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

The place for all discussion on gaming hardware
User avatar
sh00g
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 11:01 pm

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

Post by sh00g »

Xranger60 wrote:It's very frustrating. The box does a great job with the upscaling, and the colors come through, mostly intact, but there's that general green tint that's more noticeable in some areas than others. The problem seems to be with shades of yellow... what should be yellowish or slightly green is displayed with a green hue that is sometimes barely visible, but many times overpowering. There's got to be a fix for this, if it's a problem with just our boxes. I've searched and you're the only other person I've found to have this problem.

I have not received a response from customer service.
Any resolution to this problem? I seem to be having the same issue as my box just came in today working great at first with a ps2. When I swapped the cables to wii, thats when it came in with a green tint and am unable to figure out how to get it back how it was before.

EDIT: Never mind, this thing is working again. Seems to be picky if you just put in different sets of component cables without powering it off first.
User avatar
Tigershark
Posts: 544
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:44 pm
Location: London

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

Post by Tigershark »

Image
KBZ
Posts: 1257
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2005 4:47 am

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

Post by KBZ »

Using the CGA/EGA/YUV 2 VGA pcb, I'd have a lot of sync issues during bright flashing. Most noticeable in any KOF DM, and the intro to 3rd Strike. Adding the sync cleaner seems to have helped a lot. I also find using the RGB signal as opposed to Component seems to get better colours.

Messing with some controls on the monitor seems to have helped the static-like effect I seem to get. I assume the HDBOX PRO has the same issue.

Otherwise, I'm rocking pretty solid over here now.
=/
Stargazer
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 12:25 am

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

Post by Stargazer »

I registered here to read up and to ask a question. I have an HD Box Pro but for some reason, after I hadn't used it in some time, it appears to have stopped working. I can hear sound out of the output but no picture on either my LCD monitor or my CRT monitor. No picture, no osd, no menu or anything. Do these things just die or can I somehow restore it? I just wanted to check on this before I went to buy another vga box for my older consoles. Thank you.
L0YD
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 2:52 pm

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

Post by L0YD »

Hello,can someone tell if you figured out how do you to enter PS2 menu using HD Box Pro?I can hear it but cannot see,in games it works fine.Im planning to use openps2loader,but I cant see menu screen.
User avatar
ZOM
Posts: 2091
Joined: Thu Sep 18, 2008 1:21 pm
Location: ǝʇɐןoɔoɥɔ & ǝsǝǝɥɔ

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

Post by ZOM »

L0YD wrote:Hello,can someone tell if you figured out how do you to enter PS2 menu using HD Box Pro?I can hear it but cannot see,in games it works fine.Im planning to use openps2loader,but I cant see menu screen.
First off, make sure that you have selected "YPbPr" instead of "RGB" for component output, since the that's the only color space the HD box pro understands.
As for homebrew applications like openps2loader, AFAIK there's a bunch of them that use 240p. Nothing you can do to display those since most consumer hardware, including the HDBPro, don't recognize 240p through component. Now, I'm not sure if openps2loader is one of them.
.
Image
.
L0YD
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 2:52 pm

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

Post by L0YD »

ZOM wrote: First off, make sure that you have selected "YPbPr" instead of "RGB" for component output, since the that's the only color space the HD box pro understands.
Yes,i've done that
ZOM wrote:As for homebrew applications like openps2loader, AFAIK there's a bunch of them that use 240p. Nothing you can do to display those since most consumer hardware, including the HDBPro, don't recognize 240p through component. Now, I'm not sure if openps2loader is one of them.
What about HD loader?is it using 240p?
User avatar
drunkninja24
Posts: 1802
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2009 3:27 am
Location: MO

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

Post by drunkninja24 »

Okay, another question about this thing. Anyone have any idea if this would work on the unit:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SCART-RGB-YUV-Compo ... 4cf1161648

Basically what I'd want to do (aside from the other things I've posted about already) is use this along with an RGB SCART cable on my older systems (SNES, Saturn, etc) to go to a HDTV or monitor. Not sure what the video quality would be like though.
User avatar
SGGG2
Posts: 803
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 1:03 am
Location: East Coast, US

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

Post by SGGG2 »

drunkninja24 wrote:Basically what I'd want to do (aside from the other things I've posted about already) is use this along with an RGB SCART cable on my older systems (SNES, Saturn, etc) to go to a HDTV or monitor. Not sure what the video quality would be like though.
It'll work. I tried Espgaluda at 240p through the HD Box and the quality was good. Doesn't compare to the XRGB-3, though.

Hmm. I wonder if GammaX would fix the intense, washed out whites. http://www.curtpalme.com/GammaX.shtm
drewmantrivia
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:19 pm
Location: Fargo ND

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

Post by drewmantrivia »

It'll work. I tried Espgaluda at 240p through the HD Box and the quality was good. Doesn't compare to the XRGB-3, though.

