Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

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Classicgamer
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Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

Before you get a second mortgage on your homes to fund the purchase of one of the outrageously priced used CRT monitors from 1987 off eBay...

Happ still has plenty of 100% new 27" crt arcade monitors in stock. And... they are currently on sale! I just ordered one for $549 (half what they want on eBay) and.... shipping was only $87 (IL to NY).... anyone who ever tried to get a freight quote for a large crt off eBay will know how cheap $87 is.

These have the 29" flat tubes (27" viewable screen) and display CGA, EGA and VGA signals so they are good for anything up to the Wii.

Thought I would share, just in case anyone else here is looking for a new retro gaming monitor.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by energizerfellow‌ »

The Makvision 27"/29" is a rebadged Wei-ya M3129DS-72, which uses analog controls and a LG-branded Samsung CRT.
Classicgamer
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

energizerfellow‌ wrote:The Makvision 27"/29" is a rebadged Wei-ya M3129DS-72, which uses analog controls and a LG-branded Samsung CRT.
That sounds right although I have seen some with Toshiba tubes too. Either way, I am ok with it. These units were available under a number of different badges.

My experience with other arcade monitors is that analog controls are the best option (assuming the pots are on an easily accessible remote board). Mame requires image adjustments for every game. It would get annoying if I had to scroll through on-screen menus every time.

The main thing is that they autosync so you can switch between cga, ega and vga on the fly as Groovymame selects the optimal mode.
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lettuce
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by lettuce »

I was always under the impression multisync monitors were a bad idea for stuff like MAME, as they arent design to switch sync rates so frequently and would fail a lot quicker because of this
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by dak1 »

Link?
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by energizerfellow‌ »

lettuce wrote:I was always under the impression multisync monitors were a bad idea for stuff like MAME, as they arent design to switch sync rates so frequently and would fail a lot quicker because of this
Gamers changing sync rates all day long on multi-sync PC CRTs was a thing and I don't recall wear from that back in the day.
dak1 wrote:Link?
https://na.suzohapp.com/products/monitors/49-2715-00
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cr4zymanz0r
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by cr4zymanz0r »

I wonder how hard it'd be to make a (probably wooden) case for this to "TV-ize" it for various consoles and such. Also don't know what I'd do about a bezel to try to make it look nice for wife approval :P
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by DirkSwizzler »

Neat. Looks like the depth is very compact.
If I could trust myself to make it safe around kids; This would be very tempting for a rotateable monitor for arcade mister use.
I’m not quite sure what the input interface is. VGA connector? Loose wires?
Classicgamer
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

lettuce wrote:I was always under the impression multisync monitors were a bad idea for stuff like MAME, as they arent design to switch sync rates so frequently and would fail a lot quicker because of this

I have been using my other multi sync arcade monitor with mame for years without any issues and I switch mode for almost every games (as my desktop runs in 480p).

There are multi-syncs that don't auto switch and require a jumper when switch off. They are less useful for Mame (but still worth picking up).
thetallguy24
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by thetallguy24 »

Classicgamer wrote:Before you get a second mortgage on your homes to fund the purchase of one of the outrageously priced used CRT monitors from 1987 off eBay...

Happ still has plenty of 100% new 27" crt arcade monitors in stock. And... they are currently on sale! I just ordered one for $549 (half what they want on eBay) and.... shipping was only $87 (IL to NY).... anyone who ever tried to get a freight quote for a large crt off eBay will know how cheap $87 is.

These have the 29" flat tubes (27" viewable screen) and display CGA, EGA and VGA signals so they are good for anything up to the Wii.

Thought I would share, just in case anyone else here is looking for a new retro gaming monitor.
Can they handle 240p sources like RGB modded NES or 480i sources like the PS2? What kind of board would I need to connect SCART, S-Video, Composite, and Component to it?

Will they work well with light guns?
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

cr4zymanz0r wrote:I wonder how hard it'd be to make a (probably wooden) case for this to "TV-ize" it for various consoles and such. Also don't know what I'd do about a bezel to try to make it look nice for wife approval :P
Not hard at all. It's just a box at the end of the day.

Mameroom.com and other sells cabinet kits that would fit a 27" crt if diy is not your thing. Or you could switch out the case from an old crt tv.

Happ sells a bezel for this monitor so no need for a diy project for that.

