How is your Dreamcast gaming going on?

[CRTGAMER]

Here is my Dreamcast VGA 640x480 picture again displaying on a standard VGA Computer Monitor which is 4:3. Anyone with a Dreamcast VGA setup should really try a PC CRT Monitor (cheap at thrift stores) which are already at 4:3 and Dreamcast VGA Lightgun Compatible. I posted information on this with charts in my Guide (CRT vs LCD in my signature) as well as the Dreamcast VGA Thread.

I've had one of those really old CRT PC Monitors for the longest time, and only recently have I taken it out of storage to mess around using it for some old PC games. Fortunately, I had one of those VGA splitter type devices and was able to get everything set up via VGA on the DC.



Did yours fill that 4:3 screen with the DC's image, or did you have to fiddle around with the display settings/geometry on the monitor?

^I'm almost positive that's an issue with geometry on your monitor. The aspect ratio looks spot on to me, so perhaps a stretch function or similar would be something to look into.

Had a hard time though getting those adjusted settings saved. After a while it would just "reset" itself back to those default settings.
But it looks fine now.

Good idea on the VGA switch I do that too. That is the advantage of a PC Monitor, the capability of adjusting geometry and size. Many of the monitors have an auto size feature, handy when switching resolutions on the PC.

Try Dreamcast House Dead VGA Lightgun and please post on it.

[Tanooki]

I have no idea why but I recall the PC monitor at the EB back in the day that ran the DC all the time on the counter had black borders around it too. I don't think I've ever seen the VGA full screen in person.

[Thierry Henry]

Try Dreamcast House Dead VGA Lightgun and please post on it.

I'll do that in a bit. I'll post as soon as I get to it.

Off topic,

The wife and kids are visiting at the in-laws today, so I have the house to myself.
I've been trying different consoles on that PC Monitor.

I've even got the ol' 3DO out, and connected via S-Video to VGA, which that old monitor happily accepts.

[TSTR]

Off topic,

The wife and kids are visiting at the in-laws today, so I have the house to myself.
I've been trying different consoles on that PC Monitor.

I've even got the ol' 3DO out, and connected via S-Video to VGA, which that old monitor happily accepts.

[Thierry Henry]

Ok so I tried out THOTD 2.







Looks and plays fine, up to a point. lol

I'm not sure whether this has somehow something to do with me playing a PAL copy (for the life of me I can't seem to find my US copy) of the game on an NTSC console, but the game freezes every time one of the zombies attacks you.

As long as your aim is true and you put them down, no problem. The game then happily carries on. But, as I say, if they manage to get to you, freeze frame with the music/sound effects still carrying on in the background.
The only way to get out of that is to power off the console and start again.

Otherwise, the light-gun and PC CRT monitor make a good combination. Very responsive to every press of the trigger.

[mas]

The hell with this I'm buying a vga and getting my shit together and hooking my system up

[nightrnr]

Off topic,

The wife and kids are visiting at the in-laws today, so I have the house to myself.
I've been trying different consoles on that PC Monitor.

I've even got the ol' 3DO out, and connected via S-Video to VGA, which that old monitor happily accepts.

Sweet. You even have an SNES adapter. I just recently acquired one and love using SNES controllers for Street Fighter.
Too bad my "PS2 to 3DO" adapter doesn't work with it as a 2nd controller and doesn't feature a daisy chain option. It would be nice to use a Saturn controller in tandem (via adding a "Saturn to PS2" as one of the players; awesome on its own at least).

Tying into on-topic-icity-ness:
Can anyone recommend the Total Control 3 over the Innovation adapter for Dreamcast. I have the Innovation adapter, which I like and has more features, but the Total Control 3 is affordable right now. I might spring for one if it is better in one way or another (like less input lag or compatibility issues, but I haven't noticed much or any on the Innovation).

[CRTGAMER]

Ok so I tried out THOTD 2. Looks and plays fine, up to a point. lol

I'm not sure whether this has somehow something to do with me playing a PAL copy (for the life of me I can't seem to find my US copy) of the game on an NTSC console, but the game freezes every time one of the zombies attacks you.

As long as your aim is true and you put them down, no problem. The game then happily carries on. But, as I say, if they manage to get to you, freeze frame with the music/sound effects still carrying on in the background.
The only way to get out of that is to power off the console and start again.

Otherwise, the light-gun and PC CRT monitor make a good combination. Very responsive to every press of the trigger.

Thanks for posting the followup, many do not know the exclusive VGA CRT Lightgun support of the Dreamcast. The game title showing what appears to be color bleed is actually normal with two colors in the letters just like the arcade. I had no lockups in my NTSC version running thru VGA. Maybe due to as you stated the PAL disc in the NTSC console or a disc read issue?

[Tanooki]

Ok so over the weekend I got a nice little wicked score for $5 on a gamble (disc didn't look awesome) -- Super Magnetic Neo. I've wanted this one back but wasn't wanting to drop $25-30 on it either. I got it home, wiped it down heaps and it cleaned up fairly well. I still was wondering if it were stable and it did boot, but I decided to go further. Pulled out my Novus kit (1-polish and 2-fine buffing) and gave it the 2->1 rub a few times. I got out almost all the scuffs, all very fine lines now, mostly circles from my buffing out years of abuse. Runs like a watch, less noisy firing up so I'm sure the DC was struggling just a wee bit before.

Also -- ordered a battery holder and kit. What should have been a 30min job was over an hour of hell. I ended up buying a clip with a LIR2032 rechargeable cell on ebay at the end of last week, surprisingly showed up fast. When I went to taking the battery off the DC board I detached, as I was pulling on it with it heated the stupid thing warped and the pins broke off in two of the holes. It took me a good hour almost using a soldering iron, braid, then using a soldering iron+sucker combo along with a safety pin tip to clear out two of the three holes. The third wouldn't budge, had to heat on one side, needlenose pliers on the other to get the last tip out I was able to poke forward some with the pin. Got it cleared out, heated and sucked it more clean and clear. The new bracket went in snug, then drizzled a nice blob of solder on the bottom for all 3 spots.

It scared me for a bit. As soon as I dropped the battery in the orange LED light up for a second or two then went off. I reassembled it and fired it up quick, no complaints, everything detected fine. Ran it 5min flipped off, then on, no beep date saved. Left it on for over 2.5 hours running Johnny Cash 2CDs then some Super Magnetic Neo and it's solid. VERY happy, no more beeping and whining to set the date.

One thing has me slightly concerned. Someone tried to give me a battery warning over the LIR2032 due to the voltage being like .5 higher than a ML2032 being near the systems tolerances for discharge. But everyone online sells the things with the one I got and no complaints, all the write-ups online almost always suggest it too. So what's the deal? So I need to get a lower voltage cell in there or just leave it?

[RCBH928]

Not Dreamcast but kind of related,

is there a composite->VGA adaptor? I want to play my 64 on crt! No place for a full tv.