Best VGA adapter currently for sale?

Jeffrey · Post by **Jeffrey** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:34 am

I could not find the X-RGB2 adaptor for sale at either play-asia or ilk.

A google search turned up blank.

I want to purchase a good VGA adaptor to try some things (with my Panasonic 900 HT projector, and maybe with a computer monitor).

What is the best cost-effective adaptor currently easily available?

Post by **undamned** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:27 pm

Keep looking for the X-RGB2. Try ebay and Yahoo Japan Auctions.
-ud

SAM · Post by **SAM** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:43 pm

Could someone explain how good is X-RGB2 ?

Otherwise I cann't see the reason to buy such a expansive Upscan Converter.

It is 2/3 the price of a 29" RGB monitor, with that you don't need to upscan anymore.

Moreover. suppose you got a perfact upscaned image, you still need a 29" VGA monitor to give the same effect. Do you know how much do it cost for a 29" CRT VGA monitor?

Post by **Dave_K.** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:59 am

SAM wrote:Could someone explain how good is X-RGB2 ?

Otherwise I cann't see the reason to buy such a expansive Upscan Converter.

It is 2/3 the price of a 29" RGB monitor, with that you don't need to upscan anymore.

Moreover. suppose you got a perfact upscaned image, you still need a 29" VGA monitor to give the same effect. Do you know how much do it cost for a 29" CRT VGA monitor?

The XRGB2 quality is comparable to a professional upscanner, which can cost several times as much.

A new 29" CGA or VGA/multisync monitors cost ~$500 in the states after shipping. Finding a used one is the states aren't easy since there aren't many US cabs which use 27" or 29" monitors.

If you want something thats cheap, but still good picture quality, look for anything that takes input as component or RGB. The Hori or G-Combo are supposed to do this and have good quality.
http://cgi.ebay.com/G-Combo-VGA-Upscan- ... dZViewItem

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:58 am

XRGB3 is coming out this month, thats why the older versions are harder to find.

Remember the upscan quality is dependable on the input you give it, which means RGB 21 pin cables are required for the best performance. The quality you get from composite and svideo signals you might as well get something cheaper.

I've always wondered about getting an arcade monitor, but i'm not spending that much and be forced to mod cables, taking sync out of the CS, messing with boxing the CRT and what not. If someone made a complete arcade monitor package with all the stuff to plug n play, i'd be all over it.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:04 am

Does anyone have links to arcade RGB monitors that are best suited for console application?

I'm talking new monitors, not PVM's

zakk · Post by **zakk** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:09 am

Dave_K. wrote:
The XRGB2 quality is comparable to a professional upscanner, which can cost several times as much.

I wouldn't say that at all. I owned both an XRGB2+ and a lowish end 'pro' upscanner, a DVDO iScanPro.

I had a dreamcast outputting 15khz RGB, and fed Ikaruga through both of the upscanners.

The DVDO one looked damn near like 31khz. Not quite, but close. The XRGB didn't even come close. Noticable jaggies, some detail lost.

The XRGB has to sacrifice something for the speed. The DVDO looked nice, but it introduced lag. Made things feel floaty. There's at least a 2 frame lag, probably closer to 4 depending on how they're buffering.

I tried a few other inputs/games with the XRGB too. PS2 DDP:DOJ over component I could pick out missing details (although none of them mattered, stuff like grass 'texture' etc). Unfortunately by that point I'd boxed up the DVDO unit, so I didn't get a good comparison there.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:55 am

Did you use 21 pin RGB cables? Or just component?

TalkingOctopus · Post by **TalkingOctopus** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:50 pm

I'm confused. Let's say I want to connect a ps2 to an arcade monitor. Would I use XRGB3 and a ps2 component cable? Is there something better? Is this even possible?

antron · Post by **antron** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 6:22 pm

TalkingOctopus wrote:I'm confused. Let's say I want to connect a ps2 to an arcade monitor. Would I use XRGB3 and a ps2 component cable? Is there something better? Is this even possible?

you get a RGB scart PS2 cable and cut the scart end off (leaving the capicitors on the RGB lines, they should be in the scart connector)

use a LM1881 to strip the composite sync out of the composite video

(or tap both the composite sync & RGB off the PS2 motherboard, RGB caps still needed)

feed all that to the 15kHz arcade monitor.
a 15kHz (standard res) is basically a RGB TV. but most can't get the sync from the composite video like a european TV can.
PS2's need those caps on the color signals, but most other consoles that output RGB don't.

if you want to upscan to VGA or component, you need to start with RGB.

