PAL Xbox and VGA box: Black & white 60 Hz!

[Wild_Cat]

Hi guys, for once I'm the one with 60 Hz problems... Here's the situation: having just come back to the UK, I've brought my unmodified, PAL Xbox from France (and left my PS2 back there).

I'm using a LCD monitor and VGA box (this one: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-87-70-4s4.html) to display the image, currently through a composite cable (the VGA box also supports S-Video input, though).

I popped in my OutRun 2 demo, and lo and behold, the image turned to black and white as the console switched to 60 Hz. 50 Hz works just fine, as did both modes with my PS2.

This leads me to believe that my VGA box doesn't support PAL-60, only NTSC -- at least not through composite. That sucks, obviously. Here are my questions:

1) Would upgrading to a S-video cable fix the problem?
2) Would upgrading to a VGA box that accepts component video input (such as this: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-87-70-2cs.html) fix the problem?
3) If answers to 1) and 2) are both "no", what else can I do? Keep in mind that since I'm not using a TV, the standard "buy a RGB cable" answer doesn't count. "Buy a TV" doesn't either.


Thanks for your attention...

[yashiro]

Lord, what a crazy setup

PAL-60 mode on the Xbox is 640x480(i) with a PAL colour carrier.
Svideo would still be 60Hz/PAL colour. I suspect component would be the same.
Tried messing with any switches on the box?

You could get a convertor box that does PAL-60 or mod your Xbox and change the video output to NTSC.

[Papercut]

This leads me to believe that my VGA box doesn't support PAL-60, only NTSC

You are almost certainly right.

1) Would upgrading to a S-video cable fix the problem?

Nope.

2) Would upgrading to a VGA box that accepts component video input (such as this: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-87-70-2cs.html) fix the problem?

yep.

3) If answers to 1) and 2) are both "no", what else can I do? Keep in mind that since I'm not using a TV, the standard "buy a RGB cable" answer doesn't count. "Buy a TV" doesn't either.

Your best bet by far is to mod your Xbox, switch the video mode to NTSC, and buy one of these:

http://www.x2vga.com/

which will give you native 640x480p progressive scan, and will not suffer color encoding problems as it uses a component source.

[Papercut]

PAL-60 mode on the Xbox is 640x480(i) with a PAL colour carrier.
Svideo would still be 60Hz/PAL colour. I suspect component would be the same.

Nah, component is color separation rather than color encoding.

[yashiro]

Yeah I wasn't too sure. Cheers.

[Wild_Cat]

Okay, so a component VGA box would solve the problem? I think I'm gonna go with that solution, then. I'm a Xbox Live user, so modding my console is not an option, I'm afraid (not to mention I wouldn't even know where to have it modded).

Thanks for the info, guys!

[Giga_Death]

Since your not planning to mod... I reccomend some detailed info on VGA boxes at this forum:

http://forum.lik-sang.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=36

Be sure to ask these guys first before buying something and finding out it doesn't work later. As far as I know, there is no VGA box that supports PAL60 colour.

[Sergeant Syphillis]

If its not too much bother could you post some impressions when you've got it sorted, I'm thinking of gettiing a similar set up to play XBL, I just don't know which VGA box to opt for and there's very little information that I can find on the web.

Edit: aha excuse my ignorance, good link

[pacrifice]

sorry to bump an old thread but this was the closest i could find.

I've jus bought a PAL xbox. ive connected it to my samsung LCD TV.

In the XBOX dash, i've selected PAL 60 but a game comes up as black and white.

Xbox is conected to the LCD via composite and i dont have any problems displayin PAL 60 with my Gamecube (RGB connection) and NTSC on my PS2 (component connection)

Do i just need an RGB cable for PAL 60 to come on in colour for the XBOX?

If not an RGB cable, will a component cable do?

Do X360 component cables work with XBOX?
What the hell is Enigmah? if it's somethin like a modchip thats me out the game.

Someone please help.

[pacrifice]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/JOYTECH-Xbox...8&s=videogames

^^^ is that gonna do? or:

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinf...le=games&BAB=D

someone please say?

[pacrifice]

buyz please, someone gimme some info?

Don't do it for me.... do it for my poor eyes, lookin at pal 50hz on an LCD screen

[Magnakai]

I wish I could help you, dear boy... but alas I know nowt...

Have you tried the http://www.avforums.com/ chappies and chapettes?
They're in turn fearsome and cuddly, so good luck.

[Pavey]

Do i just need an RGB cable for PAL 60 to come on in colour for the XBOX?

Yes

If not an RGB cable, will a component cable do?

Yes,although you need to softmod or chip it to get the NTSC HD options,on a PAL xbox.

Do X360 component cables work with XBOX?

No

What the hell is Enigmah? if it's somethin like a modchip thats me out the game.

Its the program for switching the dash.

[pacrifice]

Nick, thank you for replyin. I'll be orderin the RGB scart lead from amazon.

And Magnakai (sorry if i didnt spell it right), thanx for the heads up on avforums. i'll be checkin em for now on too.

[Pavey]

They pop up on here reguarly for about a fiver mate.