Xbox 360 VGA

[korpse413]

Is there an official solution? Everything I see online is a third party cable for ~$10 US.

Are these decent quality? Or should I make my own?

Just curious what others out there might be using. And before anyone asks, I recently got a downscaler I wanted to test with it that only accepts vga/dvi/sdi. I have component cables for it right now but this won't help me

[citrus3000psi]

Is there an official solution? Everything I see online is a third party cable for ~$10 US.

Are these decent quality? Or should I make my own?

Just curious what others out there might be using. And before anyone asks, I recently got a downscaler I wanted to test with it that only accepts vga/dvi/sdi. I have component cables for it right now but this won't help me

There are official cables. Not sure if the off brands are worse or on par.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/XBOX-360-VGA-A ... 3461277351

[Dochartaigh]

I bought these official ones off eBay the other week and haven't even tested them yet. I don't even know if the Xbox 360's games were even programmed for 4:3 ratio and 480p (which is the only real use I would have for this since I don't have a widescreen CRT, and don't like playing letterboxed on small 20" multiformat PVM/BVM's).

Are there some arcade game ports on the 360 (which are in 4:3) you want to downscale or something? Or will the Xbox 360 output resolutions lower than 720p/1080p with the VGA cables (vs. Component or HDMI cables)?

[Fudoh]

I bought these official ones off eBay the other week and haven't even tested them yet. I don't even know if the Xbox 360's games were even programmed for 4:3 ratio and 480p (which is the only real use I would have for this since I don't have a widescreen CRT, and don't like playing letterboxed on small 20" screens).

depends on the game and/or the publisher. Some titles run fine in 4:3 on 480p (almost all the Cave titles and and many of the other shoot'em ups as well). Other more modern titles are locked to 16:9, so if you set your 360 to 4:3 in 480p you end up with a letterboxed image.

Or will the Xbox 360 output resolutions lower than 720p/1080p with the VGA cables (vs. Component or HDMI cables)?

480p works fine. I had the 360 running on a 4:3 plasma for many many years.

[BazookaBen]

There are plenty of Xbox games that run in 4:3, and some even have a full-resolution 1024x768 mode (leaving no doubt this thing was released in 2005).

I use the Monster VGA cables, and they work great.

But yeah, if you're trying to use a downscaler on a low-res shooter, 480p should do the trick. And it's definitely selectable.

[Xer Xian]

http://www.benoitren.be/43ar-x360.html

[korpse413]

Thanks guys - yeah as many of you guessed, the reason I'd be doing this in the first place is for shoot'em ups, which I still need to actually buy one / get one on my 360... any suggestions for my first one? I am still in the beginning research phase of this and clearly I didn't dig deep enough, but I thank you all for your suggestions

The downscaler is a tvOne 2150 http://www.tvone.com/high-performance-d ... r-with-sdi - I took a gamble as I don't even know if this will output 240p. Does anyone have experience with these suckers?

Once I get more info / play around with it I will most likely post a thread to get the word out if its comparable to an Emotia or DVDO (which fyi I have zero experience with at the moment, I am currently just dipping my toe in the waters and stumbled upon this Corio2)

[Dochartaigh]

http://www.benoitren.be/43ar-x360.html

I was just going to ask if there was a list similar to the Wiki's PS2/[OG]Xbox "games with alternative display modes" list for Xbox 360 4:3 games. Thanks. Bookmarked!

[BazookaBen]

http://www.benoitren.be/43ar-x360.html

One problem I have with this list is that it seems to ignore 1024x768. The two 4:3 games I played, Halo3 and Shadow Complex, seemed to render natively at 1024x768. When I set the Xbox t5o 1280x1024, it seemed to be upscaling from 1024x768.

So on a CRT, I think 1024x768 is the best choice for games that have 4:3 modes (unless they're old-school, low-res games)

[Dochartaigh]

One problem I have with this list is that it seems to ignore 1024x768. The two 4:3 games I played, Halo3 and Shadow Complex, seemed to render natively at 1024x768. When I set the Xbox t5o 1280x1024, it seemed to be upscaling from 1024x768.

So on a CRT, I think 1024x768 is the best choice for games that have 4:3 modes (unless they're old-school, low-res games)

The problem for me, and yes I know these are VGA cables is I would be running it on a multiformat PVM or BVM which isn't a VGA CRT monitor and doesn't have (that I know of at least) a 1024x768 resolution or the 1280x1024 they have listed on that 4:3 list. Those monitors only 4:3 VGA-esque resolution is 480p. They do 720p and 1080i as well, but those are both widescreen 16:9 standards and not 4:3.

