Xbox 1 + CoinOp for Jamma and TV cabs?

[sharpfork]

Hello-

background:
I just picked up a Jamma Cabinet with a 25" WG to go along with my ipac/ 25" CRT TV in Cabinet I am rebuilding.  I don't really like windows and messing around with video drivers all day and I LOVE the old xbox (have 2 that are modded).  I'm really considering using xbox 1's with coin ops for both of my cabinets and have a few questions.  I should mention that $ is tight right now so I'm looking for n inexpensive solution

Software questions:
- Assuming coinops 2 is the best way to go (I'm DLing right now), can someone tell me where the games start to slow down or become noticeably affected by the slower XBOX 1 hardware?  I mostly play games from ~93 and earlier.  I'd like to be able to play Street fighter II and MK II if possible.
- is there a decent way to get into coinops without a having to pok around in a dashboard too much?
- one of my cabs has a vertically mounted TV- does this work well with ConOps? (I see it is a feature)

Hardware questions:
- will I get much more in the way of the ability to play newer games if I mod the RAM or CPU?
-Has anyone gotten predictable results using a USB trackball with the xbox to usb cable in games like centipede?

-For my Jamma Cabinet is this kind of a thing decent?
-- http://www.arcademvs.com/VIDEO_ACCESSORIES.htm
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250756462241
-- Can anyone tell me how the 15khz WG 25" monitor looks with CoinOps Mame on a horizonal monitor using one of these converters.
- Ultimarc seems to have some good but spendy solutions.  Is their monitor / sound adapter that much better than the one I listed above?

-- I'm thinking bout soldering an adaptor onto two old xbox controllers instead of buying the ipac -> mame converter.  Folks finding this works?

Thanks in advance

[sharpfork]

I found a cheeper price from the JAMMA converter I linked to in the eBay store.  This is their direct store:

http://www.coin-arcade.com/catalog/i22.html

[SNAAKE]

there is no easy to upgrade ram/cpu. you'd have to be a real professional or pay someone to do it. its not worth the money/hassle. might as well just get a jtag xbox360 or something.

as for games on xbox1. you should get fbaxxx(finalburn) emulator which plays cps1/cps2/neogeo/shumps/random games full speed. most games on mame run fine too but dont expect to play mortal kombat tho. mk games always had issues(even on xbox360)

[sharpfork]

there is no easy to upgrade ram/cpu. you'd have to be a real professional or pay someone to do it. its not worth the money/hassle. might as well just get a jtag xbox360 or something.
as for games on xbox1. you should get fbaxxx(finalburn) emulator which plays cps1/cps2/neogeo/shumps/random games full speed. most games on mame run fine too but dont expect to play mortal kombat tho. mk games always had issues(even on xbox360)

Thanks for the info about fbaxxx.  I'm pretty sure I'm not going to mess with the XBOX hardware but figured I should ask.
Any thoughts on coinops v2 or the JAMMA converter thing I posted?

[SNAAKE]

jamma converter should look fine and arcade monitors already have scanlines.

coinops play most 90s games full speed. just dont expect it to play midway games(nba jam mk etc), cps3 games, 3d stuff(ie tekken). you can set your modchip bios to load mame if you want. or get xbox media center as dashboard and just launch the emulator from the menu. its simple. pretty sure there are options for screen rotation.

dont know about trackball never tried. someone else can shed some light on that.

[ark_ader]

Coinops2 is worth the DL, but I would look at a controller hack instead of an Ipac.

Keep the Ipac for the serious side of the hobby.

Dunno about CPS3 or NBA JAM but MK works fine.  Trackballs and spinners work fine.

Light guns are supported only in MameDox.

Remember that Tekken works via PSX and there are ports to the Xbox that are good replacements like DOA and DOA Volleyball. 

If I was going to make a cabinet Coinops themed I would use XBMC and download the image pack that has all the arcade icons.

I've seen some pretty good front ends with XBMC I would Google a few first.

[BobA]

Consider this controller for an original xbox.   It works great, my review is near the end of the thread.

