HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

Khan · Post by **Khan** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 4:47 am

Yea I followed fudohs advice and bought this pcb

http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ310159942806

it has the same chip as the hdbox pro but accepts rgb directly, instead If I bought the hdbox pro i would have needed to convert the signal from scart to component then use the hdboxpro.

Shelcoof · Post by **Shelcoof** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:03 am

Khan wrote:Yea I followed fudohs advice and bought this pcb

http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ310159942806

it has the same chip as the hdbox pro but accepts rgb directly, instead If I bought the hdbox pro i would have needed to convert the signal from scart to component then use the hdboxpro.

well good luck with that

Let me know if you notice any lag

I got a similar box I get a delay of 1.1-1.8 frames with mine but mine is different. I think I read on his article that there should be no lag though.

Khan · Post by **Khan** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 7:29 am

Ok heres what it looks like I got 2 cables with it, one is a power input cable (small cable on right) I probably wont need this? as i will get a 5 volt dc power adaptor to power it, also the cable on the right is the rgb input cable? my question is how do I use my scart output from my super gun with this?

gray117 · Post by **gray117** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:47 am

I was looking at this but don't know - since you haven't a reply yet I thought I'd offer an opinion.

Not that I know but looks like red, green, blue, horizontal sync, vertical sync and ground. Basically setup like a vga plug.

HV are probably the black and grey, and yellow as gound ... probably

The problem your going to have is that scart has a combined H+V sync so you'll probably need to seperate that somehow...

Personally I picked up a keene syncblaster [or whatever they're called] cable cheap for such a task ... keene do good products they are a bit of a rip off at retail

... I'm sure someone more technically inclined might be able to advise on a technique to do this ...?

You *might* be able to feed the combined sync from scart to both H and V lines and the device might take the frequency it needs ... but I couldn't recommend this unless outright in case it messed up the device (unlikely to happen but you never know)

... Of course this all assumes I've understood it correctly but you should be more or less laughing once you sort out the H and V syncs...

Khan · Post by **Khan** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:56 am

Thanks for the input gray117 this seems like a task a little out of my depth lol

So I did some reading and found an interesting thread on the atari st forums

http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=17153

I dont understand how im going to be able to take the scart input and split the signal.....do I have to open up my supergun and perhaps solder some wires out of the vga part of the supergun and then hook them onto that wire with the molex?

gray117 · Post by **gray117** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:41 pm

...well opening the supergun will do no favours I wouldn't have thought: the sync coming off jamma is combined too ... which yes makes for an odd setup on the above kit IF I'm interpretting it...

Ultimately I'm sure your solution will be a female scart plug with each of those wires soldered into a connector which can be plugged/unplugged into your supergun scart plug at will ...

Try pming fudoh or someone - if they haven't messed with with this kit directly I'm sure they'll have some more informed advice than I can muster.

The atari thread you found does seem to be centered around the LM1881 - a sync sep setup ... would seem to be your answer... but again I'm afraid I don't know much about this offhand ... will keep looking now and then though since it interests me too

I'm afraid this also all assumes that the signal doesn't need to go from 15KHz to 31KHz ... which I'm more-or-less certain won't be the case since that supposed to be part of the function of a standard hd box pro... don't suppose anyone has a link to the manual for this board?

Khan · Post by **Khan** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:10 pm

thanks again for the reply

heres the manual

http://www.jammaboards.com/arcade_manua ... verter.pdf

I might pop down poundworld to buy one of those cheap scart extenders, I guess something like that could be ripped into to perhaps work with this

gray117 · Post by **gray117** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:22 pm

haha - you're laughing - I never saw the board up close and its much clearer now.... I was just looking at the number of wires before.

Sorry for confusing you.

You should be fine. Using the 5 pin connector on the bottom left you should be able to take the red, green, blue, ground and combined sync for input straight from your scart and connect to the board.

Again, i suggest taking a female scart plug and wiring these up so you can attach and detached from your sg as required.

Funny thing is I've just pm'd fudoh and I'm sure he'll confirm...

GameCop · Post by **GameCop** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 9:06 am

I have been recently reviewing the HDBOXPRO for a few weeks now. Here are quite a few videos I have uploaded to YouTube showing some gameplay action.

