MAME settings for "better" picture on PC monitor

[Anubis_au]

Hi all

I've been reading alot on these forums from people who have used PC monitors in their MAME cabinets (whether LCD or CRT). Alot of these threads hint at settings, tweaks etc that make the resulting image appear less crisp than what the default is, and thus resulting in a "better" picture because it is closer to an arcade monitor. Even though it isn't, we are not here to argue that.

The things is, alot of these tips / settings / tweaks seem to be hinted at only. I can't find one thread on the forum that is dedicated to discussing these settings to achieve a "better" (ie arcade monitor looking) picture on a PC monitor.

Hence this thread.

So all those out there with these tips, please send them along to help others.

[Anubis_au]

I should mention at this point, that although I aim to have an arcade monitor or SCART RGB tv in my cabinet, I may go LCD monitor if I can see an advantage there for visual pinball. But, if I were to go PC monitor, I would want to roughen up the look of MAME to make it as close as possible to an arcade monitor output.

I figure there would be others in this boat, or simply those that want a PC screen...

[ahofle]

Try Direct3D, bilinear filtering (version 9), the highest resolution you can get away with, and use one of the aperture grill 'effects'. 

[bfauska]

I run MAME with the scanlines setting set on.  It makes the image look less "blocky" and also more like an arcade monitor to me, although I have played very few real machines lately so I have little to compare to.

[shorthair]

I've always thought the scanline effects before the re-write blow. The effects after are much better. Whether using direct draw or d3d, I suggest 'scanlines' or 'scanline 75x2', though they will be more pronounced with direct draw.

I don't prefer scanlines on a large - eg: 27" - arcade monitor, but a PC monitor with higher resolution and smaller dot pitch, they can be cool. You can also set 'switch resolutions to fit' and get a similar type of scanline. Of note is that you can put a particular effect into an imaging program and rotate it. As I happen to only like horizontal scanlines - I swear, regardless of monitor orientation, I only remember this kind - I do this and rename it 'xxxx - rotated'.