DrunkTigerWoods
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I already have one but I dont like it. Its slightly out of focus and hurts my eyes after long term playing. Anyone have a VGA box and they know its good?(one that is muti-system)
Cheap VGA box
- Thread starter DrunkTigerWoods
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What VGA box are you currently using?
What platform?
CRT or LCD?
Screen size?
Don't know what to recommend without knowing where you are coming from. Lik-Sang.com has a nice chart, hopefully the links will work --
PS2:
http://www.lik-sang.com/comparison.php?item_grp_id=4&
XBox:
http://lik-sang.com/list.php?category=222
There is some cross-over in these two lists, and of course there are GC options as well. "S-Video in," or "VGA in" will give you better results than the VGA boxes that take a plain video signal, so I would defer to boxes that offer better input sources -- garbage in, garbage out.
What platform?
CRT or LCD?
Screen size?
Don't know what to recommend without knowing where you are coming from. Lik-Sang.com has a nice chart, hopefully the links will work --
PS2:
http://www.lik-sang.com/comparison.php?item_grp_id=4&
XBox:
http://lik-sang.com/list.php?category=222
There is some cross-over in these two lists, and of course there are GC options as well. "S-Video in," or "VGA in" will give you better results than the VGA boxes that take a plain video signal, so I would defer to boxes that offer better input sources -- garbage in, garbage out.
I personally own the new Sagestar/Redant YPRwhatever box.
I owned an older Redant box that worked perfect on my 17" CRT, but then I upgraded to a 21" Trinitron, and the picture got way too dark. The new YPRwhatever box has onscreen contrast controls, which are great, but the jump to a 21" monitor has resulted in some loss of sharpness, but that is due to the image having to be bumped up to fill my new 21" screen. So, no matter what sort of VGA box you use, you will still suffer from the hardware limitations of the console itself and the signal it sends out.
I prefer the Sagestar product because I don't need an extra electrical outlet to use it. I actually plug it into my multi-tap instead of my console, which enables me to still have two memory cards ports free, and it keeps the third party device from being plugged directly into my console, though I have never had a problem with either Redant box, and I used the old one my older Playstation (the gray 1) for a couple of years and never had a prob, which is a big deal because the older hardware did not play nice with 3rd party unlicensed hardware.
I owned an older Redant box that worked perfect on my 17" CRT, but then I upgraded to a 21" Trinitron, and the picture got way too dark. The new YPRwhatever box has onscreen contrast controls, which are great, but the jump to a 21" monitor has resulted in some loss of sharpness, but that is due to the image having to be bumped up to fill my new 21" screen. So, no matter what sort of VGA box you use, you will still suffer from the hardware limitations of the console itself and the signal it sends out.
I prefer the Sagestar product because I don't need an extra electrical outlet to use it. I actually plug it into my multi-tap instead of my console, which enables me to still have two memory cards ports free, and it keeps the third party device from being plugged directly into my console, though I have never had a problem with either Redant box, and I used the old one my older Playstation (the gray 1) for a couple of years and never had a prob, which is a big deal because the older hardware did not play nice with 3rd party unlicensed hardware.
DrunkTigerWoods
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What VGA box are you currently using?
(it doesnt have a/v holes, just cables that go into the systems)
What platform?
For PS2 and Xbox
CRT or LCD?
CRT
Screen size?
19"
The games come out slighty blurry and darker on the monitor. Also there is this ghost image of everything. Most people wouldnt see it but I do and it bugs me. If you can tell me if I can fix this or recommend a better one, I would appreciate it.
(it doesnt have a/v holes, just cables that go into the systems)
What platform?
For PS2 and Xbox
CRT or LCD?
CRT
Screen size?
19"
The games come out slighty blurry and darker on the monitor. Also there is this ghost image of everything. Most people wouldnt see it but I do and it bugs me. If you can tell me if I can fix this or recommend a better one, I would appreciate it.
ex0
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I'm also in the market for one of these. This one looks like it fits my needs perfectly, and so does the price.
http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=221&products_id=3235&
http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=221&products_id=3235&
The ones at Lik-Sang are garbage.
There are two good VGA boxes that let you use Hi-Def resolutions. X2VGA, and VD-Z3. I own the VD-Z3 and I've seen the X2VGA, and I've seen the garbage that Redant makes. I highly recommend the VD-Z3, it looks sharp, can convert all HD resolutions to VGA, and works with other things like PS2, progressive scan dvd players, and HDTV tuners. The X2VGA is also excellent but it only works with Xbox, because it connects directly to the back of the Xbox. Be prepared to spend just under $70 for either shipped though. It is worth it though, and the other, cheaper ones are absolute crap.
I use mine on a 20" Sony Trinitron, and wow. Night and Day. The 480p games look 10x better, and the couple of 720p games... just, wow. Trust me, they're worth the extra $20, the crap at Lik-Sang doesn't let you use the High Definition resolutions on the monitor (Lik-Sang is a fine company though).