HDBOXPRO Review Videos (Covers XBOX 360, PS2, Wii)

Nintendo Wii
- Wii Sports (480p)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtiQafp5q2Q

- Wii Virtual Console Game: Super Mario Bros. 3 (480p)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aStc_1dwW3Y

- Super Mario Galaxy (480p)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfZiAPNfvkc

- Super Smash Bros. Brawl (480p)
URL: (Part 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NesMde6c0ts
URL: (Part 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnI7hdkSFH4

- Mario Kart Wii (Opening Montage of Race Track Only) (480p)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh1xpVWJ__Q

Playstation 2
- Tekken 5 (Switching between 480i and 480p)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25lyYeA9bcY

- WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 (480i)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgDoPOXxpH4

- Capcom Fighting Evolution (480p)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOcHlmsTuOE

XBOX 360
- Street Fighter IV (1080p)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CAqHY3bcqI

- Batman Arkham Asylum (1080p)
URL: (Part 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxXP4_kcaUA
URL: (Part 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXaoihUPZsY

Expect a full text review with high quality pictures very soon!

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:53 am

I will probably buy one of these.

Will it work ok in my AWSD cabinet? It has a VGA input and performs at 31khz.

Does the 480p output perform better than the 480i, I mean do you see the noticeable resolution upgrade? The youtubes on here are great but its so small I can't tell the difference on them.

KBZ · Post by **KBZ** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:24 pm

I've been using the arcade pcb version mentioned for my ps2 on an LG 23" 1080p lcd with 4:3 mode. Espgaluda looks great, but kofXI and NGBC looks pretty ugly. The signal will seem really 'noisy' and the sprites look really washed out.

the 'noise' problem can be dealt with by turning down the sharpness but it still looks quite bad. I'll try with the neo-geo next and post some results.

Haven't found a way to get rid of the big flicker that happens whenever a kof character does a DM in 98UM. Happens no matter what.

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:55 pm

kofXI and NGBC looks pretty ugly

These two can be booted in 480p instead of 480i. Should fix all your problems instantly.

While browing new "HD boxes" recently I found a PSP only box, which is basically the same HDBoxPro we all know just that it's set to zoom the 272 lines of the PSP's 480p output to fullscreen. I've ordered one of those will report back how it looks. Essential piece of equipment with Darius Burst upcoming!

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:42 am

Just got one of these. I have not turned it on yet since I requested a 2 pin American plug and got a UK 3 pin plug. I will buy an adapter today for that.

However, looking at the unit it looks to have a standby mode . If so, this not convenient for cabinet enclosures, so if a revised version comes out later. Can it have a button for power which can be depressed?

I am looking for improved visuals on Tekken 5 through 480p.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:08 am

I have temporarily installed the HDboxpro into my AWSD cabinet.

First thing was bad. The screen flickered badly and the chassis was clicking on the monitor. Took the HDpro to my bedroom and installed it in there and all worked fine. Used the menu system to change down to 640x480, reinstalled in the cabinet and all worked fine. Selected 480p mode on Tekken 5 and it looked quite stunning actually.

Very well done to the HDboxpro guys.

The box seems to come on straight away. IE no standby mode. So thats fantastic.

Very pleased. Now going to get a worldwide 2 pin socket to deal with this transformer business. Then I can seal the lot up inside the cabinet.

I like that the options are in English.

The audio is better than the XRGB because the buzzing noise emitted from the 21 pin connector is not present using component cables. So anyone who tries to put a console in a cabinet using a SCART cable should be aware of this. Luckily I only plan to use DC and PS2 in my cabinet. Using the passthrough on the HDboxpro means I can essentially have both inside at the same time if needed.

MonoTekETeA · Post by **MonoTekETeA** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:03 am

neorichieb1971 wrote:I have temporarily installed the HDboxpro into my AWSD cabinet.

....

The audio is better than the XRGB because the buzzing noise emitted from the 21 pin connector is not present using component cables. So anyone who tries to put a console in a cabinet using a SCART cable should be aware of this. Luckily I only plan to use DC and PS2 in my cabinet. Using the passthrough on the HDboxpro means I can essentially have both inside at the same time if needed.

I have a XRGB-1, and a AWSD cab, and was planning on picking one of these up. Thank you for posting your review about it, when it will be the exact set up I will own. It helped a lot!

