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

[ZOM]

Without an active source plugged into the HDBP you should still be able to get a black screen labeled with "No Signal" on the upper right edge and it's also possible to enter the HDBP's menu.

[Tigershark]

This is still not working for me. Some further information from my TV manual:

"The RBG PC terminal is not compatible with 480i/576i/1080p signals"

"The PC input terminals are DDC1/2B - compatible"

EDIT: It works on my PC screen although the colours seem a bit off. Looks like my HDTV can't take the HD Box signal.

EDIT2: The frame delay is also far too much for shmups. My ship moves when I lift up.

[emphatic]

As this is now a rather lengthy thread, would you be so kind as to post some recommended settings in the first post, Fudoh?

I would like to use this with PS2(Component) and DreamCast(VGA) on a LCD computer monitor. I've messed about a bit with the settings, but I'm not really wiser to it.

[Tigershark]

Been playing around with this for a little while now so here's a quick review using a PS2 on a 22" Samsung monitor at 1680x1050.

Overall I am happy with the picture quality. Colours are bright and sharp, I haven't noticed any distortion and I don't get any funny lines going up the screen as mentioned earlier in this topic. I use the 4:3 resolution to prevent distortion on tate'd shmups. Ibara has never looked so good.

The settings I use are as follows:

Box resolution: 4:3
Display: 1680x1050
Brightness: 32
Contrast: 52
Saturation: 70
Sharpness: 10
Dark detail: 6
Motion level: 5

Getting the right brightness to contrast ratio was a bit of a chore but I've settled on the above setting. The only setting I tend to change between games is the sharpness but only normally between 7 and 10. I have no idea what the motion level does and I can't quite notice any difference whatever level I use.

The biggest problem I have with the box is the lag. It is only really noticeable when playing shmups and it makes it difficult to play them as you would want to. I think someone here said it was 3 frames but it seems longer than that to me. I suppose if you play through a decent HD TV with a proper gaming mode which helps with the upscaling the lag might be less but on my failry cheap Samsung it is definitely a problem for me.

Hope this helps.

[Fudoh]

I have no idea what the motion level does

video vs. filmmode sensitivity. You have to set this to maximum video to get proper 240p handling (e.g. 30Hz drop shadows with deinterlacing errors).

[Tigershark]

Don't understand that sorry.

Anyway, the HD Box is outputting my ps2 at 480i so not sure it's relevant for that console. Assuming it is not, is it better to set the value to 0?

[headlesshobbs]

From what I experienced, 0 setting gets the interlaced effect if you have anything flickering and while 5 removes that, you still get that screwed up effect from too many moving objects on screen. I seriously wish a firmware update could fix that.

[Fudoh]

Anyway, the HD Box is outputting my ps2 at 480i so not sure it's relevant for that console. Assuming it is not, is it better to set the value to 0?

For 480i titles it sets the deinterlacing strength (if you want to call it so), but for 240p titles (e.g. ESPGaluda running in Tate) you have to set it to a specific value, otherwise the HDBox tries to deinterlace 240p and produces artifacts. Can't remember if it's 0 or 5 you have to set it too, just try it.

[Tigershark]

Thanks will do.

Please note however that when playing EPGGaluda on the PS2 the HD Box is telling me it's outputting at 480i. Currently playing with value at 5 and not noticed artifacts. I was just hoping that I could remove extra processing to reduce lag.

[Fudoh]

the HD Box is telling me it's outputting at 480i.

The HDBP can't tell the difference between 480i and 240p. It will always say 480i. (But note that ESP is 240p in Tate only).

[Tigershark]

Thanks. Very helpful. Are there any other 240p games in tate I should know about?

[emphatic]

Thanks. Very helpful. Are there any other 240p games in tate I should know about?

DOJ.

[Fudoh]

ESP & DDPDOJ, most of the later Sega Ages titles (e.g. Galaxy Force, Fantasy Zone II DX, Wonderboy Collection), quite a few others other patchable to 240p (e.g. Mushihimesama, Ibara, Garou, KOF11, Raiden 3)....

[Tigershark]

Thanks.

I now have a problem with my UK DC. I connect the DC VGA cable into the VGA in on the HD Box but I get a "no signal" message. It works fine if I connect the VGA directly to the monitor. Any idea what the problem might be?

