Could anyone tell me what's wrong with my XBOX ?? (1 Viewer)

[James_tango]

Hi.

My XBOX has very strange problems. And it is very difficult to judge the problem.

Here are some facts I've found so far.

1. Only on DOA3, and DOAX 'white-transparent' vertial line are noticeable. This is only noticable where there're trees, grass, and walls of cliff. - Looks like some sort of noise. (very hard to describe).

2. The vertical lines are noticable only when camera pans.

3. It is noticable only in 480p mode. In 480i, it is not noticable. - Fine in 480i.

4. It is only noticable on 'Dead or alive 3', and 'Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball'. (in 480p mode)

5. Other games are fine. - World Series Baseball 2k3 in 480p mode, as wel as 720p shows no such vertical lines.
Panzer Dragoon Orta's fine as well.

6. I doubted my display, so I've tried GameCube, and GameCube does not show anything like that. - Fine.

7. I've tried different component video cables, but no luck.


Is my XBOX faulty ? I mean if it is, why only on DOA sereis ? :frowning:

By any chance, is this a known issue on DOA in 480p mode ? (Like fixed patter noise on Zelda : WW on GameCube in 480p mode ? - visible only when there're fogs. - dithering )..

Any comments, opinions, experience would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bob Bartlett]

Wow! I can't believe someone else has noticed this problem. I posted this in the software forum and on several other forums and noone had any ideas. I get the same lines on burnout 2. So far I have only noticed it on that game. I don't get it in doa3. I tried everything to get rid of the lines and the only thing that works is putting the game in 480i just like you said. What tv are you using? I have a hitachi 36udx10sa. I have found one other person online who got the same lines on doa3 and never found an answer. I wish I had an answer for you. If you can borrow someones xbox try that I don't know anyone who has one. Let me know what you find out.

Bob

 

[James_tango]

Thanks for your input, Bob. It is indeed interesting.

You don't get this artefact on DOA3 nor DOAX, but on Burnout 2 ??

Hmmm.. I wish I had Burnout2 to test this out. :frowning:

Anyway..my displays are Sharp AQUOS LC-30HV4 30" LCD HDTV, and Marantz VP-12S2 DLP projector projecting onto a 92" FireHawk screen.

It seems that my XBOX is faulty one... :frowning: And probalbly yours as well ?

When was your XBOX manufactured ??
My XBOX's manufacturing date is May-30-2002

Very strange this problem is...

 

[Bob Bartlett]

I just checked doa3 again and I can see some vertical lines. Actually never noticed them before. They look almost like ripples to me, not white like they are on burnout 2. Noticeable in the background, but I really have to look for them. My manufacture date is June 17, 2002. Seems the xbox is the problem. Good luck getting support to help you. When I called they said to exchange the game for another one. I think if I sent it in for repair it would come back exactly the same. My tv converts 480i and 480p to 540p so I thought it might be some upconverting artifacts.

 

[James_tango]

Hi, Bob. Many thanks for your input.

You're right.
It's definitely not upconverting artefacts.

My displays can be configured not to go through internal scaler, and display images in their native resolution (480p, 576p, and 720p. But 1080i always goes through scaler since it has to be deinterlaced, and scaled down).

But the problem doesn't go away at all. Also, even though they go through internal scaler of my displays, I very much doubt the scalers are causing the artefacts. After all, they're Faroudja, PixelWorks, and C-VIC II which are considered to be one of the most advanced scalers in the market.

It is definitely XBOX which is faulty... :frowning:

What to do....what to do...

 

[Bob Bartlett]

I think other xbox's have the problem, but either they are not being used on hdtvs or people just don't notice it or don't care if they do. I'm glad to know it is not my tv, I just got it.

 

[James_tango]

The interesting thing is that......in case of my XBOX, why are they suudenly appear only on DOA3, and DOAX ?

Specailly, they're only visible on walls of cliffs, forrests where there're lots of trees, and grass.

