Video Converter Board

[SegaAges]

So, I am thinking of getting something so that I can convert the signal of my ST-V connection to a flatscreen monitor. I actually have multiple extra monitors, so this would be halfway cheap.

Is the jrok the only way to go, or is there another one I can look for that is good?

[JimmyDean]

The Neobitz has a higher compatibility with arcade boards, yet the JROK is cheaper. If you want to play your st-v, or any arcade board on your TV for that matter, I suggest looking into a device called a supergun.

Edit: You can contact the Neobitz guy at JKurtz01@gmail.com. Hope I helped you out!

[SegaAges]

Nah man. I got a cabinet. I got everything ready to go except for a working monitor, but I am just tired of messing with the monitor and only making it worse, so I figured I would upgrade it to a flatscreen monitor.

[bust3dstr8]

Jammaboards has a 15kHz to VGA convertor

[JimmyDean]

Ok, you have a cab. Sorry if I came across as rude or anything. The Neobitz is a good board. I just ordered one for my CMVS project, and apparently its worth the extra money. The Jrok is good for the Neo and Atomiswave, but not for obscure arcade boards like the ST-V. Oh, and do you have Radiant Silvergun for your ST-V? Cool game.

[SegaAges]

Ok, cool. The Neobitz is a good board. I just ordered one for my CMVS project, and apparently its worth the extra money. The Jrok is good for the Neo and Atomiswave, but not for obscure arcade boards like the ST-V. Oh, and do you have Radiant Silvergun for your ST-V? Cool game.

No big deal bro. Most people assume that I should get one, so it makes sense to suggest it. It is nice out and I miss my cab and just want it working, hehehe

You are not the first person to ask that. No, I don't. I actually got my st-v for steep slope sliders which sucks ass to find.

I can look into neobitz, but I am also going to wait for other suggestions as well.

The shitty part is going to be pulling that other monitor out since it is glued in for the most part.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Maybe look into getting a RGB to NTSC converter. The S-Video and Component are the better ones to use. It'll be easier to find a bigger screen in a television monitor, and the graphics will look more like an arcades. I hear a lot of the problems with hooking up a computer monitor is that it reveals a lot of the blockiness of the game. Sorta like playing MAME on a PC vs. playing a real arcade.

http://www.jrok.com/hardware/RGB.html

I'm not sure what size monitor you have... probably a 19" or 25." I know it can be really hard to find a screen with a viewable area of those sizes. If you put a smaller monitor in it, you'll definitely notice it.

Also whatever you do, don't throw out your arcade monitor. It's probably fixable. You sort of need to be set-up of have a the proper tools to be able to troubleshoot the problem. A working monitor of the same type, would probably be needed to swap out the chassis, and isolate the general area of the problem. You might sign up over at KLOV, list the model # of your monitor and see if anyone fixes them. There are a lot more people over there that do repairs. You just happen to be asking at the wrong forum, that's all. That's how I got my Asteroids fixed.

[Ed Oscuro]

For RGB to flatscreen VGA, the XRGB series is decent and fast. The picture isn't comparable to using a native RGB monitor but it's highly compatible.

[SegaAges]

Yeah, I figured that if I got a flatscreen, then if it messed up, it would be easier to replace than another monitor.

How possible is it to see an example of the blockiness as I might not mind it all that much?

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Play MAME on a PC. That's exactly what people are describing.

[SegaAges]

Oh, I see. Well that is not bad.

I have played a st-v rom and the blockiness is not a problem for that since there was already blockyness in the polygons.

[JimmyDean]

I'm a bit pissed. I ordered my Neobitz, and a week later, where the hell is it? ARGHHH! If it's not here tomorrow (wait... I mean today. It's 12 already?) I'm going to be BOILING, LIVID MAD.

[SegaAges]

So if the neobitz sucks for shipping, would you suggest me getting the one from jammaboards?

As for blockiness, yeah, the polygons are pretty blocky as is, so it being a little brighter, I am fine with.

Jimmy, based on your other post, I am guessing that you are also in the process of doing exactly what I am in the process of doing.

If you are going for a full on cab, let me know, because I need to track down the picture, but you can use the same image I did for a marquee if you want.

The Virtua Fighter Kids is something that I added by just slipping it in front of the marquee itself.

