Hey Austin Texas Buddies? Can anyone help me out? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Elliott]

Jonathan/Jay/Mark etc...

You don't need USB for MAME at all (at least on a PC). All you need is a PS2 Kb and PS2 mouse port. 500mhz should be enough to run all MAME games. You don't need 3d graphics or anything either. Just a bare bones PC from 5yrs ago.

I have over 4000 ROMs and they are on three 4.7gb DVDs, so a 10gig should hold as many as you care to play.

The best PS2 KB emulator (for PCs) is considered to be the KeyWiz from www.groovygamegear.com. It has some nice features like a pass through (very important as you occasionally have to use other keys) and a very nice screw type wire terminals. Its also cheaper than most. The deluxe model was $30 I think. Plus all of the default keys are set up for MAME, and you can flip to an alternate programming, so if you want to play nintendo or NeoGeo games you can have different keys mapped and switch using a button/joystick combination.

-Dave

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

See what you started Dave!

BTW: I hope you don't mind, but I shared your design with some others that have been discussing the joy of classic arcade games:

70's & 80's Retro Arcade Gallery

I'm really looking forward to this project and sharing design and implementation ideas. Perhaps afterwards we can have a classic arcade game tourney.

 

[Jay.H]

Dave,
I on the same page with Ken. If the design for the group build of the arcade is based on a USB interface, any CPU will work with it. That way the design doesn't have to change to accomodate the PC or Mac preference.

Jonathan,
I'm still interested in one of your spare parts PC boxes. Just say when.

 

[Humphrey]

It wasn't just the CPU preference I was thinking of. As years go buy, who wants to gut thier MAME cabinet to accomodate future improvements in both CPU hardware but also in MAME requirements. Who knows, somebody might decide to cut the cabinet down to a Video Poker-sized bartop size or use their main dual monitor based video card machine tethered alongside it. USB will likely be more compatible in the long run. I think it won't be many more years before the PC side of the platform will get rid of the old PS2 keyboard connector in favor of USB as Apple did 4 years ago.

The idea with using USB also totally eliminates the need for an internal pc if you have a computer close by. Dual Output Video card, a long enough video cable and USB cable to the MAME machine and your in business. Plus there is an extra computer in the house that the kids can use for the web, or one less computer you have to maintain. Several of the USB ones I saw also mentioned they defaulted to the MAME keyset.

Lets all make a point to have a discussion further on this, in person, at the upcoming meet on the 12th as well as the dialogue we've been having here. The more of this we standardize the better in the long run for the build itself.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

So shall it be written; so shall it be done.



(What movie is that from?)

 

[Dave Elliott]

Just make sure the USB keyboard emulators work with all the MAME games. With a PS2 emulator, there really is no difference between the controls and a the original keyboard (at least on a PC).

I have heard that USB keyboards do not always work perfectly with PCs that have PS2 inputs as the default setting. My old laptop at work would work fine with a PS2 kb plugged into the KB port, but a wireless USB kb didn't work with all programs. And we all know how reliable windows can be.

Do any of the USB emulators have pass throughs? You will need a switch that allows you to flip between the joysticks and buttons and the actual keyboard, and unplugging is not very convenient.

It doesn't really matter though, the wiring and construction is the same.

I think all the commercial trackballs are all PS2 mouse connectors though, at least those that I was able to find.

-Dave

PS-Hank....quit trying to part the red sea and let us play our games! ;-)

 

[Humphrey]

The IPAC USB emulator has 2 ports on it. Regardless, its USB, if your short on ports a ceahpo USB hub and you could plug a keyboard into it as well. Here at the house I was playing the games with my BlueTooth keyboard. One of the other boards I saw had 2 serial connectors on it but said it supported either USB or PS2 connections. So there are many choices. All of the ones I was looking at had to support MAME or I wasn't paying them any attention. They all had trackball connectors as well., usually just a couple of screw terminals.

I even ran across one site that had complete MAME setups ready to go. $3-6K DOLLARS! Where's Nil's jaw drop image?...

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

woot has a very tempting offer today!:



It's hard to believe these were selling for $9,000 only a few months ago back in November!

At $2,500 I was even tempted despite not having any real need for one that size! :b

You have to give InFocus some serious kudos for finding a way to make a 61" DLP RPTV just over 6 inches thick! The reviews have been mostly positive with the only major complaint being over the high price ($8,999), which in this case at $2,500 (after rebate) is practically a steal! There are other RPTV's that would produce a marginally better picture because they aren't having to use as much keystone correction, but if you want "thin" you would be hard pressed to find a better value.

Now if only they would release an economical 1920x1080 DLP and not that xHD3 nonsense!

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Interesting price, but they had to dump 'em because they wouldn't sell at a price to maintain a small profit. They showed it a the '04 INFOCOMM. Problem is that RPTV's have to use conventional optics light engines, and to get to the thinness of this one, IF had to use an expensive system of multiple mirrors and a special fresnel lens.

Interesting products coming next year.

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

Interesting products coming next year.

Of course that's the way it is every year.

Until we have 3840x2160 displays with +1000:1 ansi-contrast +5000:1 on/off contrast, adjustable lumen output for any size and any lighting condition, perfect color and grayscale tracking, 0 pixel gap, and free of all artificial artifacts (dithering, banding, flicker, 'rainbows', etc) - all for under $2,000... yes, until all that happens we will always be talking about interesting new products coming next year.


