Powerstrip application 15kHz on WinXp machine

[MrBond]

Hi there, I posted this on another thread, but I think it needs it's own.  I'm looking to run Windows XP on a Wells 19K4675 20" arcade monitor.  I was told powerstrip would allow me to run Windows on the arcade monitor at 15kHz.  Has anyone done this?  What settings did you use?  Does it startup using powerstrip?  Thanks for your help!

[Spectrum]

I haven't attempted this myself so I don't have any settings and someone jump in and correct me if i'm wrong about the boot sequence following...  The system will display at 31Khz on boot and powerstrip will not start until it is loaded by windows.  This means you would need to boot your system with the monitor turned off, otherwise you could cause damage.  You could time the boot on windows (using a standard pc monitor) once you have everything up and running.  Add about 20 or 30 seconds to that for safety, and always wait that long after powering on the system before powering on the monitor.

If I am way off here guys correct me.  I don't want to be spreading false

Robert

[tom61]

If you want an easy way to use an arcade monitor with Windows, wait for Andy's video card. There is no step by step guide at this time for using current cards(feel free to make one if you get it working though).

Now if you're willing to work for it, this thread has most of the info needed: http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=1873;start=0

If you need more info try doing a search for 'powerstrip', and don't forget to increase the max number of days to search (something like 90 should work)

[generousben]

same old questions?

arcade monitors are low res .
XP dosnt like low res.(wait for avideo card)


running win 98 on an arcade is  easy but only gives u partial desktop support.
you can boot into windows desktop at 15khz if u use a jpac

although win 98  does fully support on a 15khz :
mame 32 (with h/s stretch)
pj64
snes9x
zinc
daphne (i think)
see
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=3761


(tom61 ,there was a step by step guide but no one read it )

[generousben]

this is one method of displaying win 98 on an arcade monitor but it does have its faults.
It is also a useful benchmark to comparing scan converters,svideo tvs  and other  video methods
as picture quality is as good as it gets on a 15khz  the signal is not degraded or converted in any way.and is as clear as the signal that enters your svga monitor.


Step 1.
these are the specs of the hardware i know this works with.

Ati Radeon 64ddr vivo(this should work with all radeon cards i doudt it will work with pre radeon cards as  dont think they support custom resolutions)  
                                       
hanterex 25 polo 15 khz,
j-pac,
software-  windows 98,powerstrip,3deep,
you will also need an svga monitor

NOTE: do not try this using windows XP it will crash you pc.

Step 2.

make sure you you have a blue monitor icon displayed in you windows  taskbar.
if you dont ,this is how to get it there:
Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
Click on Properties.
Click on the Settings tab.
Click on the Advanced button.
On the dialog box that appears, check the Show settings icon on task bar box.
Click Apply then OK.
A new display icon will now appear on the taskbar. Click the icon and a list of possible display settings will appear. Click on a setting to change your display options.

Step 3.
stick the pc display on your 31khz monitor
open up powerstrip.

[Custom Resolutions]

736x288=736,24,64,80,288,2,2,20,14160,6

What you want to do is this:
1. PowerStrip menu > Display profiles > Configure > Advanced timing > options >
2. Cut "736x288=736,24,64,80,288,2,2,20,14160,6" from this message to the  Windows clipboard > > >
3. Paste the timing into PowerStrip by clicking the  paste-from-clipboard  speed button (the middle icon between Cancel and Apply)
4. If the timing is in the correct format, you'll be told the  resolution has been added to the Custom list
6. Click the "Custom resolutions..." and then click the "User defined"  list  and you should find the new resolution listed
7. Highlite and click "Add resolution"  
8.close powerstrip

step 5.
click on the blue display icon in the taskbar/toolbar 726x288 should now be added to the list.

step6
download and install stretch mame32
if you cant find this install mame32plus instead
open up stretch mame
goto    Options,defaut options,display,
check the fullscreen box and set the screen area to 736x288.
set the gamma to about .75

step 7
the only windows emulators that will work are ones that you can set the  resolution to 736x288
to get zinc to work just check the run in window box an paste 736x288 into the box.
change all the emulators you want to use on your arcade monitor to run at 736x288.
this are the emus i know work.
pj64,final burn,snes9x,zinc,epsxe,

Make sure you configure every thing in the emulators  before switching to the 15khz monitor.
I mean every thing video,controls etc.......you dont want to be configureing anything while on the 15k

step 8

download and install 3deep software ,open up the control panel and press the set game gamma button.
this stops the desktop being too bright when viewed on a 15k

step9

click on the blue monitor icon and change the display to 736x288,
turn off your svga.
plug in the arcade monitor
turn it on and tune the h-sync and v -sync in and adjust the picture size.
you should now have a clear and stable picture of the windows desktop displaying on your arcade monitor.

step10.
run mame or zinc..................
(in the mame 32 gui click on the square in top right corner so the gui fills the screen)