-Jeremy

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:24 am

Just remember that the default resolution will not work on your AWSD, you need a HDTV or PC monitor to bump it down first.

MonoTekETeA · Post by **MonoTekETeA** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 1:53 am

Roger that. Thanks again for your help.

-Jeremy

hdboxpro · Post by **hdboxpro** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:10 am

neorichieb1971 wrote:Just got one of these. I have not turned it on yet since I requested a 2 pin American plug and got a UK 3 pin plug. I will buy an adapter today for that.

However, looking at the unit it looks to have a standby mode . If so, this not convenient for cabinet enclosures, so if a revised version comes out later. Can it have a button for power which can be depressed?

I am looking for improved visuals on Tekken 5 through 480p.

email to buy@hdboxpro.com with your paypal account and the usename of shmups forum, I will send you a free US adapter.

We change to UK adapter because your address is in UK, we may think too much on your case.

KBZ · Post by **KBZ** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 3:56 pm

Fudoh wrote:
kofXI and NGBC looks pretty ugly
These two can be booted in 480p instead of 480i. Should fix all your problems instantly.

Yes it did look a bit better. But I think it's just because the sprites are upscaled to begin with. Nothing looks sharp.

Rezatron · Post by **Rezatron** » Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:57 am

I've been looking to buy one these (or one of the many variants) so I can use my PS2/Wii on a 24' inch LCD monitor. I see models with HDMI output and was wondering which output (HDMI vs VGA) I should go with? That HDMI model doesn't seem to have any menus for image adjustments etc which is curious. I've been thinking of going with a model with VGA out since I will have "analog in - analog out" as opposed to a DA conversion with HDMI (but i'm not really sure if this makes a difference with a LCD monitor?). Any advice and recommendations would be appreciated!

hdboxpro · Post by **hdboxpro** » Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:03 am

Rezatron wrote:I've been looking to buy one these (or one of the many variants) so I can use my PS2/Wii on a 24' inch LCD monitor. I see models with HDMI output and was wondering which output (HDMI vs VGA) I should go with? That HDMI model doesn't seem to have any menus for image adjustments etc which is curious. I've been thinking of going with a model with VGA out since I will have "analog in - analog out" as opposed to a DA conversion with HDMI (but i'm not really sure if this makes a difference with a LCD monitor?). Any advice and recommendations would be appreciated!

most of the Component Video (YPbPr) to HDMI Converter doesnt support 480i, it mean most of the PS2 Game and some of Wii game you may see nthing on the screen

Rezatron · Post by **Rezatron** » Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:12 am

hdboxpro wrote:
Rezatron wrote:I've been looking to buy one these (or one of the many variants) so I can use my PS2/Wii on a 24' inch LCD monitor. I see models with HDMI output and was wondering which output (HDMI vs VGA) I should go with? That HDMI model doesn't seem to have any menus for image adjustments etc which is curious. I've been thinking of going with a model with VGA out since I will have "analog in - analog out" as opposed to a DA conversion with HDMI (but i'm not really sure if this makes a difference with a LCD monitor?). Any advice and recommendations would be appreciated!
most of the Component Video (YPbPr) to HDMI Converter doesnt support 480i, it mean most of the PS2 Game and some of Wii game you may see nthing on the screen

The model in my link I posted states it supports 480i. I'm more curious about the difference the HDMI output will have on image quality compared to VGA (if any). I noticed this HDMI model does not seem to have any menus for image adjustments...

hdboxpro · Post by **hdboxpro** » Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:24 am

Rezatron wrote:
hdboxpro wrote:
Rezatron wrote:I've been looking to buy one these (or one of the many variants) so I can use my PS2/Wii on a 24' inch LCD monitor. I see models with HDMI output and was wondering which output (HDMI vs VGA) I should go with? That HDMI model doesn't seem to have any menus for image adjustments etc which is curious. I've been thinking of going with a model with VGA out since I will have "analog in - analog out" as opposed to a DA conversion with HDMI (but i'm not really sure if this makes a difference with a LCD monitor?). Any advice and recommendations would be appreciated!
most of the Component Video (YPbPr) to HDMI Converter doesnt support 480i, it mean most of the PS2 Game and some of Wii game you may see nthing on the screen
The model in my link I posted states it supports 480i. I'm more curious about the difference the HDMI output will have on image quality compared to VGA (if any). I noticed this HDMI model does not seem to have any menus for image adjustments...

no adjustments menu = resolution problem, scale problem

some poor converter have out of range problem too...

