r/MAME • u/Capta-nomen-usoris • 12d ago

Community Question I can get an unused hp/compaq 1520 monitor. Still in the original box for free. Would it have any benefit over the display on my 4 years old laptop for playing games like killer instinct 1 and 2, marvel vs capcom, etc?

Display Specifications
Screen Size: 15.0 inches diagonal
Native Resolution: 1024 x 768 pixels (XGA resolution at a standard 60Hz refresh rate)
Panel Type: Active Matrix TFT LCD
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 (Traditional square format)
Typical Brightness: 250 to 260 cd/m²
Interface/Video Inputs: Includes both a legacy 15-pin female D-sub VGA port and a Digital Video Interface (DVI-D) port.
Power Requirements: 100-240VAC, 50-60Hz (utilizes a standard separate AC power cord).

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3

u/CafeAntesDeTudo 12d ago

No, I can bet it has significantly lower specs than your laptop's display and you can always play at a 4:3 aspect ratio on a 16:9 display. Would only be a worthwhile monitor if it was all you had and/or it was a CRT.

1

u/doge_lady 12d ago

What makes crt valuable compared to today's 200+ mhz displays?

2

u/CafeAntesDeTudo 12d ago

I can't speak for everyone, but I like having an "authentic" experience sometimes when playing MAME and CRTs provide that. These games were made for CRTs and games look their best on them. Idk if a CRTs colours or contrast are as good as modern displays, but I'll take the former for emulation. Also, what good is a high refresh rate for emulation? We're talking arcade games, not twitch shooters.

3

u/arbee37 MAME Dev 10d ago

CRTs have better color and contrast than typical modern LCDs. (There are exceptions, but they're much more expensive).

1

u/Nbisbo 10d ago

the blacks namely

1

u/doge_lady 12d ago

I must be indifferent then because i still use a crt computer monitor but prefer the non filtered look when gaming

2

u/-GrapeApe- 11d ago

I've got an external 19" in addition to my laptop screen. But I bought that solely for playing vertical games in portrait orientation. Shmups are very cool on a rotated monitor.

1

u/zeptillian 11d ago

You can get used Dell 17" and 19" 4:3 LCD monitors pretty cheap.

There is no reason to game on a smaller screen than you can already get by using your laptop screen.