Searching for best MAME TV, advise please

[IndyJones1023]

I am hoping to get a 27" TV with s-video input that, when the power is cut, will automatically turn back on to the s-video input when power is restored. Any such beast? Please point me in the right direction if so.

[JLR2000]

Well, I have a 27" Sharp TV with S-Video in.  I had to short the power button (which means I opened a paperclip, and jammed it into the space between the power button and the powerbutton hole to hold the button down) so that I could turn the tv on or off by supplying power.  The S-Video is a certain channel, so it's always there.  Basically, my Mame Cab PC is on all the time(on the network).  My "power" switch on the cab controls power to the TV, the Speakers, and the Marquee.  When I turn it "off", the pc still runs, but no tv, sound or marqueee.  This has worked well for me.  I did see that Best Buy had a 27" Sansui (?) color tv with S-Video in for like $185.-  that's a real deal (I paid $250 at Sams Club for my Sharp).  Don't know how the Sansui is for quality or how the s-video works on it, sorry.

Good Luck.

[Jungle]

I'm looking for the same thing, but I am not quite ready to buy so I haven't done much investigating.

I do remember someone talking about the Toshibas a while back that had that feature.  That is going to be the first stop on my search.

[elfman12]

I did see that Best Buy had a 27" Sansui (?) color tv with S-Video in for like $185.-  that's a real deal (I paid $250 at Sams Club for my Sharp).  Don't know how the Sansui is for quality or how the s-video works on it, sorry.

Good Luck.

Yeah, I got that Sansui a month or so ago for the cab I'm building, and it's a great tv, for that price. S-video in, and, when you power it down and back up, it stays on the channel or input you're on.

However, when you UNPLUG it and plug it back in, you need to push power on to get it to come back up. It'll be on the proper channel, but you do have to push the button. I'm trying to figure out an easy way to do this... maybe with an IR blaster and some sort of relay.

[JLR2000]

However, when you UNPLUG it and plug it back in, you need to push power on to get it to come back up. It'll be on the proper channel, but you do have to push the button. I'm trying to figure out an easy way to do this... maybe with an IR blaster and some sort of relay.

Try "shorting" the button as I described above.  It works great for me and it is not permanent - so if you take the TV out for something else you haven't hacked it......

Of course one side effect is that the remote does not work when shorted, but I never have a need to change the channel in my Mame Cab, and I control the volume via the speaker amp volume control (which is split from the speakers to the tv sound input).

[elfman12]

However, when you UNPLUG it and plug it back in, you need to push power on to get it to come back up. It'll be on the proper channel, but you do have to push the button. I'm trying to figure out an easy way to do this... maybe with an IR blaster and some sort of relay.

Try "shorting" the button as I described above.  It works great for me and it is not permanent - so if you take the TV out for something else you haven't hacked it......

Of course one side effect is that the remote does not work when shorted, but I never have a need to change the channel in my Mame Cab, and I control the volume via the speaker amp volume control (which is split from the speakers to the tv sound input).

Just tried it - I held the power button down and then unplugged and plugged it back in. It did NOT power up.

Oh, well, I'll just look at getting one of those IR/PC interfaces in the other thread here - I have a real high-end IR/X10 home automation system that could do it, but that would be like using a sledgehammer to tap in a tack.

[StingMe]

I originally purchased a Toshiba 27" but returned it after I hooked it up to my Mac and found that the top of the screen was severely bowed (PowerMac 9500 (G3/400)/Radeon 7000; PC mileage may vary ). I then grabbed a PowerBook and went to BestBuy to test out every s-video 27" TV less than 29" wide (to fit my cab plans). The picture quality varied wildly and the vast majority exhibited the curvature at the top of the screen (even the flat (tube) screens).

The JVC AV 27S33 looked great with no discernable curvature, sharp text (as sharp as a TV can be) and good color. It "remembers" the video input last selected even when power is removed for several days and will power on/off via a power strip or other external "switch". All in all, it's the perfect TV for my cab; the only "cab unfriendly" feature might be that the case is silver instead of black, but with the bezel in place no one is the wiser. I'll also note that I left the TV intact (in the case) and consequently had to modify a 27" Happ monitor bezel so that it would fit properly (I ended up removing about an inch from the "hole" by cutting it in half and then reattaching it). Looks great if I do say so myself.