This is what it looks like:

http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=313381&g2_serialNumber=2

[Vectorman0]

Actually, in my experience JROK has high compatibility than Neobitz. From what I understand, the Neobitz was designed for the Neo-Geo and just happens to work with other hardware, whereas jrok was designed to be for arcade boards in general.

The only other video encoder I have experience with is this RGB to VGA converter. For the money it costs, it's very good. It's about half the price of the other two converters. It only does VGA, however. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260597920933


I'm a bit pissed. I ordered my Neobitz, and a week later, where the hell is it? ARGHHH! If it's not here tomorrow (wait... I mean today. It's 12 already?) I'm going to be BOILING, LIVID MAD.

You have to be patient. Jeff Kurtz isn't a big business, it might take him several days to ship it out. Then it's in the hand of the post office, and we all know how unreliable they are.

[PC-ENGINE HELL]

Actually, in my experience JROK has high compatibility than Neobitz. From what I understand, the Neobitz was designed for the Neo-Geo and just happens to work with other hardware, whereas jrok was designed to be for arcade boards in general.
.

I was going to say, I spent 3 or 4 years building Superguns, the Neobitz WAS NOT the encoder of choice for a typical jamma set up unless you also planned to add a sync cleaner. The Analog Device 724 and 725 chipsets the Neobitz and other sucky encoders rely on have issues with alot of boards in general. Especially American based ones from Midway, Atari, and Incredible Technologies when used without a sync cleaner added. Examples of other non-american games would be stuff like Survival Arts, TMNT, and The Great Ragtime Show.

The Jrok is alot more solid across the board by far, only needing a sync cleaner in a severe case. Ive never run across any issues involving STV equipment with Jroks line of encoders, ever. If you really want a solid encoder, just go with a jrok. There is also a encoder Yaton sells that does RGB to NTSC well, and its pretty cheap. It did have issues with a few boards too though, Power Instinct 2, WWF WrestleFest, and a few others. Not as many as the NeoBitz, and a sync cleaner solved the problems in ever case.
It can be found here:
http://arcademvs.com/ARCADE_ACESSERIOR.htm

[JimmyDean]

I guess once I sell my CMVS to get money to build my supergun, I'll use a JROK + sync cleaner combo. I hear the Neobitz has a better picture, though.

[PC-ENGINE HELL]

Not really. Some people think the Neobitz image quality looks better on Neo and CPS2 related hardware in component. Personally, I noticed no difference between it and the Jrok really on my tvs here, and have never seen anyone post capped pics comparing the two to prove such. You also have to factor in the TV set you're using too, and its own image quality capability, and your own ability to calibrate things correctly. Something that's often overlooked is the fact people assume one setting on their TV should be good for everything, when in fact its not. You should have individual settings tweaked for each thing you like to use, whether it be DVD, Laserdisc, Pc, game systems, ect. The black levels, contrast, color and sharpness requirements vary in order to get optimal image quality. Its never just cut and dry. Some tvs will save settings per video input. If they don't, its good to just write down the settings that work best for each thing you use, and adjust them to that each time you plan to use said equipment. Like I said though, this is something that's often ignored, most people set their tv one way, and use that setting for everything, then end up wondering why some things look just horrible compared to others on their tv.

[JimmyDean]

Yeah, I guess it depends on several factors. Brightness, contrast, etc... However, how compatible is a JROK and sync cleaner combo with arcade pcb's? I'd assume it'd work with most of em'.

[Ed Oscuro]

ohyeah, something else I just remembered

Some arcade games (actually tons of them) have very wildly different video signals, and as LCDs are designed to just take say PAL or NTSC + PC VGA + newer stuff like HDMI normally, they generally expect square pixels if the signal is not NTSC or PAL - so there's no facility for resizing the image, and thus the picture could be too small or too large, and there likely won't be anything to do about it if there are no image resizing controls.

I thought I ran into this recently playing Ken-Go (Irem arcade game on Ninja Spirit-like hardware); the bottom of the scren (with the lives etc) wasn't showing up. (Though maybe that was something odd with the DIP switches setting.)

Of course, there's also the issue of most LCD screens being laggy and generally shit for action games altogether. I'm very lucky in that mine is only half a frame (roughly) behind, but many screens are much worse.

[PC-ENGINE HELL]

Yeah, I guess it depends on several factors. Brightness, contrast, etc... However, how compatible is a JROK and sync cleaner combo with arcade pcb's? I'd assume it'd work with most of em'.

