Xbox 360 and Hi-Definition

The Recliner

Hi Guys

Will be getting the Xbox 360 when it comes out

Does anyone know much about Hi-Definition?

I have a fairly new Tv but it isn't Hi-Def ready, now I know the Xbox 360 will still play on it but I was wondering is there some sort of converter you can buy that will display Hi-Def on your TV?

silverlining

No. You need an expensive HiDef TV. Hi Def gives you a much more realistic picture with better resolution, refresh rate and colour depth. The Xbox 1 has hi-def support as well but you need to convert it to NTSC (american) mode to enable it but if you have a HiDef TV or a PC monitor with the right adapter for the xbox you get 480P, 720P and 1080i all of which make a huge difference to the games/xbmc that support them.

HiDef has not taken off in Europe like it has in the States so dont worry you probably wont have to keep up with the jones' just yet

The Recliner

silverlining wrote:

HiDef has not taken off in Europe like it has in the States so dont worry you probably wont have to keep up with the jones' just yet

Have no intention of buying a new TV, just thought I might be able to use some sort of converter to get a good approximation of Hi-Def.

I have a rear projection TV so I thought it might cope with the resolution

Ciaran500

Whats is the make of model of your TV?

Its possible your TV accepts a Hi Def signal but is not "Hi-Def ready" (lacks HDMI).

The Recliner

Ciaran500 wrote:

Whats is the make of model of your TV?

Its possible your TV accepts a Hi Def signal but is not "Hi-Def ready" (lacks HDMI).

Hi

It doesn't have HDMI

It is a Sony KF - 60SX300

Here is a link to a smaller model from the same range

http://www.sony.ie/view/ShowProduct.action?product=KF-42SX300&site=odw_en_IE&category=TVP+Rear+Projection+TV

Thanks

Boco

Well, it seems that your tv accepts VGA input and as far as I know the xbox 360 will output high def signals using its VGA adapter, so it looks like you are good for hi def gaming

The Recliner

Boco wrote:

Well, it seems that your tv accepts VGA input and as far as I know the xbox 360 will output high def signals using its VGA adapter, so it looks like you are good for hi def gaming

Sorry I am a bit thick

A VGA adaptor would plug in where exactly, the S-Vid port or the RGB ports, Scart?

Ciaran500

The one that looks like this:

http://www.ust.hk/itsc/classroom/notebook/photo/notebook_vga_port.jpg

The Recliner

Ciaran500 wrote:

The one that looks like this:

http://www.ust.hk/itsc/classroom/notebook/photo/notebook_vga_port.jpg

I know the VGA cable

What I meant was what port on the TV would it plug into?

silverlining

Ciaran500 just showed you. You'll need one of these for your 360: http://hardware.gamespot.com/Microsoft-Xbox-360-VGA-Video-Cable-18202-O-4-7
The VGA port on your TV is at the rear so plug the av end into the xbox 360 and the vga end into the TV.

There's no progressive scan on your TV which is probably why you thought it didnt support hi-def. You'll only be able to handle the 480i and 720i (you dont have the resolution for 1080i) hi-def video modes. That means you get the same resolution as 480p and 720p but the refresh will be slower and therefore movement on screen will only be as smooth as what you get normally but you will still see a huge difference in picture quality and colour.

Your TV will also display the VGA signal from your PC but you should probably not rush into trying that because your TV only supports 50Hz, most VGA monitors output at 85Hz so if you set the refresh rate too high it may damage your TV. Talk to Sony first to be 100% sure.

skywalker

silverlining wrote:

No. You need an expensive HiDef TV. Hi Def gives you a much more realistic picture with better resolution, refresh rate and colour depth. The Xbox 1 has hi-def support as well but you need to convert it to NTSC (american) mode to enable it but if you have a HiDef TV or a PC monitor with the right adapter for the xbox you get 480P, 720P and 1080i all of which make a huge difference to the games/xbmc that support them.

HiDef has not taken off in Europe like it has in the States so dont worry you probably wont have to keep up with the jones' just yet

Can you elaborate on that a little. Id no idea the xbox 1 had any kind of high def support? Can you get an adapter with DVI connection?

The Recliner

silverlining wrote:

Ciaran500 just showed you. You'll need one of these for your 360: http://hardware.gamespot.com/Microsoft-Xbox-360-VGA-Video-Cable-18202-O-4-7
The VGA port on your TV is at the rear so plug the av end into the xbox 360 and the vga end into the TV.

