Penny Arcade Forums› Games and Technology› Moe's Stupid Technology Tavern
The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.

S-Video / Component / HDMI connection for Xbox360?

TheCanManTheCanMan GT: Gasman122009JerseyRegistered User regular
edited January 2010 in Moe's Stupid Technology Tavern
Right now I just have the standard vga hookup for my 360. I'm not using it to play DVDs, so is it worth it to replace the vga with either an S-Video, component, or HDMI cable?

TheCanMan on

Posts

  • elliotw2elliotw2 Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    HDMI or Component are good if you are connecting to to a HDTV, S-video if you're connecting it to some trash TV you dug out of the garbage.

    Also: "standard vga hookup"? I thought that it came with composite cables?

    elliotw2 on
    camo_sig2.pngXBL:Elliotw3|PSN:elliotw2
  • TheCanManTheCanMan GT: Gasman122009 JerseyRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    elliotw2 wrote: »
    HDMI or Component are good if you are connecting to to a HDTV, S-video if you're connecting it to some trash TV you dug out of the garbage.

    Also: "standard vga hookup"? I thought that it came with composite cables?

    Maybe I should take another look at the back of my TV. I thought it was vga, but now I'm not so sure. :oops:

    TheCanMan on
  • DranythDranyth Surf ColoradoRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Well, the standard hookup *used* to be the weird component/composite hybrid cable that could be set to either Standard or HDTV with a switch on the base.

    The VGA hookup was a separately purchased cable altogether.

    But I don't know what actually ships with new Xbox 360s now or when this particular one was purchased.

    Dranyth on
  • LunkerLunker Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I'm using VGA right now (the same plug as a computer monitor) on my HDTV for my 360 and the connection is awesome.

    If you're unsure what you're using (and VGA certainly isn't standard with any model of 360), look at how many plugs are on the other end of the cable. 3 plugs (Red, White and Yellow) is composite, 3 plugs (Red, White and Black) is S-Video and 5 plugs is component.

    The general quality scale is composite < S-Video < component, with VGA and HDMI being really similar to component so the best depends on your individual setup. I compared a VGA connection with component and settled on VGA because everything felt sharper, even though the colors weren't as saturated.

    Lunker on
    Tweet my Face: @heyitslunker | Save money at CheapAssGamer (not an affiliate link)
  • TheCanManTheCanMan GT: Gasman122009 JerseyRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    I just got an Elite. The cable that it shipped with was a tri-plug R/W/Y. I thought that was a VGA hookup. It is plugged into a 5-year-old HDTV with connections for all of the available cables. Do you think I'd see any appreciable benefit to buying a Component or HDMI cable?

    TheCanMan on
  • DranythDranyth Surf ColoradoRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    TheCanMan wrote: »
    I just got an Elite. The cable that it shipped with was a tri-plug R/W/Y. I thought that was a VGA hookup. It is plugged into a 5-year-old HDTV with connections for all of the available cables. Do you think I'd see any appreciable benefit to buying a Component or HDMI cable?

    That would be an RCA standard cable. Since you're not even displaying in HD with that, you'd most definitely see a major difference upgrading that connection to Component/HDMI/VGA. You would actually then be able to display in HD resolutions, which you are not currently with an RCA connection.

    Dranyth on
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2010
    TheCanMan wrote: »
    I just got an Elite. The cable that it shipped with was a tri-plug R/W/Y. I thought that was a VGA hookup. It is plugged into a 5-year-old HDTV with connections for all of the available cables. Do you think I'd see any appreciable benefit to buying a Component or HDMI cable?

    360 VGA cable looks like this:

    optical.jpg

    You are not getting HD out of the Y/R/W plugs. That's composite. Which maxes out at 640x480.

    HDMI, Component, and VGA can go to 1280x1080 on the Xbox

    FyreWulff on
  • DranythDranyth Surf ColoradoRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    1920x1080 would be the proper full HD resolution at this time I do believe.

    Dranyth on
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited January 2010
    This content has been removed.

  • DranythDranyth Surf ColoradoRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    You are correct, and I didn't think of correcting that. It occurs to me that Fyre probably isn't playing on a widescreen aspect screen, thus the reason for the dimensions he's giving. So in that respect, he's right.

    Dranyth on
  • Vargas PrimeVargas Prime King of Nothing Just a ShowRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Just go to monoprice.com and shell out $5 for an HDMI cable. It's worth it.

    Just DON'T go to an electronics store and spend $30-40 on the cables they sell. They are blatantly overpriced just to gouge people for extra cash when they're buying new TVs or media players, and the retailer knows that they will probably need cables to hook up their fancy new toys.

    Vargas Prime on
    Laffseq_zps034ab3a6.gif
    sketchyblargh / Steam! / Tumblr Prime
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2010
    Dranyth wrote: »
    You are correct, and I didn't think of correcting that. It occurs to me that Fyre probably isn't playing on a widescreen aspect screen, thus the reason for the dimensions he's giving. So in that respect, he's right.

    I was just quoting the general numbers. Specifics aren't important in this case.

    FyreWulff on
  • bakatrinhbakatrinh Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    VGA and hdmi are about the same when it comes to visual quality. I'd lean toward VGA for hdtv though because you won't get any screen lag. The tv assumes you are trying to use it as a pc monitor and removes all filters and effects. Which means the signal goes to the tv faster which means less lag. Some tv have an option to set this "pc mode" for hdmi connections too, but not all of them. Screen lag is only important for online play. I play mw2 with VGA and it helps a lot.

    bakatrinh on
    bakatrinh.png
  • TheCanManTheCanMan GT: Gasman122009 JerseyRegistered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Thanks everyone! That's pretty much exactly what I was assuming, but just didn't want to shell out the (admittedly rather meager) money for a new cable if I didn't have to.

    TheCanMan on
  • LunkerLunker Registered User regular
    edited January 2010
    Vargas Prime wrote: »
    Just go to monoprice.com and shell out $5 for an HDMI cable. It's worth it.

    Just DON'T go to an electronics store and spend $30-40 on the cables they sell. They are blatantly overpriced just to gouge people for extra cash when they're buying new TVs or media players, and the retailer knows that they will probably need cables to hook up their fancy new toys.

    I also bought my 360 VGA cable from monoprice for maybe $10-ish. Totally a worthwhile investment.

    Lunker on
    Tweet my Face: @heyitslunker | Save money at CheapAssGamer (not an affiliate link)
Sign In or Register to comment.
Penny Arcade Forums› Games and Technology› Moe's Stupid Technology Tavern