Mine is going in a custom bartop cab as, apparently, I am the only person on planet earth that wants a bartop with a larger screen, so nobody makes one.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

thetallguy24 wrote:
Classicgamer wrote:Before you get a second mortgage on your homes to fund the purchase of one of the outrageously priced used CRT monitors from 1987 off eBay...

Happ still has plenty of 100% new 27" crt arcade monitors in stock. And... they are currently on sale! I just ordered one for $549 (half what they want on eBay) and.... shipping was only $87 (IL to NY).... anyone who ever tried to get a freight quote for a large crt off eBay will know how cheap $87 is.

These have the 29" flat tubes (27" viewable screen) and display CGA, EGA and VGA signals so they are good for anything up to the Wii.

Thought I would share, just in case anyone else here is looking for a new retro gaming monitor.
Can they handle 240p sources like RGB modded NES or 480i sources like the PS2? What kind of board would I need to connect SCART, S-Video, Composite, and Component to it?

Will they work well with light guns?

They work with either an RGBS or RGB HV signal. No component, SVideo or composite. They work with 240p (or 480I) (cga), 368p EGA and 480p (VGA). So you can use any arcade or old console up to the Wii.

Yes they work with light guns (or arcade light guns would not work). I use my PS2 light gun on a tri-sync arcade monitor which is great because some PS2 gun games can be run in 480p.

If you want to use a sync on green source, you would need a cable with a sync seperator or an Extron RGB interface (to convert it to RGBS).

Ultimarc sells rgb cables for tri-sync monitors for consoles like the PS2 and the Wii.
thetallguy24
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by thetallguy24 »

Classicgamer wrote:
thetallguy24 wrote:
Classicgamer wrote:Before you get a second mortgage on your homes to fund the purchase of one of the outrageously priced used CRT monitors from 1987 off eBay...

Happ still has plenty of 100% new 27" crt arcade monitors in stock. And... they are currently on sale! I just ordered one for $549 (half what they want on eBay) and.... shipping was only $87 (IL to NY).... anyone who ever tried to get a freight quote for a large crt off eBay will know how cheap $87 is.

These have the 29" flat tubes (27" viewable screen) and display CGA, EGA and VGA signals so they are good for anything up to the Wii.

Thought I would share, just in case anyone else here is looking for a new retro gaming monitor.
Can they handle 240p sources like RGB modded NES or 480i sources like the PS2? What kind of board would I need to connect SCART, S-Video, Composite, and Component to it?

Will they work well with light guns?

They work with either an RGBS or RGB HV signal. No component, SVideo or composite. They work with 240p (or 480I) (cga), 368p EGA and 480p (VGA). So you can use any arcade or old console up to the Wii.

Yes they work with light guns (or arcade light guns would not work). I use my PS2 light gun on a tri-sync arcade monitor which is great because some PS2 gun games can be run in 480p.

If you want to use a sync on green source, you would need a cable with a sync seperator or an Extron RGB interface (to convert it to RGBS).

Ultimarc sells rgb cables for tri-sync monitors for consoles like the PS2 and the Wii.
How many lines?
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by SNK-NEO-GEO »

Obvious but...If you are not going to use the monitor inside a cab and will use it as a stand alone monitor for Mame and consoles build yourself a wooden box or find a 27" TV and try to put the monitor inside. I had a WG D9800 and I built a crappie box because I never felt comfortable seeing that monitor naked with the open frame like that, plus I didn't want my son near it.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by kuze »

I've seen someone build an enclosure for a 29" arcade CRT using the same hard shell material used for guitar cabinets or gig cases.

Looked kind of similar to this (of course with a monitor inside instead :P):

Image
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lettuce
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by lettuce »

Damn i guess shipping to the UK would be a killer?
Classicgamer
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

SNK-NEO-GEO wrote:Obvious but...If you are not going to use the monitor inside a cab and will use it as a stand alone monitor for Mame and consoles build yourself a wooden box or find a 27" TV and try to put the monitor inside. I had a WG D9800 and I built a crappie box because I never felt comfortable seeing that monitor naked with the open frame like that, plus I didn't want my son near it.

I'm with you on that. I have a 3 year old here so I keep my CRTs in the basement where he doesn't go. It's the main reason I am making a bartop cab for it. Otherwise, my lazy ass would have left it on my desk as it came...

