Newbie needs help on buying decision

[AzureKnight]

I'm planning my first cabinet and I seem to have hit a bump in the road.

My plan was to buy WG 27" arcade monitor from X-Arcade, which at the time was $380.

Now however those have been discontinued and the price has shot up to $500, which is quite a markup.

So I have a few options and I am looking for some advice/opinions.  I figure the internet is a great place to find both of those 

1.  Knowing I want a good "classic" reproduction, buy the $500 monitor anyways (assuming they are still around in a few weeks when I have the money).

2.  Just go with a 28" CRT TV from a pawn shop?

3.  Buy an arcade or other LCD monitor instead?

4.  Are there other good monitor options I don't know about because I am new to all this?

From reading I know that many feel the WG monitor is the best solution, but I guess I want to know, is it that much better as the price keeps rising?  If I can't or won't buy the WG would I get better classic reproduction from a TV or LCD? 

Any help is welcome.

[shateredsoul]

I don't see what the issue is with LCD.. it does look more blocky but... I like the look. Plus you'll have an easier time installing newer systems and arcade emulators.

just my opinion

[lilshawn]

CRT monitor = "way of the dinosaur"

way of the dinosaur = "cost" + "going by way of the dinosaur, but still in demand markup"

Price of CRT monitors can only go up from here... get them while you can, and FAST.

[nitz]

I don't see what the issue is with LCD.. it does look more blocky but... I like the look. Plus you'll have an easier time installing newer systems and arcade emulators.

just my opinion

+1

I use an LCD and it looks great IMO. With a bit of tweaking of the mame settings, it doesn't even have to look blocky if you don't want it to. And you can get a pretty decent scanlines pack in a thread over at the mameworld forums - some nice subtle stuff that actually makes it look pretty close to a CRT if you ask me. Sure, it's never gonna look 100% authentic, but no monitor will unless you're using the same or a very similar monitor as to what was in the original cab of the game you're playing.

Some people need an arcade monitor for it to feel authentic - I kinda get that. It's just like how some people need to have old music on vinyl because the CD just doesn't sound quite the same. But seriously, I think LCDs get a bad rap that isn't deserved. If you set it up right, an LCD looks great and it's way more convenient to buy, mount, and interface to.

My 2 cents.

[Rick]

I'm going with a free 27" CRT TV myself, as it's larger, and more 'in-tune' with what used to be available with the arcade games in general.  There are lots of avenues available for free/cheap TV's in this size (Freecycle.org, for example) so for me, it's a no-brainer.  I get the benefit of my system looking and playing like a real classic arcade game, without having to spend a lot/any money for something comparable.  (Not to mention on how difficult it is to find a 4:3 LCD these days - I have a spare 19", but when you put it beside a 27" TV, it's no contest.)

[nitz]

Not to mention on how difficult it is to find a 4:3 LCD these days

Very true. Don't even get me started on what I think about the whole widescreen "revolution" But for mame, it's not really an issue because it's easy enough to just pillarbox your games into 4:3. You can even cover the excess screen area with a bezel and then you can't even really tell it's not a 4:3.

[Rick]

But for mame, it's not really an issue because it's easy enough to just pillarbox your games into 4:3. You can even cover the excess screen area with a bezel and then you can't even really tell it's not a 4:3.

Good call. My only real qualm with that is, you're still not getting the size of an authentic screen. It's great for a slim style cab, and even better if it's a slim style, one player cab, but - and you can ask my Wife - extra inches are better when it counts.

)

[wp34]

I tested a 27" TV with component inputs and it was actually pretty good.  Most games looked very good actually.  The only reason I did not stick with it was that vector games looked like crap.  I ended up going with a WG D9800 despite the cost.  I'm real happy with the purchase but....I have thought a couple of times that I could have purchased several dedicated machines for the price of the monitor.

[nitz]

Good call. My only real qualm with that is, you're still not getting the size of an authentic screen. It's great for a slim style cab, and even better if it's a slim style, one player cab, but - and you can ask my Wife - extra inches are better when it counts.

)

I'm not really sure what you mean about not getting the size of an authentic screen. Yes, the monitor screen itself will technically never be the same size as an authentic screen because none of those were widescreens, but with pillarboxing and mame's vert and horizontal stretch you can make a 4:3 image in any screen size you want provided your monitor is big enough to display it of course.

[Brenry]

I use an LCD and it looks great IMO. With a bit of tweaking of the mame settings, it doesn't even have to look blocky if you don't want it to. And you can get a pretty decent scanlines pack in a thread over at the mameworld forums - some nice subtle stuff that actually makes it look pretty close to a CRT if you ask me.

Kicking myself for waiting so long to pick up a d9800 with the hiked up prices to replacing my 25" i have now.  I'm not a purist and tilted both ways like you suggested with lcd.  But lcd is b*llshit with scanline filters.  The screen gets so dark and dull because of them.  The phosphor glow and vibrant colors are a must.  Without the texture filters the games just look like cheap internet flash games, and if someone is going that route why even have a cabinet when they can play them on their desktop.

You mentioned vectors.  oh man, do a search on youtube for the Wells Gardner 6100 !  That nuclear brightness on those vector monitors are like nothing i've ever seen ! I feel like a fly hypnotized by a bug zapper.

This guy does a great side by side comparison of lcd vs arcade

[shateredsoul]

do lcd without scanlines.. you don't go looking for an 80s tv to play nintendo do you? no, you play it on a newer tv via wii or on your pc monitor. 

I will say one thing, capcom vs snk 2 looks fugly on an lcd.. the 3d backgrounds look awesome but the 2d sprites look so ugly it makes me cry

[nitz]

But lcd is b*llshit with scanline filters.  The screen gets so dark and dull because of them. 

You know, I never used to think I was a scanlines guy myself. I tried a lot of different ones and they generally looked terrible to me too. But I think it depends a lot on your monitor and your resolution. I found a really subtle one that works for me. You probably wouldn't even notice it at first if you weren't looking for it. That's how it should be - if the scanlines immediately jump out at you then they're overdone.

As great as an arcade monitor is, the convenience of an lcd with well tweaked emulator settings and some subtle scanlines to make it look a little more authentic wins me over. An arcade monitor is heavy and thus tough to mount, I need to worry about shocks when I have to remove the thing, I need a special video card, and when I start having problems with it, I sure ain't gonna be able to get it fixed locally, which means I'm paying a bundle to get it fixed or replaced.

LCDs are cheap, light, easy to setup, easy to mount, easy to replace, and no worry about shocks.

Would I like playing on an arcade monitor better? I'm sure I would. But I'm not a purist, and the lcd is so close to an arcade monitor for me, that I'm willing to give up a little for the convenience.

do lcd without scanlines.. you don't go looking for an 80s tv to play nintendo do you? no, you play it on a newer tv via wii or on your pc monitor. 

I will say one thing, capcom vs snk 2 looks fugly on an lcd.. the 3d backgrounds look awesome but the 2d sprites look so ugly it makes me cry

Well my tv isn't that old, but yeah, I do play Nintendo on a crt! And that is my only tv - a trusty 20 inch crt. I'm only 28, but I'm one of those guys who was born old. I pretty much stopped caring about new technology about 10 years ago. I think the last new thing I really cared about was the ipod.

In conclusion, I like my games old and I display 'em dirty!

[Larry]

Nieman Video display 25" Trimode $426 FOB Phoenix
Nieman Viseo Display 27" Trimode $440 FOB Phoenix
lrosent345@aol.com