The pros of using this method:
cheap.
very easy to set up.
you can use mame32
runs all games full screen
all vertical games in mame run at about the corect screen ratio(more or less)ie with black boarders
u can use Zinc and other windows emulators
dosnt degrade or convert  the picture in anyway
zinc and pj64 look amazing
it rus on radeon cards so no more slow trident blade cards.
dosnt use interlacing
no colour bleeding
text is easy to read
can still use dos mame as well
stops people trying to work out wierd and wacky ways of trying to get windows displaying on an arcade monitor(i like the amiga monitor one)

cons of this method:
mame 32 uses h/w stretch
games in mame are all forced to run at 736x288 instead of there original arcade resolution
in windows all pulldown menus are cut off at the bottom due to the fact windows not supporting resolutions as low as 288.so u have to configure everthing on a svga monitor first or use a 25/15khz auto switch monitor.
cant use any front ends unless some one makes one that supports 736x288.
cant use windows xp

 if you want a perfect method you will need to find a video card that has been specally made for this perpose,works on xp dosnt use hw stretch,plays all the games in mame at there correct resolutions and runs all windows programs and aplications ................................
.............if only someone could design such a card?

at the end of the day ,if u dont like it dont use it

GB

[MrBond]

4. If the timing is in the correct format, you'll be told the  resolution has been added to the Custom list
6. Click the "Custom resolutions..." and then click the "User defined"  list  and you should find the new resolution listed
7. Highlite and click "Add resolution"  
8.close powerstrip

step 5.
click on the blue display icon in the taskbar/toolbar 726x288 should now be added to the list.

Ben, I can't seem to get the 288 vertical resolution to register with windows 98.  I pasted the settings, and it was added to the custom resolutions tab.  However, when I click "add new resolution", it states that 288 may be below the driver capabilities.  I am prompted to restart to "see if the driver accepts the settings", but when it boots back up, nothing has changed.  The 726x288 resolution is not on the blue display icon's list.
Just to see, I tried the default "arcade 640x480".  It showed up on my arcade monitor without blinking or scrolling, but the colors were way off, the screen was scrollable, in that I couldn't see the entire desktop at one time.  I had to use the mouse to "move around the desktop".  It actually moved the screen when I moved the mouse!  Hadn't expected that.  But it wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
Any ideas?
Any other's have luck with powerstrip, (especially if you are running a geforce3 with a 4600 type wells gardner monitor).
PS the monitor is vertically mounted.  I will rotate if I get this to work.

[SONIC]

I'm running win98 on my arcade-monitor, and use powerstrip to force the Hz down on a TNT2 card... tried with a GeForce3, but didn't seem to have any luck with it.

The rez I run with is 640x480 in 16 bit color at 15,7 Khz (made that rez in powerstrip and added it to the registration-database).

After doing so I simply made a shortcut to powerstrip and Mame in the "Start" menu in win98, so it automaticly starts up when the machine is booted.

[SNAAAKE]

hey sonic,
Is there like a list of video card that supports 15.75 khz standard arcade resolution(using powerstrip of course)?

Thanks for any input

[MrBond]

Wow, 16 bit color worked for you?  All I ever got was 256, and that was with the "panning" around the desktop that was too large for my arcade screen.  Plus the colors were horrible.  (looks ok in arcadeOS though).  All give a go with the 640x480 at 16 bit color with 15.7 kHz.  Sonic, how's your desktop look?

[generousben]

so 736x288 donst show up on the menu that pops up when you single  click the blue icon?

dont know then..........it works fine with a radeon card in 16 bit colour.
have you got the latest drivers?(Detornator )



Sonic what modeline are u using for 640x480
i cant see how u can get a 640x480, 15.7khz x 50 or 60 hz modeline unless its interlaced?

desktop at 736x288

[MrBond]

so 736x288 donst show up on the menu that pops up when you single  click the blue icon?

dont know then..........it works fine with a radeon card in 16 bit colour.
have you got the latest drivers?(Detornator )

Yeah, got the latest driver of Nvidia's webpage...I can't get the Windows Update thing to work on windows 98.  Not that big of a deal, but usually they host the latest drivers for everything.

Any other ideas?

[SONIC]

The latest detonator drivers didn't work for me, so I visited http://www.reactorcritical.com instead, and got me some elder drivers for my TNT2 card, which happened to work perfect!!!

Btw, I used a remote app called "VNC" to adjust everything in powerstrip with from another PC... just connect both PC's to a lan, run VNC on the arcade machine, and VNC-viewer on the other (the PC you wanna remote with)... this would be the easiest way to adjust things on your PC connected to an arcade-monitor...

@Snaaake... don't think there is a complete list with all cards that work, I just tried with TNT2, and it worked... saw some suggestions though, just can't remember where anymore, but they mentioned some ATI cards as working, plus some others, just can't remember which ones though!

[MrBond]

Does this VNC, I'm assuming it's this one: http://www.realvnc.com/what.html
work on just two PC's linked with a crossover cable?

[generousben]

sonic.....
can you cut and paste the exact 640x480  res /modeline
u are using out of power strip and post it here?

[Brunnen-G]

MrBond,

Yes, VNC will work on two machines connected by a crossover cable as long as TCP/IP is installed and each machine has an IP address in the same subnet.

[MrBond]

Yup, VNC works great!  I had no idea I could do that!  Much easier to adjust the screen now.  And to echo ben, Sonic, what are your exact settings on powerstrip?  (just cut and paste the settings here if you can)  Thanks!!!  

[MrBond]

Sonic???