Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: postalp123 on December 04, 2006, 03:36:54 pm
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I thought it was worth a post:
http://www.dreamarcades.com/100inch.shtml
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People have brought that type of design up from time to time. It was always a very costly project until recently because of the cost of a projector. They are cheaper now.
For $5000, though, that thing better come with a hot chick in it.
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I was going to do this years ago. I picked up one of those giant floor 3 bulb projectors. Trouble was the light wasn't good enought for anything but the darkest room and I couldn't focus in closer :(
Anyway, if you have the money, I think this is a great idea for a cab. But if you need the projector in the cabinet might make it so you can't use the projector for other items... So you might want to ceiling mount that puppy and get yourself a long cable instead.
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...but it's not ARCADE AUTHENTIC! Where's the scan lines? Huh?
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Forget arcade authentic, why would you want to blow up a 320x240 game that large? It will just look crappy.
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ceiling mount that puppy and get yourself a long cable instead.
As I am occasionally a projector gamer, I second this consideration; ceiling mounting the projector is definitely better if you plan on having movie-viewing parties and/or moving the controls pedestal aside for some DDR pads. Also, if you put it inside the control pedestal, your controls may become uncomfortably warm after a while, as most projectors create considerable amounts of heat (although, that could be a convenient way to quiet projector fan noise.)
All of that aside, I think this unit is not designed to have the projector in the pedestal, because the spec list includes a wireless A/V sender. (no need for a very long cable)
Forget arcade authentic, why would you want to blow up a 320x240 game that large? It will just look crappy.
Surprisingly, 320x240 games do not look as crappy when natively projected or properly scaled on a good-quality high-res DLP as they do on, say, a 320x240 toy store LCD projector. Vector games look great, but they might look even better on a lasermame projector system. If you don't need the CRT-induced artifacts, DLP projectors make arcade games look beautiful. However, I do feel awkward playing some of the low-color 2D games on a projector now that the "wow factor" of a big screen is gone. Also, on single-chip DLP, the older B&W and black-and-bright games are really annoying to play if you are prone to "the rainbow effect" of DLP.
Here's what bother's me about this product's features list:
-"light gun"
AFAIK light guns do not work with projectors. I have tried. There are newer camera based guns and such that work, and projectors work with them (Duck Hunt is great at 8-feet wide), but if they are including a traditional light gun it may not work with the projector.
-Price
Initially the price bothers me, so I'll give a rough guess at the mostly current cost of some of the parts plus shipping:
2000 lumen XGA DLP projector- got one earlier this year for ≈ $650
AMD 3200 with speakers Windows and enough parts to easily install game CD's (ebay) $300
Happ joysticks and buttons (ebay)≈$40-$60
Lighted 3.25" trackball (75) + mount plate (15) + light (<2)≈$82
Gun control that actually works with a projector ≈$50
100-inch dalite screen with tripod $150
XGA compatible video sender ≈$650
All those officially licensed game packs at $8-$40 each≈ $200
keyboard encoder + wiring ≈ $50
Hardware, lumber and finishing. :dunno lets give them $500 worth of quality (doubt-it)
let's see...that's $2692 Am I missing overshooting anything as far as parts/cost go?
About half (YMMV) of the final price (if you own tools) to build a comparable project "from scratch" yourself. :-\
scratch-yourself joke to commence in 5....4.....3......
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Where's the scan lines? Huh?
Play it on the side of your house with the SEARS vinyl siding ;D
Heres your "Scanlines"
(http://www.vinyl-siding-info.com/images/TYVEK-VINYL-SIDING_11.jpg)