Widescreen tate.. (or just general PC gaming in wide)..?

[Leroy]

I was wondering if anybody had experience going tate with a widescreen TV or monitor. I just bought a new Samsung 204B LCD to replace a three year old NEC LCD. One of the reasons for the upgrade is that it could rotate. Well, after falling in love with it I came back down, the monitor isn't quite as crisp as the NEC was.. and the vertical viewing angle leaves a lot to be desired (it says 160 but that's horse shit). Anyway, this sucks because in tate mode it's like seeing a gradiant going from the left to the right, very annoying.

So I'm considering a widescreen monitor (215TW) that has (and seems to conform to) a 178 viewing angle. Not only that but it also will rotate AND has a composite, S-video and component hookup.. meaning I can hook up my PS2 for some Espgaluda! (though, honestly I'm not sure if it would be much better than yoko on my 32" TV). I gave it a rotate in the store and threw some quick MSpaint scenarios at it.. did not appear to have the same issue as the 204B at all (and it appeared to be free of my other complaints, though I'd really have to give it some home time before deciding).

Anyway, I just wanted to know if anyone here had a widescreen and could chime in on say how tate looks and feels on it. Obviously, it's going to be taller than a 4:3 monitor and there should be some letterboxing to perserve the proper aspect.. pictures would be NICE if possible. Thanks!

Oh, here's a quick one of my new (soon to go bye-bye) baby:

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Actually, by going with an analog CRT-based PC monitor is the way to go. Plus, if you have an Arcade VGA card + J-PAC interface setup along with a true low-resolution arcade monitor or a multi-sync PC monitor capable of recieving 15kHz signal sync rate -- would look better than playing arcade games on a "Tate'd" LCD-based PC monitor.

A cheap-ass Commodore Amiga monitor will recieve 15 kHz signal sync rate with no problems. It's been said in the past that an Amiga monitor looks better than the larger arcade monitor counterparts due to it's smaller size and comb filter setup. Your eyes will be blown away by the razor-sharp RGB presented on-screen with an Amiga monitor.

Of course, in Japan, there're the Taito Concept-E arcade cabinets that come mounted with widescreen 16:9 aspect raito tate'd LCD-based monitors as preffered method of showcasing the latest Japanese arcade games. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[malcolm]

I run my sharp Aquos 32 inch lcd on tate while playing Under Defeat and Radirgy and it's the fucking shit! Seriously, there is no better set up on the planet than what I have. If I had a camera I could show you. I get a woody everytime I turn on my dreamcast.

[elvis]

Seriously, there is no better set up on the planet than what I have.

Each to their own. Give me a 29" VGA CRT any day. Even the best LCDs and Plasmas leave me wanting more.

[malcolm]

Seriously, there is no better set up on the planet than what I have.

Each to their own. Give me a 29" VGA CRT any day. Even the best LCDs and Plasmas leave me wanting more.

Yeah I would love to have a vga monitor of that size, the picture is sooo much better than an lcd.

[Vexorg]

Picture quality is one thing, but I've had far too many mad experiences hauling large CRTs around to ever want to get one again. The only CRT I have anymore is the one in my cabinet (a 25" vertical setup) that I play PCBs on. I find the image quality of my LCDs are more than adequate for the stuff I throw at them.

[elvis]

Picture quality is one thing, but I've had far too many mad experiences hauling large CRTs around to ever want to get one again.

Can I ask why on earth you were hauling around large CRTs?

I have a candy cab with a 29" CRT in it, and that's where it stays. If people want to play it, they come to me and not the other way around!

[D]

http://arcadeheroes.com/2009/07/28/namc ... s-release/

[Pringer]

I'm running a 38" HP HDTV with a wall mount that can rotate for my tate needs. The viewing angle on my TV is really close to 180°, though it's just a hair more acute on the top and bottom versus the sides. Looks great. Sadly these rotating wall mounts have a tendency to allow the TV to droop some as you have to leave the tension nut with enough slack to still turn the TV, but not enough pressure to lock the thing fully.

Given that I wasn't really into shmups until recently, I can't say how it compares to a good CRT. The letterboxing is pretty minimal, and nothing at all compared to running these games without rotating the TV. Thumbs up there.

*shrug*

[E. Randy Dupre]

I occasionally tate my 26" Samsung HDTV for the 360 games that support it. They look fine, but I've not got much else to compare it to.

Scares the shit out of me every time I do it, though. No wall brackets - I'm basically balancing the thing on one end