Radeon DVI to component

[brock.sampson]

I'm trying to wrap up my first cabinet and I'm narrowing down some of my video stuff.  I'm going to try and wedge a 27" tv in my blitz midway cabinet.  It has component video in so I was thinking about getting a SAPPHIRE 100562L-GN Radeon 9600PRO 256MB 128-bit DDR AGP and a dvi to component converter, links below.  Does anybody have this configuration or see any problems getting this to work?  I've about tapped out my budget so I'm trying to avoid buying the wrong stuff.

Sapphire video card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102410&name=Item-%23%3A-N82E16814102410

Monoprice DVI converter http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041901&p_id=2398&seq=1&format=2&style=

Thanks

[TOK]

I'm using the ATI Radeon 9550 with the same converter. Works fine.
The nice surprise I found with the ATI card was that it appears to support any resolution you put in, meaning I didn't have to use Powerstrip. I'm using MaLa, and just put that in the box where you specify the resolution (640x432), and it resized so that the edges of the picture weren't cropped as they were using component at 640x480.

[shorthair]

That looks like a killer price on the Sapphire.  But, TOK, are you saying basically that the 9550 can do what the AVGA can do?

[Jeff AMN]

I'm doing the same thing. I'll be using a Radeon 9800 Pro card, a DVI --> Component adapter from Newegg, and a Samsung 27" TV inside a Blitz cab.

I'm getting close to mounting the set, I'm just waiting on some more computer parts to show up. Once everything is here, I'll post pics of the results.

[brock.sampson]

Are you removing the case from your tv?  The narrowest 27" I have found local is about 1/2" too wide.  The current plan is to take the case off and cut it down so it can slide in still in the case.

[Jeff AMN]

I took off the back, but I'm probably going to put it back on and see if I can fit it in there. If not, I'll take the back off again, remove the front casing, and find a way to work in in there. Ideally I wouldn't have to de-case it, but it's just a bit too wide. I'm going to test out the "just shove it in there" method either tonight or tomorrow.

[TOK]

That looks like a killer price on the Sapphire.  But, TOK, are you saying basically that the 9550 can do what the AVGA can do?

I'm not familiar enough with the AVGA to say for sure. I thought that was more designed for people that wanted to run 15khz monitors. What I did was kept the default refresh rate, and put a bunch of different custom resolutions in MaLa while experimenting, and the ATI did them all without using Powerstrip.

[ahofle]

I thought you had to run everything at 640x480 when using component?  Do you mean the card stretches the image automatically to that resolution?

[TOK]

When I ran 640x480 in component mode, the edges were cropped off. After doing a search, I found this was very common. If you use 640x432, it eliminates the cropping but a lot of video cards don't seem to be able to do this without Powerstrip. Using MaLa as my front end, I input 640x432 and the ATI is able to do it with no helper app. Windows toolbar is cropped while booting (640x480), but once in the front end, everything is perfect.

[ArtMAME]

I shoved a 27" TV into a Midway cabinet... I did not have to de-case it to get it in there.  I just made some relief cuts in the plastic casing and sanded down the upper corners of the back plastic casing.  This made the whole TV "flexible" enough to put in the cabinet.

Check it out:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=54556.msg534947#msg534947

I did have to cut out some of the cabinet back to shove the TV in from behind, but it came out really nice.  I am using Component video inputs and it looks great.

[shorthair]

TOK, so what other resolutions are you getting results from?...or, are you saying you're using that one resolution as a standard (hence, you're still running fixed resolution)?

[TOK]

Running fixed resolution, that makes everything fit and look good.
Edit to add: I think this is the the way to go with component, since it seems to be a little more finicky to set up with the overscan issue than S-video. S-video was sized perfectly on my TV at 640x480, but the image quality wasn't nearly as nice as component.

[shorthair]

I just found out today, that one could go from DVI to HDMI - that is, there's a cable (in this case, I was at BB) for it. Of course, that's if you're spending the cash on an HDTV.  What kind of tv are you using, TOK?

[TOK]

shorthair, it's a 27" Toshiba flat screen CRT. Model # escapes me at the moment, but it's about 3 years old.

[shorthair]

shorthair, it's a 27" Toshiba flat screen CRT. Model # escapes me at the moment, but it's about 3 years old.

Standard definition?

[TOK]

Yes... Standard def with component in.
As much as I love MAME cabs, I don't think I couldn't bring myself to use a high def TV to run games made for 300 lines of resolution. 

[shorthair]

TOK: I'm waiting to try this out....I tend to like the (old) games on a PC monitor, so it'll be interesting.  Also, since component is analogue (I didn't know this till recently), is going from DVI to component any better than VGA to comp?...how is that adapter working, conversion-wise?...or is this a matter of the card used?

[TOK]

Don't think I've ever seen a VGA to component adapter, but I don't have any issues with the DVI version. Not sure I followed your second question, but I'll give it a shot... What you do with the converter is select your output resolution via little switches. Different switches toggled on/off vary the output resolution from 480i to 1080i.  I'm using 480i.

[shorthair]

Ah.  Yes, that's very clear, thankyou.  I don't know about VGA to component adapters, but they do have such cables (prices from decent to CHEAP; I'm going to check out a local electronics store, first. Wish there was a fry's close by) :

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/vga-rgb-component.html#hd15rgb

http://www.lenexpo-electronics.com/2M-6FT-SVGA-TO-COMPONENT-VIDEO-BREAKOUT-CABLE-p-16500.html

http://valley-ent.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=217&language=en&cPath=53

Not that you'll be needing one, but in case someone else does.