. Not the original arcade image, as Andy has noted, but still a potentially appealing image for many and much more friendly to today's standard PC configurations (LCD monitor).
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Jhonvv here is some info from the ultimarc site for setting up mame 32 for the avga card. Theres lots more info in the link. How about some pics when you get it all figured out
MAME32.
MAME32 is basically MAME with a built-in GUI and is a reasonable choice when not using a cabinet (ie you have a keyboard connected). It is not as good at supporting 640 X 288 as MAMEWAH (above) but slightly easier to configure as it works "out of the box".
Ensure the default settings in MAME32 are as follows:
Display Tab:
Run in a Window: OFF
Advanced Tab:
Stretch Using Hardware = OFF (if this is greyed out you have not switched Windows to 16 or 32-bit colour mode)
Scanlines = OFF
Resolution, Size = Auto (or select from drop-down list in game as required)
Switch Resolutions to fit = ON
Use DirectDraw = ON
More info :
http://ultimarc.com/avgainst.html
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Thanks rlemmon. I did see those notes on the ultimarc site and have been using them.
The one setting that I'm a bit confused on is Direct 3D. I am pretty sure it should be off. It has a major impact on the image, so I'm also going to ask Andy to confirm that it should be off. With it on, it appears to map the orginal horizontal scan lines onto the images as a 'texture.' It can also create a distortion effect when forcing a resolution. With it off, there are no legacy horizontal scan lines and the images, such as text, are completely solid. I understand that this latter effect is due to the high dot pitch of modern PC monitors versus old low-res arcade monitors.
I will post some pics once I think the settings are correct.
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FYI: 21 inch PC monitor = 19 inch arcade monitor. WISH I new this before I bought 3 -19" PC monitors
No, they are most definitely not equal. A 21" computer monitor will be comparable to a 19" arcade monitor in diagonal size, but that is the end of comparison. Computer monitors are longer from front to back than arcade monitors. This is a major problem when putting a computer monitor in smaller cabinets. Mine will stick out about 6 inches from the back of my taito cabinet.
Also, the curvature of the face of a computer monitor is different than an arcade monitor. So don't go buying an arcade monitor bezel for it because it won't fit.
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Deleted
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I have some crude screenshots but have no understanding or patience for posting them via these limited forum tools. If someone else wants to do it, let me know and I'll e-mail them to you. Margin of error on photo quality +/- 100% due to my poor photography skills.
I've attached a Ms. Pac photo. Note that there are no scan lines. The image is from an AVGA2 card connected to an old Sony G420 monitor with the Ultimarc DVI to VGA adapter. The software is mame .103 and mame32. The mame settings for all the games are:
Display tab
- run in window: off
- start maximized: on
- enforce aspect ratio: on
- Clean Stretch: Auto
- Use Scanlines: off
Advanced tab:
- Use DirectDraw: on
- Triple buffering: on
- Match game refresh: on
- sync to monitor refresh: off
- wait for vertical sync: off
- switch resolutions to fit: on
- switch color depths to fit: off
- Resolution: auto
- Stretch using hardware: off
Direct3D tab:
- Use Direct3D: off
The vertical on Ms. Pac is off but that is my fault. I did not take the time to adjust the vertical. All my other pics are of horizontal games and that is where I was spending my time getting things working correctly.