One final note: the JVC AV27320 is slightly less expensive but is quite inferior to its big brother, as far as MAME display goes.

Hmmm...a little long-winded and off on a bit of a tangent, but I hope this helps!  

[IndyJones1023]

Excellent info. Thanks! Now if I could only find a local place that has it. Where did you buy yours? Circuit City and Best Buy don't carry that model.

[Bill_S]

I wonder if it's something with JVC sets.  I bought a used JVC 27" from a friend of mine.
It turns on automatically with my cabinet and comes right up to s-video.  All without me modifying anything.
It remembers this for a long time, too.  We jsut recently moved and my arcade machine was in pieces for several weeks.  I hooked it back up, and it was ust the way I left it.

[TazMan]

Excellent info. Thanks! Now if I could only find a local place that has it. Where did you buy yours? Circuit City and Best Buy don't carry that model.

I just looked at circuitcity.com and did find the JVC AV27S33

I am not certain this link will work; but you should be able to do a search on their site
  Try Here

[StingMe]

Excellent info. Thanks! Now if I could only find a local place that has it. Where did you buy yours? Circuit City and Best Buy don't carry that model.

I ordered it from BestBuy.com:

JVC AV27S33

Good Luck!

[IndyJones1023]

Thanks all. For some reason I was searching for Toshiba AV27S33 and not JVC. Duh. Now I just need to save $300. My Slikstik has already been ordered.

[Howard_Casto]

There are also the apex tv's which I can vouch for.  I have one in my cabinet and for the record it was sitting right next to the jvc tv's displaying dvd svideo playback and I couldn't tell the difference. It won't fit into a cabinet without removing the case though as it has side speakers and is very wide.  But it's only like 180 bucks for a 27 inch.  

[IndyJones1023]

But does the Apex model remember all setting after power has been cut off, now just turned off? As in, when the power is restored, does it automatically turn back on to the s-video inputs and the last volume setting?

[SNAAAKE]

NO !...it doesnt go back.we bought a 24" just to play console games(dont have to use living room tv ever).the quility is great but it doesnt go back to s-video when you turn it off then back on.

ITS cheap so you get what you pay for .

[Zombie]

the Grundig st55-908 i bought automaticly powers up when you turn if off and on again, it also remembers the channel (s-video).

its only a 21" but maybe thier larger" models act the same way.

i was running the tv-out with PAL and it flickered like grazy.
PAL is the tv standard where i live.
i just found out it supports PAL60/NTSC and its MUCH better now, almost flicker free and MAME looks great

[Generic Eric]

There are also the apex tv's which I can vouch for.  I have one in my cabinet and for the record it was sitting right next to the jvc tv's displaying dvd svideo playback and I couldn't tell the difference. It won't fit into a cabinet without removing the case though as it has side speakers and is very wide.  But it's only like 180 bucks for a 27 inch.  

I have the same tv.  Howard, how does windows look on your 27" Apex?  More importantly, how do games running on windows look on that tv.  Is it worth playing something like, Ghost Recon (or similarly intensive game) on it?  I am anxious to know, but haven't had enough free time in awhile to move my pc over to it to test my self.

[Jungle]

I just picked up a JVC AV27230 from Sam's Club for $270.  It has s-vid in, remembers the settings on power down, etc.  It also has component in if anyone cares.  I liked that it is in a black case, so it looks great with my unmodified Happs bezel.  I had a 19" in the cab for a while and it really makes a difference going to a 27".

I haven't noticed any glaring problems with the geometry, color, etc.

[M6A4TS]

sounds cool Jungle. How do windows applications look on it?

[Jungle]

sounds cool Jungle. How do windows applications look on it?

I haven't tried much other than Mame and Golden Tee PC.  The icons and text are much clearer than they were on my 19" via composite, but I still wouldn't want to do any coding on it - too hard on the eyes.  It is clear enough to change ini files and the like for setting up front ends and occasional use of Word or Excel, but it is not like using a real monitor.

Any specific applications that you had in mind?