Recommended Dreamcast VGA box?

[Gentlegamer]

I just bought an HDTV, so I'm migrating my older consoles to a new set up on a CRT TV, but I want to keep as many as possible on the "main" set up, including Dreamcast.

What VGA box for Dreamcast is the preferred one?

Related question: is the component cable for GameCube worth the high price?

[heybtbm]

On DC VGA boxes:

Buy the cheapest one you can find on ebay. They're all the same cheap Chinese crap. The best ones (IMO) have a headphone audio jack right on the VGA adapter itself. Remember that you'll need one of these (http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Audio-Cable-Splitter-1-Mini/dp/B00004Z5CP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288221863&sr=8-1) to hear sound.

On Gamecube component cables:

I wrote this in an earlier thread at DP...


Nowdays, I play all my GC games on the Wii (with Wii component cables), so my GC component cables sit in the box in storage.

It's funny how it turned out. My original GC had the component jack and after I bought a LCD TV I felt I had to have the GC component cables. I even bought another new GC (again...with the component jack) to keep boxed for when my original GC bit the dust. With the Wii...all these "plans" became pointless. Now I have the cables and 2 GC's sitting in rubbermaid containers in basement. Like most DP'ers...I have no intention of selling all this stuff, but it's funny how unnecessary these purchases ended up being.

[ubersaurus]

Definitely check your DC with the HDTV if that's an issue for you. I know not all of them will be able to display the VGA input due to the relative resolution level of the Dreamcast. My friend who has had HD sets for some time now hasn't been able to get it to come up on any of the TVs he's tried it on.

[Gentlegamer]

On DC VGA boxes:

Buy the cheapest one you can find on ebay. They're all the same cheap Chinese crap. The best ones (IMO) have a headphone audio jack right on the VGA adapter itself. Remember that you'll need one of these (http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Audio-Cable-Splitter-1-Mini/dp/B00004Z5CP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288221863&sr=8-1) to hear sound.Hmmmm . . . has anyone used the vga adapter Racketboy sells (http://www.racketboy.com/store/featured/dreamcast-vga-cable-box.html)?


On Gamecube component cables:

I wrote this in an earlier thread at DP...Yeah, I don't have a Wii presently but intend to get one at some point, so I wondered if I should just wait and play GameCube games on Wii with its (much cheaper) Component Video cables.

[Gentlegamer]

Definitely check your DC with the HDTV if that's an issue for you. I know not all of them will be able to display the VGA input due to the relative resolution level of the Dreamcast. My friend who has had HD sets for some time now hasn't been able to get it to come up on any of the TVs he's tried it on.I'm able to play PS1 games through the component (which some HDTVs cannot) . . . no guarantee that the RGB connector will like a 480p signal, but I'm willing to risk it.

[LiquidPolicenaut]

Hmmmm . . . has anyone used the vga adapter Racketboy sells (http://www.racketboy.com/store/featured/dreamcast-vga-cable-box.html)?


Oddly enough, my original DC s-video cable bit the dust today so I went ahead and bought the VGA box from Racketboy. I bought the box instead of the cable just in case I run into any problems with the VGA side, I always have my good ol' S-Video (plus I also have an upscaler so that helps too)....

[theclaw]

Isn't all VGA output from DC a standard 640x480?

[ubersaurus]

Isn't all VGA output from DC a standard 640x480?

Far as I know, but apparently not all HDTVs these days will support that low a resolution from the VGA port, or something. All I know is I've seen blank screens coming out of a box that worked just fine on computer monitors.

[Vectorman0]

The official Sega VGA box is best. I've never seen or heard of anything better. It is not easy to come by, and isn't cheap in price and quality like the third party ones.

[RP2A03]

If you want you could build your own box with the schematic here (http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=5694).
(http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=5694)

[LiquidPolicenaut]

Far as I know, but apparently not all HDTVs these days will support that low a resolution from the VGA port, or something. All I know is I've seen blank screens coming out of a box that worked just fine on computer monitors.

Very true. I just received my VGA Box and my TV does exactly what you described...a blank screen and a box saying "unsupported video signal". I got it working by using a workaround which involves turning on the DC on in S-Video/Composite mode then flipping the switch to VGA at a specific time.

After all this, oddly enough, I still think my DC looks great hooked up via S-Video but run through an upscaler to my LCD TV. VGA also looks great but every time I turn it on, I have to reset the screen since the image is way off center.....

[schnuth]

I have this one:


http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/IMAGES/d_vgabox.jpg



It works great with my older Mitsubishi CRT projection screen HDTV.

[theclaw]

Far as I know, but apparently not all HDTVs these days will support that low a resolution from the VGA port, or something. All I know is I've seen blank screens coming out of a box that worked just fine on computer monitors.

Hmm. Worth investigating! Shouldn't that mean the BIOS screens of modern desktop PCs won't be visible? I've sure never heard of one with an adjustable resolution.

[Gentlegamer]

I bought a VGA adapter from ebay, received it today. It appears my Vizio doesn't like the resolution it is sending to the RGB input, it just says "No Support."

Looks like I'll have to put up with Composite input on that TV if I want to play Dreamcast. I guess it will have to join the other older consoles on the CRT TV where I can at least use s-video.

[CRTGAMER]

Agree with earlier comments about watching the resolution support. 640x480 is a lower resolution not supported by a lot of current HDTVs. Best to bring your Dreamcast and VGA adaptor to be absolutely sure. The ideal HD will also have S-Video, another getting to be uncommon input. Definitely make sure you get a VGA Box over just the cable, for that S-Video/Composite option. Not all Dreamcast games are VGA compatible.

[LiquidPolicenaut]

Just a quick update here from my side. After I posted my comment about my HDTV not supporting the 640x480 from the VGA on the DC, I started to think. I remember hooking up my laptop and playing Ys I & II Complete which displays in 640x480. Sure enough, I tried it again and it was all good. I then retried the VGA box hooked up via the VGA input and...voila!...it works now! I guess my TV was just confused for some reason lol