Hmm. I wonder if GammaX would fix the intense, washed out whites. http://www.curtpalme.com/GammaX.shtm
If i remember right the GammaX will only work with the RGBHV output of the HDfury. So it would have to be only for the RGBHV of the HD Box Pro and not the other one previously mentioned on ebay that does scart to component. I might be picking one up so if I have the chance i will see what it can do.
Carl326
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2010 7:20 am

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

Post by Carl326 »

First post here at this forum anyway,

I've tried using this deinterlacer for my playstation 2 however when I set the motion level to 5 text and straight horizontal lines seems to shake. Is this meant to happen or is my box faulty?
headlesshobbs
Posts: 386
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 11:14 pm

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

Post by headlesshobbs »

The same thing happens to me so I doubt it's a faulty board. It's a bother to me mostly because the thing doesn't at least accept non-interlaced signals of 240 and does this quite badly.

Play Castlevania SOTN to see what I mean.
"Don't HD my SD!!"
User avatar
drunkninja24
Posts: 1802
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2009 3:27 am
Location: MO

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

Post by drunkninja24 »

Finally got around to picking one of these up, and I must say I'm impressed. It actually makes Ibara on PS2 playable for me on my CRT monitor, and the Wii looks great on my LCD at full 1920x1080.
User avatar
IronGiant
Posts: 294
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:30 pm
Location: UK

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

Post by IronGiant »

I bought one of these a few months ago to use with my Wii but haven't had the time to test it properly (but what I saw looked good). Think I'll flog it on Ebay when time allows.
Formerly known here as R-Typer

Arcade game board repairer (known as 'Irongiant' and 'Vectorglow' on other arcade forums)
L0YD
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 2:52 pm

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

Post by L0YD »

Ok,tested Hd Box Pro with HD Loader and Open Ps2 Loader it works fine,all homebrews (that I tested) worked fine,still cant see ps2 menu,but thats not a problem anymore.
headlesshobbs
Posts: 386
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 11:14 pm

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

Post by headlesshobbs »

ok I have HDloader and it only loads games to the HDD. Is this a different program from what you're using or is there something I'm just missing here?
"Don't HD my SD!!"
darklegion
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:42 am

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

Post by darklegion »

Open PS2 Loader is an opensource replacement for HDLoader. It supports some games that HDLoader doesn't have support for (like Shadow Hearts : Covenant). I haven't personally been able to get it work yet though, as I keep getting a black screen on launch.

On a side note, there is another relatively recent development, GS Mode Selector, which is something of a replacement for Xploder HDTV (which forces 480p,720p, 1080i and various other video modes). Should be handy in conjunction with the HDBoxPro as some games will look better when forced to 480p or higher through this software (or worse depending on the game and the TV/Monitor). Oh and this works with HDLoader and OpenPs2Loader (unlike Xploder HDTV)

I'm not sure if its allowed to post links to the discussion pages, but you'll have no problem finding both applications :)
Barmy
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2010 10:47 am

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

Post by Barmy »

Hey guys, signed up just to ask a question here. You guys probably have the most in-depth discussion of this box on the whole internet. :D

Anyway, I'm having some troubles getting my HD Box Pro to work satisfactorily with my Wii. I'm using an Acer X243HQ LCD monitor, which is a 23.6" monitor that has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a maximum resolution of 1920x1080. When I hook up my Wii via Component Cables to the HD Box Pro, and then the Box to my monitor via a VGA cable, the output on my screen is not just letterboxed: There is empty, unused black space around all four sides of the image, like a black border all the way around. The Wii is set to Widescreen mode and the HD Box Pro is set to 1920x1080. When I press the "RS" button on the remote to change aspect ratios, it only gives me the option between 4:3 and "Full"... only on lower resolutions does the specific option for 16:9 show up. Also, the image itself isn't really crystal clear, and that's not a problem with my component cables because they work fine on my 50" Plasma TV. It actually looks like the kind of blurriness you get when you try and play something below your monitor's current resolution, which leads me to believe something is going wrong somewhere in my setup. Any advice?

Also, how on earth do you change between input sources? I had both my Wii (Component In) and PC (VGA In) hooked up but nothing I pressed on the remote would change me away from the Component source.

Thanks for your time!
RVTK2DX
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2010 2:14 pm

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

Post by RVTK2DX »

.
Last edited by RVTK2DX on Sat Jun 10, 2023 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
headlesshobbs
Posts: 386
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 11:14 pm

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

Post by headlesshobbs »

One of the guys found a solution by modding a usb cable and hooking it to the board directly because the connection included a ground pin, but he had to drill out one of the plates for it to fit. I'm trying to come up with another idea where I can keep the power supply attached, but like to lead off that ground without having to wreck anything.