[BazookaBen]

The problem for me, and yes I know these are VGA cables is I would be running it on a multiformat PVM or BVM which isn't a VGA CRT monitor and doesn't have (that I know of at least) a 1024x768 resolution or the 1280x1024 they have listed on that 4:3 list. Those monitors only 4:3 VGA-esque resolution is 480p. They do 720p and 1080i as well, but those are both widescreen 16:9 standards and not 4:3.

Though given the nature have CRT's work, on a PC you could change the horizontal resolution to make it 4:3, like 960x720p

[Shelcoof]

I was just fiddling around with my connection for the Xbox 360 just now.

I have third party VGA cables and they aren't too great with all the monitors I have.

Here's a list of connectors, cables and converters I have and results I've had with each.

Note:
- Xbox 360 settings set at 480p
- When Xbox 360 set at higher resolution, image seems to be much brighter. Not sure why but whatever
- Test on multiple CRT monitors with similar results

VGA Cable -> CRT Monitor
[Results]
A bit dim but playable. Color looks washed out
Also not sure how to explain this but the window is off you'll need to adjust your monitor to display it correctly

Component Cable -> Mayflash VGA Converter -> CRT Monitor
[Results]
Similar to VGA cable results. Dim screen could use more color

VGA Cable -> OSSC -> HDMI -> HDMI to VGA converter -> CRT Monitor
[Results]
In the attempt to add scanlines
Image showed a lot of jidders which did not look pleasent
Also a lot of noise as well
Could be from cheap cables
Not very good option

Component -> OSSC -> HDMI -> HDMI VGA Converter -> CRT Monitor
In the attempt to add scanlines
Better results with brighter image
Image isn't perfectly stable but is acceptable
Better option over VGA

HDMI -> HDMI to VGA converter -> CRT Monitor
My god does the image look bright, crisp and clear
Never would have thought this option would give me the best results
No scanlines unfortunately but I'm going to look into that soon
Window is centered well with minimal adjustments

Hope this info helps

[Fudoh]

On my old J-360 (a Falcon unit as far as I recall) I could spot ZERO difference between using HDMI and the original MS VGA cables. Many people were using HD-ready LCD sets back then, so the 360 offered 1360*768 output through VGA bringing quite a quality boost compared to HDMI in 720p.

Also while the PS3's analogue output was considerably worse than it's HDMI output, the 360 managed to maintain the same quality while using its analogue outputs. Really stunning!

I don't think that I ever read about the Slim 360 being worse in this regard, so you might really want to blame your cables on this one.

[AndehX]

I second Fudoh's comments on the MS VGA cable. I use one myself with my original Xenon console (yes it still works) and I can see no difference between it and an HDMI unit.

[Xer Xian]

Not sure why people bother with 3rd party cables when the official ones can be had for like $10..

Note:
- Xbox 360 settings set at 480p
- When Xbox 360 set at higher resolution, image seems to be much brighter. Not sure why but whatever

More lines per frame with same refresh rate means you get more light output from the screen (phosphors' decay time is fixed).

[BazookaBen]

Yeah, since either the official VGA cables or the Monster brand ones can be had for pretty cheap, there's no need to go with generic 3rd party.

I use the monster ones and my picture is flawless. I think it has widescreen resolutions too, not just traditional 4:3 PC resolutions.

[Shelcoof]

Had the same experience back in the days when I first got my 360. Component input looked just as good as HDMI. The only difference was the colors and that was due to Component and HDMI having different picture settings. Other than that I switched over to HDMI because it was just a lot easier... one cable and that was it.

So I was surprised when I first connected my Xbox 360 via VGA to a CRT Monitor to have it look so washed and dim. I even used Component through the Mayflash VGA converter and results were the same. Same washed out and dim look.

I assumed it was the monitors because all my other systems the Wii and PS3 looked exactly like this through component with the Mayfash VGA converter. The only one that didn't look washed out was my Dreamcast as that produced a more brighter and colorful picture using VGA. Dreamcast looked softer but still much brighter.

What surprised me even further was when I used the OSSC.
Xbox 360 -> VGA -> OSSC -> HDMI -> VGA converter -> CRT Monitor
It looked terrible even worse than going VGA directly to CRT Monitor.

But when I used Xbox 360 via Component with the OSSC. Results were pretty good.
A tad less colorful but almost as good as my best results with the HDMI converted to VGA to CRT.
Picture had a bit of jidders but would have been a trade off for scanlines.

So.....yhaa with all this said I'm still a bit confused here.

