Original XBox with component & digital audio on Framemeister

[axlblazeadam]

I was thinking about how to hook up my original Xbox on the Framemeister...

I have the HD breakout box with the component cables. I know i can get a D-terminal adapter for it, but that leaves me with the digital audio i want to have (for the surround sound).

Ofcourse, i can hook up the audio to my receiver, but i want everything to pass through the Framemeister.

Was thinking about buying a component (with optical input) to HDMI converter and plug that into the Framemeister, but i'm afraid it will add extra lag to it. Taking about something like this:

Anyone has any expierence with hooking up the Xbox + digital audio through the FM?

[Shuco13]

According to the monoprice site this device works as a transcoder, which is good first of all.
If you simply want to use it for 480p/720p I would avoid running it through the Framemeister and directly hook it to your TV through that converter instead.

[BuckoA51]

I don't think there's a single original Xbox game that can't be persuaded to run in 480p is there? No benefit to running 480p through the FM.

[axlblazeadam]

Ok thanks for the replies!

I want to run it through my Framemeister because somehow my TV doesn't want to play Xbox games in 4:3 running them through component. It stretches 4:3 material to 16:9. I can't change the aspect ratio on my TV, somehow it only shows the Wide and Zoom function (i have a Sony).

It tried to put the settings in my Xbox dashboard to normal and even letterbox. Disabled 1080i, 720p, 480p. Still it forces the TV to stretch 4:3 images to 16:9.

Hoping running this through the Framemeister i have more control over the picture.

[ZellSF]

I think routing XBox games through a XRGB-mini is a bad idea. It won't be that much better than your TV's 480p proccessing and will introduce 1.5 frames of input lag.

Fixing the aspect ratio problem on your TV seems to me the better solution. So exactly what TV model do you have?

[HydrogLox]

I don't think there's a single original Xbox game that can't be persuaded to run in 480p is there?

On a stock Xbox there are in fact a handful of stock games that don't support 480p. Xyanide (2006) is another offender that isn't listed. Typically the "process of persuasion" involves installing XMBC on the console and patching/editing the game image.

TV doesn't want to play Xbox games in 4:3 running them through component. It stretches 4:3 material to 16:9. I can't change the aspect ratio on my TV, somehow it only shows the Wide and Zoom function (i have a Sony).

Fixing the aspect ratio problem on your TV seems to me the better solution. So exactly what TV model do you have?

[axlblazeadam]

Fixing the aspect ratio problem on your TV seems to me the better solution. So exactly what TV model do you have?

Yes i would prefer that, but i tried everything. My TV is a Sony KDL-52LX900...
With other inputs it's easy to select different aspect ratios, but the component won't budge (at least with my Xbox)...

[Fudoh]

Your best shot is likely to get the converter you initially posted, but to use it to connect your xbox directly to your TV's HDMI inputs. Should result in better quality than running through the FM. There's a good chance that your TV will allow aspect ratio control for HDMI 480p signals. You can try that by setting your FM to 480p output and see what your TV has to offer.

[axlblazeadam]

Your best shot is likely to get the converter you initially posted, but to use it to connect your xbox directly to your TV's HDMI inputs. Should result in better quality than running through the FM. There's a good chance that your TV will allow aspect ratio control for HDMI 480p signals. You can try that by setting your FM to 480p output and see what your TV has to offer.

Yes i think that's the best solution for now! Just tried asking here, maybe somebody else encoutered the same problem.

Thank you!

[HydrogLox]

http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/iManuals/eg ... notpc.html

Have you tried if you can set "Home Menu > Display > Screen (for inputs other than a PC) > Screen Format/Wide Mode - 4:3/Normal" when your target input is "Component"?

[antron]

The final revision of the Xbox has trouble running some Sega games in 480p.

[FBX]

My display likes to muddy anything it has to upscale, so the Xbox in 480p actually looks better going through my Framemeister than it does going straight into my display. The downside though is that false contouring issue with 480p sources on the Framemeister. I'm hoping Fudoh's report makes it into Micomsoft's hands as they really need to fix that.

[austin532]

I doubt anything hardware related can be fixed at this point otherwise I'm sure they would have done so already. We are lucky to get a minor update once or twice a year so that tells me nothing much can be done with the unit. I think they are just riding the popularity Frameister wave at this point. Once sales start to die down then they will release the next version.

[Guspaz]

More likely it's a niche product for a niche market, and they can't afford to develop much resources to firmware updates. Didn't somebody say in the OSS thread that it had only sold a few thousand units?

[austin532]

It definitely has to be one of their best selling products. At least I would imagine so.

[Fudoh]

FM: 8,500+ so far.

Micomsoft is commited to doing more frequent FW updates and they'll try to ascertain which bugs have a chance of fixing, so people don't get up any false hopes.

[ZellSF]

I think the XRGB-Mini's post release firmware support has been excellent and shown that they're beyond just riding popularity waves. Seems like there are some issues they just can't fix.

Also yeah I'd go with plain HDMI transcoding (what the box you linked to probably does) and see if that allows aspect ratio changing. I checked the manual for your TV, but it was terrible and didn't mention anything about it at all.

Not sure how the XRGB-Mini handles DD/DTS/MultichPCM. I know it has separate volume controls so it processes audio... I really would avoid routing audio through it unless neccessary. Though I see why the convinience factor might be important.

