FAQ:Video - Revision history

Firehawke: No longer needed.

2016-06-02T02:52:39Z

No longer needed.

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:52, 2 June 2016
Line 1:		Line 1:
	~~Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.~~
	~~==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==~~
	Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's [http://www.ultimarc.com ArcadeVGA]) or through a software program (like [http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9366 Soft15Khz]), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade.htm Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the [http://www.betson.com/products/IMP-44-4070-RT Betson Multisync] (No longer being produced), [http://www.niemandisplays.com Nieman Tri-sync], Wells Gardner D9400 (No longer being produced), and [http://www.billabs.com/bl27cb0p.htm Billabs BL27CB0P] (No longer being produced) that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).

	For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.

	For some examples of what MAME looks on a computer monitor, an arcade monitor and a TV screen, see [http://mirrors.arcadecontrols.com/OscarControls/monitors.shtml this monitor output comparison] courtesy of [http://mirrors.arcadecontrols.com/OscarControls/ Oscar Controls].

	~~==Can I play vector games on a vector monitor?==~~
	~~Indeed you can. With the [http://www.zektor.com/zvg/ Zektor's Vector Generator], you can use a special DOS-only version of MAME on a suitable vector monitor or Vectrex game console.~~

	~~==How do I get the best look with MAME on an LCD display?==~~
	LCD displays have a fixed resolution, and this resolution is almost always higher than most games in MAME. This means that somebody has to scale/stretch the video from the game's original resolution to the LCD's native resolution. In general, it is best to let your graphics card do this work. The default parameters for MAME are actually set up fine for this purpose.

	What's important to know is that it doesn't make sense to ever "switch resolutions" on an LCD display. There is really only one resolution; all other resolutions are simulated via stretching. Thus, the default behavior of MAME is fine.

	~~==Can I take a picture of my screen while I am playing?==~~
	Yes. At any time you can take a snapshot of all the active video screens (there may be more than one). By default, the '''F12''' key is configured to take a snapshot. The resulting file or files will be placed here:

	~~mame.exe~~
	~~snap/~~
	~~<gamename>/~~
	~~0000.png~~
	~~0001.png~~
	~~(etc)~~

	~~PNG files are viewable in most image programs, and directly in Explorer under Windows by double-clicking them (assumes you have Windows XP or later).~~

	~~==Some of the games appear sideways on the screen (ie. rotated by 90 degrees).==~~
	~~This commonly occurs with certain Intel onboard graphics chipsets, often in conjunction with LCD monitors. Also, some Gateway, Dell, and other brands of laptops also may experience this issue.~~

	This bug is not a problem with MAME, but a feature of this video chipset. To fix it, you either specify a resolution to use (i.e. add -640x480, -800x600, -1024x768, etc to the command line), enable hardware stretch, and Keep Aspect Ratio. The other workaround is to enter your Windows display control panel, click on "Settings", click on "Advanced" and search for an autorotate option, and disable it.

	~~If you have Intel onboard video, also try updating the display drivers.~~

	~~==Why do I get lots of screen tearing when I play certain games?==~~
	~~Many games do not have the exact same screen refresh rate as your monitor. Hence, there can be some dropped (or doubled) frames as the emulator tries to compensate.~~

	Another problem is that the screen updating is not locked to the screen refresh rate. Therefore, the screen may be refreshed when only half of it has been updated. In these cases, this causes the top part of the screen be new, and the bottom part is from the previous frame. This is especially noticeable in horizontally scrolling games.

	To fix this, use the -triplebuffer parameter, and set the native refresh rate of your monitor higher than that of the game you are running. Triple buffering updates the screen at exactly the screen refresh intervals to avoid tearing. However, since the monitor refresh rate can still be different from the emulation screen refresh rate, the games can still exhibit choppiness.

	~~==When will MAME use Direct3D/OpenGL to emulate 3D games?==~~
	Probably not ever, at least in the sense this question is likely being asked. MAME now uses Direct3D (and SDLMAME uses OpenGL) to composite and scale the game graphics, artwork elements, and MAME UI displays, but the actual 3D rendering is always done in software in order to ensure consistent operation across different video cards and operating systems.

	Additionally, the bottleneck for many 3D games in MAME is actually their insanely fast RISC processor rather than the actual 3D rendering. This is the case in games such as '''Crusin USA''', '''Killer Instinct''' (which has no 3D hardware anyway), and '''Gauntlet Legends'''.

Stiletto at 01:18, 25 November 2014

2014-11-25T01:18:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:18, 25 November 2014
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.		Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.
	==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==		==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==
	Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's [http://www.ultimarc.com ArcadeVGA]) or through a software program (like [http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9366 Soft15Khz]), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the [http://www.betson.com/products/IMP-44-4070-RT Betson Multisync], [http://www.niemandisplays.com Nieman Tri-sync], Wells Gardner D9400 (No longer being produced), and [http://www.billabs.com/bl27cb0p.htm Billabs BL27CB0P] that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).		Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's [http://www.ultimarc.com ArcadeVGA]) or through a software program (like [http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9366 Soft15Khz]), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade.htm Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the [http://www.betson.com/products/IMP-44-4070-RT Betson Multisync] (No longer being produced), [http://www.niemandisplays.com Nieman Tri-sync], Wells Gardner D9400 (No longer being produced), and [http://www.billabs.com/bl27cb0p.htm Billabs BL27CB0P] (No longer being produced) that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).

