CHEAP cabinet shipped (!)

[zaphod]

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/32-inch- ... 07697.html

is this silly thing any good? i can't find a thing in it's price range, and of course i have no idea if it's JVS, Jamma, or JAMMA with a VGA connector.

Maybe i'm looking in the wrong place, but nothing else is even close to this in terms of price. I keep thinking there MUST be some catch. and it's ultra cheap to ship. if the monitor is any good at all that looks like a STEAL.

course, it's widescreen horizontal only, so that limits it's usefulness.

[Fudoh]

from the description:

MOQ: 30 pcs ; (We accept mixed order,you can choose other kinds game machines to reach
the MOQ; If your order quantity below 30 pcs, the price will be more higher);

[zaphod]

Wow. that's seriously misleading, because it shows in the cart as under 800.

so where should I be looking to find something affordable that takes PCBs and doesn't use Happ controls?

[chempop]

HD cab or low-rez PCBs? What country are you in?
There is a chap by the name of cdamm who runs windy gaming that imports cabs to the united states (chicago area, with reliable shipping options).

[zaphod]

I'm in SW colorado.

and i was hoping for something usable for most stuff under 1000. Is that a forlorn hope?

Ideally i'd like to make a combination mame/typex(2) box, and be able to swap in other PCBs that seem cool, and candy cab or mame uber cocktail style would be good. What's the damage?

Low res display not a requirement, but sub frame lag IS.

[muckyfingers]

How about this and a Supergun, you could pick up a custom control panel from www.jasesnscustoms.com or the second link that comes with a control panel, but it doesn't use JPN sticks and buttons.

http://www.recroommasters.com/sit_down_ ... t-sd-f.htm

http://www.recroommasters.com/Xtension_ ... sd-pro.htm

[zaphod]

but that doesn't have the monitor....

sorta looking for a complete cabinet.

I saw those extension things, and while they are nice kits for what they are, i was kinda hoping for an all in one package.

[chempop]

Ideally i'd like to make a combination mame/typex(2) box, and be able to swap in other PCBs that seem cool, and candy cab or mame uber cocktail style would be good. What's the damage?

Honestly, if you are going the mame route and want to be able to swap in PCBs then you'll probably want something with a tri-sync monitor/chassis (Blast City, Egret 3, Atomiswave, etc).

In my opinion it'll be a bit of trouble going back and forth, simply because of the wiring and devices required for mame, I'd probably go all out mame or stick with PCBs. Then again, it might not be so bad, I occasionally toss a console in my Blast City cabs from time to time.

Either way, you are looking at around $1000 before shipping unless you are in cali.

[zaphod]

well i'm in SW colorado and shipping seems to cost an arm and a leg.

Even if I go the kit route, which is how to best probably make one of those 3 sided cocktail cabinets i still need a lagless tri-syc monitor, and where the heck do i get one of those affordably?

[gray117]

You're not going to get a cheap cabinet anywhere, unless you find someone wanting to get rid of something locally and they do not know what they've got, otherwise it'll always cost a fair amount to ship due to size and weight... And even if the shipping was some reduced via ordering in bulk, you'll still be on the hook for taxes and duties for anything overseas.

Sensible way, do it in stages: get your screen and setup a proper control panel, and supergun/padhack to your devices. ii) Build your own cabinet or buy a kit later iii) Look into a scaler depending on what games/devices you end up adding to your collection (if you're into low res games/systems/pcbs basically, otherwise emulated or more recent consoles/arcade games will either be native fit or handle the scaling for you).

And yeah, kit wise... I'd not be put off by not getting a bundled screen - I'm sure only a small amount to research (or a couple of questions here) will through up a few suggestions around whatever price point you're looking at. And it'll end up saving you money, where otherwise you'd probably end up paying a premium for a new screen, which may not be the best fit for you depending on your needs/wants anyway (for example although many type-x games are 720p native, I'd go for 1080p for general console/pc use and where the extra resolution will typically help with any scaling you'd be doing). Or a you'd pay a premium for an old crt which you'd then have to maintain.

[zaphod]

problem is there aren't even screens here, much less cabinets.

And i know big heavy tri-sync monitors are heavy and cost a lot to ship.

Can't even find a supergun for under 200 anymore. probably gonna hae to buy it in components and hack it together...

[gray117]

You can do it all with a high res screen and a scaler, but you'll be struggling to get those in budget before you even start with your actual cabinet, unless you manage to score some refurbished/ebay/second hand items.

So prioritize your needs.

Suggestion 1:

From your original cabinet interest and mame/typex interest I'd suggest you really would be best served with a hd widescreen - forget crts completely unless you are really only interested in 480p and below games.

Get yourself a low lag hd tv, unless you're happy with one you currently own.

Build a control panel. Probably easiest to pad hack this to your pc with cheap usb pads unless you're also hooking up multiple consoles (depending on how many, and which ones, you may find an all in one solution or just use a certain pad type).

Build/buy your cabinet (kit).

If/when you acquire older hardware look into scaling and possible supergun (build yourself or use volgatek pcb to help) connects as required.

Pro: Flexible/expandable/replacable depending on how far/deep your collection goes. Easier to repair or replace parts. Spreads cost over the various parts. If buying any of this new it'll be even be under warrentee... Still cheaper and less space than buying a sd cabinet and a hd cabinet...
Cons: Getting better results from original/older/sd equipment is ideally going to require some more specialized equipment.

