Deals on LCD Monitors (that support HD video cables)? *Solved! Mods: Lock*

[Bravelionheart]

Hey all. I'm trying to find a good deal on a good flat-panel LCD monitor that could also serve as an HDTV for my soon-to-be Xbox 360, as my monitor doesn't seem to have VGA-in/compsite HD-in/HDMI-in ports.

(As a side question, I have this: http://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-A90F%2b-PerfectFlat-CRT-Monitor/dp/B000099SL3/ref=sr_11_1/104-3761739-0771965?ie=UTF8 and would like to know if it can support VGA-in from the 360 so I can save myself a lot of money, time, and trouble. It doesn't seem to though, and thus, this query.)

I prefer widescreen (16:9) over fullscreen (4:3) and the cheaper the better, but I want something that'll last me a while and won't fall apart right away either.

Thanks!

 

[redink1]

Almost any monitor, including the ViewSonic you linked to, is compatible with the 360 VGA Cable. The 360 only ships with RCA and Component outputs, though, and the VGA cable will cost you around $40 (less with google checkout).

The Microsoft-branded VGA cable (not sure about the off-brand) includes a little gender changer so that it works with monitors that don't have a VGA-in port in the back and only have a VGA cable leading out of it (like your monitor). It also includes an adapter from the RCA red/white cables to a standard 3.5 mm male plug.

The only monitors that wouldn't be compatible are A) DVI-only (and you could probably use some sort of adaptor to get around that) or B) don't support 640x480, 848x480, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x768, 1280x1024, or 1360x768. You would probably want to run at 1280x1024.

You may want to check out Team Xbox's review for more information.

I received my cable less than a week ago, and there are a couple downsides. On a 4x3 monitor, most games will force you to play widescreen by adding black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. And, at least one game looked bad, the recent demo for Need for Speed Carbon, which seemed to stretch from 640x480 up to 1280x1024.

 

[Bravelionheart]

Oh wow. Thanks a ton then dude. All the guys at CompUSA and Viewsonic Tech support were clueless about it.

I'll go ahead and order it then. Many thanks.