	For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.		For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.

Tafoid: /* Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen? */

2010-10-22T18:12:15Z

Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:12, 22 October 2010
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.		Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.
	==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==		==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==
	Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's [http://www.ultimarc.com ArcadeVGA]) or through a software program (like [http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9366 Soft15Khz]), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the [http://www.betson.com/products/IMP-44-4070-RT Betson Multisync], [http://www.niemandisplays.com Nieman Tri-sync], ~~[http://www.wellsgardner.com/products/details.asp?iCat=2&iSubCat=36~~ Wells Gardner D9400], and [http://www.billabs.com/bl27cb0p.htm Billabs BL27CB0P] that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).		Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's [http://www.ultimarc.com ArcadeVGA]) or through a software program (like [http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9366 Soft15Khz]), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the [http://www.betson.com/products/IMP-44-4070-RT Betson Multisync], [http://www.niemandisplays.com Nieman Tri-sync], Wells Gardner D9400 (No longer being produced), and [http://www.billabs.com/bl27cb0p.htm Billabs BL27CB0P] that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).

	For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.		For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.

Tafoid: /* Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen? */

2010-10-22T18:05:03Z

Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:05, 22 October 2010
Line 5:		Line 5:
	For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.		For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.

	For some examples of what MAME looks on a computer monitor, an arcade monitor and a TV screen, see [http://~~www~~.~~oscarcontrols~~.com/monitors.shtml this monitor output comparison] courtesy of [http://~~www~~.~~oscarcontrols~~.com/ Oscar Controls].		For some examples of what MAME looks on a computer monitor, an arcade monitor and a TV screen, see [http://mirrors.arcadecontrols.com/OscarControls/monitors.shtml this monitor output comparison] courtesy of [http://mirrors.arcadecontrols.com/OscarControls/ Oscar Controls].

	==Can I play vector games on a vector monitor?==		==Can I play vector games on a vector monitor?==

Stphinkle at 03:37, 10 September 2008

2008-09-10T03:37:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:37, 10 September 2008
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.		Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.
	==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==		==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==
	Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's ArcadeVGA) or through a software program (like [http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9366 Soft15Khz]), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the [http://www.betson.com/products/IMP-44-4070-RT Betson Multisync], [http://www.niemandisplays.com Nieman Tri-sync], [http://www.wellsgardner.com/products/details.asp?iCat=2&iSubCat=36 Wells Gardner D9400], and [http://www.billabs.com/bl27cb0p.htm Billabs BL27CB0P] that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).		Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's [http://www.ultimarc.com ArcadeVGA]) or through a software program (like [http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9366 Soft15Khz]), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the [http://www.betson.com/products/IMP-44-4070-RT Betson Multisync], [http://www.niemandisplays.com Nieman Tri-sync], [http://www.wellsgardner.com/products/details.asp?iCat=2&iSubCat=36 Wells Gardner D9400], and [http://www.billabs.com/bl27cb0p.htm Billabs BL27CB0P] that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).

	For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.		For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.

Stphinkle at 03:36, 10 September 2008

2008-09-10T03:36:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:36, 10 September 2008
Line 27:		Line 27:
	PNG files are viewable in most image programs, and directly in Explorer under Windows by double-clicking them (assumes you have Windows XP or later).		PNG files are viewable in most image programs, and directly in Explorer under Windows by double-clicking them (assumes you have Windows XP or later).

	==~~All~~ the games appear sideways on the screen (ie. rotated by 90 degrees).==		==Some of the games appear sideways on the screen (ie. rotated by 90 degrees).==
	This commonly occurs with certain Intel onboard graphics chipsets, often in conjunction with LCD monitors. Also, some Gateway, Dell, and other brands of laptops also may experience this issue.		This commonly occurs with certain Intel onboard graphics chipsets, often in conjunction with LCD monitors. Also, some Gateway, Dell, and other brands of laptops also may experience this issue.

Stphinkle at 07:54, 7 September 2008

2008-09-07T07:54:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:54, 7 September 2008
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.		Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.
	==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==		==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==
	Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's ArcadeVGA) or through a software program (like [http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9366 Soft15Khz]), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the [http://www.betson.com/products/IMP-44-4070-RT Betson Multisync], [http://www.niemandisplays.com Nieman Tri-sync], ~~http://~~http://www.wellsgardner.com/products/details.asp?iCat=2&iSubCat=36 Wells Gardner D9400], and [http://www.billabs.com/bl27cb0p.htm Billabs BL27CB0P] that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).		Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's ArcadeVGA) or through a software program (like [http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9366 Soft15Khz]), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the [http://www.betson.com/products/IMP-44-4070-RT Betson Multisync], [http://www.niemandisplays.com Nieman Tri-sync], [http://www.wellsgardner.com/products/details.asp?iCat=2&iSubCat=36 Wells Gardner D9400], and [http://www.billabs.com/bl27cb0p.htm Billabs BL27CB0P] that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).

