Best (and cheapest...) way to connect consoles to an LCD monitor?

[BrunoPuntzJones]

So I finally got around to getting a PS2 and will have some free time soon so want to go back and play some Dreamcast games as well.

Have a 19" Acer LCD right now (1280x1024) that I'd prefer to run my systems through instead of the TV (dual monitors, so can browse the internets, watch tv, and play games at the same time, weee). This would be using a VGA in.

What I'd like to connect (not necessarily at the same time):

Xbox (have the HD pack for it)
PS2
Dreamcast

Would prefer to connect them at the best res

Best I can figure right now is:

Get the VGA adapter for the Dreamcast
Get a component to VGA upscaler like the X2VGA or VDZ3 for the PS2 and Xbox and just go component for those 2.

Only problem is from what I've read is that the PS2 won't output a lot of the time to these things since they only output at 480i most of the time.

Any troof to that?

Anyone running a similar setup?

My LCD doesn't support component over VGA, just RBG.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

without some kind of upscaling they'll all look ****** on a tft.

i remember playing my PS2 through my TV card... 480 interlaced on a TFT was not nice, even when i played it in a small window. i actually went out an got a cheap 14inch tv to play it on instead thats how disgusted i was. worked out cheaper than buying a VGA box thing.

( i was using composite video btw)

im not convinced its gonna be worht your while doing this. for xbox maybe because they can do 480p. but the rest... nah, they loook best on SDTV's because thats what they were designed for.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Don't bother, man: it looks like turd.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

you should get a dell flat panel that has multiple inputs. you can use component for the systems that support it and svideo for everything else. it doesnt look THAT bad. iv done it.

 

[Peter]

All that "upscaling" stuff is just clever marketing anyway. Why? Because all, yes all LCD monitors and TVs that have some sort of analog input also do have a scaler unit. It just doesn't matter whether you're upscaling at the source or at the destination - in fact, the scaler in the destination (the screen) has a much better idea of how things are going to look good on this particular screen.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Ayeeeeee

I know it's going to look crappy. I know the monitors can upscale.

The problem is the monitor not taking 480i component over VGA.

I don't really want to have to replace 2 monitors with more expensive ones just so I can play a $15 PS2 game. Just want to use my existing set up without using the tv.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

^^

 

[IlllI]

might want to consider something like this. you can run them at higher res and apply different shaders to make the games look better.

 

[duragezic]

The PS2 emulator requires an extremely high-end, dual core computer to be somewhat playable from what I've heard. And the game compatibility just isn't there yet for a lot of the best games.

The X2VGA looks great for the Xbox but it is very pricey. Supposedly they say all but the oldest Xbox games output 480p or better.

So I use my Xbox hooked up to my 2005FPW via composite. Yes the image is pretty bad, but when you sit far away like you would with a TV, the difference is not that great. Some games look better than others though. Games like Ninja Gaiden that have excellent graphics on the Xbox seem to suffer the most over composite.

I would think a Dreamcast at 480i or via composite wouldn't be that bad if you sat far enough away.

Not sure about the PS2.

 

[IlllI]

well i dont think there is going to be perfect solution for this. these older games were not originally made to be played at higher resolutions.

 

[Matt2]

The only viable way to do console gaming on an LCD computer monitor IMO is to buy an XBOX 360 and use the VGA cable (Or buy a new monitor with component inputs). I cant even begin to describe to you what my games look like at 1920x1080. Simply amazing.

Your choices for older systems is extremely limited unless you have component inputs on your monitor. Composite or S-Video is the only way you're going to be able to do it and trust me you'll wish you hadn't. Right before I bought my 360, I had the original xbox hooked up to my 20007wfp via composite and I wanted to throw up every time I played.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Originally posted by: Matt2
The only viable way to do console gaming on an LCD computer monitor IMO is to buy an XBOX 360 and use the VGA cable (Or buy a new monitor with component inputs).

If you can get God of War to run on it, lemme know !

I'm really only doing this for the PS2 and a few games, anything else is just gravy.

I'm getting a Dreamcast VGA adapter. Already have what is necessary to get an Xbox on a monitor. Only thing is the PS2. I guess I may try using an LCD TV Box from KWorld I've had a while and don't use anymore. It'll do SVideo to VGA. Will look like ass, but don't really care. Just want to play.