Best Monitor/TV for Full Size Arcade Cabinet

RetroGamer99

Hi Folks,

So started my quarantine project, decided I will make a full size arcade machine. I configured the inside now need to make my arcade unit, but I was wondering what monitor is the best for retro games/ arcade games 🕹 in terms of rendering and game fitting perfectly within the screen without any empty spaces within it.

If you can give me any links to monitor or TV that will be super helpful and I will appreciate it.

Im thinking 24” monitor size is too big, is having a square TV better suited? Please help.

I wanted it so that within the arcade machine you cant see the bezel of the TV (guess I can take that off) but depending on the success of the project will do a documentation on how I done it.

Thanks in advance.

J

Clyde

It depends very much on your cabinet and your aspiration for authenticity. While many builds today have modern widely available 16:9 TFTs out of convenience, I chose an refurbished 4:3 TFT with 1600x1200 pixels for a bit more retro flavor in my upright DIY cabinet. More hardcore enthusiasts swear by CRTs for maximum genuiness.

WeirdH

@RetroGamer99 I use an old HP LP2065 monitor, which is a 4x3 IPS display. It's a 20" and that is plenty large if you stand up close to it. (wide bartop on pedestal)

The screen is stripped of its plastic housing and mounted behind a sheet of plexiglas for a flush fit. The plexiglas is covered with part of the vinyl to clean everything up.

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Note that you will still see black bars on a screen like this when playing vertical games (Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, lots of shmups)

Clyde

For the sake of completeness, my monitor is a 21.3" NEC LCD2170NX.

Clyde

@WeirdH said in Best Monitor/TV for Full Size Arcade Cabinet:

Note that you will still see black bars on a screen like this when playing vertical games (Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, lots of shmups)

… that you can fill up with overlays like these. 😎

Morell

@weirdh said in Best Monitor/TV for Full Size Arcade Cabinet:

@RetroGamer99 I use an old HP LP2065 monitor, which is a 4x3 IPS display. It's a 20" and that is plenty large if you stand up close to it. (wide bartop on pedestal)

The screen is stripped of its plastic housing and mounted behind a sheet of plexiglas for a flush fit. The plexiglas is covered with part of the vinyl to clean everything up.

Note that you will still see black bars on a screen like this when playing vertical games (Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, lots of shmups)

Hi, I'm preparing to start a project with my father and we have found this amazing design, we have not seen any better, would it be possible to provide us with the vinyl design and the plans? We would appreciate it very much.

I know it's a long time ago but I congratulate you for this great work.

jamrom2

X2! Wow! That's a really nice cabinet! I've built/restored/converted 6 old arcade machines into MAME units each with their own custom work or throwback original graphics...but this is way better.

Please post the design and graphics source!

BTW... 20" Dell 4:3 LCD monitor is my standard I build around.

WeirdH

@morell Sorry, I didn't build this myself. Bought it off a guy who is way more handy than me, and who actually builds these on commission for a living. He also provided the design for the vinyl, which he in turn had made by a professional graphic designer, so I doubt he'll be willing to part with it for free.

Morell

@weirdh I'm sad to hear this, too bad because it's really a very good job.

jamrom2

@weirdh Thank you for answering.

It certainly is inspiring and might push me to build another cabinet in the future.

I just finished a complete rebuild/restore/conversion of a really beat up Gorf cabinet, which now has a new life as a vertical MAME cabinet.

I like the colors and the look of yours. Real late 70s tone!

Enjoy it!

WeirdH

For anyone interested in the artwork, it can be purchased here: bartop only or bartop + pedestal. Keep in mind that they (probably) have very specific dimensions, so might not even be usable for your specific build. Seller is based in the Netherlands, so that might also affect availability for a lot of people.

Morell

@weirdh thanks, I would like to have the measurements of the bartop to be able to make a similar one, but I can't figure out how wide is the side part and the height.

WeirdH

@morell From other listings on the site, I found the following:

WBE (wide body extended): Assembled size: 627 x 481 x 635mm (Width x Depth x Height)
U-WBE (ultra wbe): Assembled size: 687 x 481 x 635mm (Width x Depth x Height)

But you could always email the guy to verify what the actual numbers are. (use the 'contact' option in the top left)

You could also (probably) even ask if he would be able to supply the artwork in dimensions of your choosing. He is pretty flexible when it comes to custom stuff, so just send him a message to inquire first. It's always worth a shot, right?