Why no VGA adapter for GC/Xbox/PS2 and will there ever be one??
 

As I said in my other thread, I am used to playing my DC with a VGA adapter. I just picked up an Xbox and GC but cannot find a "true" VGA adapter on the market. There is a "fake" VGA adapter (that is really a line doubler) being sold for $60 but this device actually makes the graphics worse.

From the limited amount of searching I have done, I understand that MS and Nintendo do not intend to produce a VGA adapter. (Why??) Does anybody know if a third party adapter is or will be available??

The VGA adapter made such a huge difference in graphics for the DC, I know it would do likewise for the other next-gen systems. For DC, it even made some games that looked like crap on a TV look pretty good on a monitor. It would be a shame if somebody doesn't put one out...

You do realize that both the Xbox and GCN do 480p just like the Dreamcast right? And that every Xbox game does it while a select group of the GCN games have it?

Just curious. The DC VGA adapter was great for 480p but you don't need a VGA adapter to get 480p on the current consoles.

why would you even want to play on your small monitor? One of the reasons consoles are much better at most gaming than pc's is the fact you can sit in your living room with a nice tv and relax. Consoles also rarely have glitches and require patches like pc games do, and theres never a compatability issue :) But PC still dominates the RTS and FPS scene.

I doubt they sold all that well. Who wants to play on a small monitor, instead of a larger TV? I don't think the resolution is worth the loss in size, and the inconvenience of having to move you console into whatever room your computer is.

Plus, unless you have you stereo and computer in the same room, you're going to miss out on surround sound. Obviously that's not an issue if you don't have a home theater.

I've just never got why anyone would want to do it, unless they had a really crappy TV and no stereo. :confused:

Is better resolution really that important?

Plus as others have said, if you have a compatible TV, the GCN and X-box can to 480P, but that's kind of non factor to most people as not many people have those TV's yet.

The only reason that I would want one is so that I can play my games, like THPS3, online using my broadband access. I would rather not run a cable all the way downstairs to where my TV and PS2 are.

It should be noted that some televisions have VGA inputs (my dad's Proscan for example).

You obviously never seen the true wonders of gaming through the VGA adaptor. 2-D games would benfit the least. But they're rare today, sadly. I got a 27" TV and a 21" monitor. Screen inch size ain't a big deal but resolution will covert you to a new religion if you're a true hardcore gamer. I never used these but Super Video cables and RGB cables should provide the best image quality for TVs. Only better than a monitor should be a HDTV with RGB cables, hypotheoically.

I didn't know that Gallant. Thanks for the info.

We have two VGA adapters for PS2 in stock at my FYE. I don't really know much about them, other than the packaging is funny as hell, as it promises it will "Enable you to situate as in dreamland," among other hamhanded English phrases (it's highly unofficial, obviously). Goes for $59.99. We've had them for months and they haven't moved. We also have that VGE line doubler thing you mentioned, and this is different than that one. Nothing for GC or XBox, though. If you're interested in being situated in dreamland, email me.

This is somewhat reminiscent of the fullscreen/widescreen argument. Some don't seem to understand that there are all kinds of people in the world who have different priorities and preferences. In the FS/WS debate, the FS crowd doesn't understand how the WS folks can stand to watch their movies so small with black bars while the WS proponents can't understand how the FS bunch can put up with all the cropping just for a bigger picture. For people that own front projectors, some don't understand how they can spend so much money for a display that only works in pitch black darkness. In any decision there are usually tradeoffs that must be weighed and people make decisions based on their own situations and preferences.

I happen to be one of those willing to give up screen size for a super-sharp display. Also, I like to sit somewhat close to the screen when playing games. If I used my HT, I would either have to sit on the floor or sit 10 feet away. I also can't afford to buy a new computer or HDTV just to play games in high-res. On the DC, I paid $15 to get high-res. I would like to do likewise for my new systems. What is not to understand? Because my priorities and preferences are different than yours, you cannot understand them?? I mean I understand why some prefer a larger display at the expense of resolution (or, heaven forbid, cropping for that matter). Their HTs may be set up so that their playing position is ideal for them. I understand that.

Having said all that, I realize that the adapter is somewhat of a niche item but no more so than some of the other specialized accessories I see being sold. Regardless of what has been said here, the adapter for DC sold well. It was frequently sold out at most stores. In fact, since I started this thread I have found out that there is a source for Xbox adapters but they are specially made, sell for about $75 and are backordered for months so I am probably SOL. If anybody knows of plans by to make a mass-market product (Mad Catz, Interact, etc.), please post. Thanks.

