RGB Monitor Shopping

[shadowjin]

Well, I'm looking to drop some cash possibly in the future on a monitor - I can wire everything myself etc.

I've got my eye on a Wells Gardner monitor - since they are the best...and most expensive, but they last forever  My question is this - the two monitors I'm looking at have different resolutions.

One has 640 x 400 and one has 640 x 200.  I know NTSC standard is 320 x 240.....so wtf am i looking for? lol.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,
Jin

[Aidan]

NTSC isn't 320x240. At the high end, with a good quality source, it can manage 720x480 pixels. The source is one of the most important parts, so what are you intending to connect the monitor to?

[viletim!]

shadowjin,

As Aidan says, it really depends on your source. For example a monitor that has a fine dot pitch might looks great when connected to an Amiga 500 but might not be so desirable fo displaying video from a pac-man PCB (you'll see the clear gaps between the scan lines).

RGB monitors (as least the ones I think you're talking about) are analog -- pixels and resolutions are relating to the source, not the display device. Monitors are usualy speced in 'lines' of resolution. This has nothing to do with the computer meaning nor is it related to the scan lines. It's simply the maximum amount of horizontal lines you can display before you can no longer see th individual lines (ie they are no longer resolvable). This limitation is imposed by the picture tube dot/stripe pitch and the video amplifiers on a RGB monitor.

The maximum amount of vertical lines that can be displayed is governed by the horizontal and vertical scanning frequency as well as the above (ie. picture tube. Though the scanning frequencies limit the maximum ammount of vertical lines much more than the other factors (picture tube, etc) so 'horizontal lines of resoultion' isn't spec'd).

Actualy, the above is pretty trivial in practice as mfgs. of consumer monitors often lie in their specs anyway. The best way to judge a monitor is to plug something in an have a look rather than going by numbers (I know, it's not always possible).

I 'll just add that it's a bit naive to say "Wells Gardner monitor - since they are the best...and most expensive". Try ringing up a Sony rep sometime and inquire about the price of their latest PVM.

[shadowjin]

I 'll just add that it's a bit naive to say "Wells Gardner monitor - since they are the best...and most expensive". Try ringing up a Sony rep sometime and inquire about the price of their latest PVM.

I was talking standard arcade monitors....that arcades use...and non-vga.  Last I checked, WG made some of the best Color Raster monitors that are analog RGB, etc.

I'm looking to hook up a number of arcade boards (NeoGeo MVS, Capcom CPS1/2, etc) as well as a Dreamcast, a PS2, and an Xbox (granted I can dig up the info to make that silly system work right, etc.)  I suppose I should have listed this in my original post.

Thanks,
Jin