VGA to Jamma for monitor for MAME. Final step

[Jgel]

OK with many of your help here I am on my last/final step.  Computer and control panel are done. 

Let me start by saying I know zero about this part.   So I have this game cab with a working jamma board and monitor.  What it the easiest/best/cheapest way for me to get the monitor working on this PC?  Pics show the board and monitor.  Please let me know if you need other pics or if you can provide any info for what I have. 

I see cables on eBay.  I believe that I can use this thing....  http://www.arcadespareparts.com/arcade_parts/video_converter/rgb_jamma_vga_converter_board/13052.html

I also believe that I can use this card from ultimarc...
http://www.ultimarc.com/avgainf.html

Thanks for your help guys. 

[MonMotha]

The first link is something along the opposite of what you would be looking for.

You very likely have a medium res (25k) monitor, which is not the best option for MAME emulation and such.  It can't do the 15k low-res modes most classics use, and it can't do any standard PC modes, either.  You can, however, still use it.  An ArcadeVGA is one option, but you'll need to install the drivers and configure them for 25kHz output.  Ultimarc should be able to assist.  Another option is to use a tool like Soft15kHz to do some driver hackery and make it work on a "normal" video card.  I don't know of any outright "plug and play" solutions for 25k monitors.

You may be able to switch that monitor into a 15k mode, which will then give you a "typical" arcade monitor.  Whether this can be done depends on what monitor you have.  I don't think the Neotecs that Midway/Atari put in their showcase cabinets (which is what you appear to have) are switchable, unfortunately.

You can buy conversion adapters that will just scale anything you feed them to 512x384p (25kHz mode).  That might be the easiest option, but the quality is hit or miss, and most of them are direct from China, so the documentation and menus can be a bit hard to understand.

[dmarcum99]

There is another way to skin this cat....
You 1st need a cable to go from your MAME PC to the arcade monitor.  ULTIMARC might have the one you need, or perhaps you can take a picture of your monitor connector and PM Nephasth and see if he'll build one for you.  If you strike out there there's always an ULTIMARC JPAC, but it's more pricey.

Once you have the connector, you can probably use Groovymame for your system to work with your arcade monitor.  You need to know if the monitor is CGA, EGA, or VGA.....after that Calamity is normally willing to help those out.  If you go Groovymame route, you will need to have an ATI4000 series video card for all the groovy stuff to work.  I am using the older Linux LIVE CD version now and love it.

[Jgel]

OK so from the two posts it sounds like the Ultimarc products would be the easiest to use.  So do I need the Jpac or the Arcade VGA?  Since this is going to to a friend who knows nothing about computers, I just need this thing to work and be easy to use.  I don't want to spend a ton of time trying to figure out how to get this to work.  Would either the Jpac or the Arcade VGA just be plug and play with a few drivers and setting that won't have to be touched after initial set up?  I am just running MAME and a couple older console emulators. 

Oh also, this is a Gaunlant Legends cab.  What other pictures of the monitor to I need.  Can you let me know and thanks again guys. 

[Jgel]

  So do I need the Jpac or the Arcade VGA? 

Am I correct to assume the ArcadeVGA would be a plug and play option?

[MonMotha]

If you intend to keep the wiring as-is, you'll need a JPAC or similar device.

The ArcadeVGA or other "tricks" would then be required to generate compatible video signals.  The AVGA does not, by defalt, output 25k, but it is capable of doing so.  Ask Ultimarc for details.  It would not be completely "plug and play", but it's probably the closest you'll get.

An external scaler might be somewhat easier.   You'd still have to configure it for 25k (they all probably default to 15k), but you could probably set it and forget it and not have to mess with any drivers or PC software at all.

[Jgel]

Thanks for the replies.  So I think I understand.  I need something to output the signal from the computer to 15k or 25k.  Then I need something that will take that signal and make it able to hook up to the Jamma connector on the cab?  So I would need both to accomplish what I am trying to do. 

Maybe I should buy a flat screen TV and just hook it up to the computers VGA port and mount it inside the cab.  This seems like it would be a lot easier.  What would I be losing by doing it this way?