I just got a Game Cube, so I could play Mario Golf and Zelda. I am also looking forward to Mario Double Dash.

I would like to have my cube hooked to my projector. My projector (InFocus X1) can only accept progressive singles like 480P. I have my Xbox all set, just cannot see the setup screens. I guess my question is…. Dose the cube “up convert” the image to 480P, even if the game is not in 480P? I would also like to get the GBA Player for the cube, and I know those games are not in 480P. Any ideas on this?

- Scott

Actually the Cube and PS2 usually will display a 480P game as 480i unless you Hold a certain button down before the game starts to flag it as Progressive so it will enter progressive mode. I prefer the ease of my Xbox for 480P games on the HDTV and just play my Cube and PS2 interlaced unless the game is both 480P and 16x9 then i'll go through the trouble. I "think" you hold down the Red button on the Cube for progressive output but it's been awhile since the only 480P game I have for the Cube is Eternal Darkness.

You only have to do this once...hold down "B." After that, each game with automatically ask. You act like it's a huge chore, but it's very simple.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure every game I have asks me if I want it in progressive or not...even the GBA player does when I boot it up.

I may be wrong, but any 'upconverting' of a 480i signal to 480p would be done by your projector, not the Cube.

A lot of Cube games are 480p though. As Groucho stated, just hold down B at boot-up and answer yes to the "Progressive Mode?" question.

I'm jealous.. I just got an S-Video cable for my Cube.. my Wega has a compontent hookup but I don't think it does prog, so I figured it wasn't worth the extra $15 for the cable.

Time to buy a new TV?

I thought you had to do it everytime oh well at least I got the button right.

shine5555:
Here are the answers to your questions. Everyone else so far has tried to be helpful but actually is very clueless about how to answer your questions. The problem is that they understand how progressive scan works, but they don't understand how it works with your InFocus X1 projector.

The X1 has a single VGA port which can be fed with either computer SVGA or XGA signals, or 1080i, 720p, or 480p with an adaptor. There is also a sevin-pin S-video port that can accept a regular S-video input that can also be used as a 480i component input with a special adaptor. There is also a standard RCA composite video jack.

So that means there is a S-video/component port that accepts 480i BUT NOT 480p. And there is a VGA/component port that accepts 1080i/720p/480p BUT NOT 480i. This means that for Xbox games in 480p, you will play them fine, but you won't be able to see the dashboard since it is in 480i. If you need to use the dashboard temporarily in 480i, unplug your green component cable and plug it into the composite video jack. Change the video input on your X1 to display the feed from the composite input. Then when you are done making changes in the dashboard, plug it back into the component video jack. Alternatively, you can swap the HD AV pack with a regular a/v or advanced a/v pack on the xbox, if your X1 is in a difficult-to-reach location.

You can also mod your XBox so that the dashboard will be in 480p, so you can avoid the hassle of swapping cables. The following are instructions on how to do so, from ChrisFB of avsforum.com: The GBA player for the GCN displays in 480p if you tell it to do so. The cube does not upconvert 480i games to 480p. So if you want to play a GCN game in 480p, you'll have to hook the GCN up to the VGA/component port, and then when it's time to play a game that's not in 480p, you'll have to hook it up to the S-video/component port. A real pain, huh?

You have to decide if 480p is worth swapping cables for. Personally I think it makes a huge difference and recommend it. So, if I had a X1 (I don't, but my friend has one), this is what I would do with your setup: (this requires the least number of cable swaps)

If your Xbox & GCN are more acccessible than your X1: Buy a component video switcher. Take the component video cables from the Xbox & GCN and feed it into the switcher. The output from the switcher goes into the VGA/component input of the X1. You can now play Xbox & GCN in 480p. To accomodate Xbox and GCN in 480i, also buy a S-video switcher. Buy a S-video cable for GCN and S-video cable for Xbox. Feed those cables into the S-video switcher and take the output from the switcher and feed it into the S-video/component input of the X1. Now you can play all games in 480p, and if a game doesn't support 480p, you can still play it in 480i. All you have to do to switch between 480p and 480i for the Xbox is to swap the one A/V cable that connects to the back of your Xbox. If you mod your Xbox to display the dashboard in 480p, you may never have to swap cables at all, since there are almost no games for Xbox in 480i. And, since the GCN can use the analog A/V and digital A/V outputs simultaneously, you don't have to do any switching for the GCN at all.

Or... you can physically swap the cables each and every time on the X1, but that would be a real pain. Plus, it would wear out the contacts on your cables and your equipment, which can be a real problem if you keep doing it over a long period of time.

The Infocus X1 is a great projector and a true bargain at only $999, but it's important to know the limitations in its video inputs.

If your TV has a component input, there is NO REASON why you shouldn't be using it. Even though your component input doesn't support progressive scan, it will still be better than your S-video in terms of accurately displaying colors. The component cable for the cube is only $30. Considering you paid hundreds of dollars for your TV and spend hundreds of hours and more money on games, it really is stupid not to spend a measly $30 to use the component input if you have it.

Thanks Joshic,
I have a component Video switcher 4 in and one out. I can hook up my HDTV Box, DVD player Game Cube, and Xbox to the switch and run component to VGA out to the X1. I will leave my PS2 component cable to S-Video connector to the X1 S video. I will just have to do without the Few Gamecube 480i games and the Few PS2 480P games. Thanks for the help everyone

- Scott

Where'd you pick up that component switcher?

It is an AA1154

https://www.dcpuraty.com/store/Prod...ductCode=AA1154

Hope that helps

- Scott

Here's a working link:
https://www.dcpuraty.com/store/Produ...uctCode=AA1154

Holy crap, that's expensive.

You could always use the composite switch trick to alternate between component video devices. I'm using a passive composite switchbox from Radio Shack to swap component signals from my DVD player and my XBox. It's worked very well for me, and the price is certainly right. However, my set (a VVega KV-36FS12) doesn't support HD resolutions, so I'm only passing a 480i signal. I haven't noticed any degradation using the switchbox with my current setup, but if you're dipping your toes into the HD world, the differences might be more noticeable.

If you'd like to read comments on various switchboxes, including the composite 'cheat' I'm using, there are a few threads on the HTF about it:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...=&threadid=278
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=76812
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=91300
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=68019
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=27825

Here's another component switch box you could try. You can find it at places like gamestop, babbages, funcoland, etc. It is put out by MadCatz and is pretty new. Most stores will have only one, if any available. Since the price is only about $30, one has to wonder about its quality.

Product Link @ MadCatz


MadCatz Universal HDTV Component System Selector

The MadCatz component switchbox is probably the same basic idea as the composite trick I mentioned, only packaged and labeled differently.

Is there a Component Video cable for gamecube in stores yet, or do you have to order it from nintendo?

Ever since the GameCube came out two years ago, the ONLY way to obtain a component video cable is through Nintendo's online store. It is $30 plus $5 for standard ground shipping for a total of $35. It works well, the cables are gold plated and seems to be of pretty good quality.