Console controller

[sharpfork]

Thanks for all the info.  I have coinops 2 r3 working fine on my vertical monitor cabinet that has a 25" 480p TV.  I'm feeling quite confident that I'll be able to swap out my iPac and PC for an xBox with soldered xbox controllers to interface with my Happ joysticks and buttons.  For the Jamma Cabinet with the 25" wellsG in it, I'm wondering if anyone has any thought to share about this device for handling joysticks and monitors:
http://www.arcademvs.com/VIDEO_ACCESSORIES.htm
If it isn't really easy plug and play, I'll solder2 xbox  controllers into a JAMMA adapter and either make my own video adaptor (if they work) or buy the Ulitmarc amplified version (if someone can tell me a reason why its worth it).
http://www.ultimarc.com/xba.html

XBox to Arcade Monitor/Speaker Adaptor
Click To Order
This cable plugs into the X-Box AV port. It includes a video amplifier which boosts the X-Box video signal to the level required by arcade monitors. It also includes a sync separator chip (inside the D-Plug housing). You can also plug in a pair of amplified speakers for sound. The picture shows all connections required for an X-Box to arcade monitor, speakers and controls.

[Howard_Casto]

dont know about trackball never tried. someone else can shed some light on that.

Pretty sure you have gamepad support and that's it. 

That being said, get ahold of an old wico trackball for the atari.  They have a digital to analog converter.  Get yourself an atari pinout, hook the U/D/L/R pins to the directions on a d-pad (and of course hook up the power and ground leads) and you will get a trackball that works respectably well for the xbox or any other console for that matter. 

You can buy/build DAC's as well, but this is just the easiest method for the novist. 

[ark_ader]

dont know about trackball never tried. someone else can shed some light on that.

Pretty sure you have gamepad support and that's it. 

That being said, get ahold of an old wico trackball for the atari.  They have a digital to analog converter.  Get yourself an atari pinout, hook the U/D/L/R pins to the directions on a d-pad (and of course hook up the power and ground leads) and you will get a trackball that works respectably well for the xbox or any other console for that matter. 

You can buy/build DAC's as well, but this is just the easiest method for the novist. 

Huh?

Just use any off the shelf USB trackball/mouse/GoldenTee TV Game hack and make yourself an USB cable. 

Why go to all that trouble?

[Funnel]

NO NO NO NO! Some people here have no idea what they're talking about! OP, do a search for CoinOps Epic... it plays a lot of games at full speed without doing a ram upgrade. I know this cause I have mine set up that way. It even plays King of fighters 2003 at full speed so yeah.

[sharpfork]

NO NO NO NO! Some people here have no idea what they're talking about! OP, do a search for CoinOps Epic... it plays a lot of games at full speed without doing a ram upgrade. I know this cause I have mine set up that way. It even plays King of fighters 2003 at full speed so yeah.

Are you saying that the older coinOps Epic is better/ faster than coninOps 2 r5?  Does Epic allow me to rotate my monitor to vertical / tate?

As far as a trackball, my USB kensington trackball works in XBMC4Xbox but not in coinops 2 / Mame.

[SNAAKE]

coinops epic R9 is the newest

google

[Malenko]

if you wanna play MK, get the ones that are ripped from MK:DA special edition (MK1) and MK:Shaolin Monks (MK2) they are pretty much arcade perfect.

[ark_ader]

NO NO NO NO! Some people here have no idea what they're talking about! OP, do a search for CoinOps Epic... it plays a lot of games at full speed without doing a ram upgrade. I know this cause I have mine set up that way. It even plays King of fighters 2003 at full speed so yeah.

Are you saying that the older coinOps Epic is better/ faster than coninOps 2 r5?  Does Epic allow me to rotate my monitor to vertical / tate?

As far as a trackball, my USB kensington trackball works in XBMC4Xbox but not in coinops 2 / Mame.

CoinOPS 2 Epic works with USB trackballs.  You have to configure the controls as they are preset for the controller.  Rotation and HD support included too.

MamedoX works with lightguns.

[Funnel]

NO NO NO NO! Some people here have no idea what they're talking about! OP, do a search for CoinOps Epic... it plays a lot of games at full speed without doing a ram upgrade. I know this cause I have mine set up that way. It even plays King of fighters 2003 at full speed so yeah.

Are you saying that the older coinOps Epic is better/ faster than coninOps 2 r5?  Does Epic allow me to rotate my monitor to vertical / tate?

As far as a trackball, my USB kensington trackball works in XBMC4Xbox but not in coinops 2 / Mame.

CoinOPS 2 Epic works with USB trackballs.  You have to configure the controls as they are preset for the controller.  Rotation and HD support included too.

MamedoX works with lightguns.

   
Yeah, read what this gentleman said.