Jeffrey · Post by **Jeffrey** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:41 am

Any reason to wait for the RGB3 over a RGB2 or 2+? What is the cost of these new?

Even if I get a low res monitor (very likely a GVM 2020), I would still want an upconverter for my HT projector system.

elvis · Post by **elvis** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:59 am

zakk wrote:I owned both an XRGB2+ and a lowish end 'pro' upscanner, a DVDO iScanPro.

What did that cost you?

I just don't understand the desire to buy $1000+ upscan converters when I can buy several good quality and large low res RGB CRT monitors for the same price. Plus they look a million times better for low res games (funny how low res games look best on low res monitors, almost as if they were meant to be played that way, or something equally as crazy).

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:02 am

The very last time a brand new XRGB-2 was sold on eBay, it fetched a whopping $280.00+ USD which was in October 2002. I was the winning bidder of that particular XRGB-2 eBay auction. Well worth the $$$ well spent for it. ^_~

Chances are that if a lone XRGB upscan convertor appears on eBay (either the XRGB-1, XRGB-2 or the XRGB-2+ versions), it's going to be in "used" condition. Plan on spending anywhere of a minimum of $150.00 - $200.00+ USD for the XRGB-2 version as that one is more desirable for playing arcade PCBs along with game consoles as well. Getting one those rare babies "brand new" is next to impossible these days...you never know though, one could pop up out of the blue and a start furious bidding war all over again just for it. ^_~

In mid 2004, a brand new XRGB-1 sold on eBay for mere $48.00 USD! I know because I bid $47.00 USD and was beaten by a single dollar more from another "sniper" bidder at the very last second that auction ended. At least I tried in the end...sometimes you win & sometimes you lose an eBay auction.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

zakk · Post by **zakk** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:26 am

elvis wrote:
zakk wrote:I owned both an XRGB2+ and a lowish end 'pro' upscanner, a DVDO iScanPro.
What did that cost you?

I honestly don't remember. It wasn't anywhere near $1k. Maybe 4-500 at most.

I was doing some random experimenting with video setups, not all related to gaming. I still need to sell the thing, I don't have a use for it anymore.

Post by **Dave_K.** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 6:51 am

zakk wrote:
Dave_K. wrote:
The XRGB2 quality is comparable to a professional upscanner, which can cost several times as much.

I wouldn't say that at all. I owned both an XRGB2+ and a lowish end 'pro' upscanner, a DVDO iScanPro.

I had a dreamcast outputting 15khz RGB, and fed Ikaruga through both of the upscanners.

If you weren't using the Jap RGB cable for dreamast as input into the X-RGB2, you will not get a good picture. Needs pure RGB in to be as good as DVDO.

zakk · Post by **zakk** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:01 am

Dave_K. wrote:
zakk wrote:
Dave_K. wrote:
The XRGB2 quality is comparable to a professional upscanner, which can cost several times as much.

I wouldn't say that at all. I owned both an XRGB2+ and a lowish end 'pro' upscanner, a DVDO iScanPro.

I had a dreamcast outputting 15khz RGB, and fed Ikaruga through both of the upscanners.
If you weren't using the Jap RGB cable for dreamast as input into the X-RGB2, you will not get a good picture. Needs pure RGB in to be as good as DVDO.

Uhh what? I said '15khz RGB'. What else would it be?

It's not as good as the DVDO. Period. It has to sacrifice some deinterlacing quality for speed so it doesn't totally fuck up your game.

Post by **Dave_K.** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:31 pm

zakk wrote:
Dave_K. wrote:
zakk wrote: I wouldn't say that at all. I owned both an XRGB2+ and a lowish end 'pro' upscanner, a DVDO iScanPro.

I had a dreamcast outputting 15khz RGB, and fed Ikaruga through both of the upscanners.
If you weren't using the Jap RGB cable for dreamast as input into the X-RGB2, you will not get a good picture. Needs pure RGB in to be as good as DVDO.

Uhh what? I said '15khz RGB'. What else would it be?

It's not as good as the DVDO. Period. It has to sacrifice some deinterlacing quality for speed so it doesn't totally fuck up your game.

Sorry! Just noticed you were also upscanning an interlaced signal (Ikarukga @15khz) which agreed the XRGB2 does not do very well either. Non-interlaced RGB @ 15khz was what I was refering to.

shmups.system11.org

Best VGA adapter currently for sale?

Best VGA adapter currently for sale?

Cost of new XRGB-2 or XRGB-2+ units? You got 2 be j/k here!