PAL XBox RGB question.

[Red_Breast]

First off a quick hello. I've been reading these forums on and off for years and I've been trying to find info on something but I'm having trouble.

This is actually a problem I noticed years ago and I've seen one or two threads about it. The PAL XBoX.
I was always a PC Gamer and didn't play Halo untill it's PC release in, I think, Sept 2003. I was very impressed by the game, although not by the conversion. I was actually really annoyed when it went from the Mac/PC to XBoX but with time being a great healer and all that.
I went and purchased a XBoX straight away. Noticing that the TV lead was composite I thought next time I hit the shops I'll buy a full SCART lead for it.
A couple of days after buying the XBoX I happened to be at the house of a friend of a friend (why does that sound dodgy?). I noticed he had a XBoX and to the side of it a 3rd party RGB SCART lead. We started talking and I said I was thinking of getting one. He then told me about how dark the picture was with it and that I could borrow the lead as he was interested in finding out if it was a TV problem of his or what.
Anyway I had the same problem. A dark picture. It's only recently after buying a 360 and lending the XBoX to a sister that I started thinking about this again as my sister's boyfriend asked me if I had a SCART lead after giving him the console with the standard composite.
I found out that apparently it only happens with early XBoXen. Using the info on one of the XBoX modding sites I reckon I have v1.4. Not that early if you ask me. Does anybody know with which version this was sorted out? Another thing I was wondering is was there a big fuss made over this? Considering the official SCART lead is about ?20. Does the box of the lead carry some kind of warning?
I could be busy untill this evening or tomorrow so won't be able to reply but if anybody knows which version it did get better by or anything else it would be appreciated. Cheers.

[charlesr]

I think the RGB picture on the xbox is generally not great. It's not helped by the "soften" filter and "flicker" filter that always on. However, it doesn't seem that dark on mine and it's a 1.1
I've got an official advanced scart lead (with the optical sound port).
Might be worth trying and official lead.

[tom-nook]

I'd agree with charlesr. I've owned umpteen Xboxes from launch-v1.6 & never seen an improvement in the rgb output.

Whilst it is a bit 'muted' I reckon the problem is with the lead you've been using. I had the same thing with a 3rd party lead. The official lead is the way to go.

The official lead doesn't come with any 'warnings' about use with earlier machines. Reckon talk about a revision is probably just an internet rumour.

[RBelmont]

i think honestly speaking that the xbox is crap in 480i(any form)

only when you stick it on 480p does the picture come to life. worth a mod for this alone.

[Red_Breast]

Thanks for the replies. Maybe I could find a cheap official RGB SCART now the 360 is out. I only really use it, apart from when my sister has it, as a second machine and always on a "second TV". I've used it at work at lunchtime, sometimes in the kitchen on a Sunday whilst doing the roast etc. Even though it's just used in this manner I know from the PS2 that RGB will still make a big difference.
I don't have many titles and all the ones I do have are now 360 compatible. I just wish MS would sort out the Halo2 emulation.
As for modding it to get a progressive signal like I said in this case I'm using older, small "second TVs" so it's pointless isn't it?

[egparadigm]

I don't have many titles and all the ones I do have are now 360 compatible. I just wish MS would sort out the Halo2 emulation.

What's the problem with the Halo 2 emulation? I played it solidly for a good couple of months online last year and I didn't notice any problems at all. Haven't heard of any either - have you had problems?

[Red_Breast]

What's the problem with the Halo 2 emulation? I played it solidly for a good couple of months online last year and I didn't notice any problems at all. Haven't heard of any either - have you had problems?

The web site I visit more than any other is HBO. I do check others like Rampancy, High Impact and High Speed Halo but mostly HBO. I don't use Bungie.net. It just seems to be full of idiots. If you can call a 39 year old a fanboy I guess I am a Halo fanboy. I've been using HBO ever since playing the game for the first time with the PC version like I mentioned in my first thread/post. I do post occasionally. There are quite a few oldies, oldest being 55, who are usually people who got into Halo as they've been following Bungie ever since Marathon, sometimes earlier still.
So you can imagine I know a bit about the community. Have you never had any ghosting whilst playing the game? It can be cured by pausing and reloading the latest checkpoint save. Loads of people in the community get this so I know it's nothing to do with my 360.
By the way TeamXBoX have information and pictures about the packaging for Halo 3 up today. The helmet for the Legendary version has already been shown but this is the rest of the deal including disc contents.
I'm annoyed by the inclusion in the Limited Edition version of something which isn't in the more expensive Legendary version. Clearly a ploy to get people like me to buy more than one version. I know I've had to do this with the first 2 games as over time I had quite a few scratches but I didn't want to do it on the first day. Especially as the original price for the Legendary version has gone up.
Seems like Microsoft really likes pushing lots of versions since Vista.