Posted by Agent Davis on 18, 2000 at 2:44 AM:
In Reply to: Monitor sizes posted by bernard on 17, 2000 at 5:47 PM:
I believe most of the "classics" use a 19" monitor. My cabinet is an old Missile Command cabinet (1981) and its monitor is 19". However, a 19" PC monitor is not the same size. A 19" arcade monitor as well as tv are 19" corner to corner. A pc monitor however is different. To actually have a 19" viewable pc monitor you'd probably need a 21" monitor. Very costly$$$. Another thing to consider is this: pc monitors are more square than a tv or arcade monitor meaning the width to height ratio is not the same. I don't know anything about cocktails. Don't think I've ever even seen one in person. Consider this: If I were to start from scratch I would have went with a TV. Why?
1) TV's cost less (especially used)
2) Because of this you are likely to get a much bigger tv than arcade monitor for the same price (i.e. Wal*Mart has a RCA 25" TV for $200. Wells Gardner 19" arcade monitor - $300. You can actually get a 27" TV cheaper than a 19" monitor.)
3) A TV has the look of a real arcade monitor. Both have resolutions of 320 X 200 and will virtually look the same. The only difference is in the fact that arcade monitor are pure RGB and TV's are different. Not much of a difference in my opinion.
4) You can run Windows on an arcade monitor with any video card w/tv out. This isn't even possible with arcade monitors (if it is it's rare).
5) Volume control. Another advantage.
6) Way easier to handle. Who wants to worried about getting zapped? Gotta worry about hooking up transformers and this and that and blah blah blah.
7) Brightness, Contrast, etc, etc, much easier to manage.
8) Hook up stereo sound, playstations, dreamcasts, etc., etc.
Get the picture?