Console gaming on computer

[tigersty1e]

So how would an Xbox360 or PS3 look on a 22" (1680 x 1050) computer monitor?

 

[BlueWeasel]

I've wondered this myself.

 

[novasatori]

as good as it would look on a 22" 1680x1050 TV

 

[hdeck]

hdmi -> dvi converter i suppose

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: hdeck
hdmi -> dvi converter i suppose

Or VGA cable, though that will be a little fuzzier. Still looks good though. I ran my Xbox on my 20", 1680x1050 computer monitor for a while and it was just fine.

 

[Gaard]

First, my apologies to tigersty1e for using his thread to ask a few questions. It didn't seem appropiate to start a nerw topic when the questions seemed to belong in this one.

I purchased a 360 for my son for Christmas and, for available space reasons, was just wondering if it's possible to hook up his 360 to his computer monitor without disconnecting his computer. Do they make some kind of VGA (15 pin) splitter so the computer can be connected at the same time as the 360?

Also, his monitor is a 19" KDS CRT without integratted audio. If I used this monitor for his 360, where would he get sound?

Lastly, the KDS has a fixed VGA cable on it...the cable doesn't come off. Not sure if this matters or not.


Mike

 

[Raduque]

tigersty1e, the 360 is optimized for 16:9 TV resolutions. It'll output it's closest resolution and your monitor will scale it, if it can. It'll look a little fuzzy if you use a stretch mode, but it'll be pixel-perfect if you do a "centered timings"* mode (the xbox resolution best for your monitor will be 1280x720 scaled up. The newest update may even actually support 16:10 resolutions but I could be (and usually am) wrong.


Gaard, running through a VGA splitter/switchbox is going to degrade the signal. I don't recommend it, but it can be done.

As for your second point, you'd need a set of speakers with a set of red/white RCA inputs - or an RCA-Stereo minijack converter for plain old computer speakers.

Thirdly, the VGA switchbox will have two(or more) inputs that you connect the 360/computer to, and one output that you'd connect the monitor to. The box takes care of the gender changing for you.



*I don't know what this mode could be called on your monitor. It would be the mode that keeps the black bars all the way around, only using the actual pixels requested by the input signal.

 

[mc866]

I've been using my 360 on my 22" lcd as of late and it works great, the new dashboard update added support for the 1680 X 1050 and it scales nicely. I have my pc hooked up at the same time also. The 360 goes through the VGA and the PC goes through the DVI. In order to get audio you need to be able to plug the L/R cables up to a set of speakers.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Originally posted by: Gaard
First, my apologies to tigersty1e for using his thread to ask a few questions. It didn't seem appropiate to start a nerw topic when the questions seemed to belong in this one.

I purchased a 360 for my son for Christmas and, for available space reasons, was just wondering if it's possible to hook up his 360 to his computer monitor without disconnecting his computer. Do they make some kind of VGA (15 pin) splitter so the computer can be connected at the same time as the 360?

Also, his monitor is a 19" KDS CRT without integratted audio. If I used this monitor for his 360, where would he get sound?

Lastly, the KDS has a fixed VGA cable on it...the cable doesn't come off. Not sure if this matters or not.


Mike

Most newer monitors have a VGA port and a DVI port so you can easily switch back and forth, obviously this probably isn't an option for your older CRT, but it's worth the thought of putting money into a newer monitor vs VGA spliting equipment.

The VGA cable supplies audio via 2 RCA jacks (Red and White), since VGA doens't carry any audio itself. So your audio is still going to be sererate from the vidio signal.

Since the monitor has a fixed cable, you will need an adapter to connect a Male to a Male VGA cable, but i believe this comes with the MS branded VGA cable.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Originally posted by: Raduque
tigersty1e, the 360 is optimized for 16:9 TV resolutions. It'll output it's closest resolution and your monitor will scale it, if it can. It'll look a little fuzzy if you use a stretch mode, but it'll be pixel-perfect if you do a "centered timings"* mode (the xbox resolution best for your monitor will be 1280x720 scaled up. The newest update may even actually support 16:10 resolutions but I could be (and usually am) wrong.


Gaard, running through a VGA splitter/switchbox is going to degrade the signal. I don't recommend it, but it can be done.

As for your second point, you'd need a set of speakers with a set of red/white RCA inputs - or an RCA-Stereo minijack converter for plain old computer speakers.

Thirdly, the VGA switchbox will have two(or more) inputs that you connect the 360/computer to, and one output that you'd connect the monitor to. The box takes care of the gender changing for you.



*I don't know what this mode could be called on your monitor. It would be the mode that keeps the black bars all the way around, only using the actual pixels requested by the input signal.

That would be called 1 to 1 pixel mapping....I think.

 

[DarkThinker]

I have a one Samsung SyncMaster 225BW 22" LCD I have it hooked up to my assortment of computers through a 4 port VGA USB KVM switch, while my PS3 is connected to it via an HDMI to DVI cable (3') I simply switch in between DVI and VGA to play.
I love how I can play 1080P games @1080P while my max resolution is 1680x1050. I assume that my monitor automatically handles the scaling. But I don't see anything wrong with the picture at all it looks purely awesome just like the 720p games if not a bit better. Matter of fact, when I am playing 1080P games, my monitor resolution reading reads 1920x1080 not 1680x1050 and it gives me a warning every time my PS3 turns on that 1920x1080 is not an optimal resolution but it's a minor annoyance.

 

[coldmeat]

I had mine plugged in using the VGA cable to my HP 22" 1680x1050 monitor for about a year and it looked pretty good. I had the resolution set to 1280x1024, but apparently there are more supported resolutions now.