Arcade monitors with resolution greater than 800x600?

[ArcaMan]

Anyone know if someone makes large (greater than 19") arcade monitors that support high-resolution games.

[Silver]

Almost by definition, standard Arcade Monitors don't go up to 800x600 resolution.

Tech bit:
Typically, arcade monitors and the huge majority of arcade games run at 15.75Khz (horizontal frequency). This is a much lower resolution than 800x600. A few arcade games run at 25Khz, which is obviously a higher resolution.But even 640x480 is around 31Khz, and way way beyond anything a typical arcade monitor can display. 800x600 is around 35KHz depending on the refresh rate. Most PC monitors start at 31Khz and go up from there.

Having said that, there are obviously several exceptions. Most famous is probably the Wells Gardner D9200 which can display true arcade resolutions, as well as 640x480 PC resolutions. It can also go up to 800x600 although this is technically beyond its spec. There is a similar monitor made by Betson (I forget the name) that officially go up to 800x600.

There are also some arcade monitors that are switchable between resolutions - I think the Hantarex Polo range has an auto-switching input that will do 15.75, 25, 31Khz. (ie just about 640x480).

There are some monitors that will also do it all - NEC made a range of monitors that would do everything from 15.75Khz all the way to 50Khz (and beyond in some models). Thats *every* single resolution arcade and PC up to around 1024x768 or 1280x1024. You sometimes see these on ebay or from hire companies who are all upgrading to plasmas and LCD's.

If you can afford the cash, the betston/Wells gardner are thought to be good - they are more 'arcade' in origin and can be bought new unlike the NEC's. They are also probably more authentic in terms of dot pitch and screen shape - the NEC's tended to be flat screens with slightly higher spec. Although if you see one going for a bargin (I've known people salvage these from the skip) go for it - they were built for tough knocks life and tend to last).


NOTE: Having just re-read your post I realise you may have just been talking about modern/high-res in terms of classic arcade games, and just mean 25Khz. In which case my answer is overkill (its probably overkill anyway)... Hantarex (and probably others) make a POLO/2 which will auto-switch from 15 to 25Khz (up to 37" big) and a POLOstar that does 15-25-31Khz autoswitch up to 34".

[wpcmame]

Most modern games look fine on an arcade monitor with resolutions lower than 800x600. I play PC games at 768x576 or 640x480 on my arcade monitor.

[ArcaMan]

Thanks for your feedback.

I agree that most modern games do support lower resolutions, but I have been running into various games that don't - agreeably it is poor design, but alas it would be nice to be able to play them.

I did find one 27" from a Korean or Chinese company that "claimed" to support high resolutions but blew up two of them before talking to the company directly saying WTF! 

Ah well, back to WG again