XBox HDTV features

[steve_dynamic]

Just wondering... IF a UK XBox is modded, can it display progressive scan thru a VGA box?

[marcus]

A friend bought his UK Xbox to mine, I was unable to get it to display any of the PScan modes. Please dont take this as a definite answer though, it may be possible for all I know.

[Space Monkey]

I thought the video-switch disc changed a UK machine into a US one. If so it should work fine with the VGA box and progressive scan modes. Is this not the case? I was wanting to get a VGA box too.

[Salsa Party Animal]

Modded XBOX can show them in progressive scan but doesn't know about VGA BOX.

NTSC games will show them in progressive scan.

[Papercut]

Just wondering... IF a UK XBox is modded, can it display progressive scan thru a VGA box?

Yes, I've done this with mine. It didn't work properly for me, but thats because I have a broken Xbox vga box.

You'd need to change the video mode/region to ntsc/u or ntsc/j (possible with a modded Xbox and a homebrew tool like Config Magic).

Then you'd need to get a component video -> rgb transcoder, like this one:

http://www.x2vga.com/

and finally set the prog scan video mode in the dashboard.

The x2vga box is the best Xbox vga box, because as well as including a component -> rgb transcoder (so you get vga output for prog scan modes), it also has a scan doubler for interlaced modes (so you still get a display without prog scan).

This is very useful, as otherwise you have to guess your way around the dashboard without a picture.

Alternatively, early v1.0 UK Xboxs do support prog scan with some games.

[gIzzE]

Papercut has pretty much summed it up.

The problem is a vga box generally takes a regular 480 or 576 interlaced signal and line doubles the image, adding extra info that isn't there which will give a very soft image, and will not accept a true hi-def signal anyway.

The cable in his link will transcode a component colour stream into RGB with Horizontal and Vertical sync that a monitor or a projector can handle.

In the dashboard where you see 50/60hz option when set to ntsc you will see progressive options, you can set it to 480p, 720p or 1080i, if you set it to 1080i games that support the resolution will obviously display in that res and if they dont they will jump down through 720p, 480p or 480i, whichever the highest resolution they support is.

It may be worth getting a seperate component -> RGB/H/V transcoder and the proper comonet cables for the Xbox, that way you can transcode any machine that supports hi-def rather than being limited to just the Xbox.

I have a key digital one that can be got from www.copperbox.com that I use with Xbox, PS2, GC and D-VHS player.
It is regarged very highly in the av industry where image is even more critical and is only really bettered by units into the $1000's.

however going this route will mean that you will have to set up the xbox on a regular tv to accept hi-def before you plug it into your monitor as 99% of monitors wont accept an interlaced signal.

This is a pic of pioneer dvd player using progressive out into the Key digital transcoder using an NEC crt projector onto a matt white 84" screen , the disc is Region 1 Resident Evil.