Software Support > GroovyMAME
Universal chassis arrives (and so do the problems & questions)
Paradroid:
--- Quote from: Calamity on February 23, 2012, 05:48:32 pm ---I'll see if I can have it ready for this week.
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That would be fantastic!
--- Quote from: Calamity on February 23, 2012, 05:48:32 pm ---Yeah you may have realized that arcade chassis are not a panacea either.
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Yeah, it's early days but I sense that even with a brand new chassis, not every single niggle I've ever had relating to image quality will magically disappear. Either way, I'll have no regrets about buying a purpose built chassis as I'm sure it'll be more compatible (sync wise) and it'll serve as a good reference even if I continue hunting SCART TVs.
--- Quote from: Calamity on February 23, 2012, 05:48:32 pm ---I wish at least it behaves in a good analog way regarding picture centering and stuff.
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Pretty confident that will be the case. There is a wired remote control loaded with potentiometers. Image adjustments are very easy to make. I only tested with the corrected sync over breakfast this morning but all seems well in this department.
Paradroid:
--- Quote from: lettuce on February 23, 2012, 12:58:24 pm ---Wouldnt it been easier to just get a 15khz Arcade monitor and place that in the Lowes case?
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That's essentially what I've done. The only difference is that I'm using a tube that I know to be of excellent quality also only cost me $0 (found on the side of the road a couple streets from my house). So, that saves me some expense and ensures I'm using a tube with excellent convergence and color purity. I would hate to fork out for a chassis and tube to discover the new arcade tube was inferior to what I've become accustomed to with high-end consumer TVs circa late '90s.
As for the "ultimate MAME television" quest, I think I found the ultimate (Grundig CUC 4635 chassis)... and then blew it up. :( Personally, I now believe that the best candidates are those with analog controls (for fast image adjustment, menus are just too slow) and earlier models that were built with "forever" in mind. Hard part is finding a TV like that in 2012. ;)
Also, this new chassis is silent during operation. That Grundig hummed and ticked as if it was about to give up the ghost any minute (which it eventually did). You'd hope something brand new is going to have great longevity than that.
lettuce:
--- Quote from: Paradroid on February 23, 2012, 07:44:17 pm ---As for the "ultimate MAME television" quest, I think I found the ultimate (Grundig CUC 4635 chassis)... and then blew it up. :( Personally, I now believe that the best candidates are those with analog controls (for fast image adjustment, menus are just too slow) and earlier models that were built with "forever" in mind. Hard part is finding a TV like that in 2012. ;)
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Yeah was going to ask about this, and maybe apfelanni would know, but would it be at all possible (on a CRT that has OSD menu) to locate the pins on the TV's pcb that relate to the V-Size, V-Stretch of the TV and solder potentiometers to these pins??
Also what chassis did you get and how much was it??
Paradroid:
--- Quote from: lettuce on February 24, 2012, 01:46:26 pm ---would it be at all possible (on a CRT that has OSD menu) to locate the pins on the TV's pcb that relate to the V-Size, V-Stretch of the TV and solder potentiometers to these pins?
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I highly doubt it. The way I understand it is that later generation TVs have DSP chips that process the image according to the parameters you tweak in the Service Menu. It's all done digitally rather than with the control voltages analog chassis use.
--- Quote from: lettuce on February 24, 2012, 01:46:26 pm ---Also what chassis did you get and how much was it?
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It's a universal chassis from Jomac. Basically, it's a Sharp Image chassis setup specifically for my Phillips tubes by Joey. It cost me AUD $240 plus $20 shipping. Jomac is an Australian company with a really good reputation for service and quality... but...
I've had a chance play around with it more today and unless I find some magic control that I've overlooked (highly unlikely) I think my verdict is going to be a negative one. The image is vibrant and really stable but the geometry is nowhere near as good as some of my SCART TVs. No matter what I do, I can't get rid of the dips and curves at the edges of the image. Aside from the size and position controls, there's only a pincushion adjustment. The Blaupunkt I have has pincushion and trapezium. The Loewes have 2 pincushion and 2 trapezium controls plus a bunch of others. With only pincushion, the best I can do is get one edge reasonably straight and the other quite wobbly. Or, I can get them both wobbly. :( Nowhere near as good as your Sony, lettuce.
I'm gonna take a whole stack of photos tomorrow comparing the analog Blaupunkt with the Sharp Image. Both have Phillips tubes. I'm pretty sure that $30 consumer TV is gonna put this "commercial grade" arcade chassis to shame. As for that holy grail Grundig CUC 4365 I keep banging on about, well, that thing would have eaten this Sharp Image for breakfast! I say you nip over to Germany, lettuce, and load up on vintage Grundigs. ;)
Oh, and Calamity, that effect you talk about with your Hantarex... does the image get squished in the middle of the screen? On this chassis, objects actually get smaller in the middle and then expand at the edges. Any side scrolling game will easily reveal this to a discerning eye. :( Just focus on one shape and watch it contract and expand as it moves across the screen. :'(
lettuce:
Thats a shame about the chassis not being even up to spec of consumer Scart TV. I popped into my local charity shop today (British Heart Foundation) and they have to massive 29" Sony Trinitron TV's, one is an older Black cased model and the other newer silver case. I didnt have time to check what models they are, but hopefully the older one will be an analog chassis, back part they want £25 and £30 for them, im going to see if i can hagle them down to £40 for both, still alot seeing as Sony Trinitrons usually go for under £3 usually on ebay
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