Mansoor · Post by **Mansoor** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:45 am

Hey guys I think I've thrown myself into a problem, I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to tv's and outputs etc so please help me if you can.

I bought the hd box pro to use with my old retro consoles, snes genesis and n64, but I've just realized that because the snes and genesis are PAL consoles, they won't work with my lcd monitor will they because it doesn't go as low as 50hz (59, 60, 75 etc) I've already done the megadrive's 50/60 switch no problem, does that mean I will have to do the same for the snes, which I'm worried about also as some pal games refuse to run in 60hz for region restrictions.

What's the verdict? Am I screwed?

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:58 am

Did you buy your retro consoles from a shop that does component video upgrade mods?

Last I saw, they only output RGB at best.

But yes, your screwed if 50hz is your limitation. Its not the fault of the HDboxpro, most VGA monitors don't go as low as 50hz.

Mansoor · Post by **Mansoor** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:31 am

I'm pretty sure you can plug the composite video (Yellow) into the green component, and nope, no modifications done to them other than the 50/60 I did to the genesis myself.

Or am I horribly mistaken?

I was unsure at first you see but I have this vga - component cable laying around, doesn't really work. But my monitor at least acknowledged that there was input as it said "input not supported" I just assumed that meant I needed to convert it to a compatible setting using a vga box.

Thing is, the megadrive/genesis is black and white when you use composite with 60hz, unless I do further modification to it. I didn't think this through enough

EDIT:

My monitor is acer al1916w I've seen in the specs something about power output, but then in brackets it has (50 / 60 hz) or something similar, does this mean there is a possibility I could force it into the correct HZ using powerstrip, or is that even necessary?

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:42 am

I think you need a magic wand my friend.

I keep typing stuff and deleting it, I honestly don't know what to say.

Basically, its been documented here that only component video input is to be used. Thats how its designed and thats how it should work. The HDboxpro is probably picking up on a signal from the composite lead but that does not mean it knows what to do with it. Besides, your using 50hz on top of all these other incompatibilities. I'm afraid you should have read what it said on the tin before you consumed it.

Mansoor · Post by **Mansoor** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:54 am

I haven't received the hd box yet, I have this vga to component cable that is literally just a wire. I'm sure I made it clear that I'm just worried seeing as it hasn't arrived, and was checking on all the possibilities of it failing. I know it does say component only but I'm pretty sure about it working ok through the green port.

Thank you for the reply though, we'll see what happens when it arrives, in the mean time I'm going to see if my monitor handles 50hz with powerstrip OK, if it does then hopefully it'll work out alright, but really thank you I'll take your advice but I'm almost certain you can do the set up I mentioned.

EDIT:

Well according to the monitor's OSD info it's running at 50hz on 800x600, had to force it with powerstrip mind. I hope I'm not acting ignorant, I really don't want to get across that if I am, I'm just curious and determined to find some way to use my systems with this monitor.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:09 pm

But how many hoops are you going to jump through? You've got powerstrip, a composite feed (which is pretty low quality), a converted 50hz to 60hz signal etc etc....

You could of bought a crappy CRT from a junk shop and got the exact same image quality.

mesterial · Post by **mesterial** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 5:26 pm

Hi there!

I have some questions about that HD Box Pro I can't find clearly the answers before buying it :
- so the box can de-interlace YUV signals, that's a VERY good thing (is that a question actually?

)
- now, I would like to connect it to my Wii (PAL), but I want to be able to play either EDTV or not games (in 480p, 480i and 576i) : can the Wii send all those signals through YUV cable? What about the Virtual Console?
- if so, now, some games (like Mario Party 8 ) can only output in 50 Hz, so in 576i. Is the signal converted to 60 Hz? My screen can handle 50 Hz, even interlaced resolutions so that shouldn't be a problem anyway...

That's all!

Thanx (but only if some one answers me, and not like : "here is the characteristics I found on Google" : the answers don't lie in google, I would like some true answers! Thank you for understanding me!

)

shmups.system11.org

HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

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Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

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Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

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Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

Re: HD Box Pro: cheap (and good) alternative to the XRGB-3

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