RTS Arcade System - any ideas, or am I stuck?

[RTSDaddy2]

First off, I hope people can still see our pics.  Been a long time since I posted here and we are no longer with AOL.  Been trying to find time to put up new pics on Comcast, but no time to create the webpage that I'd REALLY like to create.  Here goes:

http://hometown.aol.com/rtsdaddy2/myhomepage/profile.html

One problem pointed out by Drew and several others the last time I was here was that the monitor was too low.  After stepping back and looking at it realistically, I saw what they meant.  We did so intentionally to aid in TV viewing as the cabinet is part of our home theater system.  I had a little extra room to raise it up, but without "angling" the TV, it's not enough to make that much difference.  Angling, of course, would make it difficult to watch movies, etc.

I know, I know...part of the home theater thing was probably a bad idea, but it was partly the wife's idea...perhaps the only way I get to do this....

Secondly, I set the control panel up so that our second joystick is on the far right, keeping it out from in front of the TV screen.  Yes, it's awkward, but I didn't see anyway to avoid the top of the handle blocking the picture.  Does anyone see a way that - if I wanted to redo the control panel  top - the stick could be out of the picture way, yet the buttons be on the left hand side?

In other words - did I just totally goof this thing up, or does it seem about right for what we wanted?

[leapinlew]

First: I could see the pictures without too much a problem. The picture quality was the biggest issue.

Second: Do you play fighting games? Do you need all 6 buttons? If not, maybe a CP with 3 buttons per and see if that gives you the room you need.

Can the monitor be raised or CP lowered comfortably?

Another option is to build a control panel that you could use on the coffee table. We did this with my brothers slikstik and lots of people just build control panels and play on their tv's.

Make the CP removable and put the CP top on once you want to play a game.

Personally, I wouldn't want to play on the player 2 side regardless of what game it was.

[RTSDaddy2]

You are right about the pic quality - don't even ask how that was done, it was pathetic, but we did not have a digital camera at the time.  Lucky there are pics at all (not upset at you Lew, just stating fact).

We could probably lower the CP easier than it would be to raise the TV...I am not sure how low we'd have to go, though, to make it look right...and that brings up another problem.  Perhaps we could do both - I'll look into seeing what doing both might do.  In fixing both, perhaps we would not have to move either too far to get the proper look!

I was given the gift of a couple of barstools to match the t-molding (the cushions are close), and they are the correct height for the panel where it is now, and they aren't adjustable.  Yes, I could get new barstools, but would hurt feelings around here.

Bottom line, we like the cabinet as is - these are just things I wish I'd realized at first glance instead of hindsight.   I don't think it makes it "unattractive" - and it certainly isn't unloved! - or anything, I just wondered if anyone had ideas. 

Thanks - I will try and post decent true digital photos before too long - the new pics we've made help a lot.

[RTSDaddy2]

Update: We checked the distance from sitting on the barstool to the top of the control panel if we lowered it maybe a 1/4"...it would still work, and I doubt we can move the  TV much higher.   We may take that approach over Thanksgiving, time permitting.