Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Monitor/Video Forum => Topic started by: Apollo on May 12, 2003, 10:00:14 pm

Title: Can I use this monitor? HELP???
Post by: Apollo on May 12, 2003, 10:00:14 pm

I am very new to this and have just purchased a cabinet for my arcade project.
My question is this. The cabinet has no monitor but I can get a good price on a new 15hz monitor ( Cortec 1 ).
Can I just hook up my PC with VGA output to this monitor by using ArcadeOS as a front end?

Help please.

Title: Re:Can I use this monitor? HELP???
Post by: MameFan on May 13, 2003, 12:07:57 am

Many video cards do NOT support 15KHz, or if they do, they have to be controlled at DOS level instead of via the windows driver. (Thats why the special 15KHz cards are popular ad ons)

Be aware, simply connecting the VGA signal to the monitor will result in a very dark picture.  Arcade monitors require a 1-5 volt signal range.  VGA monitors/cards use a 0 to .7 volt signal range.

Therefore you have to crank up the brightness/screen controls (causing other monitor problems) in order to see anything.  You will need to put in some amplifiers on each of the 3 RGB lines to give the arcade monitor a usable signal.

Title: Re:Can I use this monitor? HELP???
Post by: Apollo on May 13, 2003, 12:37:31 am

Thanks for your reply.
So I could get a special video card to make it work properly?
Living in New Zealand it's going to very hard to get a VGA monitor ( which is what I really want ) as I'm not prepared to pay over $1000NZ to purchase and ship it from the states.
Or can I use some other kind of hardware between the PC & monitor?

Title: Re:Can I use this monitor? HELP???
Post by: cdbrown on May 13, 2003, 02:44:31 am

Go to www.ultimarc.com  They have the arcadevga card specifically made for this purpose.