As for the 61md10, yes it does use an off-axis Fresnel lens in order to redirect the image from the steep angle necessary for such a thin cabinet. It also uses a very wide angle lens attached to the light engine and these lenses, like all RPTV’s have a negative impact on white and black uniformity, but this is only barely noticeable when viewing specific test patterns and shouldn’t be considered a serious flaw.


HD2+ DarkChip2 DLP; 61" extra-fine-pitched high-gain screen; full 160-degree off-axis viewing (vertical & horizontal); maximum on/off contrast level of 3500:1; better black level than with an equivalent front projector; 4,000hr lamp half-life; low fan noise; HDMI & 2 component inputs; two DTV Link (1394) FireWire ports; optical S/PDIF output; DCR & Cable Card slots; two integrated HD tuners (digital & OTA); built-in CPU w/Windows CE 4.1 & IE 6.0; an RJ45 broadband ethernet jack; and a wireless keyboard w/joystick-mouse for internet browsing.

Another "cool" feature for all of us video tweekers is the Internet Awareness/Connectivity feature that allows you to use a PC/laptop to access and modify your TV's settings via the ethernet.

All this for $2,500?!?!?

In fact, I didn’t mention it before, but the deal between InFocus and woot included white-glove shipping direct from InFocus to each buyer for a princely sum of... $5. Yes, I said "$5". It's an insane deal! If you live outside Texas you even save the sales tax... but not us :frowning:

I would not be the least bit surprised if we see the same deal run again before November rolls around so if it looks promising you may want to keep an eye out for the next sale - and start saving!

(Hmmm... does it sound like I'm trying to talk myself into buying one of these babies?) :b

I should add that there are some things I'm not pleased with about this TV.

Besides the aforementioned white and black uniformity issues, from what I have heard from owners, the set needs a lot of calibration to get it set-up perfectly. On the plus side, the color and grayscale tracking is supposed to be quite good.

The FireWire ports use the uncommon 6-prong connectors, which means you'll likely need an adapter or a cable with a 6-prong interconnect.

I've also read very mixed reviews/opinions on this model's deinterlacer, but of those that complained about it said that it was only with broadcast standard def material - which leads me to believe they are blaming a low quality standard def signal with something in the TV. This happens a lot when someone moves up to a larger screen size where video artifacts from the source become far more apparent.

 

[James Phung]

That is a fantastic deal, too bad I've vowed to never go to rear projection now that I've seen what front projection is capable of (especially with those black screens coming out). It sold out when I checked last night. Shipping by the way is free (then again it's only $5) for texas residents when you buy anything from woot (they have a coupon somewhere).

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

Shipping by the way is free (then again it's only $5) for texas residents when you buy anything from woot (they have a coupon somewhere).

Thanks for the heads-up. I only recently bought from them and they did charge me the $5 shipping charge. I’ll try and find that coupon and see if they’ll credit my account. I’m surprised they would charge me in the first place considering that they know from my account that I’m in Texas.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

"Thanks" for the detailed reply, Nils, but the bottom line is that it is a design that cannot sell. To get that thin of a form factor, there is only one implementation: expensive mirrors and an expensive fresnel. The premium for the consumer to shave off 3-5 inches is HUGE with 'conventional' light engines. Won't work. There are a couple of big things coming - trust me. You are a very knowledgable guy re front projection and I respect that. BTW, are you coming over Friday evening? Also, I'm getting the itch for another "Hank's Cafe Americain Fajita and Poker Party Friday Night Live". Maybe a week from Friday?

 

[James Phung]

DVI-D to VGA converter
http://www.digitalconnection.com/Products/Video/DDA.ASP

I remember someone wanted to get the Oppo for their system but couldn't because it could not output DVI to VGA. It seems this converter is able to to do the conversion (at a much cheaper price than other converters available) but it's still about the same price as the Oppo, but then again this will help give older systems dvi/hdmi capabilities for the future.

 

[Humphrey]

I think that was Jonathan. His CRT projector doesn't do DVI or HDMI.

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

There are several adapters that can take a signal over HDMI and output it via VGA and/or component. There are some that are currently even HDCP compliant, but there is still a great deal of unknowns on how future proof those HDCP compliant adapters really are. Unlike many of the gloom & doom rants going on in the HD format threads from owners of displays without an HDCP compliant input - I strongly believe that there will be sufficient workarounds, which will allow them to receive a 1080i signal via component. They might not all be obvious or easy solutions, but where there is a will, there will be a way.

 

[Jonathan DA]

Hey Nils, I saw this quote in this thread over at AVS and thought it might pique your interest:

By the way the MT700 has panning issue as severe as the H77 before the mod. The H79 have no panning issue. The H78 DC3 should be free of it too.

Now, if you read the context, the guy hasn't seen an H79 and is just going by heresay, but what interested me was the infered claim that DC3 pjs don't have the dithering issues of HD2+ pjs. That would appear to be consistent with what I saw in James' DC2 4805 as well. It didn't break up on the horizontal pans in Once Upon a Time in Mexico like the HD2+ Benq 8700 does. If the MT700 has dithering as bad as the poster claims, it kind of nixes my interest in that model.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

"but where there is a will, there will be a way."

You got that right, Nils.

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

I bought a MobiDV H12 i-Joy and am now looking at getting a 1G SanDisk memory card. I really do not know anything about SD or MMC cards, except that apparently some are faster than others?

Any suggestions and recommendations on what card to get and a retail source would be appreciated. Thanks!