Let me get this straight...VGA->Component...Upscalers? Adapt

[GHII]

I appreciate the help..I was clear on the subject until I started reading the Thread VGA--->HDMI thread and I got even more confused. I just repurchased a DC and I want to hook it up to my Sony Plasma and of course wan the best possible picture I can get. So #1 I need a VGA box. My tv doesnt support VGA (Sony KDE-50XS955) and component would be the best for me to use. So, that said, I need the VGA box from the DC, then from that to another VGA->Component box, then from that to the TV correct? Here is where i got lost....

He mentions having a scaler, if I understood him right if I have a scaler, I could go VGA box-->Scaler-->TV? Because I do happen to have a DVDO box laying around not being used, and if it has a VGA input im in business? And if it DOESNT have one, can I just get a VGA->Component Cable to go from the VGA box to the scaler? Will that work?

Hope I wasnt too confusing, I truly appreciate the help, I cant wait to get back into the DC!


EDIT: I have a DVDO HD+ which only does VGA passthrough & DVI output..So I would need to go VGA box->VGA/Component converter->DVDO->DVI/HDMI cable...wow..

[RMD]

Not worth your trouble. If yout tv doesnt have VGA simply get a svideo cable and move on.

[Nico0020]

i was confused about this earlier and never found out. Since my HDTV does not have VGA support, I can just use the dreamcast Svideo cable and wont have problems with the conversion time? Cause when using standard composite cables (red white yellow) there is lag between what I do and what I see.

[GHII]

Wow, you get lag even with just standard composite huh? I dont think i've ever had that. Well, as easy as S video would be to use instead of the aforementioned setup, I already have the HDMI/DVI cable & the scaler which isnt being used so all I have to get is the VGA box & transcoder. And if I never tried the VGA route I would be playing shenmue always wondering if it could look better. I just hope my plan works ok and the scaler works.

[Christuserloeser]

Not worth your trouble. If yout tv doesnt have VGA simply get a svideo cable and move on.

The problem is the interlaced signal you'd get via S-Video. With a transcoder you could still get a decent progressive signal. From my experience it should be worth the extra money spent on a RGBHV-to-Y'PbPr transcoder.

These should do the job:
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-HDTV-Componen ... 00005T3EP/
http://www.audioauthority.com/product_d ... 60/RGB/5/1

I just hope my plan works ok and the scaler works.

I don't think an external scaler is necessarily needed, as modern HDTVs should have decent enough internal scalers that can upscale a progressive signal to the display's native resolution.

[GHII]

Ok, everything is bought. I went with the VGA box going to the Startech transcoder then using component to the scaler set at 720p (Tv native res), then HDMI to the TV. Right now the DC picture looks a little washed out and eh through the composite, Im really hoping the vga box will really improve the picture to the standard I see in some of the screens i've seen on here, mostly for Shenmue! I might as well use the scaler, DVDO HD+, I swiped it from my parents house, it might as well get some use. Thanks for the help!

[GHII]

Ok, have everything hooked up finally, encountered some problems. After using the VGA box, WOW, it looks great. I have the VGA to Component box, which is then going to my iScan HD+ which is upped to 720p 60hz and I have the S-video doing the same. How, for some reason, none of the games will work with the vga/component input, the dashboard works fine, then the game starts and you can see some of the menu fine, even though it flickers in and out (the iScan keeps going in and out of standby because it intermittently gets a signal from the DC) but after a few flickers it goes completely out, no signal. Then, if I switch over to S-video, it works great through the scaler, but it definitely isnt as sharp as the VGA/component connection. Any idea why the VGA/component is working that way through the scaler?

If I go straight to the TV with the component, it works, but the picture is way off center to the right, with the scaler it centers it and there are only small 1/2"-1" black bars on either side. Thanks for any tips you can give me, I really want to play Shenmue with the VGA cable!

[Christuserloeser]

--- Can you set the iScan HD+ to 'passive mode' or something like that, so it doesn't upscale or de-interlace anything and just sends the Dreamcast's 480p60 signal to your TV ?

Edit: I google'd for it and noticed that the iScan has a VGA input - and also takes RGB/S via it's component inputs, so you could try a simple VGA-to-component cable:
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/vga- ... onent.html

Other than that you could try to connect the iScan via DVI-I to your TV. DVI-I should support analog VGA (via DVI-A).

[GHII]

Thanks for the help. I tried the passthrough but no go, it still does the same thing. I would try the DVI way but my tv only has HDMI, I am actually using a DVI->HDMI cable. I might try the vga to component cable if I cant get it going. Thanks again!

[Christuserloeser]

I would try the DVI way but my tv only has HDMI, I am actually using a DVI->HDMI cable.

Yeah, that won't work. HDMI only works with DVI-D, not DVI-A.

[Christuserloeser]

-Update- Did a bit of research and found a promising VGA-to-HDMI converter for $30 - $50:

http://www.lenkeng.com/EngLish/lkv350.asp

Transform the VGA signal of PC and AUDIO singal into hi-clear HDMI signal output. Transform HD, YpbPr and left, right track singal into hi-clear HDMI signal output.
It can make PC connect with the large screen TV through HDMI channel. It also can make the equipment only have YpbPr output (such as PS2, STB, DVD etc) connect to HDMI channel of large screen TV. It can provdie the necessary services for STB and DVD manufacturer, meanwhile, it can increase HDMI output interface for STB and DVD through increase the VGA, YpbPr transfer to HDMI suit board LKV350 of LenKeng. It not only saves the develop time, but also increases the value of the products fast.

Here's a distributor selling them at ebay: -LINK-

[RMD]

So pretty much what it all comes down to is excatly what I said. Not worth wasting your time on if you dont have a tv with vga.

[Christuserloeser]

Well, having either VGA or DVI-A / DVI-I won't hurt if you want to play Dreamcast on your HDTV.


- Still, that VGA-to-HDMI converter might help those that only have a HDMI / DVI-D port on their TV.

[roxbert]

With a transcoder you could still get a decent progressive signal. From my experience it should be worth the extra money spent on a RGBHV-to-Y'PbPr transcoder.

These should do the job:
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-HDTV-Componen ... 00005T3EP/
http://www.audioauthority.com/product_d ... 60/RGB/5/1

Oh my gosh! Those are so expensive.

I don't understand. There is a $10 VGA to RCA component cable: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FM3EQ0/
What does the $100 VGA to RCA component box do that the $10 cable doesn't?

[|darc|]

With a transcoder you could still get a decent progressive signal. From my experience it should be worth the extra money spent on a RGBHV-to-Y'PbPr transcoder.

These should do the job:
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-HDTV-Componen ... 00005T3EP/
http://www.audioauthority.com/product_d ... 60/RGB/5/1

Oh my gosh! Those are so expensive.

I don't understand. There is a $10 VGA to RCA component cable: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FM3EQ0/
What does the $100 VGA to RCA component box do that the $10 cable doesn't?

It converts from RGB to YPbPr. All that cable does is convert from a VGA plug to RCA plugs. It will not convert from RGB (the VGA format) to YPbPr (the component format). So the cable is only useful if you have a television that supports VGA over component cables, which is very rare.

[roxbert]

Ah, thank you for the clarification, |darc|.