Setup Improvements

[AngelaHornung]

I love collecting console games, retro, modern, etc. However I have a few concerns and am curious about possible improvements to the set up. 

 

• You can see the wires, they're decently organized, but not fantastically plus the sheer quantity of them makes it hard to manage. Any ideas on how I can better manage/hide these cables, even if I should make a change in the shelf/stand
• I have a lot of retro consoles and a major concern of mine is that these electrical components are very old and because of that I don't trust them to be hooked up to power without my supervision. Currently I use a very large power strip which has a switch that I turn off whenever I'm not home and using a console in the set up. Is there a better way to go about this? 
• Is there a better way to store the controllers, especially the wired ones? I worry that the wires are degrading as I wrap them around themselves and have noticed that they start to twist and take that shape permanently. I like things to appear fairly neat and be easy to get in and out. Any ideas?
• My original Xbox and Xbox One S need new feet however I haven't been able to really find any, someone know where I can find some? 
• Is there anyway to protect my purchase in the case of a fire? Perhaps I could convert the physical library to digital in some cases and continue to use the discs for as long as they're available? 

 

I'm also looking for possible improvements to my desk set up and am curious if any of you guys have any ideas. I don't want to purchase a new desk as this one was quite expensive, but it has some size constraints and I was considering a few possibilities.

 

• A second Apple Studio Display. I always had duel monitors when I was a PC person, I've since switched to Apple Silicon for the time being. I love my Apple Studio Display, but I'm considering purchasing another identical model. The one concern is crowding my desk. I'd like to maintain what I call a messy minimalistic approach, there is also the concern of making my one wire set up a two wire set up for hooking up one of my Macs and reducing easy access to them. 
• I'd like the server to be more hidden, but it runs Linux Mint so not everything is accessible in the terminal. I do tend to do most things via the terminal allowing SSH to be a great solution for most of the time. Is there perhaps some remote monitoring applications (free of charge preferably and not requiring an online account) that I could employ to maintain desktop access when required without needing an additional legacy monitor? I use the server to host my Valheim and Minecraft server. 
• Should I adjust the storage of the lots of retro computers and parts I have? I use these for repairing/maintaining retro machines and am working on making some videos in regards to the equipment I have. I'm really hoping to minimize the cluttered look.

 

Notes about the photos: I keep my RGB strip, Time Machine m.2 and usb dongle on the back of my Apple Studio Display, I've also recently added a USB SuperDrive (don't worry I didn't buy it new as that would be a total rip off). I have two Macs in vertical stands, one is my main machine an M1 Pro 14" and the other is an old Intel Mac from 2019 that I use only for Windows and playing some games that are only available on Windows. I use the shelving and platform to my right when facing my monitor to repair machines and stop tools and some software. The beige shelf stores more hardware and to the left of me in the photo is another hardware shelf. The legacy monitor is for my server and I'd love to retire and discontinue daily use, keeping it around only as a spare.

 

Looking forward to your guy's recommendations. 

 

 

[OhioYJ]

36 minutes ago, AngelaHornung said:

 

• I have a lot of retro consoles and a major concern of mine is that these electrical components are very old and because of that I don't trust them to be hooked up to power without my supervision.  Is there a better way to go about this? 

They make power saving power strips (well actually surge protectors) that turn on and off outlets automatically. I use these at my house for several things. This would allow you to have the power off to them automatically when the TV was off.  (No manual switching necessary).

 

Another idea might be to use smart plugs, but this might cost more, but it would give you more control. 

 

41 minutes ago, AngelaHornung said:

 

• Is there a better way to store the controllers, especially the wired ones? I worry that the wires are degrading as I wrap them around themselves and have noticed that they start to twist and take that shape permanently. I like things to appear fairly neat and be easy to get in and out. Any ideas?

I cringe when people wrap cords around the controllers. It would be better to coil the wire up (while unplugged so the wires won't twist internally) then you can just use Velcro ties for the cords. They should lie nice and flat if done right. 

[AngelaHornung]

3 hours ago, OhioYJ said:

They make power saving power strips (well actually surge protectors) that turn on and off outlets automatically. I use these at my house for several things. This would allow you to have the power off to them automatically when the TV was off.  (No manual switching necessary).

 

Another idea might be to use smart plugs, but this might cost more, but it would give you more control. 

 

I cringe when people wrap cords around the controllers. It would be better to coil the wire up (while unplugged so the wires won't twist internally) then you can just use Velcro ties for the cords. They should lie nice and flat if done right. 

Could you send a link to this power strip? I entirely understand your issue with the controllers, thats why I'm trying to correct my behavior! XD I'll switch to the velcro ties probably. Seems to be the easiest solution that doesn't damage the coords themselves. 

[AngelaHornung]

But what about hiding the wires? I really hate seeing wires, it makes me mad for some reason. lmao 

[OhioYJ]

2 hours ago, AngelaHornung said:

Could you send a link to this power strip?

Here is an APC example, I have a couple of these. I also have a couple from Tripp Lite, and a couple that WalMart sold many years ago. I use them all over for many things like turning on / off speakers automatically with a TV for example. On PCs to automatically kill power to USB hubs, etc when the PC turns on / off. 

 

As for wires, I'm not the one for that. I zip tie / Velcro tie my wires but I just sort of neaten them. I don't make a big deal of making it perfect or making it completely hidden. 

 

I'm sure many people will say bad things about this one... But as someone who also has quite a collection of consoles and physical media, I emulate quite a bit. It's simplifies things quite a bit.  I use USB controllers hooked to a PC to the TV (not all of the controllers but several of them:)

 

 

This solution isnt perfect. Most things play good enough. However some things you just need original hardware. The example I usually give people is PunchOut, as it always stands out to me right away. You immediately notice any difference or lag right away. The other case is when I need special controllers like for the Atari. (Some games aren't quite the same without paddle controllers for example)

 

I bring this up as it eliminates a lot of wiring. I leave my consoles up most of the time because of this.