Is It Possible to Adjust Arcade Core Screen Sizes for CRT Displays

[Swainy]

I use a CRT TV via VGA/Scart and on quite a few arcade cores I get borders either side of the screen. This can be seen in here in Wonderboy that uses the Sega System 1 core by MiSTer-X.

tuTSiW2.jpg (190.42 KiB) Viewed 1344 times

Now obviously on an arcade monitor you can easily adjust the size of the image.

Anyway yesterday I tried the Sega System 1 core by blackwine and noticed that his version of Wonderboy is full screen on my CRT.

X7BgGP7.jpg (165.4 KiB) Viewed 1344 times

So is there a way that I can adjust the screen size of arcade games without messing around with the TV?

[fierman]

The real question is of course: which of the two cores does have the aspect ratio correct?

[Swainy]

The real question is of course: which of the two cores does have the aspect ratio correct?

Good question.

[rcade]

Unless the core developers allow you to manually adjust the H and V sync rate, this will always happen on any given display. I assume the developers are going to try to use the exact frequencies the arcade boards used.

At least here it says:
Other notable upgrades and corrections:
Corrected Pixel clock to 5 MHz; titles are full screen on CRT displays

So possibly the Mister-X core is wrong?

https://www.retrorgb.com/misterfpga-seg ... kwine.html

[Swainy]

So possibly the Mister-X core is wrong?

https://www.retrorgb.com/misterfpga-seg ... kwine.html

It certainly seems that way according to that article. A few of Jotego’s core’s also have borders either side of the screen on CRT’s (Double Dragon, Double Dragon 2, Robocop, Bad Dudes). Makes me wonder if the timings are off slightly on those too?

By the way, turns you can make these games full screen on a CRT by editing the .ini file.

So for Double Dragon for example:

[jtdd]
vga_scaler=1
video_mode=512,32,48,64,240,8,5,21,10320

Then set video > aspect ratio = full screen

This might cause a little lag though.

[fierman]

So possibly the Mister-X core is wrong?

https://www.retrorgb.com/misterfpga-seg ... kwine.html

It certainly seems that way according to that article. A few of Jotego’s core’s also have borders either side of the screen on CRT’s (Double Dragon, Double Dragon 2, Robocop, Bad Dudes). Makes me wonder if the timings are off slightly on those too?

By the way, turns you can make these games full screen on a CRT by editing the .ini file.

So for Double Dragon for example:

[jtdd]
vga_scaler=1
video_mode=512,32,48,64,240,8,5,21,10320

Then set video > aspect ratio = full screen

This might cause a little lag though.

The Jotego cores do have it correct. The intended aspect ratio for the DataEast games like Robocop and DragonNinja is more 5:4 than 4:3. It shows up like that on the pcb's as well.

[_javi_]

Maybe this could help...

Newest RGBS Adjustment picture position Converter with shell SCART Adjustable screen converting PCB for adjust Image Position
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001070254969.html

I havent tried it, but seems interesting.

[akeley]

I think this gadget only adjusts position, not size. For that we already have controls in most of the arcade cores.

Arcade resolutions are one of the deeper CRT rabbit holes. Sometimes it's hard to figure whether the intended look was the actual resolution (maybe with side overlays), or did they expect the operators to use the monitor knobs to fit it in. In any case, there are so many different ones I don't bother tweaking anything anymore and stick with whatever is being output.

Maybe one day somebody will conjure some nice SwitchRes script similar to groovymame and Retroarch, or in-core or StretchRes solution, but till then I just accept it all as is. Once you start playing and concentrating on the game it doesn't really matter that much.