I'll share a tip for anyone that is overly challenged by the thought of another diy project. Buy some 80/20 aluminum t-slot extrusions to make a frame (for the monitor enclosure). They are cheap and slot together easily (and quickly) using t-nuts and connectors. Then, simply bolt sheet metal or wood to the frame an you have a strong enclosure.

The enclosure on my Ikegami monitor is not much more than sheet metal sections bolted to a frame.

Aluminum extrusions are very strong. I used them to make a stand for my 1000lb CNC machine so a 100lb crt is no issue.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

lettuce wrote:Damn i guess shipping to the UK would be a killer?

If you are in the UK you have plenty of other options. Aside from the multitude of rgb scart TVs being thrown away, Hantarex in London still had some stock of new CRT monitors (with enclosures) last time I looked. I bet others do too.

Look up the "Hantarex Cube". It is one of the best CRT monitors ever. Or, ask about their arcade monitors called the Hantarex Polo (which are my personal favorite for 240p).

It's different here in America. Quality options for decent size CRT monitors with RGB and CGA capability are few and far between. People are charging thousands of dollars for 30 year old displays so, the option of spending $600 to get a new CRT with 20 good years of life left is welcomed.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

kuze wrote:I've seen someone build an enclosure for a 29" arcade CRT using the same hard shell material used for guitar cabinets or gig cases.

Looked kind of similar to this (of course with a monitor inside instead :P):

Image

Not a bad idea except those things can be as expensive as the monitor. If I was going to spend that type of cash, I should probably go for a mameroom cab kit.

For a semi diy, I think switching out the enclosure on an old (and hopefully free) crt tv would be most cost effective if the goal is making it look "tv-like".
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cr4zymanz0r
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by cr4zymanz0r »

So can anyone attest to the quality of this CRT. I'd hate to throw that kind of money at something then it turn out to be poor quality, soft picture, known for failing after a couple of years, etc. I'm curious how the sharpness/scanlines/etc. would compare to a PVM or a later consumer CRT such as a Trinitron, if it has geometry issues supposedly common with flat CRTs, or anything else that should cause hesitance for spending that much money on it.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by thetallguy24 »

cr4zymanz0r wrote:So can anyone attest to the quality of this CRT. I'd hate to throw that kind of money at something then it turn out to be poor quality, soft picture, known for failing after a couple of years, etc. I'm curious how the sharpness/scanlines/etc. would compare to a PVM or a later consumer CRT such as a Trinitron, if it has geometry issues supposedly common with flat CRTs, or anything else that should cause hesitance for spending that much money on it.
I'm curious as well, especially how many TVLs it produces. With 240p 15Khz sources, does it scale it to fit the 640x480 screen or does it simply line double them?
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

I'll be able to say for sure next week but I am almost positive that it will be identicle to my current tri-sync arcade monitor in quality and operation (except for it being 4" larger).

These arcade monitors do not scale anything. They don't have the capability. They just switch res between 15khz, 24khz and 31khz so 240p, 368p and 480p are all displayed natively (and perfectly).

I have been very happy with the image quality on my 24.8" flat crt. The image looks like I remember in the arcades. You don't get thick black gaps between scanlines like you see on a Sony PVM / BVM or an Ikegami. In that respect, it is closer to what you find on RGB capable consumer Trinitrons from the early to mid 90's - which is great as I don't like seeing jagged edges that weren't there in the arcade.

Here is Final Fight running at native res (240p)

Image


Here is Sega Ralley on the PS3 at 480p (which look amazing):

Image

And Virtua Fighter arcade at 368p (EGA):

Image

I'm not sure where the forum legend about flat crt monitors having more geometry issues started but, in my experience, this has far more to do with the quality (and price point) of the individual monitor. My Sony BVM (which is flat) and my Ikegami have no perceivable geometry issues. Every other crt monitor I have seen in my life has some at the extremities. It's rarely a big deal though.

I have never had issues that were noticble in an actual game except with my NEC XM2950. I don't spend much time looking at test patterns.

One more 240p pic just for fun:

Image
Last edited by Classicgamer on Fri Nov 16, 2018 10:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
thetallguy24
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by thetallguy24 »

Classicgamer wrote:
One more 240p pic just for fun:

Image
what's the line count?