There's no progressive scan on your TV which is probably why you thought it didnt support hi-def. You'll only be able to handle the 480i and 720i (you dont have the resolution for 1080i) hi-def video modes. That means you get the same resolution as 480p and 720p but the refresh will be slower and therefore movement on screen will only be as smooth as what you get normally but you will still see a huge difference in picture quality and colour.

Your TV will also display the VGA signal from your PC but you should probably not rush into trying that because your TV only supports 50Hz, most VGA monitors output at 85Hz so if you set the refresh rate too high it may damage your TV. Talk to Sony first to be 100% sure.

Thanks for the info

You have all been of great help

I didn;t think there was a VGA port on my TV, the documentation made no mention of it, must have agander at the back of the TV when I get home

Positive news though and thanks for all the info

CiDeRmAn

Believe a lot of people are getting screwed on this Hi Def business, going out and buying a lovely new plasma or lcd tv and not realising the thing has no HDMI, I had a nosey around Dixons and a good no. of the new ones seemed to have the port, I guess it pays to check, especially as Sky is soon to start HD broadcasts.

silverlining

skywalker wrote:

Can you elaborate on that a little. Id no idea the xbox 1 had any kind of high def support? Can you get an adapter with DVI connection?

It does but MS disabled it for PAL xboxes for some reason. Here's how you do it:
1. Buy an X2vga+ adapter from here http://www.x2vga.com/

2. Convert your Xbox's EEPROM to NTSC by using the enigmah video mode switch disc (easiest) or configmagic

3. connect your PC monitor to the xbox using the x2vga

4. The hi-def video modes will now appear in the video settings of the MSdash, the modes available are 480P, 720P and 1080i

Halo2 and a lot of other games run at 480p which is a slightly better resolution than an ordinary TV but the 'p' means it's a progressive scan mode so you get the better refresh and colour depth. Very few games support 720p (better resolution) and tbh I havent seen it working as the flatscreen doesnt support the resolution.

If you want to hook it up to a component progressive scan input on a TV then you need the MS hi-def pack which I think is only available from the states. It will only work if you convert the EEPROM to NTSC first though.

Another thing to know is that MS never paid the licence for Hi-Def progressive scan DVD playback so even with the hi-def cable you wont get progressive scan but you can get prog scan DVD playback working thru the MSdash and DVDx2 by hex-editing the xbe files for both (check the a/v forum on xbox-scene)

The Recliner

Checked the back of the TV last night and it does indeed have a VGA port

Will order one of those cables listed above and then Happy Days hopefully.

I find it strange that Sony try to hide this port in their literature, they mention VGA connection in their specs but when you look at the list of ports it makes no mention of it and in the pictures in the manual it is almost cut out of them. It is only referenced once in the manual and even then it makes no mention of what could be connected to it when all the other ports have little diagrams and stuff.

Would this be common practice, include a port but not brag about it in your user manual?

Sidane

CiDeRmAn wrote:

Believe a lot of people are getting screwed on this Hi Def business, going out and buying a lovely new plasma or lcd tv and not realising the thing has no HDMI, I had a nosey around Dixons and a good no. of the new ones seemed to have the port, I guess it pays to check, especially as Sky is soon to start HD broadcasts.

Read about this in the Sunday Times a few weeks back - a lot of stores in the UK selling supposed "HDTV ready" screens with no HDMI interface.

Buyer beware!!

JacoStanley

Sidane wrote:

Read about this in the Sunday Times a few weeks back - a lot of stores in the UK selling supposed "HDTV ready" screens with no HDMI interface.

Buyer beware!!

They're HD ready if they have a DVI or HDMI port. What we're getting now is more HD monitors rather than TV's as they haven't got the HD tuners built into them.

Sparky

well im planning on getting a new 32" lcd and since im in the buisness of know how i made sure it has the HDMI and all others like DVI etc, so it will pair great with the xbox360.
twill also make a good replacment for our aging 28" tv.

Sparky

JacoStanley wrote:

They're HD ready if they have a DVI or HDMI port. What we're getting now is more HD monitors rather than TV's as they haven't got the HD tuners built into them.

yeah the common mix up and what people dont know is that if it has HD ready it should either have HDMI or DVI or (DVI-C for copy protection) or both.

Most screens have HD compatable which means its not classed as a hd tv as such but means its capable of displaying HD images(so technically a laptop and vga screen is a HD capable display) ie because it has a screen of 1280x 720, this is where most people get mixed up.
So the rule is look for HD Ready not HD compatable.