If you could do me a favor, I'd like to see pics of both boards to get an idea of what the differences are between the two.
"Don't HD my SD!!"
Barmy
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2010 10:47 am

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

Post by Barmy »

So nobody has any idea for solving my problem?

I went ahead and tested it on a different monitor, this time a 17" 4:3 LCD with a max resolution of 1280x1024. I got the same result: No matter what resolution I set the HD Box Pro to, no matter what Aspect Ratio I had it set to, no matter what the Wii's aspect ratio was set to, the outputted image was ALWAYS surrounded by a black border of unused space. That's on two monitors now where the HD Box Pro was unable to output an image that takes up the entire screen.

Does this sound like a faulty unit? If it's not then I can't figure it out.
neorichieb1971
Posts: 7875
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:28 am
Location: Bedford, UK
Contact:

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

Post by neorichieb1971 »

Barmy,

I think the VGA throughput only works when the unit is completely off. If it detects a cable is inserted whilst its on it always goes straight to that input.
This industry has become 2 dimensional as it transcended into a 3D world.
neorichieb1971
Posts: 7875
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:28 am
Location: Bedford, UK
Contact:

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

Post by neorichieb1971 »

Barmy wrote:So nobody has any idea for solving my problem?

I went ahead and tested it on a different monitor, this time a 17" 4:3 LCD with a max resolution of 1280x1024. I got the same result: No matter what resolution I set the HD Box Pro to, no matter what Aspect Ratio I had it set to, no matter what the Wii's aspect ratio was set to, the outputted image was ALWAYS surrounded by a black border of unused space. That's on two monitors now where the HD Box Pro was unable to output an image that takes up the entire screen.

Does this sound like a faulty unit? If it's not then I can't figure it out.

There is another thread around here about the same sort of thing. In that thread it said something about the Wii using weird resolutions on some games and full 16:9 on others. Are you sure your TV isn't in a zoom mode to get full screen? I am pretty sure RE4 on my Gamecube has a border round the edges in 480p mode.
This industry has become 2 dimensional as it transcended into a 3D world.
RVTK2DX
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2010 2:14 pm

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

Post by RVTK2DX »

.
Last edited by RVTK2DX on Sat Jun 10, 2023 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Barmy
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2010 10:47 am

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

Post by Barmy »

neorichieb1971 wrote:In that thread it said something about the Wii using weird resolutions on some games and full 16:9 on others.
The problem occurs on the Wii's System Menu, and I know for a fact that it shouldn't be happening there. It doesn't get any better or worse when I'm in game, either (admittedly I've only tried one game - Mario Kart Wii - but still).

After more fiddling I've found that the closest thing I can get to full screen is by setting the HD Box Pro's resolution to 1920x1200, although obviously this isn't optimal because the left and right sides of the image are cut off (although it still doesn't use all the vertical screen space) - not too annoying on the system menu but REALLY annoying in any game with a HUD (ie. all of them). It's frustrating because when set to 1920x1200, the HD Box seems to actually produce an image that uses the 1200 value, because its too long for my screen. But when I set it to 1080, it seems to think "stuff that" and produces something shorter than the screen space.

Oh, and yeah I was able to figure out the VGA input and get it working. Annoyingly, it outputs an image of the correct size when displaying my computer screen. If only the Compnent input - the one I actually want to use - would work this easily!

I don't suppose you have a link to that thread, or can remember if/how the problem was solved? I'm in half a mind to send this thing back, but if it turns out the problem is on my end then I don't want to spend money on a more expensive converter only to find the problem was something else.
RVTK2DX
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2010 2:14 pm

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

Post by RVTK2DX »

.
Last edited by RVTK2DX on Sat Jun 10, 2023 2:34 pm, edited 3 times in total.
headlesshobbs
Posts: 386
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 11:14 pm

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

Post by headlesshobbs »

I see that the chip set is a bit different on both aside from the added gnd/5v connector. Perhaps what they did was switch to a cheaper brand as to why one of them doesn't get that scrolling line?

Edit: it's kinda odd that my flash chip says SAMSUNG on it.
"Don't HD my SD!!"
L0YD
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 2:52 pm

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

Post by L0YD »

headlesshobbs wrote: Edit: it's kinda odd that my flash chip says SAMSUNG on it.
mine too,bought on ebay.
RVTK2DX
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2010 2:14 pm

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

Post by RVTK2DX »

.
Last edited by RVTK2DX on Sat Jun 10, 2023 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
RVTK2DX
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2010 2:14 pm

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

Post by RVTK2DX »

.
Last edited by RVTK2DX on Sat Jun 10, 2023 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Post Reply