Small TFT screen in case - options

[ikonia]

Hello all,

After reading some really interesting guides on here about Sony PSOne monitors being put in cases, and seeing a case for sale with a small screen on it, I've got a desire to have a monitor in the case for a project I'm working on.

My queries are

a.) What are my options, PsOne Screen ? Game Cube screen ? what else ?
b.) What are my options for connecting it to the video card (svideo seems the only way)
c.) good recommended places to pick up said screens (damn oakey took one from under my nose)
d.) do you have example pictures of ones you've done from me to steal ideas ?
e.) I'm thinking of mounting it in 5.25 bezals, anyone done that ? got help/templates ?


Thanks for the input guys

[ikonia]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Sony-5-LCD...hippingPayment

These are now going cheap, although looking at the details in the good PSone thread on the forum I'm thinking the electronics are perhaps a little too much for me (I'm not confident soldering this onto the video cards)

So now additional questions to my initial ones.

1.) has the PSone LCD mod progressed any further eg: have people get experience making a "standard" cable
2.) Has the setup on how to power these things been progressed ? so that it will run off a PSU ?
3.) Does anyone have a screen ready to go to just be installed into the case for sale

[unreal]

Whoa they do go cheap don't they... that wouldn't appeal to me too much though unless they could be programmed specifically to display stats or something like the matrix orbital displays.

I also don't know much about these screens, sorry. I do believe LCD's mounted in CD-Drive bays exist, hidden behind the bezels, and you can press something and it would fold out, but leaving a device underneath it concealed. Sounds like some complex stuff...

[ikonia]

unreal, they can totally be programmed like the MO LCD displays. you just need to run some sort of monitoring app for example full screen on the second display.

There is some good info on it on the hexus PSOne modding thread.

I'm looking for one of the voices of experience though

[Gordy]

I would look for a display with vga input they are far better than the psone ones, they are more expensive tho

www.linitx.com
www.xenarc.com

[ikonia]

thanks gordy, I sort of had that in my mind, however I was a bit dubious over if they where actually a better bet.

[ikonia]

wow - a lot more pricey

[ikonia]

with this in mind, what would be the maximum screen size do you think you could fit in a 5.25 set of bezzels ? keeping it landscape not portrate

I knoe 5.25 is the size of the bezel, but I mean fit in and make usable.

The sonys fit in and they are 7'' ?

[Gordy]

Just measure two bezels and then get the dimensions for the lcd you want to use

[ikonia]

I meant from experience, what the most I should be looking at, eg: leaving room for mounting, closing the case door, stuff like that. measuring it is not a problem, and I'm using the sony as a guide as people seem to have used it without issue.

thanks for the input though, however as you live near me Gordy....and looking at your modding logs....you may be getting a phone call shortly

[TheAnimus]

another thing to remeber is temp, most TFTs decay faster with temp, and if theres a chance you've got a nock off you might find the film is a bit thin, and perishes quickly. But enless your only dual athlon MPs i doubt that would be a problem.

as for VGA verses svid, its what you do with it, if you want console text, svideo screens aren't nice. if you want big konfabulator style GUI, then svideo is fine, save your money.

as for programming something to display custom stats, its childs play.

[Gordy]

/hides telephone number

[ikonia]

interesting comments on the lifespan heat, thats something worth considering.

I'm not too concerned about the software to display information, I'm quite happy doing that sort of stuff, and I've done it with MO's, plus as I'm trying to get a proper screen rarther than an LCD 2 colour display like the MO's it should open more options for me to use more pretty "gui" driven displays.

Big thanks for all the input, just need to find a 4''-ish colour screen....

[ikonia]

Also,

I think it was gordy who mentioned getting a screen that was VGA input ready, I've been looking around, and I don't see any small screens that are vga ready.

From all the pro modders I'd appriciate some comments on the screens they have used ans some potential recommendations for ones they'd like to try.

[TheAnimus]

i know of some DVI ones, but i can't think why someone would make a small VGA one now adays.

there £340 each thou.

[ikonia]

£340's a fair wack for a 4'' Screen.

I've just found an interesting supplier who promise "good prices" but won't tell me them until they mail out the brochure ??? so I'm not holding my breath.

Theanimus, I'd be interested in seeing the smaller screens for my own interest. I suppose small VGA's may not be main stream made any more, however that must either mean that there are some cheap second hand/old stock ones lying around somewhere, or there is a demand and someone should make them.