Suggestion 2:
Forget widescreen hd, put your money into a crt monitor if you can find one. Tri sync if your interested in 640x480 games, unless you can score/prepared to pay for one of the few 720p/1080p sets out there. Buy replacement parts if possible, be prepared for some work should it ever break. Be aware that sd arcade monitors tend to have less parts to keep an eye on/test/repair than pro monitors/tvs. Also that if sd is a priority then tri syncs tend to show heavier/clearer scanlines than sd only crts.
Pro: Hopefully get a nice crt monitor at a good size.
Cons: Eggs in one basket a bit here with the monitor money wise, likely to have sacrificed widescreen hd.


Suggestion 3:
Cocktail cabinet hack it - use a cheap pc monitor either crt or not - do whatever you can/want with it. Downside is that the size is limited.
Follow suggestion 1 steps.

[zaphod]

well, even vogateks have become darn near impossible to find. and most of them that i see are PAL.

I have a small crt around that takes composite and split luma/chroma (but it's not svideo). I also have a big old 40 inch hdtv which i'm not happy with it's lag in anything but native resolution game mode.

Living here, my selection is very low. What should i expect to be able to pay for a proper ultra low lag tv shipped?

And there's still the matter of the controls.

I actually want to run typex NATIVE, not with the PC loader (so it won't lag as much). The I/O board emulation seems to introduce some lag... or maybe it's something else.

there a simple way to test my lag at 1080p?

[zaphod]

Would this be a good option for a screen?

http://www.amazon.com/VH238H-23-Inch-Mo ... B004J6BIJ8

Since it's got speakers, it will get audio for consoles or PCs that have hdmi easily, so the dawbac of "o tuner/speakers" si solved.

[gray117]

Sure maybe, for one player anyway... Personally I'd certainly push you more to 32 inch screens though - part of the cabinet experience comes from that larger screen - especially if there's more than one person.

Low lag is not a priced/prized feature for many - hence you don't often end up paying for it. That's a good and a bad thing

Perhaps look around and see what you can get locally or online and then check it out online for input lag and general quality reviews.

Samsung 32F5000 <- Perhaps specifically something like this cheap, well reviewed, older model.

Speakers? Just get an cheap ok set of pc sub and speakers - going to be miles better than any inbuilt ones. And typex is dvi out I think (?) so whilst dvi to hdmi is just a cable/plug conversion you won't be getting any sound via hdmi that way?

[bobrocks95]

I use a 27" TV I found on the side of the road in my arcade cab, haha. I think the blurriness just adds to the authentic experience of playing a cab, they usually have old worn out tubes anyway.

I was thinking an arcade monitor at first but quotes I got on CRTs from the few local places that had ever had them were way too high for me. Computer monitors weren't big enough for my liking. Then one day a TV shows up on the curb a few doors down from my house, and it just happens to fit perfectly in the cab I had just made, and the geometry was bearable, so I went with it and haven't thought about getting another monitor since.

EDIT: If you're looking at an HDTV/monitor with low lag why not one of the Sony's that Fudoh reviewed recently? I see a 40" (the W600B) for $500 on Sony's website, I'm sure you can find a cheaper price at another store or used nearby or last year's model or something.

EDIT2: There's also a 32", the 32W650A, if you're interested in the Sony path.

[chempop]

Roadside CRTs were definitely more common around here a couple years ago. I'm sure there are still plenty on craigslist in most areas. Before I had cabs I had this supergun setup, definitely did the trick.

[zaphod]

pondering this.

http://www.recroommasters.com/Xtension_ ... ro-arc.htm

Provided all the claims are true, and that the monitor doesn't suck, it's under 500$ shipped. it claims it's jamma ready. presumably this means you can attach a blue elf or hard drive based xxxx-in-one something and have it work.

Trying to bug them and get real answers about the product.

[gray117]

!?! ... its a tiny 20 inch wide monitor in a case with some joysticks... There's no way you're going to be anything but upset if you're comparing this to a viewlix style setup. I don't think you'll find there's fck all accommodation for jamma - it's basically saying we've got a flap in it if you want to get a scaler/upscan converter and diy...

[Ed Oscuro]

a tiny 20 inch wide monitor

Probably not even that, but 20" diagonal, so 19 and something inches wide.


Saddest thing I've seen in a while.

DISCOVERED THE MICLUS!

[beatsgo]

I do have 3 Vogateks with SCART pin ports without a connector that I may sale with or without RGBS output on it. Let me know if you're interested.

[zaphod]

scart is useless to me, as i'm in NTSC land.

and well i found out more about it. ti's some random 1080p HP desktop monitor, and a Zippyy joystick. (well suppose ya could do worse then a Zippyy for shmups...)

and no real stuff to hook up boards after all.

so yeah. not much to speak of.

[chempop]

Under $500 shipped for that shitty bartop you could buy a good stick and supergun setup for that much, or a little more for a jamma candy cab (which you could theoretically get mame running in if you wanted).

SCART is not useless in the USA, the convertors from EU-SCART>YUV/RGB are cheap, or the scalers to run JP-SCART>VGA or HDMI are often used for flatscreen setups.

[Nana]

zaphod: On Craigslist for Mesa County, there's a pretty nice condition Neo Geo MVS 4-slot cab going for $900. Not sure if this is what you're interested in at all, but you might be able to talk him down a little. Who knows.

http://westslope.craigslist.org/vgm/4472954321.html

[beatsgo]

You might want to check this out if you want something close by:

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=50542

[zaphod]

SCART is not useless in the USA, the convertors from EU-SCART>YUV/RGB are cheap, or the scalers to run JP-SCART>VGA or HDMI are often used for flatscreen setups.

well my crt is a teeny 1702 monitor that takes composite on one side and split luma/chroma on the other. dont have any crt that takes component. i do wanna test the vga input on my big tv though, but it probably will lag a couple frames anyway. theres no game mode.

i think some sorta supergun that will output vga may be my best bet...