Monitor Malaise

[flatus]

I am planning on ordering a standard williams size cabinet kit from Virtuapin. I would like to use the following monitors because they are on sale and seem to be a good size match.

playfield

Insignia NS 40D510NA15 $250

1080p. 60 hz 1,000,000:1 8mhz response time

INSIGNIA NS 29D310NA15. $150

720p. 60 hz 1,000,000:1 8mhz response time

Questions:

1. 60 hz should be fine correct?

2. I assume 1080 for playfield and standard 720p backglass

3. am I going to regret getting 8mhz monitors?

4. Anyone else have this setup?

Thanks!

Kevin

[frodus]

I have almost same setup actually (I have the 28 inch and the same 40 inch). and so far it's OK. I don't see many response time issues yet. As far as 60hz, I read here and there that 60 should be ok.

The 40 fits in a standard cab with a little cutting of the insignia logo. Kept mine cased.

Also they're 8ms, not 8Mhz. A little slow but I haven't noticed a huge difference.

I don't have a ton of tables and not all of my stuff hooked up, but it runs the latest VP and Pinball FX2 on steam very well.

[flatus]

Thanks frodus!

If I may ask a few questions ...

1. How easily did the 28" fit in the head of the cabinet? Did you have to de-case it (which I actually prefer to do with both)

2. Are you using a 3rd monitor or DMD?

3. Do these auto-power on (I think I read somewhere that they do)?

4. What method are you using to mount your playfield and your backglass monitor?

And a message for everyone else ...

Does anyone have experience upgrading from a 8ms to a 3 or 5ms monitor/TV and did this make a difference?

This is a great online community and I am really enjoying getting going in this hobby. I started by restoring 1980's arcade games and then started with real pinballs machines. I have restored 5 pinball machines so far and thought it was time to do a digital pin (the fact that I only have space for one more machine also pushed my current decision).

Thanks - KB

[frodus]

Due to how the Insignia TVs are made, you can really only remove the rear case. The front bezel needs to stay there. I left both in the cases, as they protect everything and it just looks cleaner and they fit just fine. They use the front bezel to hold the parts together, so its a mechanical component, not aesthetic. The 28" fit just fine in a standard widebody. I had a 32" at first, but it didn't fit width wise (by about 0.5"). I would check dimensions with VirtuaPin and compare that to the 32. My 28" fits great width and height wise and allows me to use a 10" tall speaker panel that I made, and a 10" tall 15" diagonal LCD monitor for the DMD. I think the 32 might've been a bit too tall for me to fit much below it.

1) Easy, not decased.

2) Yes, a cheap 15" 4:3 LCD monitor I found.

3) Yes, Both Insignia and the LCD monitor I found power on automatically from power loss. But if you use the shut down button on the computer and the signal is lost, they won't auto detect a signal and come back up. You have to turn off power when you shut down. You could use a 12V relay coming off the power supply to turn on/off the LCDs when you shut down, not sure what I'll be doing yet.

4) See my build log:

http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/showthread.php?36181-Williams-Blackout-40-28-first-time-build

Using a piece of MDF, hinged on each side and a bar to prop it up when I'm working on it. Playfield will mount using the VESA mount in the back (4 screws). The backglass will attach to a board that gets screwed in to each side of the backbox using the VESA mounts. Inside, I'll have a couple of small pieces of wood screwed to the inside, and the backglass board will mount to that.