Can I hook up consoles to my computer monitor?

[gamingjustin]

I have a couple of games that support TATE now (Ikaruga and Castle Shikigami 2), but I don't want to flip my 21 inch TV to use it... That'd just be ridiculous.

I have an excellent computer monitor that has a degauss function, so I'd like to use that to play my TATE shmups (and all the rest of my console games).

So, I was wondering if there was a device to allow console hook-up to my computer monitor, or if you have something else similar to it... And where I could get one.

EDIT:
Also... I absolutely do not want to buy any extra system-specific cables to play my games on my monitor. I use the red, white, yellow cables to hook all of my consoles up to the TV (even NES, SNES etc.), and would like to use those same cords to hook them up to my computer monitor (if such a device exists..... )

Thanks for any/all help.

[Bishamon]

There are a couple of options. One is to get an external box to allow you to hook up your game systems directly to the monitor. Viewsonic makes the Nextvision line of devices which allow this (http://www.viewsonic.com/products/tvent ... rocessors/). Your computer doesn't need to be on.

Another option is to purchase a card such as a Hauppauge WinTV PCI card (http://www.hauppauge.com/Pages/prods.html) to allow to to view the games full screen on your PC. Your PC will have to be on, but you can also use the DScaler software (http://www.dscaler.com) which gives you an incredible amount of control over the picture. Hauppauge also makes USB versions of their cards, which would make the installation easier, but I'm not sure how well they work compared to the PCI solutions.

[gamingjustin]

Wow, excellent stuff. The ViewSonic product, while cool, is pretty pricy...
Might go with the Hauppauge WinTV PCI card-- cheaper, and DScaler looks pretty effective. Thanks for the help.

[OmegaFlareX]

I use the red, white, yellow cables to hook all of my consoles up to the TV

Don't limit yourself to composite just because it's easy. There are better video solutions out there, and definitely worth the price and hassle. Educate yourself. Read this, too.

[Specineff]

*Cue Village People Music*

"It's better if you use an X-R-G-B!
It's best to use an X-R-G-B!!"

[russ]

Don't limit yourself to composite just because it's easy. There are better video solutions out there, and definitely worth the price and hassle. Educate yourself. Read this, too.

I'm sort of confused as to how the XRGB-2 works - it simply converts any of the accepted video signals into VGA, without loss? Or is there quality loss, just not when you use RGB? In that case, would it be suggested to buy an RGB cable for the system you're trying to play, plug it into the XRGB-2 thing, and then connect it into the monitor? Sorry, I'm just trying to make sure I understand this sort of thing before I decide invest ~200$.....

[Vexorg]

I quite like my Dell 2001FP for this, since it has composite and S-Video inputs built in.

[BulletMagnet]

*Cue Village People Music*

"It's better if you use an X-R-G-B!
It's best to use an X-R-G-B!!"

"So scour eBay to find, this really nifty new toy,
Just make sure that you are employed!"

*repeat Spec's part*

"Now the picture is clean, oh, it's almost unreal,
And your fate as a geek is se-ealed!"

Everybody now!

[Vexorg]

Don't quit your day jobs (if you ever hope to afford one of the things...)

[captain ahar]

*Cue Village People Music*

"It's better if you use an X-R-G-B!
It's best to use an X-R-G-B!!"

"So scour eBay to find, this really nifty new toy,
Just make sure that you are employed!"

*repeat Spec's part*

"Now the picture is clean, oh, it's almost unreal,
And your fate as a geek is se-ealed!"

Everybody now!

Bulletmagnet you are the best. someone should record this and post it for everyone to hear.

[Dave_K.]

And whats the problem with buying a $15 dreamcast VGA box!?

If you aren't playing these on a DC (why not!?), then as suggested XRGB2 is best option (though expensive).

[BulletMagnet]

someone should record this and post it for everyone to hear.

Oh man, I can only imagine trying to come up with an entire set of lyrics for this...

"Young man...are you playin' a shmup?
I said, young man...is the picture messed up?
Indeed, young man...I hear you saying 'yup,'
So let me - tell - you - just whassup:

"Young man...all those pixels are blurred!
I said, young man...really this is absurd!
You know, young man...I'll bet that you haven't heard
Of this box - to - which - I've referred:

DUN! DUN! DUN! DUN! DUN!

*cut to chorus*

...okay, that's all for now.

[neorichieb1971]

Don't limit yourself to composite just because it's easy. There are better video solutions out there, and definitely worth the price and hassle. Educate yourself. Read this, too.

I'm sort of confused as to how the XRGB-2 works - it simply converts any of the accepted video signals into VGA, without loss? Or is there quality loss, just not when you use RGB? In that case, would it be suggested to buy an RGB cable for the system you're trying to play, plug it into the XRGB-2 thing, and then connect it into the monitor? Sorry, I'm just trying to make sure I understand this sort of thing before I decide invest ~200$.....

For starters, RGB is better than any other signal you can input to a TV. In the USA no TV's support RGB as they do not have the applicable inputs.

The XRGB2 was designed with Japan and USA in mind so that they can get the best signal from an RGB compliant source and display that image on a VGA monitor.

The 15khz RGB console signal is converted to 31khz where it becomes native VGA. VGA is a form of RGB also. Because RGB is a very clean signal comparitively speaking, you get a very respectable VGA signal out of it through the XRGB2.

If you input composite or Svideo, you are wasting $200 on this unit as the display will not be anywhere near close to VGA that you come to expect using a computer.


The XRGB2 has some controls to manipulate the signal. You can add fake scanlines for example. Which gives a pseudo authentic TV look to the image.

You will require 21pin RGB leads for each console for the XRGB2. They are around $15 each from Matt.