[ZOM]

The RGBHV input is just used for passthrough; if you wan't to pass the signal you have to switch off the HD Box Pro.

[Tigershark]

Nope still nothing. Could this be a 50hz issue?

Why have a VGA in if it is just a pass through? I was hoping to upscale the DC resoltion to 1680x1050.

[ZOM]

Well, I'm sure the target consumer is "the guy that wants to hook up his PS2 or Wii to his computer monitor", so, the VGA passthrough surely comes in handy to hook up both, PC and console and being able to switch between them without plugging & unplugging back and forth.

[Endymion]

Why have a VGA in if it is just a pass through? I was hoping to upscale the DC resoltion to 1680x1050.

Because the HDBox Pro is not just an upscaler. It is a transcoder. The Dreamcast needs no transcoding, so the solution that you are envisioning is a little more sophisticated than the box you have.

[Tigershark]

Would appreciate some help with this issue please.

I have now tried to connect the XBox 360 through the VGA in. All I get is the same "no signal" message I got with the DC. I have turned the box off to use as a pass through but nothing is passing through!

Any ideas?

[ZOM]

This sounds very strange because the VGA passthrough is just that, a passthrough. So, unless your HDBP's pcb is somehow damaged it should work as long as the box is in its "off" status. As for the No Signal - that's normal, like I already posted before, the VGA is just a passthrough - as long as you haven't anything connected to the front YPbPr RCA connectors nothing will happen.

Have you tried hooking a PC on the VGA in? Does it show something?

[Tigershark]

Made a basic/stupid error but it's worth stating for anyone else who may be as techincally inept as me.

I assumed that when someone said the box has to be "off" it meant that no power had to be in the box rather than simply pressing the power on/off button on the remote control.

Doh.

Everything working fine now.

Thanks for the reply.

[ZOM]

Haha well, *scratches head* To be fair, no one really explained that by "off" we actually meant "stand-by mode".

[Tigershark]

No worries.

I went onto the website for the HD BOX and noticed it said "push a button" for access to PC signal, put two and two together and there we go.

It's great to have the PC, DC, PS2 and 360 all connected to my monitor.

The DC still looks fantastic (esp ZG2). Why on earth didn't the PS2 do a VGA?? Ridiculous.

Very happy with this box now.

[Endymion]

The DC still looks fantastic (esp ZG2). Why on earth didn't the PS2 do a VGA?? Ridiculous.

Weeeeeeel PS2 on VGA doesn't always look so hot, several games are made in such a way that the framebuffer can't handle a real VGA resolution and linedoubling the output instead looks really awful. At the end of the day they probably did not want to go there for the VRAM, being %50 of the Dreamcast's, even forcing the games which will work into VGA reveals quite a few flaws.

[drunkninja24]

Just thought of a use I'd have for this....does anyone know if the 640x480 output works fine on an Emotia? I'd like to hook my US Wii console to my cabinet, but haven't had much luck in finding a solution, but this kinda looks like it'd work, assuming the output looks fine and goes through the Emotia without a problem.

[Fudoh]

does anyone know if the 640x480 output works fine on an Emotia?

It does, but the newer HDBoxPro units don't output 640x480p anymore, only 800x600 or higher. I think you have to request a firmware with VGA enabled when ordering to get one with this output resolution.

[spl]

does anyone know if the 640x480 output works fine on an Emotia?

It does, but the newer HDBoxPro units don't output 640x480p anymore, only 800x600 or higher. I think you have to request a firmware with VGA enabled when ordering to get one with this output resolution.

Really? The website lists 640x480.

Also hdboxpro himself posted they support that res again now in the new models back on page 5 in july 2009

The latest version of HD BOX PRO have 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1400X1050, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200 now and have been shipped for a few months.

http://www.hdboxpro.com/eng/resolution.jpg

So does it handle 640x480 or not???

[Tigershark]

Ignore me.

[Fudoh]

So does it handle 640x480 or not???

I don't have a new HDBoxPro, but if you go back in this thread here, you'll find that several people were not able to output 640x480 with their newer FW versions. I would at least make sure before ordering by emailing the support and ask about it.

[ZOM]

I have two HDBPs, both seem to be from the same batch. but one displays the 640x480 mode in 800x600, the other one works fine. No idea.