	For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.		For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.

Stphinkle at 07:53, 7 September 2008

2008-09-07T07:53:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:53, 7 September 2008
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.		Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.
	==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==		==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==
	Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's ArcadeVGA) or through a software program (like Soft15Khz), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the Betson Multisync, Nieman Tri-sync, Wells Gardner ~~D9200~~, and Billabs BL27CB0P that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).		Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's ArcadeVGA) or through a software program (like [http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9366 Soft15Khz]), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the [http://www.betson.com/products/IMP-44-4070-RT Betson Multisync], [http://www.niemandisplays.com Nieman Tri-sync], http://http://www.wellsgardner.com/products/details.asp?iCat=2&iSubCat=36 Wells Gardner D9400], and [http://www.billabs.com/bl27cb0p.htm Billabs BL27CB0P] that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).

	For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.		For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.

Stphinkle at 06:19, 7 December 2007

2007-12-07T06:19:13Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:19, 7 December 2007
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.		Return to the main [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.
	==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==		==Can I play MAME on an arcade monitor or on a TV screen?==
	Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output, or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums.		Yes, MAME can be used with real arcade monitors, and using such a monitor will give you a much better arcade picture than a computer monitor. However, you need a video card that supports 15 kHz output natively (such as Ultimarc's ArcadeVGA) or through a software program (like Soft15Khz), or in some cases 25 kHz if your monitor is medium res. Driving a 31-48 kHz VGA, SVGA, or XGA signal to an arcade monitor can ''damage it permanently''. For more details and help on making this work, please see the [http://arcadecontrols.com/ Build Your Own Arcade Controls] website and forums. Additionally, there are some arcade monitors such as the Betson Multisync, Nieman Tri-sync, Wells Gardner D9200, and Billabs BL27CB0P that will allow both the native resolution of arcade games and allow running Windows at 640x480 (and some models up to 800x600 or 1024x768).

	For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.		For the use of MAME on a TV screen, you need a video card that provides TV-out support. The picture quality will be lower than a monitor, however many people have reported good results because most raster games in MAME run at low resolutions. If you use a TV connection, using S-Video, Component, or RGB Scart inputs will often lead to better results than composite or RF inputs.

Aaron: /* Why do I get lots of screen tearing when I play certain games? */

2007-08-06T00:45:14Z

Why do I get lots of screen tearing when I play certain games?

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:45, 6 August 2007
Line 35:		Line 35:

	==Why do I get lots of screen tearing when I play certain games?==		==Why do I get lots of screen tearing when I play certain games?==
			Many games do not have the exact same screen refresh rate as your monitor. Hence, there can be some dropped (or doubled) frames as the emulator tries to compensate.

			Another problem is that the screen updating is not locked to the screen refresh rate. Therefore, the screen may be refreshed when only half of it has been updated. In these cases, this causes the top part of the screen be new, and the bottom part is from the previous frame. This is especially noticeable in horizontally scrolling games.

			To fix this, use the -triplebuffer parameter, and set the native refresh rate of your monitor higher than that of the game you are running. Triple buffering updates the screen at exactly the screen refresh intervals to avoid tearing. However, since the monitor refresh rate can still be different from the emulation screen refresh rate, the games can still exhibit choppiness.

	==When will MAME use Direct3D/OpenGL to emulate 3D games?==		==When will MAME use Direct3D/OpenGL to emulate 3D games?==
	Probably not ever, at least in the sense this question is likely being asked. MAME now uses Direct3D (and SDLMAME uses OpenGL) to composite and scale the game graphics, artwork elements, and MAME UI displays, but the actual 3D rendering is always done in software in order to ensure consistent operation across different video cards and operating systems.		Probably not ever, at least in the sense this question is likely being asked. MAME now uses Direct3D (and SDLMAME uses OpenGL) to composite and scale the game graphics, artwork elements, and MAME UI displays, but the actual 3D rendering is always done in software in order to ensure consistent operation across different video cards and operating systems.

	Additionally, the bottleneck for many 3D games in MAME is actually their insanely fast RISC processor rather than the actual 3D rendering. This is the case in games such as '''Crusin USA''', '''Killer Instinct''' (which has no 3D hardware anyway), and '''Gauntlet Legends'''.		Additionally, the bottleneck for many 3D games in MAME is actually their insanely fast RISC processor rather than the actual 3D rendering. This is the case in games such as '''Crusin USA''', '''Killer Instinct''' (which has no 3D hardware anyway), and '''Gauntlet Legends'''.