I'm in the beginning stages of making a stand-up arcade-style cabinet for gaming. Since my 50" DLP sucks for fighting games (damn you, DNIe), the cabinet will most likely just be a ps2 and a PC hooked up to my yet-to-be-built contraption. I'm thinking a regular PC LCD monitor would be my best bet in terms of size/quality/price since I refuse to use a CRT...not only for space considerations, but general hatred of CRT's. I thought about a standard def LCD TV as well, but it seems like a waste, all things considered...since I don't know if a standard def LCD TV might have a frame of lag or two. Should a SD LCDTV be completely lagless from both 480p and 480i sources, as well as hooked up from a computer?

Also, if I go with a PC display (cheaper option...since i have a spare), what are my options of connecting a PS2 to a PC display? XRGB 2/3 seems like overkill, since I would think there would be a much simpler component/composite -> VGA converter that would have 0 frames of lag. This would be a nice solution, as I'd be able to plug my PS2 into my existing PC LCD display and still practice before I get the rig built.

If I go with an LCD TV, I haven't seen many (if any) with VGA inputs, so would I have to have TV out from the PC, or is there a lagless converter somewhere?

So basically, there's the long and the short of it. The entire purpose of this rig is -0- lag. Absolutely none. Any recommendations or help would be great. Thanks, guys. =)

I have thought about a similar concept for my gaming systems (Quasimoto.com) but from everything I have read, any inexpensive option of sending a 480i or 240p signal to a progressive scan display device will have either lag issues or picture quality issues.

I have never seen an LCD SDTV but I have seen some EDTV's (native 480p) that might be able to display 480i content without lag but they were only 15" so they really weren't an option for me. Might be an option for the PS2 but w/o a VGA input, you wouldn't be able to use the PC on it.

The XRGB series may be overkill but it is the only option that I have heard of (for the PS2) that is virtually lag-free. And using a LCD monitor should save on the cost vs. a TV.

The newer LCD HDTV's should do a better job of de-interlacing but I have not read the problem has definitely been addressed (some still have lag problems for the 360 and PS3). Other forums have suggested taking your setup to a retail store and testing the lag yourself. My LCD HDTV had VGA and component inputs. If the newer ones don't have VGA, cant you use a VGA/DVI converter? All HDTV's should have one or the other.

I am curious to see if anyone has some other suggestions.

On a side note, why do you hate CRT's? I can't stand how big they are given the size compared to flat panel displays but nothing I have seen comes close as far as picture quality goes (for SD content). Right now unfortunately they are a necessary evil for me as I am still gaming in the last two generations of consoles. One day I am going to attempt to build a cabinet using an arcade monitor to play them on.