The artefact is also visible on...I think it's Genfu's stage...the small Chinese house/building stage (not the Hong Kong buliding) on DOA3 where there're many textures & fixed patterns on Chinese house/buildings. - Only when I move my character - when camera pans...

 

[James_tango]

Bob, let me ask you this.

Do you have to disable 480p, 720p, as well as 1080i in XBOX dash-board to play DOA3 in 480i ??

I ask because unlike rest of my titles, to play DOA3 in 480i, I have to set 480p, 720p, as well as 1080i to "NO" in the dash-board.

If I set 480p to "NO", and leave 720p, and 1080i to "YES", DOA3 doesn't show any images. Only sound comes out of speakers.

But other games like Panzer, DOAX..etc I only have to disable 480p, to play in 480i.

Kinda strange.. wondering if your XBOX behaves like this only with DOA3.

Many thanks.

 

[Bob Bartlett]

I just checked doa3 and I have the exact same problem. Never noticed it before because I always had them all disabled or enabled. That is kinda goofy, never heard of that before. Has doa3 always caused the lines or is it something new?

 

[BrianB]

I'd really like to see a screengrab of this problem. It may just be a flaw in the DOA rendering engine.

 

[Dave F]

I have DoAXVB screenshots directly from the framebuffer & don't see anything there. I haven't seen lines on the tv either, though.

What video out product are you guys using? MS HD Pack, Monster Cables, or MadCatz? Is there any commonality there?

This is the weirdest part, IMO:

-Dave

edit: Here's a thread with lots of screenshots from the framebuffer

 

[Bob Bartlett]

I'm using the MS HD pack. Remember I also see it on Burnout 2, much worse than doa3 in my case.

 

[James_tango]

What video out product are you guys using? MS HD Pack, Monster Cables, or MadCatz? Is there any commonality there?

I have official MS HD Pack as well as IXOS XPX04 component video cable for XBOX. They both show the vertical line problem. :frowning:

Thank you all for your inputs. I highly appreciate them.

 

[BrianB]

Dave, screenshots are static. I don't notice this problem with static images. As I said eariler, only when camera pans which involves motion.

The camera may be moving, but it's still rendering a "static" screen, just from a different camera angle each frame. It should still be "screengrabable"

 

[James_tango]

Brian,

Yes, that makes sense.

I think it is the problem with Conexant encoder or D/A converter in the XBOX. It looks like some kind of interference....
Interesting..

I'm going to buy another XBOX, and I hope the new one doesn't exhibit this artefact. And I'll probably run the existing XBOX as a dedicated XBOX Live server.

Probably the best bet is to try getting one manufactured this year (2003) ??

 

[Bob Bartlett]

Let me know if the new one has the same problem. I have the warranty on mine. I'm just not confident they could fix the problem.

 

[James_tango]

Sure thing, Bob.

I'll most likely order one next Monday, and soon as I receive, and check it, I'll let you know.

 

[James_tango]

Just an update :

I've found the wierdest thing today. I also have a Sony VPL-11HT LCD projector which I had not used for a while.

I hooked up my XBOX to Sony 11HT, just to see the problem again. The wierd thing was the vertical line artefact on DOA3, and DOAX was not visible on 11HT...

So I checked all my cables again, and tried the XBOX again on my Sharp AQUOS, and Marantz DLP...and saw the artefacts as I expected.

Tried it on Sony 11HT again, the artefacts were not visible at all.

What the hell is this ?? I do not have a clue.
The artefacts are well noticable on Sharp AQUOS, and Marantz DLP projector, but it's not noticable on Sony LCD projector at all.

The artefacts appears on certain displays while it does not on the others....

Now, I am confused !!

 

[Bob Bartlett]

You're killing me! Anymore video displays laying around?
That is strange. Maybe it its a combination of the xbox, game and the right display. You got me confused.

 

[James_tango]

No, that's all I have.

It is indeed very confusing. I am just clueless...