How to get the BEST picture with 29" Component TV?

[tiobolinha]

Hello folks,

I'm building my very first MAME cabinet and struggling so far.

In Brazil we don't have those great new arcade monitors such as D9200 and on. All we have are pretty much chinese junk from 20-year-old arcades, up to 17" CRT computer monitors, TVs and LCDs.

That said I got a GREAT non flat 29" Toshiba TV with component in. I have a few video boards from my offices junkyard such as Nvidia 9400GT, Nvidia 8600GS and an ATI EAX550GE. They all have component video out but the quality is not that great. I saw at the forum people who went from DVI-I to component and got AMAZING pictures with TVs. Links follow:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=68054.0

How did they do that? With a simple cable or an active translator? I also have the tiny box problem when I use ddraw without stretching and with it tha picture looks like s****. I fell so newbie but I REALLY want to pull this off.

Please please HELP.
Marcelo.

[tiobolinha]

Come on guys. Please share your knowledge with the newbies! LOL.

I'm considering to get (even a expensive) great DVI to component translator. Will that be the best available picture for a TV? The TV-out of my 9400GT doesn't work with the drivers installed no matter what. Only in safe mode. I gave up that.

Please please please advise.

Regards,
Marcelo.

[Justin Z]

Tell me, tiobolinha--when you say "component out," what are you referring to?  Are you taking one cable from the card to the monitor, or are there three?

[lilshawn]

yes, there is "compoNENT" and "compoSITE" and the 2 are VERY different and people mix them up all the time.

compoNENT has 3 (a red, blue, and green rca) connectors

compoSITE has 1 yellow rca connector.

that said, composite inputs on TV are not created equal.

[tiobolinha]

Hi folks! Thank you very much for replying! Itīs component out, not composite. I got a X1550 ATI card with a 7-pin TV-Out (looks like S-video) and a component dongle (red, blue, green) connected to the TV input. The TV is PAL-M and NTSC compliant (auto) as it's Brazilian. Unfortunately no SCART here... shame!

[lilshawn]

you should have no troubles hooking it up then. red to red green to green blue to blue...

getting it to work though...


find a manual for your TV it will list the compatable mode (resolutions) you can give it to get a picture. set your computer to one of those resolutions and you'll be in business.

be aware though not all component TV's will accept a high definition signal. I have an older TV with component and it doesn't even do progressive scan. 480i is the best it can do.

[tiobolinha]

Thanks for the reply. I already have it hooked and running in 640x480 at 60hz and it looks good.

I want now to see the best mame.ini settings to have the most accurate picture. I'm currently testing CRT emu driver and itīs going well till now.

Any tips?