Vector... VGA?

[Level42]

To Xiaou2: the difference between using a vectorVGA and MAMEing a cab is you'd still be running the original game board, which will (whichever way you look at it) be slightly different.

However, with a MAME set-up you'd have the possibility of optimizing the display so that it looks more like a real vector. I think there's a special MAME version (or special emulator) for vectors. I've tried a version for Asteroids once. It looked incredibly much better than MAME, but of course it could still not be the real vector glory like you describe with the really intense brighness of the bullets, which is freaking great looking.

To RayB:
There are four words there: "faithfully renders analog vectors". Three of the words are NOT happening on that VGA screen. It's not faithful, it's not analog vectors. OK, I give you the definition of rendering but the whole point I tried to make was that they try to make you think it's as good as a real vector which is of course not the case.

[ChadTower]

While I am still ambivalent about Vector VGA, I would ask you -- if you had, say, a Gravitar, Major Havoc or (as I know you do) a Star Wars in need of repair, would *you* drop in a VectorVGA or would you try to repair the vector monitor?

And, yes, I recognize that your choice need not invalidate the usefulness of the VectorVGA.

I would repair the vector monitor... today.  What would I do in 5 years if a vector monitor is 3x today's price?  Can't say for sure, honestly.  You and I and Frizz aren't the target market for this, though.  We can fix monitors.  How many good monitor people are really out there?  My experience tells me there are less of them than people seem to think.  A lot of people talk about fixing monitors but those same people always seem to be posting WTB for a "good local monitor" or a "working chassis".

I'm not really that concerned about the cabs we get.  We'll restore them and spend twice market value in the process.  Not everyone is like that.  If you think vector games are getting parted out unnecessarily now wait until a 19" WG is worth $700.

[Ed_McCarron]

Dumb question, as I haven't researched...

Are the tubes different between vector and raster monitors, or is it just the electronics?

[ChadTower]

Dumb question, as I haven't researched...

Are the tubes different between vector and raster monitors, or is it just the electronics?

Most of the vectors ran on a tube with a slightly different deflection angle.  If you can find a tube with a compatible neck from a raster than odds are deflection will be off 10-20% depending on the raster tube.  It will work but you'll get some pincushion that will affect some games more than others.  Yeah, a tube swap with a pin compatible raster tube can be done, but it's a much more involved process than basic repair and doesn't present a 100% compatible swap.

[Level42]

Dumb question, as I haven't researched...

Are the tubes different between vector and raster monitors, or is it just the electronics?

What Chad forgot to say it that the yoke is the key difference between raster and vector. They are wound in a special way, totally incompatible with regular "raster" yokes.

With patience, it is possible to wind one yourself. There have been people who tried and kind of succeeded, but I lost the links and nothing really definite came from it. But I'm glad I got a spare yoke

[ChadTower]

True, I did leave that as part of the "tube swap", without considering that people used to doing that on rasters may not be aware you have to swap the yoke from the bad tube where on a raster you usually don't.

[Ummon]

Dumb question, as I haven't researched...

Are the tubes different between vector and raster monitors, or is it just the electronics?

I think I asked this, and related points, a while back and Ken had a definitive answer.

[Level42]

What do you mean ? Chad answered it. The basic answer is no, there is no difference.

There may be differences in angle of tubes, but that is also true for raster monitors/TV's. The angle of tubes increased as technology advanced.

The fact that Atari chose a medium res tube for the Amplifone vector also doesn't mean that this is a "special" tube. It can just as well be used in a med-res raster set-up.

So, the CRT (the tube itself) is not different, the yoke on the tube is completely different though.

[isucamper]

EDIT:  GAH the Zektor was discontinued!  Crap.  I was going to pick one up this year.  Waited too long.

It says it's discontinued on the details page for the product, but you can still add it to your shopping cart for $199.  I've emailed them to see if the product is being discontinued.  I will be sad if this option disappears before I can procure a vector monitor.

[ChadTower]

I have searched around the site quite a bit and see no way to add it to my shopping cart.

[isucamper]

I have searched around the site quite a bit and see no way to add it to my shopping cart.

[ChadTower]

This is what I see in Firefox and IE, both before and after clearing caches on both browsers.



EDIT:  wait... that's a different URL than the links bring you to... I haven't seen any links into that particular page anywhere on the website.

[isucamper]

This is what I see in Firefox and IE, both before and after clearing caches on both browsers.



EDIT:  wait... that's a different URL than the links bring you to... I haven't seen any links into that particular page anywhere on the website.

crap.  i had that url cached in IE.  your right, you can't get to it from their page now.  i bet it is actually discontinued.  haven't heard back from them yet.  my vector dreams are melting...

[ChadTower]

I eventually pulled the source and found a link into that path... with the emails they have been sending out, I bet that's how their orders are coming in right now.

[Ummon]

What do you mean ? Chad answered it. The basic answer is no, there is no difference.

There may be differences in angle of tubes, but that is also true for raster monitors/TV's. The angle of tubes increased as technology advanced.

The fact that Atari chose a medium res tube for the Amplifone vector also doesn't mean that this is a "special" tube. It can just as well be used in a med-res raster set-up.

So, the CRT (the tube itself) is not different, the yoke on the tube is completely different though.

I meant that, especially as I was asking about the luminosity, there was some additional info in Ken's response. I don't really recall what it was, nor can think of an easy way to find the post.