Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

If you're making a portable you probably need something to watch it on. (Unless you want to guess what's happening in the game, but I wouldn't advise that) Anyway, this forum is your "Hacking a pocket TV/screen" one-stop solution. Share your experiences and knowledge here.

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PERMASPOOKED
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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by PERMASPOOKED » Sun Oct 18, 2009 1:12 pm

I just pulled the old citizen pocket tv out of my closet. It has a/v in. Thats good. I will probably use this for my first portable. Next time around i will go with a bigger screen. You have to start somewhere. tv model number is p422-1a. Image

gamemasterful
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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by gamemasterful » Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:05 pm

hailrazer wrote:
gamemasterful wrote:Anyone know if the V.Smile games work? They have an LCD screen and you can also watch the V.Smile games on the TV.
No they have to have a video input NOT output.
I know. I was just wondering to see if anyone had cracked one open to see if the LCD had its own board or not, or if it was set up pretty much like a laptop screen where you would have to buy something to convert the signals.

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vskid
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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by vskid » Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:15 pm

gamemasterful wrote:
hailrazer wrote:
gamemasterful wrote:Anyone know if the V.Smile games work? They have an LCD screen and you can also watch the V.Smile games on the TV.
No they have to have a video input NOT output.
I know. I was just wondering to see if anyone had cracked one open to see if the LCD had its own board or not, or if it was set up pretty much like a laptop screen where you would have to buy something to convert the signals.
If you have one, open it up and see. If not, I wouldn't use one. The ones I've seen have horrible ghosting and look like crap, not worth spending any money for it.
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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by gamemasterful » Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:12 am

vskid wrote:
gamemasterful wrote:
hailrazer wrote:
gamemasterful wrote:Anyone know if the V.Smile games work? They have an LCD screen and you can also watch the V.Smile games on the TV.
No they have to have a video input NOT output.
I know. I was just wondering to see if anyone had cracked one open to see if the LCD had its own board or not, or if it was set up pretty much like a laptop screen where you would have to buy something to convert the signals.
If you have one, open it up and see. If not, I wouldn't use one. The ones I've seen have horrible ghosting and look like crap, not worth spending any money for it.
Good to know. They have a few they are trying to get rid of at wal-mart but if they're low quality then I might as well put the money towards a decent one.

Dark-Show
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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by Dark-Show » Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:50 pm

hey, just pulled the lcd from a broken protable DVD player i have, now i know that sence it dosnt accept composite its not realy worth the time, but i think other wise, ive found a LCD controller on ebay that looks decent, and seemingly compatible. but are their any people who can recommend a LCD controller for a TFT 7" LCD display? please dont flame me as i want to use this screen in a portable ps1 im building.

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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by Kyo » Thu Jan 21, 2010 4:32 am

there is no such thing as a universal controller for all 7" screens

Additionally, it will probably be more expensive to get ahold of a controller than to just get a new screen

alexxx
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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by alexxx » Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:35 am

hey yes before i start im a n00b okay now we have got that out of the way i found these dvd players on ebay that have video input here is the link http://cgi.ebay.com.au/7-TWIN-DUAL-SCRE ... 19b990460b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

somthing along those line of screen also this might be the stupid qustion you have herd but would it be possible to connect your system and keep the av input plugs as i want to not only have a portable game cube yes i no nes is easier but owell but be able to plug a dvd player in and as this screen has tv viewing a set top box as u can get tiny ones now of course they would not be all in the system just be sepret own battery source and all sory i no im total noob i just never have seen a portabel system that can suport tv let alone digital tv

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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by Kyo » Wed Feb 17, 2010 12:41 am

Yes, please use some punctucation.

tom61
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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by tom61 » Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:54 pm

Why you cannot use these screens
These screens use digital signals to produce the image. That's why it's pixel-perfect. Video game systems output analog signals, like composite video, that your TV understands. Game system LCDs have the right hardware to decode the video and make it the digital signals the LCD understands. It's cheaper and smaller to make the motherboard talk directly to the screen than it is to use encoding and decoding hardware, but analog signals are more compatable (as you would need for a home console). Since the companies don't expect you to take those things apart and use the screens, they don't see a need for analog video signals. You could build a decoder board, but this is far out of most peoples' capabilities. (Decoder boards are complicated.)

Long story short: Unless your screen came with all the hardware necessary to take composite, component, or S-Video signals, don't bother.
Should be updated to include HDMI a 'digital' format that doesn't help to use these screens. Laptop LCDs use parallel or low-voltage differential signaling, whereas HDMI outputs a serial stream.

Still not impossible to convert, but very hard, so you'll still need a controller.

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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by killersquirel11 » Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:50 pm

ascentuk wrote: the markings on the main bord are labbled as such - followed by what i belive thay are

dc +9v -- Positive 9v Dc Input
gnd -- Ground for video source
Y -- Not sure but think its a video source
C -- Pritty sure this is the composite video in
Gnd -- General Grounding point and negative terminal for dc input
Wide -- Wide screen option
Con -- Conventional 4:3 screen
Probably not relevant anymore but the Y stands for luminance and C for chroma. That is how S-Video is divided. You should be able to get S video from many systems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Video
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kuzimoto
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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by kuzimoto » Sat Jul 03, 2010 6:53 pm

I recently got this portable dvd player at a garage sale, for watching dvds, but I think the laser is broken based on what things I read and that it only shows blue and no dvd drive activity. I recently became interested in portables and was wondering if the screen was usable. It's 10 in. so maybe it's a bit big, but I think It can be used because it has an av in/out switch with a composite port. Here's the link to the details http://www99.epinions.com/specs/Polaroi ... DVD_Player

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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by bassmasta » Sat Jul 03, 2010 7:40 pm

If it has composite (the yellow cable) video in, then you can use it. You might need the dvd player board though.
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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by wizzard1 » Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:49 pm

Most modern LVDS laptop panels can be used, with purchase of a controller for inputting and converting AV/VGA/DVI to the LVDS. Proper BIOS flashing for the controller is necessary, to tell it what voltage, resolution and refresh rate is needed.

*Proud owner of a 15" 1600x1200 LCD with VGA, SVID, RCA and Coax (with tuner!) input, by these methods*. Original screen is 500:1 (not that bad, really) 15" 4:3 screen from a high-end older Compaq, and a similar controller to the one linked below, by the same company. I do recommend them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/R-RT6251-LCD-Contro ... 3f031502e4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They sell controllers which will work with modern 15.4" 1920x1200 LCDs, as well as full TV input controllers (like the one listed) for resolutions up to 1440x900. I've purchased 3 of them in total, and I've been extremely happy with them all, even with the issue I had with one TV-based controller which did not work- I sent it back to them, they CREATED and flashed a custom BIOS for my particular screen (said 1600x1200 screen) and sent it back to me- I'm still in love with that display.

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leonexodio
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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by leonexodio » Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:43 am

hey i was wondering can u use any screen like i no u can us the ps1/ps2 screen but i found a xbox screen and i was wondering can i use this to because i was out in a pawn shop and they where selling it for about $20-30 do u think i should get it???

http://www.goelectronic.com/INTEC%20G82 ... e=googleps" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Screens You CAN and CANNOT Use

Post by Snipeye » Wed Jan 05, 2011 4:36 pm

Yes, that's usable. For that price (as long as it works) I would buy it.

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