X2VGA: First Impressions

[Jeremy Pallant]

Even before I received my XSELECT-D4 I had, via email, been made aware of a product called the X2VGA. Basically, I ignored the product. However after Lawrence was kind enough to publish my XSELECT-D4 review, I received another email from the same person waxing lyrical about the X2VGA. The claim was made that it equaled image quality from a Dreamcast equipped with a VGA Adapter.

Such a claim could not go unexamined.

I visited the product's webpage, and ordered one. I picked it up from my local post office today, and once I got it home, lost no time putting it to work.

Basically, it's an XBox only, component to VGA transcoder, equipped with a bodge to kinda handle interlaced signals.

Y'all ain't interested in interlaced video are you? What, you cry, was the progressive signal like?

Bloody marvelous.

Seriously.

It's actually a tad better than the XSELECT-D4. Color quality is the same, but the graphics are just that important bit crisper. Of course, unlike the Micomsoft product, it can only handle one specific console; the XBox.

Is it as good as the video signal from a Dreamcast, however? As of this writing I've not had the chance to do a comparison. Based on memory, and a recent comparison of Halo via XSELECT-D4 and Quake III Arena on the DC, I'd say not.

The interlaced signal is handled....weirdly. You can at least view the dashboard, courtesy of the "Screen Shift" button, but not the whole thing at once. Image quality is crap. Worse than RF. Hell, RF is paradise in comparison. Furthermore you can't view the whole thing at once, you have to keep hitting "Screen Shift" to see more of the screen.

If they went to all that trouble, couldn't they have incorporated a cheap line doubler activated by a button push?

Basically, if you only own an XBox, don't care about the dashboard, playing DVDs, or those few games that only support interlaced scan (Hitman 2), and own a VGA monitor, you need an X2VGA. At $65 (plus S&H), it's fantastic value.

A full review is forthcoming, regardless if y'all are interested, probably in the New Year. Right now I have a backlog. In it I will attempt a more detailed comparison with the Dreamcast.

[benzaldehyde]

Fascinating. I'd been considering such a purchase, but at that price I had no inkling of image quality. Thanks.

You have far too much money, don't you?

[Jeremy Pallant]

You have far too much money, don't you?

I wish.

No, it's just a hobby, and I like to write.

[benzaldehyde]

Hi all,

    I just received this item yesterday. After jumping up and down on it, I finally got a good picture. Colors are sharp and the picture is solid. However, I notice some shimmering across the screen in a slanted, horizontal direction. Perhaps there is not completely adequate shielding? Has anyone else noticed this effect? Just want to make sure mine isn't defective. Thanks!

[benzaldehyde]

Update! I've always wanted to use that...

Some further digging has turned up some other X2VGA users in a similar situation. A suggestion was thrown out that MS replaced the Conexant chip in later models (1.4, 1.5), instead using a Focus chip. Not too sure what this entails, but it might be why the device works well on most models, but not the newer ones. Hope Neoya has some solution...

[Jopapa]

Be nice to know which games do and don't support progressive scan. I'd get it as long as I knew I didn't want any of the non-interlaced games  B)  

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

AFAIK like 90%+ of the games support atleast 480p

[benzaldehyde]

Hey guys,

Might I reccomend www.hdgames.net . That place is great.

On the X2VGA front, I've come to a disappointing conclusion. The X2VGA doesn't work perfectly, though I don't think it any fault of Neoya. On my XBox, the colors are slightly washed out and there is a diagonal shimmering pattern that couldn't be caused by EM interference. However, when I tried it on my friend's XBox (built 6/2002), the picture is rock solid and there is no shimmering at all. Apparently, M$ changed something in the build, resulting in a slight offset that provides a good picture with the X2VGA, but terribly imperfect by comparison with the other XBox models. This irks me to no end, and I'm preparing a letter to Neoya to inform them of this. Perhaps they have a solution.

So, be careful. Apparently, new Boxes don't like to play nice with this otherwise nifty device. Check your born-on date, or check XBox-Scene.com to identify your XBox type.

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

what version is yours?  *crosses his fingers and hopes it's not 1.3*

[benzaldehyde]

Actually, you shouldn't worry. I've read that the X2VGA works perfectly on versions 1.0-1.3. I think mine is a 1.4, which has come to piss me off to no end. I still haven't heard from Neoya, either. Oh well, perhaps I should be looking to give Audio Authority a call?  :blink:  Check around the forums at xbox-scene.com; that's where I found my information.