Using a TV for arcade screen

[Midnight Tboy]

Hi there,

seeing as it looks like too hard work for my first effort to start wiring up a genuine arcade monitor (aswell as acquiring a cheap one here in the uk ), I think I'm going to opt to get a cheap TV in the next few days, will be calling into the near second hand stores for a look about.

What I want to know is though.

As arcade monitors are generally barebone, so inside the arcade cabinet (using the project arcade books lucid plans for supporting up to a 27" screen) you can more or less use a full screen taking up most of the space in the cabinet as you're hiding the rest

now with a TV though, they come in different shapes and sizes for the plastic casing around the screen itself.  Now one option is to leave it as it is, and hide as much as possible with the bezel, downside is that have to find a TV with as narrow features as possible (no huge speakers stuck on side etc).....or is it possible or OK to take the TV to bits and assemble it in its naked form inside the cabinet...reason being is the project arcade book seems to suggest that you wouldn't take a TV to bits if using it, but obv I'd like to get the biggest screen possible in the cabinet


many thanks in advance,
Tuck

[testicle187]

If you are using the Lusid plans get a 27" TV with the speakers under the screen.  If I remember right, try to find one 26" or less in width.  It should fit fine. 

[SteveJ34]

If you are using the Lusid plans get a 27" TV with the speakers under the screen.  If I remember right, try to find one 26" or less in width.  It should fit fine. 

If you follow Lucid plans verbatim the internal width is 26" as that is the width dimensions for the monitor shelf, top, back, bottom, etc so you'll want something less than 26" edge to edge if you plan to keep it in the case.

I created a slightly modified version from this base design couple of years back and used a 27" Toshiba which is about 25" in width edge to edge still in its case which fits just fine.

[GameOver]

I'd even suggest using a 24" TV (I did!).  I thought a 27" would be a bit overwhelming standing about 1ft away playing games.  The 24" has worked out fantastic!  Click on my web link if you want to see some screen shots of MAME running on my 24" RCA.

[RandyT]

I'd even suggest using a 24" TV (I did!).  I thought a 27" would be a bit overwhelming standing about 1ft away playing games.

I have a 27" RGB and it's a little large at first, but one gets used to it.  Keep in mind that a vertical game is almost exactly 19" diagonal on a 27" horizontally oriented monitor. 

Better to be a little big in one direction than too small in the other, IMHO.

RandyT

[SteveJ34]

My thinking was the same as RandyT's in terms of how well verticals would look on 27".

Seeing as I play Galaga and other vertical classics more than anything else it worked out well for me.

[paigeoliver]

Taking apart a TV set is mega-simple. The newer ones just have the tube and one SMALL PCB.

[GGKoul]

I got a 29" TV using Lusids plans....

[AndyWarne]

In a cabinet which I sold a couple of years ago I had a Toshiba 29in TV connected via RGB SCART to an ArcadeVGA card. Best picture ever, because it was running at the native resolution of low-res games, non-interlaced, and also had the superior picture geometry adjustment over an arcade monitor.
Fitting the TV into the cab took 30 mins. Stripped off all the case, bolted the tube into the front of the cab, and made a shelf to mount the PCB on.
TV and arcade monitor tubes are one and the same and they are standard sizes so a 29 in cabinet will house a 29in TV and the tube corner mounting holes should line up.
This only applies if the cab is not the type which needs monitor mounting brackets (unless you have the brackets).

[PoDunkMoFo]

Andy,

I have a question concerning your setup.  Please excuse my ignorance on the subject.  I was considering using an old picture tube with one of the 8 liner chasis or possibly an actual arcade monitor.  Can I get just as good a result using the method you described?  I am assuming RGB SCART is a european thing so what would be the equivalent setup for us Yanks?

Thanks in advance.

[arcadefan2005]

Andy,

I have a question concerning your setup.  Please excuse my ignorance on the subject.  I was considering using an old picture tube with one of the 8 liner chasis or possibly an actual arcade monitor.  Can I get just as good a result using the method you described?  I am assuming RGB SCART is a european thing so what would be the equivalent setup for us Yanks?

Thanks in advance.

I'm no expert, so correct me if I'm wrong, but...

from what I've read, the popular setup is to use your video card (Radeon seems popular) and get a VGA->component (NOT composite) dongle/cable, then run that input into a  TV with component inputs. The component inputs are RGB.  And supposedly the quality is great (better than S-video).

There's a good thread/discussion in the FAQ, I think, but it's very long.

[Veinman]

Interesting, I didn't know there was a VGA to Component adapter.

Component inputs are showing up on lesser televisions these days, so hopefully I can get a decent one for $150 to $200. If not, S-Video will suffice I suppose.

I played Mame on my 52" Mitsubishi DLP through S-Video, and it looked pretty decent.

[arcadefan2005]

Interesting, I didn't know there was a VGA to Component adapter.

Component inputs are showing up on lesser televisions these days, so hopefully I can get a decent one for $150 to $200. If not, S-Video will suffice I suppose.

I played Mame on my 52" Mitsubishi DLP through S-Video, and it looked pretty decent.

Yeah, check out this link:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?board=4%3baction=display%3bthreadid=4531

It's pretty lengthy, but I think it explains most everything. From what I'm reading, there is a VGA to component adapter. And also, a lot of people say it's far better than S-Video.

Personally, I'm looking at going this route. Also, the TV I'm looking at is a Toshiba 27A34, for $229: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=2-1/qid=1114115987/ref=sr_2_1/602-9220687-6369447?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B0001YI0Z2

[arcadefan2005]

BTW, speaking of the Toshiba 27A34, I just bought one!

I read a lot of messages on these boards, and it sounds like that is a popular model. It does seem pretty huge though...since it's 27", but for a 27" TV, it has a relatively small footprint.

Anyway, I got a SWEET deal! Target, Best Buy and hhgregg all had it for $229. So I called my local Target to see if they had any in stock. They said that they had 1 on Clearance for $195....and it was boxed and unopened. So I went there to get it, and while I was waiting I noticed that they had the display model on sale for $160 (and it may have been the 27A33, because it was dark gray instead of silver). Anyway, I pondered getting the display model since it was cheaper, but I decided to stick to the boxed unit. Well, when the lady rang it up, it was $172 after tax (the price of the display model)!!!

Go figure. But hey, I'm not complaining.  Forgive the rambling, I'm just amped about the great deal!

[StephenH]

Since you are in the UK, you may be able to get a TV with RGB SCART Input.  If you get one with this input, you can make a cable or get one.  Using RGB Scart In, will essentially turn your TV into an Arcade Monitor!  You will however, need an ArcadeVGA card or a DOS Setup and AdvanceMAME or MAMEWah though because they run at 15Khz.

If a SCART in is not available, I would consider getting one with the inputs in this order (highest quality video listed at top), provided your video card can output them:

Component
S-Video
Composite
RF

Note: RF and Composite give very low video quality.  At least S-Video is best, and preferebly SCART or Component would be best in terms of quality.

[Midnight Tboy]

thanks for the comments.

at the moment Ive just bought for cheap (30quid) a 21" iiyama pro vision 502 monitor for the intent of putting it in the cabinet for now.   I would like to still find something bigger ideally though.  Do any of you have any idea where I can get hold of a 26-27" tv in 4:3 to buy over here in the UK...just can never seem to find them on any searches, only dead links to old american tv's of that size seem to show up in searches, or of the widescreen variety which are of no use

cheers,
Tuck

[rchadd]

thanks for the comments.

at the moment Ive just bought for cheap (30quid) a 21" iiyama pro vision 502 monitor for the intent of putting it in the cabinet for now.