Regarding the VGA cables for the Xbox 360. They were purchased years ago and at the time of purchase they looked genuine. So I assumed they were legit cables and they were about 18$ at the time lol. Even when I received them I thought they were genuine. It wasn't until I saw this thread that I looked and noticed they were not official cables because it does not say Microsoft on them.

Consumers can easily be mislead online with clones and copies looking like the real thing. Also I wasn't as informed and educated back then as I am now regarding optimizing the best picture for my set up.

[BenoitRen]

http://www.benoitren.be/43ar-x360.html

One problem I have with this list is that it seems to ignore 1024x768. The two 4:3 games I played, Halo3 and Shadow Complex, seemed to render natively at 1024x768. When I set the Xbox t5o 1280x1024, it seemed to be upscaling from 1024x768.

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread, but as I now finally have an account here I can reply to this, as I'm the owner of linked page.

When I started the list, I did not know that there were games that recognised 1024x768 and rendered accordingly, assuming that they were upscaled 480p. When I knew better, I already had lots of entries, but I no longer had my friend's Xbox 360 (which had lots of XBLA games). So I decided to keep a separate list with an added 1024x768 column until the day I had most gaps filled.

Due to circumstances I haven't played my Xbox 360 much in recent times, though, so it's been a while since I've looked at it. I'll put up what I have so far when I update my PS2 lists this week (which has also been long overdue).

By the way, I did also play Shadow Complex in 1024x768! Looked great indeed. As for Halo 3, I find it odd that it would render natively at that resolution, as I recall it being determined that it rendered internally at 576p. I have no capture card to check these things myself, though.

[strayan]

Something I read online suggests the 360 is able to output 848x480 with the VGA cable. Is this true? Is DVD playback available when set to this resolution?

[BenoitRen]

Yes, the Xbox 360 can output 848x480 with the VGA cable. I've never used the console's DVD playback feature, though.

[azmun]

Yes, the Xbox 360 can output 848x480 with the VGA cable. I've never used the console's DVD playback feature, though.

No? That's too bad. Because that's how I used to watch my DVDs (and play my Xbox360 games). Up until last year when I had to retire my widescreen HD CRT (32" Sony FD Trinitron Wega). And it was via component cables so VGA is not the only option in that resolution. The quality in my opinion (and maybe recent rose tinted glasses) rivals full HD on modern displays.

[strayan]

And it was via component cables so VGA is not the only option in that resolution. The quality in my opinion (and maybe recent rose tinted glasses) rivals full HD on modern displays.

As someone who still owns a Sony KVHR36 HD CRT I happen to share your opinion.

[strayan]

Yes, the Xbox 360 can output 848x480 with the VGA cable. I've never used the console's DVD playback feature, though.

Cheers. I am concerned that DVD playback will be disabled using VGA cables though.

[Fudoh]

DVD via VGA works fine, but I don't know if it properly handles the wider 480p output in regard to the DVD's upscaling.

[BenoitRen]

I updated my page yesterday evening, at last. Enjoy!

[headlesshobbs]

How well does the system handle different resolutions when using a HDMI/VGA adapter as opposed to using VGA direct?

[Shelcoof]

How well does the system handle different resolutions when using a HDMI/VGA adapter as opposed to using VGA direct?

I can't tell a difference or issues when I use HDMI to a VGA converter. You can manually switch resolutions in the settings.

[matt]

There are more resolutions available with a VGA cable vs HDMI, this could be a reason to use one instead of an HDMI converter, depending on your monitor. Component video cables offer the fewest options.

I use a VGA cable through the OSSC for some vertical shooters (vertical scanlines in 1280x720 work really well). Also, for original Xbox games line doubled 640x480 looks much better than the 360's internal scaler. The OSSC Pro should make all this redundant with its HDMI input.

[headlesshobbs]

The worst thing I read is that with hdmi, M$ made it so it only follows the standard resolutions and in no way will allow a game to run in it's native setting. I do have the latest 360 model, so I'm not sure if vga will even be an option on my end. However I think there is something to do with fooling it into a dvi setting...

[spmbx]

I used to use a 360 with vga on a 4:3 monitor. Ran into a lot of compatibility problems with a surprising lot of games, mostly due to messed up aspect ratios and such. In the case of some hitman game i even needed to use a different cable to change a setting before it would give any picture. Tbh i think vga support was a total shitshow, but i’m guessing if you’re sticking to shmups you should be ok.
Oh, and just rgh the thing already. Its so much more practical, and the only way to even play some pulled xbla stuff.