Using PC Monitor for Jamma PCB's

[Trevor spencer]

hi

currently i use a 21" CRT TV and a RGB scart supergun for my vert games but i was thinking to save space is it pos to use a rotatable PC monitor with my supergun and what sort of convertors and type of screen would i need ? also what sort of sizes are aval and is the quality of PC screens as good as CRT TVs ?

Thanks

[neorichieb1971]

LCD would look rather MAME'ish. You need at least an XRGB2 to make it worthwhile imo and they are expensive and hard to come by.

Find a SCART LCD TV and give that a whirl. It won't be pretty and it won't rotate.

[Trevor spencer]

LCD would look rather MAME'ish. You need at least an XRGB2 to make it worthwhile imo and they are expensive and hard to come by.

Find a SCART LCD TV and give that a whirl. It won't be pretty and it won't rotate.

hi dont fancy doing the LCD scart TV thing , i know that would suck , is there not an alternative to XRGB2 ? also what type of VGA PC monitor would be best to go for ?

Thanks

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Hey there Trevor,

What neorichie1971 says about picking up an XRGB-2, that would the best that money can buy for your current PC analog CRT-based monitor situation. I have such a current setup with one and it works like a charm. ^_~

Why not post an "Wanted to buy an XRGB-2" in the Trading Post section of Shmups.org and see what comes your way?

If you want such an arcade sized PC analog CRT-based monitor with RGB input, then pick up an NEC XM-29 monitor. With it's 29" screen size and a maximum of 27 inches of viewable image-wise, it's the most biggest screen size comparable to the Japanese candy cabs with their 29" RGB monitors. ^_~

Keep in mind that such a true low-resolution 15.7 kHz CRT-based arcade monitor isn't going look as good and as sharp as that of an PC CRT-based one. So you'll have to decide what is it that you really want: a true low-res arcade RGB monitor, a general purpose RGB monitor, or a PC monitor for your overall needs.

In Europe, those lucky folks have easier access to such analog CRT-based RGB monitors than folks in the USA. Blame the manufacturers for not adding such low-res RGB input on such USA TV monitors nowdays even it would only add a few dollars to the overall cost of building it from the ground up. It's all about cutting costs to achieve maximum profits from a business standpoint.

What interesting is that the current LCD screen manufacturers have yet to make such a 29" 4:3 sized LCD monitor with support for low-resolution 15.7 kHz sync rate to replace such aging CRT-based arcade RGB monitors. If they were being made, I'd gladly buy one. But that isn't the case, it's the latest arcade game cabinets being made nowdays, are using the LCD-based 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio format. It really cuts down on taking up valuable real estate space afforded for the CRT-based ones. ^_~

Will Cave or another shmup developer start making such a 16:9 or 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio arcade shmup games? That is the wave of the future that other arcade game genres have taken and it seems very likely for the shmups genre as well.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[8 1/2]

Where can you find such a monitor? I'm trying to find a NEC XM-29 now, but I don't see any on ebay or in any online shops. Do I have to just get lucky?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Where can you find such a monitor? I'm trying to find a NEC XM-29 now, but I don't see any on ebay or in any online shops. Do I have to just get lucky?

For 8 1/2,

You don't have to get lucky...just google it up and see what is listed on eBay currently for two NEC XM29 monitors up for sale right now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0241632212

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEC-MultiSync-XM29- ... dZViewItem

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[8 1/2]

Not cheap are they? If it weren't for shipping costs it would end up being about the same as an XRBG-2. I wonder if the latter isn't worth the price then considering what it will cost to ship that monitor to me.