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4:3 vs 16:9 Monitor for Cocktail Cab


bmosley

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Hey guys, looking for some extra input on my cabinet. I've already got the system set up but before I start cutting the table top I wondering whether or not to keep my 20" 4:3 display or do a 16:9 monitor. Either will fit in my setup but measure twice, cut once.

This will be a cocktail cabinet so mostly I want MAME to be the primary focus but would really love to have PinMAME as well. For Visual Pinball and the like, I see most people running the desktop mode on a 4:3 monitor and fullscreen on a 16:9. Can pinball games run fullscreen on 90degree rotated 4:3 monitor? Anyways, this board is my best resource for others that may have tried. Lemme know!

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Building a cocktail cabinet currently myself. I am resurrecting an old Midway cabinet so I had fewer option, holes were already cut. I would stay 4:3 or 3:4 rotated. Most of your games are made for that aspect ratio and you will either end up stretching them and distorting them to fill the screen, or have empty black space at the top and bottom if you keep the correct ratio.

I have played pinball games on 4:3 horizontal monitors, and I think I have seen them played on 3:4 rotated monitors.

Just my 2¢

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  • 2 weeks later...

well do they still look okay on the 4:3 rotated monitors? the only videos i can find are those running 16:9. I would rather have the flat feel than the PC monitor mode where things are skewed into the background.

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I've a selfrotating 4:3 monitor and play future pinball on it. Works perfectly in 1200x1600. --> I'd definately go with a 4:3 screen if you do not want to just play pinball.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25765[/ATTACH]

Is that self-rotating monitor in a cocktail? Do you have any info on it, a build thread? I would interested in taking a look.

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My Next Project Is Either A PIN CAB Or Cocktail, As Far As A Cocktail, 16:9 Monitor Like A True 24 Inch, Going The 4:3 Route Wouldn't Be Much Fun As Far As Screen Size...

If you want to stick to Pinball maybe I could see a 16:9 display working well, but for me, I factored in that MOST of the time I want to play old school arcade games and the 4:3 monitor looks so much better in comparison. Plus, it looks more authentic if you're going for that retro-style. Just my opinion but I had a 16:9 24" monitor I could have used but opted to purchase a 4:3 after seeing the games in action.

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I'm considering doing a coffee table cocktail cab with the thought of adding a pinball end as well just for a bit of fun. Coffee table will most likely have a series 7 Samsung 46" (don't really care about cost as I want the features of the series 7 and the bezel is easier to work into the design) I'd be interested to know how well this would work for both myself.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm curious to know whats best myself. I will be building a cab with retro vertical games and pinball in mind, and my choices of monitors are a Samsung syncmaster 21" (4:3 1600x1200) or a Hp 23" (16:10 1920x1200).

Both look nice, but the 21" , with the ips display, looks nicer with with vertical games like pac-man, ms.pac-man... haven't tested with any pinball yet because I would have to sit down and research -- I am not up to date on any pinball stuff yet.

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My 21" 4:3 is actually the Syncmaster SM-214T - especially in combination with a 6mm grey tinted glass and a SLG-3000 its perfect as an Arcade+Pinball solution.

I'm very happy with it ! :)

Only if you seldom play Arcade games and mostly play pinball I think the 16:9 inch may be better.

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  • 5 months later...

I'll chime in here...

I have a shmups only machine it uses a 32" 16x9

I have a classics vertical only machine, it uses a rotated 21" 4:3 (19" viewable) (this machine is a fix it felix jr, in a dk jr cabinet, sorry I don't have a build thread on it)

I have plans to make a virtual pin machine that will use a 16:9

I cannot stress enough at the importance of making separate machines for specific tasks

I regret using a 16x9 for shmups, I should have gone for the biggest 4:3 I could find, I tried pinball on it and it looks amazing, I have to correct the aspect of every shmup I play and lose play field view. It looks terrible, don't get me wrong, great fun to play , but when I see those black bars, I wish I could go back to the drawing board sometimes.

When it comes to classics, the rotated 4:3 is amazing , no issues (view sonic CRT)

So, if you are trying to get a pure experience, please for your future security in the hobby, build different machines for different purposes, machines that will last, and won't have you second guessing later.

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