Geforce2 video card

[Dustin]

The video card in my pc is Geforce2 with TV out(Svideo) and i am using a PC monitor in my cabinet.

I want to swap out the PC monitor with a TV but the TV only has RCA.

If I get a Svideo to RCA cable will this setup even be worth it? meaning will i be able to get a picture from this clear enough to play MAME?

I am sure windows will look awful, but will the games also be that bad?

Also will the Nvidia Geforce2 be able to display 640x480?

The picture on the PC monitor just wont do it for me,3D with  the grill effect is close, but still looks like a pc monitor because that is all it will ever be, a PC monitor with a fake shadow mask

Please help me on this, I am growing tired of messing with my monitor with hopes of it looking somewhat Arcade 

[fronty]

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[Ummon]

No no no, he's wanting to go from S-vid to COMPOSITE. Much discussed and discouraged. Regardless, it's probably simpler to just run down to wallyworld or wherever and get an adapter and try it. Then (likely) take it back later. Also, it will help if you read the monitor link in my sig to understand how CRTs work and all.

[Dustin]

Why must the video card be made by ATI?

Is the TV out that awful from Nvidia?

[richms]

There are 2 ways that those RCA to mini-din adapters work on a video card.

The first is the way that the ones that come with the card work and just connect to one signal on the card, and then you tell the driver to output composite, this is preferred.

The second is how all the third party cables do it, they sum the 2 svideo signals with a resistor and a capacitor. This is a crap way to do it since the card will normally be outputting a higher resolution signal since svideo can take it, and you end up with massive chroma crosstalk on the resulting composite signal. But sometimes if you go and change the cards drivers to composite it will work better with one of these cables.

I was quite happy with the results of the fake scanlines when I tried it, sadly my PC was too slow to do it at 1920x1440, but at 1600x1200 it worked fine and looked quite convincing.

[Dustin]

I think I'll just look for a 19'' TV with Svideo on craigs list and upgrade my video card to an ATI Radeon 7500 with TV out.
 would that do it for me?

[fronty]

.

[Hunk_4TH]

Also if you can you should try and look for a similar TV with both S-video and Component inputs. I've recently started using Component on my 32 inch crt (not in my cabinet of course) and it made a world of difference. Though I can understand if you can't afford one. I got lucky and found this in the trash honestly 

[Jack Burton]

You could also look for a pc monitor that can do arcade resolutions.  They are semi-rare, but a quick check of craigslist hurts nobody and you could get very very lucky.

A 19" Sony PVM series trinitron with RGBHV connectors on the back sounds perfect for you.  A quick search of ebay shows this one that seems to be a good deal:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-PVM-20M2MDU-20-Color-Monitor-Trinitron_W0QQitemZ260330002030QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item260330002030&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%
3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50




A monitor like this one combined with Soft 15khz and your video card is about as close to an arcade monitor as it gets, but with many advantages over a conventional arcade monitor.

Advantages like;

-It comes cased, so you can just pull your pc monitor and set this one its place.
-Easy connection, plus composite and S-video.
-Easy screen adjustment with the controls right on front.

[RayB]

Just a note... Not all "Geforce 2" cards are the same. The "MX" version for example is a bit stripped down. The amount of memory on them will vary as well.

[Ummon]

Jack, that unit doesn't appear to have S-video. In fact, essentially, it IS an arcade monitor. Looks like there was no reserve on that. If I'd been looking for that size, I surely would've gotten it - a real bargain even with shipping. (Although before bidding I would've asked if I could use my own shipping, as I can often get it for less, especially in this case given the relatively close proximity of that seller to me.)

Dustin: apparently ATI has always been hot on multi-media display - note their All-in-wonder series - whereas Nvidia has been about high-end gaming, hence at least until a few years ago, ATI had better performance.

[Dustin]

Well, I wont be doing any upgrade to my system 'till after the first(Christmas for the family tapped out any $ I planned on dumping into the machine)http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=V7500-P64&cat=VCDThis is the card I think I'll get, and I'm still looking at craigs list for a TV.

Thanks for posting replies everybody.

[Jack Burton]

Jack, that unit doesn't appear to have S-video.

It does, it is labeled as Y/C, an older term for S-video.  The connector is sometimes a little different on these older monitors, but adapters are cheap. 

The auction actually had listed free shipping with the buy it now option.  It didn't sell, so maybe somebody here from the forum can still jump on it and get a good deal if they offer the seller the full $100.

 I like this particular auction because the seller guarantees it not to be DOA and says the image is fully tested and perfect. 

[Ummon]

Dustin, pay close attention, it says out of stock - though you might be able to find one on ebay. But I suggest a 9000, 9200, or 9250 if you can.

[Dustin]

Ummon~

Yep, I saw that it is now out of stock, they had a few left just a couple days ago.

I have to wait to buy anything until  after the first of the year anyway so.....

Money is super tight as far as spending on a MAME machine(according to wife).

I did manage to find a local place that sells TV's cheap, I hope I can get one with at least Svideo/component.

[Ummon]

Check out Craigslist, too. I bet after the first people may almost be giving them away. And, see if you have a municipal TV disposal or whatever. People here have gotten good, free TVs that way, too.