I got the Innovision RGB adapter for my Xbox and Gamecube. It IS a line doubler, and it does suck compared to my HDTV. But, I have no choice. I want to play my games, but my girlfriend wants to also. We have the Xbox, Gamecube and PS2, and only one TV. We have 2 computers (hence the monitors) so if we both want to play at the same time one of us has to play on a monitor. I usually end up going to the monitor because my girlfriend is obsessed with Morrowind, and the Xbox belongs in the home theater. I need to get a VGA adapter for the PS2 so I can play that when I want to. Or, maybe get another Xbox and another copy of Morrowind. Oh well, so many choices, so little time. At least there is a choice. The visual quality of the line doubler is not bad enough to make me stop playing my console games, but sometimes when I'm at my PC I stop and wonder if I should be playing a PC game.

I'm a bit confused by this post. Pig, surely you are not saying I can display 480p on a regular TV (a 480i device). Unless you have an HDTV, nothing has changed with these systems.

Tell me if this would work. What if I took the Xbox Hi-def video adapter which outputs component and use a comercial component to VGA adapter? Would this give me true VGA or would I be getting some noisy mutated varient that is no better than the line doubler?

Even if the current systems came with vga out and not component out like the DC. I would then have to buy a Audio Authority transcoder for each system plus the component cables. So it would be VGA to component just to get the higher res out of my HDTV. Now that can get really expensive as the transcoder cost around $100, so I would need that for each system. I would have to go this route for my tosh HDTV. Now certain lines of the Mits have a VGA out.

I dont own a next gen system yet. But when I do get an Xbox I'll get the Hi-def pack and component cable and what ever I need for the GC. Plus I wound need to upgrade my current reciever to get component switching. Damn I'm going to need more money.

That said I'm playing my DC with the VGA adaptor through my pc monitor cause I dont have enough money for the transcoder at this moment.

That is the deal with my Proscan as well. I have a direct TV unit that uses a vga for Hi Def signals. My progressive scan inputs however are only interlaced. The DC looks amazing on a 36 in screen with the VGA adapter. :)

Nope not saying that. I was thinking you had a TV that had VGA input. Didn't realize you were using your computer moniter.

HUH?? Even if you assumed I had a TV with VGA input I would still need an adapter as Xbox does not output to VGA. Why would this eliminate the need for an adapter with the "newer consoles"?? All a VGA input to the TV does is allow me to use the TV as a computer monitor.

I bought the Innovative VGA adapter for Xbox/Gamecube almost knowing it wouldn't work like the Dreamcast.
But at a high price of $59, and with the box saying "play games at 4x the resolution" I thought I'd take the bait.

Stay away! I returned the thing the next day.

Not only does it not play in High Def mode, it actually looks much worse than a standard TV.
I just don't understand it. It should be very inexpensive to make a box that can pass the hi-res signal to a computer monitor. The first company that does it (and sells it in E&B) gets my money. Its that simple. Paying $200 for a specialty box is the only option now.

Doug

If you had a TV with a VGA input you could use the component for 480p instead of the VGA input thus making the VGA in that case unecessary. On the other hand if you want to use your computer moniter to play video games I suggest you use a computer. :D (you may even be impressed with the graphics)

OK, I got ya -rolleyes-.

Oh, and since you think I should use a computer to play games, care to spring for a nice 3D card for me and a processor upgrade??

Absolutely, post your paypal address and I'll paypal it to yah. ;)

Hold on...

I beleive the reason that there is no tru VGA adapters is because the current systems lack the hardware output to make good use of it. They left it out.

I believe the DC was engineered with the intention to support a true VGA box system.

Could be wrong, but it's what I read and it makes sense.

i know you can use a transcoder for XBOX and GAMECUBE (for GC, there ain't many games that support 480P though). it costs about $160-200. and the first time i used it with my computer monitor, i was totaly blown. the graphics were so nice they looked like totally different games!!

There are people on the forums at www.gamesx.com who have made their own true VGA adapters, I suppose you could read the thread there and figure out how to make your own. I would probably buy one if they sold a premanufactured one because my TV really sucks and has MONO sound.

Has anyone tried this adapter yet?
http://www.digital-x.de/knowhow/xbox...a_box.htm#9999

This looks promising! Right now it is very pricy probably due to low production output and volume. It appears they are looking for international distributers so the price will probably come down when they secure some. At $92 shipped, I don't know that I am desparate enough at this point. I can wait for the price to come down to something reasonable.

At least this gives me some hope that true adapters will come to market. I can't see Interact, Mad Catz and the like staying away from an accessory that should be so cheap to produce. If someone was willing to market a fishing controller and maracas (Samba de Amiga) for DC there is always hope...