EDIT: I guess I should have given links. Might be helpful.
http://www.vdigi.com
http://www.x2vga.com
There are two good VGA boxes that let you use Hi-Def resolutions. X2VGA, and VD-Z3. I own the VD-Z3 and I've seen the X2VGA, and I've seen the garbage that Redant makes. I highly recommend the VD-Z3, it looks sharp, can convert all HD resolutions to VGA, and works with other things like PS2, progressive scan dvd players, and HDTV tuners. The X2VGA is also excellent but it only works with Xbox, because it connects directly to the back of the Xbox. Be prepared to spend just under $70 for either shipped though. It is worth it though, and the other, cheaper ones are absolute crap.
I use mine on a 20" Sony Trinitron, and wow. Night and Day. The 480p games look 10x better, and the couple of 720p games... just, wow. Trust me, they're worth the extra $20, the crap at Lik-Sang doesn't let you use the High Definition resolutions on the monitor (Lik-Sang is a fine company though).
EDIT: I guess I should have given links. Might be helpful.
http://www.vdigi.com
http://www.x2vga.com
The Sagestar box is not crap.
It depends on what u want. I bought mine thru http://jandaman.com/ and my requirement was to not have to use another power outlet, and to not have to spend $70. For that, it fits the bill just fine, and it is not "crap."
Because your image is dark, you probably have to replace the box you have.
For ghosting problems, a different computer video cable should fix it nicely -- I had a similar problem with the older Redant box a few years back, and the switch to a different cable fixed it just fine.
It depends on what u want. I bought mine thru http://jandaman.com/ and my requirement was to not have to use another power outlet, and to not have to spend $70. For that, it fits the bill just fine, and it is not "crap."
Because your image is dark, you probably have to replace the box you have.
For ghosting problems, a different computer video cable should fix it nicely -- I had a similar problem with the older Redant box a few years back, and the switch to a different cable fixed it just fine.
[quote name='donssword']The Sagestar box is not crap. [/quote]
Yes it is, and I'll tell you why.
Sagestar (which is Redant, which is crap) and all the other crap do scan doubling. It just displays a standard tv picture on your monitor.
The two I mentioned actually uses the Xbox's HD capability (480p, 720p, 1080i) and displays that on your monitor, which basicly lets your monitor act as an HDTV, while the other crap just lets your monitor function as a regular TV. Major, major difference. Why would you drop $40-50 on crap, when you can get high definition resolutions for $20 more?
Here are a couple of articles which may be helpful.
http://hardware.teamxbox.com/articles/xbox/724/VDZ3-ComponenttoVGA-Transcoder-Review/p1
http://hardware.teamxbox.com/articles/xbox/702/Review-Neoya-X2VGA-High-Definition-VGA-Pack/p1
Yes it is, and I'll tell you why.
Sagestar (which is Redant, which is crap) and all the other crap do scan doubling. It just displays a standard tv picture on your monitor.
The two I mentioned actually uses the Xbox's HD capability (480p, 720p, 1080i) and displays that on your monitor, which basicly lets your monitor act as an HDTV, while the other crap just lets your monitor function as a regular TV. Major, major difference. Why would you drop $40-50 on crap, when you can get high definition resolutions for $20 more?
Here are a couple of articles which may be helpful.
http://hardware.teamxbox.com/articles/xbox/724/VDZ3-ComponenttoVGA-Transcoder-Review/p1
http://hardware.teamxbox.com/articles/xbox/702/Review-Neoya-X2VGA-High-Definition-VGA-Pack/p1
And let us not forget that the Drunken Tiger Woods fella has a PS2 in "addition" to the XBox (not that XBox users generally consider a PS2 a modern gaming console), meaning the XBox "only" device is out of the question.
That being said, the VD-Z3 does look very nice, but I am out of outlets without having to upgrade the electrical in my whole house, and that will end up costing me about $1,500.
All those wishing to contribute to the "DonsSword Gaming Fund to Upgrade Quality Gaming Experiences," please PM me to arrange sending me your non-taxdeductable contribution via PayPal -- then I can be as cool as all the people who don't mind dropping $70 on a VGA box that requires an addtional electrical outlet.
I'm not saying your wrong, I'm just saying some people have different reasons for buying product than you do, and I am not going to continue to insist that the other person's decision to buy crap is a bad decision -- sometimes crap can be good crap.
That being said, the VD-Z3 does look very nice, but I am out of outlets without having to upgrade the electrical in my whole house, and that will end up costing me about $1,500.
All those wishing to contribute to the "DonsSword Gaming Fund to Upgrade Quality Gaming Experiences," please PM me to arrange sending me your non-taxdeductable contribution via PayPal -- then I can be as cool as all the people who don't mind dropping $70 on a VGA box that requires an addtional electrical outlet.
