Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Monitor/Video Forum => Topic started by: fairway2000 on January 14, 2010, 06:06:23 pm

Title: Using LCD TV In Video Games
Post by: fairway2000 on January 14, 2010, 06:06:23 pm
Ok I need some help. I have 2-Golden ,Blitz/Showe Time, -and 3-Crusin Worlds in my collection. I am tiered of working on monitors. Can I buy a TV (monitor) from best Buy and install them with a video converter (http://www.happcontrols.com/monitors/49272700.htm (http://www.happcontrols.com/monitors/49272700.htm))?

And do I use cga/ega to vga or cga to vga?

Any suggested TV monitors would also help

This is the TV monitor example
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex%26%23174%3B+-+24%22+Class+/+720p+/+60Hz+/+LCD+HDTV/9539109.p;jsessionid=75F7EC75AC50179DF0F127C22D0A09DD.bbolsp-app05-33?id=1218121201966&skuId=9539109 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex%26%23174%3B+-+24%22+Class+/+720p+/+60Hz+/+LCD+HDTV/9539109.p;jsessionid=75F7EC75AC50179DF0F127C22D0A09DD.bbolsp-app05-33?id=1218121201966&skuId=9539109)

Thanks for any help
Title: Re: Using LCD TV In Video Games
Post by: lilshawn on January 14, 2010, 06:15:06 pm
the issue right off the bat i can see is that it is a 16x9 aspect ratio.

these games are all 4x3

your video will be stretched horizontally to fit the screen.


this tv's native resolution is 1366 x 768 not vga (640x480) so if you do run it in vga it will be looking fuzzy on you since the tv has to double/triple up some of the video pixels instead of running 1:1 pixel

lcd's are not without their own shortcomings, but properly applied they can be okay to use.

hope this helps


Title: Re: Using LCD TV In Video Games
Post by: MonMotha on January 14, 2010, 06:41:39 pm
Many of those games run at medium res (EGA), so you need a scaler that will handle that.  arcademvs.com sells one.  Theirs can also apparently output resolutions other than VGA/480p which might let you hit 1:1 pixels.

Doesn't solve your aspect ratio problem.  You can barn-door it, but then you'll have rather large black bars on the side.  If you stretch it, it will look wrong, but a surprisingly large number of people don't care (in fact, I've been yelled at for daring to even point it out).

Title: Re: Using LCD TV In Video Games
Post by: Masterful Gaze on January 14, 2010, 07:07:13 pm
Another way you could go, depending on the resolution of the pcb, is the TV route. Jrok makes a converter that you can use to hook up an arcade pcb to a regular TV through s-video, composite, or even component.

You can check it out at:
http://jrok.com/hardware/RGB.html (http://jrok.com/hardware/RGB.html)

I'm not sure if would fix the aspect ratio through an LCD TV or not but it's what I've been thinking about doing.
Title: Re: Using LCD TV In Video Games
Post by: MonMotha on January 14, 2010, 07:59:33 pm
Nothing can fix the aspect ratio while using the whole screen.  The TV is physically the wrong size.  That's why you have to barn-door it and live with the black bars if you wish to display the image in the proper aspect ratio.

That JROK converter also only works on standard res (CGA) games.  arcademvs.com (not endorsing, just saying) also has one of these types of devices for crazy cheap (same limitation).
Title: Re: Using LCD TV In Video Games
Post by: fairway2000 on January 15, 2010, 05:43:30 pm
Thanks

Will this work on med.res?

http://www.gatorcade.com/rgbtovga.html (http://www.gatorcade.com/rgbtovga.html)
Title: Re: Using LCD TV In Video Games
Post by: MonMotha on January 15, 2010, 06:02:48 pm
Should.  arcademvs.com has the exact same board for $62 shipped (USA) if you want to save $20.