Question: GC Component Cable? (1 Viewer)

[Adrian_S]

Hi Gang, is Nintendo the only place to get the component video cable adapter for my Gamecube? Are there no third party cables, cheaper? Or how about a pin-out diagram so I can make my own?

I use the S-Video right now, but I got component out for my Xbox and PS2. I paid $6.95 for my PS2 component cable and $10.95 for my xbox av/pack. Nintendo want's like $37 shipped.

Since were on the subject, did they ever make any component cables for the Dreamcast?

Thanks,

Adrian

 

[Masood Ali]

Try looking on eBay for the component cables, or scan message boards. I got mine for $25 shipped.

Yes, Nintendo is currently the only place you can buy them from. No third parties yet.

One thing to consider about making your own cable: where will you get the male connector that goes into the Digital AV Out port on the back of your Gamecube?

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Believe it or not, the 'digital' out of the Gamecube is actually a digital out (I don't know what standard...DVI with a custom connector?), unlike the PS2 and XBox.
The cable has a D/A chip in the connector, this chip converts the digital out to analog component video.
You can actually jumper some of the pins on this D/A chip and get RGB/VGA!
Anyhow, because the Gamecube cable is actually 'smart', you'll never find it as cheap as for the other systems.
From GamesX message board:

Nintendo named D/Component cable connector as "Digital A/V out". It is acctualy "digital". Pallareled digital video siganl out with clock, and even S/PDIF audio out. In Component/D-Terminal connector there is a custom made mixed cercuit D/A converter. Made by Macronics(MX-IC). But I don't know who desigend that. It has capability of component/RGB out.
This D/A converter looks so smart. In component mode, it will produce component siginal(YPbPr) and sync on Y. In RGB mode, D/A shut off sync on video signal but can get from another pin.
What a design!...

Hmm, maybe we'll see a 2.0 cable with digital out (2-channel PCM, likely)

 

[Adrian_S]

Drat! I knew this cable wasn't a normal thing... I will check ebay, if not then I'm gonna have to bite the bullet at Nintendo.

 

[Matt DeVillier]

on that message board post that Michael linked to above, there is a circuit diagram for converting the raw digital audio stream into a SPDIF one - anyone give it a try yet? I'm thinking of doing it if I can locate the necessary IC cheaply enough

 

[Doug Schiller]

I've been on the same quest.
Pelican actually lists a component cable for the Gamecube but suprise, no one has it in stock. I think it is like $19.99.
http://www.pelicanacc.com/search/detailed.php?id=116
I hate spending $37 at Nintendo for something that should be sold everywhere for not more than $20.
Doug

 

[Derek.Dixon]

Lets just hope Monster Cable gets off their butts and puts out a component video cable it would get alot of use Nintendo reuses all thier old a/v ports' the one on the N64 is now the cube's analog port.