VGA options for original Xbox console

[Az]

Forgive my videophile ignorance, but do VGA cables exist for the original Xbox? All the information I've came across always points to VGA cables for the 360 with nary a mention of the original Xbox. The only option I've found is a generic VGA cable made by EMS (I think) that is advertised to work with the Xbox, PS1, PS2, & Gamecube, and I'm pretty sure that one is just a cheap composite-to-VGA converter.

[NYLatenite]

I don't think there were any first party ones, but back when the system was active, I used a connector called the X2VGA+ from a company called Neoya that allowed me to run the Xbox in component video (480p) mode on a VGA monitor - which was quite a noticeable difference from the standard display.

9028

[PreZZ]

I got the same one. A few games are 720p on original xbox, the warriors look superb with this vga adapter. It wont display 480i though, so you cant even see the xbox menu its all fuzzy and a few games are 480i.

[Az]

How much did that VGA adapter y'all mention cost when it was current?

Do you think it's safe to assume that Xbox/GC/PS combo cable I mentioned isn't really a true VGA adapter but rather just a cheap composite-to-VGA adapter chip shoehorned into a box with a 3 input A/V cable? Since it's specifically advertised as supporting PS1 I'm thinking so.

[lendelin]

What is the difference between component on an HDTV and VGA on an HDTV/VGA-Monitor? I assumed the former would produce a superior picture. Is that true?

[Pete Rittwage]

It's very difficult to find that adapter... There is a way you can solder one directly onto the XBOX motherboard and flash the BIOS, but it's not an easy mod.

You can get an XBOX component cable, a component to HDMI converter box, and an HDMI to DVI adapter. You can then connect them all together. It sounds like a long shot, but I have this combo and it works fine. Hooked up to my old LCD monitor, it comes up in 480p with XBMC and the various emulators. I believe it worked in 720p also (and maybe higher).

Of course on a modern LED/LCD you can just skip the DVI part and you only need the component to HDMI box.

Now analog VGA (the old blue cables) would probably require another conversion. You might be able to go from component straight to that with certain monitors, but I've never tried that.

[RP2A03]

What is the difference between component on an HDTV and VGA on an HDTV/VGA-Monitor? I assumed the former would produce a superior picture. Is that true?

There is no difference assuming that both signals are handled equally well by the monitor.

[Pete Rittwage]

YPbPr component signaling is completely different from VGA and RGB. However, as to which is superior, I believe VGA should have more color bandwidth since it's not a subtraction-based signal. However, humans may not be able to detect it without a special demonstration designed to illustrate that weakness.

[RP2A03]

YPbPr and RGB are mathematically the same.

[Pete Rittwage]

YPbPr and RGB are mathematically the same.

So 4:4:4 (RGB) vs 4:2:2 colorspace makes no difference?

[RP2A03]

So 4:4:4 (RGB) vs 4:2:2 colorspace makes no difference?

My bad. I hadn't realized that YPbPr was commonly 4:2:2 from sources besides DVDs. Although YPbPr can be 4:4:4, so technically I am correct even such a thing is not defined in any standard.;)

[Pete Rittwage]

My bad. I hadn't realized that YPbPr was commonly 4:2:2 from sources besides DVDs. Although YPbPr can be 4:4:4, so technically I am correct even such a thing is not defined in any standard.;)

Actually, I figured it just took advantage of the resolution of human eyesight. I think we can detect differences in the color red twice as well as other colors...

[RP2A03]

Actually, I figured it just took advantage of the resolution of human eyesight. I think we can detect differences in the color red twice as well as other colors...

Actually, we are more sensitive to the middle of the spectrum which is green and more sensitive to luma than chroma. In YPbPr 4:2:2 luma (Y) is represented at full resolution and the chroma components (Pb and Pr) are represented at half horizontal resolution. Doing some research apparently both DVD and Blu-ray store chroma subsampled at 4:2:0 in which luma is full resolution and chroma is half resolution both horizontally and vertically.

[NYLatenite]

How much did that VGA adapter y'all mention cost when it was current?


If I recall correctly, the X2VGA+ was somewhere in the $70-$80 range back in the day.

[BlastProcessing402]

Did any system other than Dreamcast and 360 have built in VGA support without modding or unofficial component to VGA cables (which based on the one I had for PS3 are pretty bad)?