I'm not saying your wrong, I'm just saying some people have different reasons for buying product than you do, and I am not going to continue to insist that the other person's decision to buy crap is a bad decision -- sometimes crap can be good crap.
scdoanintendo
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I actually have this http://viewsonic.com/products/tventertainment/tvvideoprocessors/nextvisionn6/
and it works flawlessly. I know it is a bit expensive, but it allows true high definition. Has a ton of features such as zoom, freeze, and pip. It also makes it easy for using your monitor on the fly between computer and games. I got one off of mwave.com for about $180 shipped.
and it works flawlessly. I know it is a bit expensive, but it allows true high definition. Has a ton of features such as zoom, freeze, and pip. It also makes it easy for using your monitor on the fly between computer and games. I got one off of mwave.com for about $180 shipped.
[quote name='scdoanintendo']I actually have this http://viewsonic.com/products/tventertainment/tvvideoprocessors/nextvisionn6/
and it works flawlessly. I know it is a bit expensive, but it allows true high definition. Has a ton of features such as zoom, freeze, and pip. It also makes it easy for using your monitor on the fly between computer and games. I got one off of mwave.com for about $180 shipped.[/quote]
Wow - that is in a class all by itself. I'll have to start another non-taxdeductable fund to get that baby. Schweet!
and it works flawlessly. I know it is a bit expensive, but it allows true high definition. Has a ton of features such as zoom, freeze, and pip. It also makes it easy for using your monitor on the fly between computer and games. I got one off of mwave.com for about $180 shipped.[/quote]
Wow - that is in a class all by itself. I'll have to start another non-taxdeductable fund to get that baby. Schweet!
Why can't you just use an extension cord or a power strip? If your electrical system can't handle another 6 volts, then it probably should have been upgraded years ago. The Xbox only one does not require external power, however.
Yes, $70 is a lot of money. But if the lower priced alternative is $50 shipped, and the vastly superior product is only $20 more, why bother? $70 for one that supports high definition output is a much much better value than a $50 one that does not.
Buying a low end alternative is one thing. If your happy with it, and it suits your needs, fine. But this is a completely different situation, the difference in price between a crappy scan doubler and one that supports actual high definition output is not very much. If the low end product was $20, I could see where you're coming from. Maybe it is the appropriate solution for you, and nothing against you, but 99% of the people here would be much better off spending the extra $20, and using another outlet is not an issue.
As for the nextvision6, its a high end, high price product. I've seen it, and its very nice. But in my opinion, the two products I mentioned give the best price/performance ratio, and are the best value. The nextvision6 gives better features, but the picture itself is no better than the X2VGA or the VD-Z3.
Look around other forums. You'll see these same two products come up time and time again whenever VGA boxes are brought up.
[quote name='dafoomie']Why can't you just use an extension cord or a power strip? If your electrical system can't handle another 6 volts, then it probably should have been upgraded years ago. [/quote]
I run everything thru a UPS -- 2 CPUs, a 21" monitor, a PS2, A Dreamcast, and a Dr. Bott KVM switchbox. Why would I want to overload the already maxed out UPS and drop a crappy power strip on it? Then it would violate the warranty by exceeding the wattage load, blow the battery, and I would have to buy another UPS, which I am not budgeted for.
He solicited our opinions, and like yourself, I gave my opinion, and the logic behind the decisions I made, which may or may not have a bearing on his decisions -- the value of what I have said will be determined my him.
I do look around the other forums, and I am aware of most of the responses to similar questions. Whenever XBox comes up though, my eyes tend to move on, as I don't "do" XBox, so I am not as readily familiar with the XBox based solutions you propose, which may suit his need entirely fine.
I'm only trying to share with the imbided Mr. Woods that there are other, cheaper paths that can be taken with what some consider to be successful results. In the end, we are both trying to do the same thing -- that is answer his question and share our experience.
I run everything thru a UPS -- 2 CPUs, a 21" monitor, a PS2, A Dreamcast, and a Dr. Bott KVM switchbox. Why would I want to overload the already maxed out UPS and drop a crappy power strip on it? Then it would violate the warranty by exceeding the wattage load, blow the battery, and I would have to buy another UPS, which I am not budgeted for.
He solicited our opinions, and like yourself, I gave my opinion, and the logic behind the decisions I made, which may or may not have a bearing on his decisions -- the value of what I have said will be determined my him.
I do look around the other forums, and I am aware of most of the responses to similar questions. Whenever XBox comes up though, my eyes tend to move on, as I don't "do" XBox, so I am not as readily familiar with the XBox based solutions you propose, which may suit his need entirely fine.
I'm only trying to share with the imbided Mr. Woods that there are other, cheaper paths that can be taken with what some consider to be successful results. In the end, we are both trying to do the same thing -- that is answer his question and share our experience.
Only one of them is an Xbox only solution. Not to argue the point, just to clarify for anyone thinking about it.
Thats true. Its just my opinion that the scan doubling solutions that are $40-$50 are not a good value in comparison to those that provide HD on VGA for $60-$70.
Thats true too, more options and more opinions the better, I'd say. Everyone has different needs that require different solutions.
bread's done