HDMI and Dreamcast

Post by **Quzar** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 5:39 am

Ok, I havn't really done much research yet, but my mom recently showed me the instruction book to the 73 inch HDTV she just bought and after jumping for joy, i looked at it and saw it had no vga input (Dreamcast) but does have HDMI. Is there any way I could get a signal better than S-vid on this?

(can't wait to try Rez on that monster :drools: )

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:23 am

do you have component input on your tv? if so, just get a vga box for the DC and then get a vga>component converter and go that route.

zman · Post by **zman** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 9:42 am

You know, I never thought of this until I read the post. Eventually all T.V.'s well be devoide of vga capabilities. The vga box does not work for all the games. There has to be a simple solution like going through a cable box or dvd player or vcr. As far as I know they should all have the vga capability.

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 11:38 am

Im sure you could buy a convert box, but they won't be cheap. Might as well use RGB if you can

Prophet][ · Post by **Prophet][** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:39 pm

it seems you can make hdmi to dvi converter quite easy, but depending what pins it uses it may not be easy to make a dvi to vga converter in this case.

http://www.starbursthomepage.com/xdrawingXHDMI.htm

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 10:46 pm

like i said above, try going the component route. reason being is that the dreamcast/vga is analog and dvi/hdmi is digital. without an expensive converter, your not going to get far. with component, your going from an analog source to an analog source so there should be cheap solutions out there to go from vga to component (you may even be able to use those little vga>component dongles used for ati cards).

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:09 am

What video encoder(s) does the Dreamcast use?

ILAMtitan · Post by **ILAMtitan** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 10:25 am

The dreamcast default outputs an analog signal, since at the time digital out wasnt even arround in home televisions. Only recently witht the xbox360 are we seeing digital output stock on a console. That being said, we can look at what the dreamcast is capable of outputting. We all know that stock composite, vga, and svideo are all options. The thing you should probably do is since the vga and component video both use a simmilar signal, you can get a conversion cable to easily move from vga to component. Make sure that you dont pick up a cable that is made for certain video cards however, since they typicaly use the unused pins on a vga port to support the use of the other cables. It is probably possible as well to actualy hardwire in component video into the DC, much like the vga boxes that everyone loves.

BlackAura · Post by **BlackAura** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:14 pm

Check if the TV also has DVI input. DVI is capable of carrying both digital signals (in the same format as HDMI), and analog signals (in the same format as VGA). If the TV has DVI input and can accept analog DVI signals, then you can hook the DC up using a cheap VGA->DVI adapter. If it only has HDMI, then there's not a lot you can do about it.

I take it that US TVs don't have SCART cables? RGB SCART would be the second best choice.

Post by **Quzar** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 5:25 am

it only has HDMI, I would have already done something if it had DVI

.

On a sidenote, is the DAC for video a seperate unit that could possibly be tampered with? (possible crazily awsome mod)

HomerCIDAL · Post by **HomerCIDAL** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 2:15 pm

I've also heard of HDMI/DVI converter cables. Would that get you a little closer?

Post by **Quzar** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 4:09 pm

no, because they convert to digital dvi which is much harder to convert vga into.

at this point i'm probably gonna go out tomorrow or something and look for a vga->component cable and spend some christmas dough on it.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 5:03 pm

I remember seeing some vga to component cables awhile back. They were around $120 though.

Post by **Quzar** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 11:24 pm

... ebay says 10$. it doesn't need any hardware from what i read, it's just straight through some pins to the cables.

Prophet][ · Post by **Prophet][** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 11:48 pm

Thomas wrote:I remember seeing some vga to component cables awhile back. They were around $120 though.

you sure that wasn't vga to composite. vga is pretty much component with extra signals for syncs and the like.

Tall Israeli · Post by **Tall Israeli** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 12:35 am

Why not just hook up the Dreamcast to a vga adapter and run the vga cable into a vga to hdmi converter cable and then into the television? And 82'?! Jesus christ. Is it 1080p?

semicolo · Post by **semicolo** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 8:54 am

isn't hdmi just digital ?

HomerCIDAL · Post by **HomerCIDAL** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:57 am

semicolo wrote:isn't hdmi just digital ?

Yes...It is basically DVI with the audio signal carried on the same cable.

semicolo · Post by **semicolo** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:12 am

well some dvi plugs have got digital and analog signals.