Any way to connect a Dreamcast to a PC Monitor??

[eggedd2k]

is it possible to connect a dreamcast somehow to a pc monitor?  i have a PC in my arcade cab with MAME but it would be good to be able to stick a dreamcast in the cab for use with the dreamcast lightgun games.

at the moment my cabinet computer is connected to my 19" computer monitor - i'd prefer some sort of switch box rather than having to go inside the cab to plug the dreamcast into the monitor each time.

thanks for any response

[eggedd2k]

as it's mainly shooter games i'd be playing i'm not fussed about having to use the DC's controllers for non shooting games - not particularly fussed about wiring up the controls to my arcade machine's cp

[versapak]

Yep

The DC was able to plug into a VGA monitor quite easily. You just need to get one of the several available VGA cables/boxes.


I am sure you will get plenty of hits if you google/froogle Dreamcast VGA Adapter.

[eggedd2k]

do they all have propper pass-through capabilities so i dont have to unplug my pc monitor each time from my arcade pc?

[versapak]

The one I have does not.


I use a VGA switch box to toggle between the 2.


I am pretty sure that there were some that did have pass through abilities, but I don't have any experience with em.

[eggedd2k]

what sort of vga switchbox do you have? that sounds like what i'm after. does it have to be a DC specific one?

[Goz]

Tons of VGA adapters on eBay to be had under $20.

You can buy a cheap KVM (Keyboard Video Monitor) switch and just plug in the VGA cables.

[versapak]

Tons of VGA adapters on eBay to be had under $20.

You can buy a cheap KVM (Keyboard Video Monitor) switch and just plug in the VGA cables.

Yeah, that is what I am using. I picked it up a long time ago, but it was dirt cheap.

Though for the record... KVM =

K - Keyboard
V - Video
M - Mouse





But the point is still the same. Any VGA switch will do the trick.

[19rjs99]

I want to do the same thing with my cab. Will all DC games play with the VGA converter? I keep seeing post with people saying only VGA compatable games will work with a PC monitor.

[Goz]

I want to do the same thing with my cab. Will all DC games play with the VGA converter? I keep seeing post with people saying only VGA compatable games will work with a PC monitor.

Most will play with a VGA adapter. The few good titles that dont natively (like Soul Calibur) have patches that you can use. You can also often trick the system by disconnecting the cable and reconnecting it after the game has started. The DC games that don't support VGA typically only look at initial load.

[Grasshopper]

Are you sure about Soul Calibur not being VGA compatible? My copy works OK.

[Frosty]

That depends on what 'VGA' signal is being sent from the Dreamcast.

If you're using your VGA cable on a standard resolution (15 KHz) arcade monitor, then almost all games will work.  If you've got it plugged into a PC and it's sending a 31 KHz signal, some games (like Crazy Taxi) are protected from doing so.

[Frosty]

A decent list of VGA compatibility...

[Goz]

Are you sure about Soul Calibur not being VGA compatible? My copy works OK.

Yep....

You can get the VGA patch to make it work here.

My ehmmm copy wouldnt work without applying it.

-Goz

[daywane]

I did not see gauntlet legands on that list

This game was made for PC monitor.  ( I think so)
improved game many times over.

[Goz]

I did not see gauntlet legands on that list

This game was made for PC monitor.  ( I think so)
improved game many times over.

I play Gauntlet Legends frequently in my horizontal DC cab w/ a SVGA monitor.

[gwar3k1]

Im interested in a VGA box but I want to be able to have my monitor connected to both my pc and dreamcast always. Is there a unit that has monitor input and two output? so i could connet two more monitor cables if you see what I mean?

Thanks

[versapak]

Im interested in a VGA box but I want to be able to have my monitor connected to both my pc and dreamcast always. Is there a unit that has monitor input and two output? so i could connet two more monitor cables if you see what I mean?

Thanks

Don't bother to read the thread or anything.





K/V/M switchbox would do what you need, and they can be found pretty cheap. You could probably find one that is specifically only for video also, but I haven't looked, so I couldn't tell ya for sure.

Either way though...

Yes, there is a way to have your monitor shared between several devices, whatever they may be.

[gwar3k1]

I read the thread but didn't know exactly what a KVM switch was and if it was only for servers etc alas I now know and snapped up this switch in the last 8 seconds on eBay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5850934075

Thanks =)