A few questions (TV, gfx card etc)

[RedSquirrel]

I will be using a 20 - 21 inch TV for my set up. Now, the best way is to connect it via s video right? I have not come across many TVs with an svideo socket , however they do have scart sockets. If I was to use a scart adapter with a svideo input would this produce the same quality?

Secondly, I understand the best card to go for is an ATI Radion 7500. However I heard some people say that it has to be the original release. Why is that? Does that mean just that it is ATI or does it mean you cant use one like from another company that uses the same chipset etc.

Thanks in advance  

[TalkingOctopus]

I don't know the answer about the SCART adapter.  However, when purchasing an ati card make sure it is not "powered by ati."  These boards are a little cheaper and it seems best to avoid them.

[RedSquirrel]

I don't know the answer about the SCART adapter.  However, when purchasing an ati card make sure it is not "powered by ati."  These boards are a little cheaper and it seems best to avoid them.

Most the ones I find are the ones with "powered by ATI" (on ebay uk at least). Ah well I dont need it for a month or two yet.

Is the quality that much different then?

[Miles]

I will be using a 20 - 21 inch TV for my set up. Now, the best way is to connect it via s video right? I have not come across many TVs with an svideo socket , however they do have scart sockets. If I was to use a scart adapter with a svideo input would this produce the same quality?

Yes, there's no difference in quality between inputs through an S-video socket and an S-video-enabled SCART connector.

[cleric]

RGB SCART is have better quality than S-video.

But true RGB signal can be a little hard to get from a video-card check here for the mod.
http://tvtool.info/english/rgb_chrontel_e.htm


Besides, in USA the s-video is more use, and in Europe is used  RGB Scart input on TV Sets.


About the TV-OUT chips,  ATi have the better reputation.



Cheers.

[Miles]

I use an RGB signal through SCART for both my DVD player and digital cable TV. Everyone says it is better, but to be honest I can't really see any difference over S-video. Having said that, I do wear glasses, and I only have a cheap TV. If you have good eyesight and a top of the range TV, you might get more benefit from RGB!

Here is the method for Radeon cards:
http://www.idiots.org.uk/vga_rgb_scart/index.html

[AndyWarne]

It is true that for a DVD player etc there is not much difference between using the RGB or the composite (S-Video) input.
But for MAME there is a world of difference! With S-Video you are limited to a normal TV pitcure, interlaced at a re-sampled 640 X 480 resolution.
If you go in via RGB you can run MAME at the native resolution of all 15Khz games. The difference is unbeleivable. In this mode the TV is behaving exactly like an arcade monitor and so the picture is indistingishable from the real thing. To get the VGA card to do this you will need to play with Powerstrip as mentioned in the above posting or the ArcadeVGA card can do it all automagically.

[RedSquirrel]

It is true that for a DVD player etc there is not much difference between using the RGB or the composite (S-Video) input.
But for MAME there is a world of difference! With S-Video you are limited to a normal TV pitcure, interlaced at a re-sampled 640 X 480 resolution.
If you go in via RGB you can run MAME at the native resolution of all 15Khz games. The difference is unbeleivable. In this mode the TV is behaving exactly like an arcade monitor and so the picture is indistingishable from the real thing. To get the VGA card to do this you will need to play with Powerstrip as mentioned in the above posting or the ArcadeVGA card can do it all automagically.

wow thanks guys for the tips. Im sure I could make that cable up, it doesnt look to hard. Does it plug straight into the VGA port then and not use the video out?

I just will have to make sure I can find a RGB tv, as I am buying a 2nd hand tv.

[Wienerdog]

I just will have to make sure I can find a RGB tv, as I am buying a 2nd hand tv.

Do that first before you look much further.  I think it would be very hard to find a 20-21 inch TV with RGB/Component connections.  27" was the smallest new TV I could find.

[RedSquirrel]

I just will have to make sure I can find a RGB tv, as I am buying a 2nd hand tv.

Do that first before you look much further.  I think it would be very hard to find a 20-21 inch TV with RGB/Component connections.  27" was the smallest new TV I could find.

My brothers is a 21 inch and he has RGB. I cant use that one though  

I might actually go for a 25inch or so tv (if I can find one). What size tv is best for a normal sized cabinet anyway?

[Miles]

In this mode the TV is behaving exactly like an arcade monitor and so the picture is indistingishable from the real thing.

Sorry to drag this up weeks after, but I was thinking about this the other day and I remembered someone had made this comment on here.

It can't be exactly like an arcade monitor, because TVs are interlaced and arcade monitors are progressive. Aren't they?
 

[Cave]

An arcade monitor basically is a standard tv, When you feed it a RGB signal via scart sockets. I've run both with andy's card and the results are the same crisp image, maybe  slightly better on the TV, although most TV's lack the position,scale,etc.. controls of an arcade monitor, either way it doesn't get any better than RGB.

Have a look at AndyWarnes post, He Knows what he's talking about, he brought us the ArcadeVGA card