I never ran into anything that combo couldn't handle. With a Jrok you prob wouldn't even need a sync cleaner unless your tv itself has issues with some random board, which sometimes happens too. One of the last Superguns I built for a friend used a Jrok svid/component encoder with a sync cleaner, and Im pretty sure handles everything Jamma related he owns just fine. He uses it on a large CRT Sony Wega. Heres a link to his vaps account that list most everything arcade wise he owns.
http://www.arcade-museum.com/members/member_detail.php?member_id=393018

Incase you were wondering what said Supergun looks like:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a66/Amakusa666/sg1-1-1.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a66/Amakusa666/sg2-1-1.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a66/Amakusa666/sg6-1.jpg

[JimmyDean]

Damn! Nice supergun! Should I install a fan in mine when I build it? (its on a loooooong project waiting list) I mean, does it get hot inside the case?

[PC-ENGINE HELL]

It depends on the power supply you intend to use. I always used ATX based power supplies, removed from their casing, ect, and wired them up the way I needed them.

[JimmyDean]

I was thinkin' arcade psu... I have an ATX with +5v +12v and -5v lines, though.

[Ed Oscuro]

It depends on the power supply you intend to use. I always used ATX based power supplies, removed from their casing, ect, and wired them up the way I needed them.
It's better to use a real arcade power supply because they won't silently ramp up the power if it seems the board isn't getting enough - which will fry arcade components.

Arcade power supplies: They are made for a reason!

Anyway, the inside of my SG is basically just a power supply, a cheap fan, and connections straight from the JAMMA connector to the RGB (audio inclusive) output, a few buttons (test / service), a little connector for expansion cables, and two controllers wired up for Neo Geo style connectors (supports more buttons I believe). Also pots on the back to control red / green / blue levels independently, mainly not needed but good to have (except when they get bumped).

[PC-ENGINE HELL]

It's better to use a real arcade power supply because they won't silently ramp up the power if it seems the board isn't getting enough - which will fry arcade components.


The only way I could see something remotely like that happening is if the ATX psu was a shitty no name psu, that never had stable voltages to begin with, or you just got unlucky and a reliable psu went bad and jacked up the voltages, which can just as easily happen to any jamma psu also. As far as amps go, the boards take what they need, and leave the rest, regardless of psu type used. These days the common "decent" jamma psu should at least provide 15 amps on the +5 volt line, and a few amps on the +12. 1 amp minimum on the -5 too.

At any rate, if such a fear exist on something like that, regardless of the type of PSU used, then use fuses on each of the volt rails. Arcade power supplies can suffer just as much failure as any ATX psu, frying components, along with the pins off of the jamma connector as any shitty or defective ATX psu could. Anyone who would have you believe otherwise is a moron.

Dont believe me, call up any given arcade vendor that's been in the business for quite a few years, and ask them how many times they have had a jamma psu take out a board. I know a couple here with in my area with large piles of crap pcbs piled up that are that way due to the jamma psu taking them out.

Trust me, Ive seen it too much. Its why I stuck to ATX for EVERY Supergun I built and sold. In my experience I never had any failures with solid ATX power supplies running arcade hardware. They offer more power, higher reliability on heavy duty task, and I never got a single complaint or ran into a single issue ever in regards to them. There is a risk of psu failure with anything you use though, always, and I could always say I have just been lucky, but Ive also been picky as to what I use in any project. Better parts help put the odds much more in your favor.

If you choose a nice rock solid psu that can put out a good solid number of amps on its rails, you wont run into issues running more demanding pcbs like Primal Rage, MVS 6-slot, Hyper 64, System 246, or Naomi with the Capcom converter, unless the psu itself is just faulty. Heavy duty ones dont break a sweat compared to the average cookie cutter psu that will be working its butt off on hardware like that.

Either way it goes, if you want a solid psu, jamma wise, or ATX wise, you cant be cheap at all, you have to do research, and spend some decent cash, and pick the power supply that meets YOUR needs, regardless what anyone else tells you to do. Try to buy a new one too, and avoid a used one, as you have no idea how many hours of use a used one has had put on it.

[SegaAges]

Ok, so the task at hand, if I have, say a Dell 19 Inch Flatscreen monitor sitting around my house, an older one, would a jrok work for using it in my st-v cab?