The Dreamcast, Gamecube and Xbox have individual means of sending signals to a VGA monitor.

Dreamcast - VGA box (can buy this anywhere for $10)
Gamecube - Modded component cable/$50 (www.goldenshop.hk.com)
Xbox - http://www.x2vga.com/

[Bishamon]

For starters, RGB is better than any other signal you can input to a TV. In the USA no TV's support RGB as they do not have the applicable inputs.

Technically, DVI and HDMI are better, as they are completely digital and allow true 1:1 pixel mapping, but there aren't currently any consoles that support them.

The XBox 360 and PS3 damn well better. .

[gamingjustin]

Wow, cool, thanks for all the info. Sounds like that XRGB2 thing is what I need, but is mighty expensive. I wish I had a Dreamcast.....

Speaking of Dreamcast... as far as shmups go... if most of them are in Japanese should I just get a Japanese system? Can a US Dreamcast play Japanese games? I don't even know...

I'm pretty clueless, so can you help me out (more..)? thanks.

[BulletMagnet]

Speaking of Dreamcast... as far as shmups go... if most of them are in Japanese should I just get a Japanese system? Can a US Dreamcast play Japanese games? I don't even know...

Several of the DC shmups got good US versions (both Giga Wings, Gunbird 2, Mars Matrix), so picking up a US system for cheap isn't too bad if you want to play any of those. Most (unmodded) DCs can't play imports alone, but there are easily available boot discs (some you can DL for free and burn yourself) that you can use to fix that.

[russ]

Alright, here's another question.

Some newer monitors apparently no longer use VGA as an input - DVI seems to be getting popular. I just ordered a monitor from newegg, and surprisingly, it accepts a couple forms of RGB as well: "RGB Analog , DVI(Digital Visual Interface) Compliant Digital RGB". So in this case, would one even need to get an XRGB2, and instead be able to plug an RGB cable directly into the monitor?

[nZero]

Alright, here's another question.

Some newer monitors apparently no longer use VGA as an input - DVI seems to be getting popular. I just ordered a monitor from newegg, and surprisingly, it accepts a couple forms of RGB as well: "RGB Analog , DVI(Digital Visual Interface) Compliant Digital RGB". So in this case, would one even need to get an XRGB2, and instead be able to plug an RGB cable directly into the monitor?

Read that as 15-pin VGA input, DVI-D input. That monitor won't sync to the necessary 15kHz horiz rate for most consoles' RGB outputs, so you'd still need an XRGB or the like to upscan the signal.

[Dave_K.]

The reason why it says analog RGB, is because it comes with an adapter which lets you plug a standard VGA cable into the DVI port. Thats pretty much it, no 15khz support, just a regular computer monitor.

[Blade]

BM, you've inspired me:

"You should display it in T-A-T-E!!
You should display it in T-A-T-E-ee!!
It's got Everything...from Hi-Rez to Full-Screen,
And you can play with that Arcade Fe-el!!

"You should display it in T-A-T-E!!
You should display it in T-A-T-E-ee!!
If you get a Flatscreen, with the Vertical Base,
You can play all the shmups you dream!!"

Okay, I'm done....

[zaphod]

If you want a quick and dirty way to outpuut TV and consles to a CRT computer monitor, look for something called an RTV by "EG. It accepts svideo, composite, and will passthru a computer monitor and can output sound to computer speakers as well. It goes up to 1024x768,and seems to do a decent job for the pric.e sure, it's not an XRGB, but it's a heckuvalot cheaper then one.

[azmun]

And whats the problem with buying a $15 dreamcast VGA box!?

If you aren't playing these on a DC (why not!?), then as suggested XRGB2 is best option (though expensive).

I've been considering buying one of these DC VGA boxes. However, the thought of playing console games on a computer monitor never really appealed to me. I wonder how many out there actually prefer VGA monitors over good quality TVs with s-video signal or better (e.g. RGB)? Plus, monitors tend to be smaller and consequently aren't set up to be as comfortable (in your living room with couches, sofas, etc.).

The XRGB2 has some controls to manipulate the signal. You can add fake scanlines for example. Which gives a pseudo authentic TV look to the image.

Hmm, kinda strange why anybody would bother spending $200 to play their games on a VGA monitor and wanna mimic the TV look. But I'd assume that some games just wouldn't look too good on high resolution screens and were probably optimized for use on televisions.

[neorichieb1971]

The VGA monitors on the market have so many lines compared to standard resolution TV's. I think TV's have around 550 lines of resolution. A SVGA monitor has about 2000+.


To keep the game looking like its origonal source and to stretch itself out to fill the screen you have adjustments on the XRGB2 itself to give the desired look. You can either stretch it out or add scanlines, which put a space between each line (emulation of scanlines).


On PCB's, each game has its own resolution. Since one monitor needs to sync and fit each game into a rectangular box, there are controls on the cabinets to fill the screen. This is a similar scenario to the XRGB thing.





Obviously PCB to console conversions have this done for you by the company that made the game.

[azmun]

To keep the game looking like its origonal source and to stretch itself out to fill the screen you have adjustments on the XRGB2 itself to give the desired look. You can either stretch it out or add scanlines, which put a space between each line (emulation of scanlines).

Wow, now that's a feature I really like. I've always wanted to compress some of my Saturn games (Street Fighter Alpha 3 and Vampire Savior) vertically since those near arcade ports were wider than the televisions I used and resulted in the sides being cut out and the characters looking fatter than their arcade counterparts.

[icycalm]

I quite like my Dell 2001FP for this, since it has composite and S-Video inputs built in.

That's what I have. It certainly is convenient, but the image quality is as crap because, well, it's an LCD monitor!