Also, can it handle both PAL (50hz) and NTSC (60hz) signals?
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

The specs don't state the number of virtical lines. They just give you the dot pitch (.80mm). If I had to guess based on how they look vs other monitors I have owned, I would say around 650.

They can't display PAL or NTSC (which are color systems, not refresh rates). They only have RGB input.

They will display any vertical refresh rate from 47hz up to 70hz. So you can play any arcade game at native refresh without issues. These monitors are a lot more forgiving than consumer tv's or even pro broadcast monitors which tend to roll when fed obscure refresh rates.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by DirkSwizzler »

Classicgamer wrote:shipping was only $87 (IL to NY).... anyone who ever tried to get a freight quote for a large crt off eBay will know how cheap $87 is.
Let me know how the packaging is and what condition it shows up in. This sounds like "surely will break during shipping" low.
Classicgamer
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

DirkSwizzler wrote:
Classicgamer wrote:shipping was only $87 (IL to NY).... anyone who ever tried to get a freight quote for a large crt off eBay will know how cheap $87 is.
Let me know how the packaging is and what condition it shows up in. This sounds like "surely will break during shipping" low.

The last one came double boxed so no issues. I have to assume that Happ has shipped enough of these to know what they are doing by now... we'll see. They aren't the easiest things to ship but I am not going to drive all the way to IL to pick it up...

If it breaks, they'll make a claim with UPS and send me another one.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by energizerfellow‌ »

Classicgamer wrote:The specs don't state the number of virtical lines. They just give you the dot pitch (.80mm). If I had to guess based on how they look vs other monitors I have owned, I would say around 650.
Back of the envelope math on 0.8mm dot pitch with a 68cm display should yield 500 TVL, if I got my math right. 500 TVL was typical for a mid-range consumer SDTV from the 2000s and pretty close to something like a late 90s N-series PVM or ~1990 Profeel/XBR from Sony, e.g. PVM-2530.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by SuperDeadite »

Here in Japan, arcade monitors in a box have been around for years. As an X68k owner, they are a perfect match, and larger then what Sharp ever made. I use mine for everything up to x360. I use X-SELECT D4 to transcode component to vga for ps2/wii. Dreamcast via VGA is stunning. Most of these monitors tend to be shadow mask so they don't have the fatass scanlines of Sonys. I much prefer this look.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

energizerfellow‌ wrote:
Classicgamer wrote:The specs don't state the number of virtical lines. They just give you the dot pitch (.80mm). If I had to guess based on how they look vs other monitors I have owned, I would say around 650.
Back of the envelope math on 0.8mm dot pitch with a 68cm display should yield 500 TVL, if I got my math right. 500 TVL was typical for a mid-range consumer SDTV from the 2000s and pretty close to something like a late 90s N-series PVM or ~1990 Profeel/XBR from Sony, e.g. PVM-2530.

I'm not sure that's how it works (or even if it is an exact science). It's not really my area but I have definately seen monitors with the same (or similar) stated pitch with a meaningfully different number of vertical lines in the specs. You have to assume that things like bloom, gun speed / frequency, the type of mask etc would also be considered. It's not like on fixed pixel displays where one pixel is one line.

To my eye, my current tri-sync monitor looks a little sharper than a mid 90's Trinitron I have here for 240p content. There isn't a lot in it though, which is a good thing. I want it to look as much like the arcade as possible.

Whatever it has, it does a very nice job for everything I use it for. I actually prefer it to my 1080p flatscreen for some games on my PS3. And, Time Crisis 3 on the PS2 with a real light gun is pure joy.
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Re: Happ has sale on new 27" tri-sync crt monitors

Post by Classicgamer »

SuperDeadite wrote:Here in Japan, arcade monitors in a box have been around for years. As an X68k owner, they are a perfect match, and larger then what Sharp ever made. I use mine for everything up to x360. I use X-SELECT D4 to transcode component to vga for ps2/wii. Dreamcast via VGA is stunning. Most of these monitors tend to be shadow mask so they don't have the fatass scanlines of Sonys. I much prefer this look.
Why do you need to use a transcoder for the PS2? Mine connects directly to my arcade monitor with a db15 (vga style) cable. The PS2 natively outputs an RGB signal so why go from component to RGB?

I got my PS2 cable from Ultimarc . They sell one to go from PS2 to a 15khz arcade monitor and another to go from PS2 to a tri-sync arcade monitor.
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