Cheap MAME Solution

Hygro

Would I be right in saying that the cheapest way of running MAME on an empty jamma cab (no monitor or jamma harness) is to just buy an ipac and use a pc monitor?

horgan_p

yep , absolutely.

Hygro

Cool, looking at other options too, like using a normal crt tv, mainly because the screens will be bigger (plus I've got 2 or 3 21inch tvs lying about the house), but I will need to get a graphics card with an s video output as far as I'm aware, which hopefully the old pc I wanna use can accept (plus the ipac).

How can superguns connect to a tv with a scart lead? to me that'd be ideal to be able to do in a cab.

Myrddin

Hygro wrote: »

Cool, looking at other options too, like using a normal crt tv, mainly because the screens will be bigger (plus I've got 2 or 3 21inch tvs lying about the house), but I will need to get a graphics card with an s video output as far as I'm aware, which hopefully the old pc I wanna use can accept (plus the ipac).

How can superguns connect to a tv with a scart lead? to me that'd be ideal to be able to do in a cab.

They use RGB, as most arcade monitors do

sengoku

Hygro wrote: »

I will need to get a graphics card with an s video output

I might have one spare. I will have a look tomorrow. I used it with Soft15Khz, I don't know if it has an S-Video connection though.

Optimus Prime

You can use an arcadevga card too or a graphics card with soft15hz, i have a vga to scart cable too that you need to hook up a pc to a tv.

purplec

you can mod a vga cable to go straight to a monito via the R,G,B ground, Sync.

Hygro

I've recently found out that you can use an original xbox to run MAME, if this is a viable option (as I don't exactly know how to do this, think it needs to be modded first as far as I'm aware) then I might go ahead with it, as I know I will defo have no trouble finding a monitor for it as I'd be able to use any tv that will fit into the cab

Steve X2

Hygro wrote: »

I've recently found out that you can use an original xbox to run MAME, if this is a viable option (as I don't exactly know how to do this, think it needs to be modded first as far as I'm aware) then I might go ahead with it, as I know I will defo have no trouble finding a monitor for it as I'd be able to use any tv that will fit into the cab

And with a modded xbox and some component video cables you can run MAME/XBMC at 480p, 720p or 1080i if you want. Just make sure you set the bios to NTSC to run at these resolutions.

For the best speed I wouldn't go above 720p on any heavy graphical games as the original xbox just doesn't have the power.

sham69

Hygro wrote: »

I've recently found out that you can use an original xbox to run MAME, if this is a viable option (as I don't exactly know how to do this, think it needs to be modded first as far as I'm aware) then I might go ahead with it, as I know I will defo have no trouble finding a monitor for it as I'd be able to use any tv that will fit into the cab

If you need a hand with this give me a shout.
I actually think I have 2 modded xboxes around somewhere with mame installed.
The only problem being that the HD's are quite small on them.
I will have a look around and let you know.
If you do manage to pick a cheap one up I can help you mod it, its fairly easy.
Mame runs quite well on it.

Hygro

cheeers for that sham, if you can find a modded xbox give me a shout and we'll work out a deal. I'm gonna try my hand at various ways of running mame.

How small are the hard drives on xboxes anyway? I'm a Sony man myself, so don't know much about xboxes.

sham69

cool,
I think they are around 3 or 4gb but not sure.
I'm sure someone on here will know and respond accordingly

I will have a look in the garage over the weekend and see if I can find them.

Hygro

4gb would be enough for my needs so that's cool

sham69

After a quick google it seems it could be 8 or 10gb which isnt bad.

Steve X2

It's really easy to stick a larger drive in there as well. I have a couple of modded original xboxes and I think i have a 300gb drive in both and mame running on them. It does a decent job of it.

ondafly

the harddrive is a simple change on the Xbox - however if you are looking to connect to a pc monitor, you will need to first make a VGA cable for the xbox, then patch OS to support VGA. I think there is additional issue then with either V-sync or H-sync, can't remember now exactly, as it was a few years ago my friend made one for his arcade setup.

However it does work brilliantly once up and running, he also combined an X-Arcade 2 player stick, which had an adapter to convert it for use on the xbox.

ondafly

heres another option if you wanted to retain the jamma setup

see the bottom of this page

http://www.ultimarc.com/xba.html

Hygro

cheers for the input, I'm trying to get my hands on various ways of doing mame, which is gonna be put into an empty jamma cabinet, still has the jamma loom attached, but for this first incarnation (which is for a friend) I'm just gonna remove the cable and either go with

1: a pc/crt monitor/ipac set up,

or

2 xbox/hacked controller/crt tv set up.

at the moment I've not got all items for either of these. I thought my friend had an xbox, but he's sent round a xbox 360, doh!!

sham69

I should be able to sort one out for you.
If I don't have one myself a few lads in work have them already modded so you should get it for near nothing.
I will give you a shout once I know.
Sorry I cant be more help at the moment, busy over the next few days and weekend.
Keep an eye out on adverts , I have seen the xboxes go for 20 euro or so.