PAL XBOX Dumps HD Support... NOOOOOO!!!! (1 Viewer)

[DeanWalsh]

PAL gamers get screwed once again.
Looks like I'll be getting an NTSC box then.

I've heard PAL Gamecube won't have Prog scan support either.

 

[Dave F]

Wow, that really sucks. Where'd you see this?

-Dave

 

[Gary King]

There isn't an official progressive scan standard in PAL territories outside of the UK, so PAL Xboxen from everywhere other than the UK have progressive output disabled.

However, the VGA transcoder box (I forget the URL, but it has been on IGN's front page for a while) *does* get a progressive scan image from any PAL Xboxen.

 

[DeanWalsh]

However, the VGA transcoder box (I forget the URL, but it has been on IGN's front page for a while) *does* get a progressive scan image from any PAL Xboxen.

Would it be possible to mod this to output to a prog.scan tv? I had the vga box for dc and while the picture was fantastic I got sick of playing games on my tiny 17" monitor and without my HT setup.

 

[Rob Lutter]

Would it be possible to mod this to output to a prog.scan tv?

In theory, you could buy a VGA -> Component box... and it would allow you to use your HT setup. I don't know if this would work though... you have to ask others that have tried it.

 

[Bjoern Roy]

Gary,

However, the VGA transcoder box (I forget the URL, but it has been on IGN's front page for a while) *does* get a progressive scan image from any PAL Xboxen.

If you mean Link Removed box or the like, they are mear linedoublers and the quality is beyond terrible. There are several of such solutions out, usually rather cheap, but they aren't worse a dime. Non of them use the progressive YUV signal as a basis for transcoding.
Dean,
the european PAL XBox has the same problem. The US component HDTV pack doesn't work in progressive mode on the PAL XBox.
BUT you still have 2 options:
a) The US HDTV pack can be modified (or be bought pre-modified) so that it works with the PAL XBox in 480p. Its a bit different than with the US XBox, though. When you use that modified HDTV pack, the output will be component 480p, nothing else.
It doesn't support 720p or 1080i yet, which doesn't currently matter since there aren't any games to support those rez's anyway. The PAL XBox doesn't have the 'progressive' dashbox that the US XBox has, where you can enable/disable 480p/720p/1080i.
The whole dashboard, like on the US XBox, is only 480i, and thus doesn't work with the modified HDTV pack.
So basically, with the modified HDTV pack, your games will boot directly into 480p. If you want to make changes in the dashboard, use any interlace connection. This pack seems to have a 480i/576i RGB Scart connector as well (don't know whether you folks in AUS have Scart like we do here in Europe).
This modified pack is from Digital-X (Germany) and is called 'Advance DX Pack'.
b) The same company has now also developed the only REAL direct VGA Box. Its called XVGA Box.
Same rules as with the modified HDTV pack, only that this box outputs RGB progressive (VGA) instead of YUV progressive. Here is a description of the VGA box in english.
Both seem to be available for international order: http://www.digital-x.de/news/xvga_bo..._box_order.htm.
I haven't tried any of these 2 products, but i have read several happy comments from german users.
The one thing i don't know is, whether when you connect either of these devices, if the output is indeed '480p' as the page suggests (at 60hz) or if its actually '576p' in 50hz.
Maybe they used '480p' simply as an indication of the signal being progressive.
Hope this helps. If any of you guys need some more stuff translated from the page, let me know.
Bjoern

 

[DeanWalsh]

Thanks Bjoern... certainly a few options there

 

[Richard Hardbattle]

Did anybody take either of these German options? I have a VGA input on my UK HD projector......

Rich