[axlblazeadam]

http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/iManuals/eg ... notpc.html

Have you tried if you can set "Home Menu > Display > Screen (for inputs other than a PC) > Screen Format/Wide Mode - 4:3/Normal" when your target input is "Component"?

Yes, i tried it but no luck, still locks to Smart/Wide/Zoom.

However, when i force the Xbox to display in 480p ONLY, i can choose 4:3 with component input. But, this looks really bad (not because it's 480p, but because how the TV is handling the image). Also, have to set display area to +1 (instead of full pixel).

[HydrogLox]

http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/iManuals/eg ... 2_2a3.html
That model seems to have a VGA port on it's side. Do you know if a 640x480 source looks-just-as-shitty on that input?
I've used a 9A65 with an Xbox before and the Garo‡ is in the works (though don't plan on using 480i). None of that helps you with your digital audio problem of course but sometimes it is nice to know what the options are.

‡GARO - Universal Component Video Transcoder with Scanliner

FYI: You may want to check out the reviews on amazon (allowing for the varying competence levels of the reviewers).

PS: The original Xbox menu defaults to 480i which can be problematic in some situations. Pressing both triggers and clicking both thumb sticks toggles the menu between 480i and 480p.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050913035 ... rdinHD.htm

[axlblazeadam]

http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/iManuals/eg ... 2_2a3.html
That model seems to have a VGA port on it's side. Do you know if a 640x480 source looks-just-as-shitty on that input?
I've used a 9A65 with an Xbox before and the Garo‡ is in the works (though don't plan on using 480i). None of that helps you with your digital audio problem of course but sometimes it is nice to know what the options are.

‡GARO - Universal Component Video Transcoder with Scanliner

FYI: You may want to check out the reviews on amazon (allowing for the varying competence levels of the reviewers).

PS: The original Xbox menu defaults to 480i which can be problematic in some situations. Pressing both triggers and clicking both thumb sticks toggles the menu between 480i and 480p.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050913035 ... rdinHD.htm

Thanks!

Yes i've used the VGA port for my Dreamcast, but was very bad as well. Now i'm running it with a Toro through the Framemeister it looks great.

I've modded my Xbox and using the XBMC dashboard, but tried every setting. Only 480p will give me the 4:3 option, but looks bad.

My hopes are on the component to HDMI transcoder OR the Garo, looks very nice too. I'm very happy with my Toro.

[HydrogLox]

Yes i've used the VGA port for my Dreamcast, but was very bad as well. Now i'm running it with a Toro through the Framemeister it looks great.

I find with my KDL-50EX645 my experience is quite the opposite; with 480p I prefer the result I get when I connect the TORO directly to the VGA input, when the TORO is connected to the Framemeister the result is underwhelming (though the combo is extremely useful for 480i/240p). I guess it just goes to show that the analog inputs on the KDL-52LX900 are more for show than anything else.

My hopes are on the component to HDMI transcoder OR the Garo, looks very nice too. I'm very happy with my Toro.

I'm was a bit surpised to see that the Garo is supposed to support RGBS - so it might be useful with the XRGB-mini, provided that the YPbPr-to-RGBS conversion improves on the one that the XRGB-mini provides.
http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/gar ... ner.58260/

You may want to pick up the D-Terminal to Component Adapter Cable (Female) in any case. You could easily find yourself in a situation were you are going to have to make a trade off somewhere. Pursuing Surround Sound via S/PDIF could leave you with a sub-par picture (with conversion artifacts) or unacceptable display lag - ultimately the judgement and choice is highly personal. So you may have to try a few combinations before you can settle on the combination that you personally can live with.

[axlblazeadam]

Yes i've used the VGA port for my Dreamcast, but was very bad as well. Now i'm running it with a Toro through the Framemeister it looks great.

I find with my KDL-50EX645 my experience is quite the opposite; with 480p I prefer the result I get when I connect the TORO directly to the VGA input, when the TORO is connected to the Framemeister the result is underwhelming (though the combo is extremely useful for 480i/240p). I guess it just goes to show that the analog inputs on the KDL-52LX900 are more for show than anything else.

My hopes are on the component to HDMI transcoder OR the Garo, looks very nice too. I'm very happy with my Toro.

I'm was a bit surpised to see that the Garo is supposed to support RGBS - so it might be useful with the XRGB-mini, provided that the YPbPr-to-RGBS conversion improves on the one that the XRGB-mini provides.
http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/gar ... ner.58260/

You may want to pick up the D-Terminal to Component Adapter Cable (Female) in any case. You could easily find yourself in a situation were you are going to have to make a trade off somewhere. Pursuing Surround Sound via S/PDIF could leave you with a sub-par picture (with conversion artifacts) or unacceptable display lag - ultimately the judgement and choice is highly personal. So you may have to try a few combinations before you can settle on the combination that you personally can live with.

Yup i guess your Sony handles the VGA better, my Sony is terrible with VGA input. Weird scaling and jailbars everywhere.

My D-Terminal on the Framemeister is already taken by a Wii unfortunately, but i'll wait and see how the Garo performs, otherwise i'll do the transcoder.

Think i'll run the digital audio through my A/V unit anyway, hopefully the audio and video aren't too far off