Roll and Stop

[Knoxximus]

My V-Hold is different for every screen.  Once my cab boots, I havee to adjust the desktop screen, which maintains for MAME 32 screen, but when I load a game, it's like I have to start from scratch with screen adjustment.  THEN don't let me want to play another game.....'cause now I have to re-adjust the MAME#@ selection menu screen.  What gives?

[AlanS17]

Perhaps your scan rate is changing. Lock it into one rate to avoid those problems.

[Knoxximus]

How do I do that?  I'm running an Arcade VGA if that helps....

[DaveJ-UK]

Set refresh 15 in your mame.ini

It should be possible to get a v hold suitable for the BIOS screen, Windows and MAME.

Start with the v-hold at one extreme within Windows. Turn it as slowly as possible until the picture is stable. Then load the next screen (MAME?) and continue to turn it (in the same direction!) until that picture is stable. Now exit MAME and you should find it is stable in Windows still. If it isn't. start again but from the other extreme.

Worked for me. (ArcadeVGA + JPAC + Arcade Monitor).

[AlanS17]

The other option is to install software to manipulate the video card within Windows (such as Powerstrip). This program lets you fully customize (and lock in place) your resolution as well as refresh rates and other settings.

It sounds to me like DaveJ is using seperate resolutions for Windows and MAME. You can do this, but for the sake of making everything uniform I recommend running EVERYTHING at 640X480 or (if the monitor allows) 800X600. You can do this manually through Windows and mame.ini settings, but you can also do it through Powerstrip by creating settings profiles and attaching them to executables (such as MAME). These settings override any other settings the game chooses to take. This method would probably be be most usefull if using more than 1 emulator such as MAME and consoles.

[Minwah]

It should be possible to get a v hold suitable for the BIOS screen, Windows and MAME.

Start with the v-hold at one extreme within Windows. Turn it as slowly as possible until the picture is stable. Then load the next screen (MAME?) and continue to turn it (in the same direction!) until that picture is stable. Now exit MAME and you should find it is stable in Windows still. If it isn't. start again but from the other extreme.

If that doesn't work you might need to clean your v-holt pot (if it is an old monitor).  And make *tiny* adjustments, a small amount can make a big difference...

[Knoxximus]

You know what?  I just discovered that there is a short in my arcade monitor adjustment panel (all the v/h pots, contrast, etc.).  I also thought my monitor needed a good degaussing, but one time when I was fiddling with the damm v-hold, all the color appeared....like a claritin commercial or something

Thing is, it would be nest to impossible to run down WHICH wire it is, so I'm just gonna replace the whole damm harness and hope it IS the wires, and not the board.

[Knoxximus]

Ok so I replace the harness and the color factor is cleared up...looks like a degauss is not needed.  However, my monitor screen still flips like Dominique Daws on a set of suspended rings!  I've tried to configure the powerstrip, but the refrest won't let me drop lower than 30.  Then again, I'm running an AVGA so I shouldn't even need it, right?  I've gotten the screen fairly stable for windows/MAME/SFA3 setup, but then I backed out and loaded Winjammers and the flipping continues.  What am I missing here to make everything uniform?  Are the newer arcade monitors self correcting?  How do I "lock in" MAME to a 15 refresh rate (Is that what I need?)?

[Acids]

Set refresh 15 in your mame.ini

It should be possible to get a v hold suitable for the BIOS screen, Windows and MAME.

Start with the v-hold at one extreme within Windows. Turn it as slowly as possible until the picture is stable. Then load the next screen (MAME?) and continue to turn it (in the same direction!) until that picture is stable. Now exit MAME and you should find it is stable in Windows still. If it isn't. start again but from the other extreme.

Worked for me. (ArcadeVGA + JPAC + Arcade Monitor).

I'm running a J-PAC, Advance Mame, Arcade Monitor and a ATi pci graphics card.
No matter how much playing around i do i cant get the BIOS screen or DOS to remain stable.
But once I'm into Advance menu and Advance Mame in good to go...   Any other ideas ?

[dabone]

Thats how it's supposed to be. If you want stable pics everywhere you need a arcadevga card.
(but for dos there is a work around called arcmon.sys)
Unless you have a arcadevga you will never get a stable display in your bios with a standard arcade monitor.

Later,
dabone