best setup to play console on computer

[cpmer]

I was wondering what you guys think is the best way to go about playing a console on a computer crt monitor using the computer speakers as well. I thought something like this Video Game Jockey would be the best but come to find out i recieved a broken unit because it made my screen all blurry. But the more im reading up on this product ive noticed it might not be that good and also heard people mentioning using tv tuner cards instead. From your guys personal experience what would you think is the best way to go?
p.s. I dont wanna have to keep swaping out cables and stuff

 

[RadiclDreamer]

I'd just grab a decent $50 tuner card and call it a day, its what i use

 

[Matthias99]

Anything that only takes composite/S-Video input is going to look like blurry crap on a computer monitor, as you're getting somewhere around ~500x480 usable pixels if you're lucky. Standard-def component through a component->VGA transcoder will only be marginally better. Just FYI.

A tuner card will work, although some of them have slight lag on the inputs that can make playing fast-action games frustrating. Most of the cheap cards actually work fine, since you can bypass any software encoding and just watch the raw feed. More expensive hardware tuner cards often have unavoidable lag.

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: cpmer
I was wondering what you guys think is the best way to go about playing a console on a computer crt monitor using the computer speakers as well. I thought something like this Video Game Jockey would be the best but come to find out i recieved a broken unit because it made my screen all blurry. But the more im reading up on this product ive noticed it might not be that good and also heard people mentioning using tv tuner cards instead. From your guys personal experience what would you think is the best way to go?
p.s. I dont wanna have to keep swaping out cables and stuff

Most options, including tuner cards, will be blurry.
Sorry, there's no one way around that.
Best compromise option is a Viewsonic Nextvision N6 video processor (not perfect quality, but decent and failry cheap compared to better all in one options). Works for all games, supports progressive scan, component cables, svideo, composite, and rf.
Best quality for PS2 would be a blaze vga box. Works for most games, forces non pscan games to run in pscan.
Best quality for gamecube would be gamecube vga cables, or component cables + a transcoder, only works for progressive scan games though (which is most of them)
For Xbox, either a good xbox vga adapter, or a transcoder with component cables, such as the Vdigi adapter.

The transcoders have fantastic visual quality, the n6 is ok, anything else is blurry crap.

 

[Fox5]

V-Digi
http://www.vdigi.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Two different Nextvision N6 listings at buy.com
http://www.buy.com/prod/Viewsonic_NEXTV...omponent_Video/q/loc/111/90121522.html
http://www.buy.com/prod/ViewSonic_NextV..._external_NTSC/q/loc/101/10336460.html
(you may be able to find it cheaper elseware, though buy.com always has 10% off coupons going on, with a $15 max though)

Gamecube VGA cable
http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/gc/vgacable.htm

Blaze VGA Adapter
http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/psx2hard/vgacable.htm

There are better video processors than the N6 available if you're willing to spend more money (Viewsonic has a Nextvision HD line, HD10, 12, and 15 I believe that's better, plus other companies have prodcuts).
For dreamcast, there are plenty of VGA boxes since the system had native VGA output.

For most of the solutions above you'll need to buy an RCA to 1/8" minijack convertor to get sound out of your systems. The VDigi adapter already comes with one (as well as xbox component cables), and the nextvision has a 1/8" minijack out port for your speakers.
The Vdigi has vga in, so you can have your computer and a console hooked up (or maybe two consoles), but you'd have to switch the audio manually or get some kind of switch.
Not sure how the Blaze works.
The Gamecube vga cable hooks up directly to the monitor, so you'd have to switch it, only advantage to it over vdigi + gamecube component cables is price though, quality is the same.
The N6 has 100% compatibility and no switching required (assuming you're just hooking up a PC and one console) but has the lowest quality of the bunch.

 

[cpmer]

i really didnt want to spend anymore than 50 bucks on this and dont need componet cable connections. All im looking for is something i can hook up s video/composite audio cables for my ps in. I really dont want blurry picture though. Anyone have any luck with a paticular cheap tv tuner card that seemed to give good picture quality?

 

[cpmer]

bump

 

[cpmer]

double bump

 

[cpmer]

?

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: cpmer
i really didnt want to spend anymore than 50 bucks on this and dont need componet cable connections. All im looking for is something i can hook up s video/composite audio cables for my ps in. I really dont want blurry picture though. Anyone have any luck with a paticular cheap tv tuner card that seemed to give good picture quality?

The original device you linked to was over $100, can't you return it?

Anyhow, component cable connections give the best quality, nothing else can even achieve the minimum resolution of the computer monitor. If you want decent quality, try a hauppauge 150 pci card (make sure it has all the ports you need to plug in the console) with the program dscaler.

 

[ribbon13]

Lik-sang has a few VGA boxes as well

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: ribbon13
Lik-sang has a few VGA boxes as well

Most of those are lower quality than the one he has and will result in the same blurry picture. Only the one on the far right is a true transcoder, and thus requires component cables. (because progressive scan component is mathematically equivalent to VGA)

 

[cpmer]

I got the video game jockey for 50 bucks not 100. The blurry picture im talking about isnt when im trying play the playstation on the computer its when im trying to use my computer like i normally would. This box has a button that switches from computer to playstation. I never even got to the part of hooking up the playstation because the video quality on the pc was so terrible. Im not sure if i wanna get componet cables because i dont think playstation 1 supports those cables

 

[darkswordsman17]

It depends on the console. If its a 360, then the VGA cables would be good. The Dreamcast had really good VGA cables as well. The Xbox/PS2/GC have VGA adapters, but I don't know how good they are (heard good things about a couple of them, so they should be pretty good).

If all you're going to use it for is consoles, then don't get a TV tuner. The ones I've used suffered from lag, and the image quality was pretty terrible. However if you don't mind losing image quality (I know there are some tuner cards that supposedly don't have any lag), and would use it for viewing/recording TV then go for one of them.

Also, remember you're going to need some way to get sound. Depending on your setup you have some options. You can get a cable that will convert your left/right RCA plugs into a min-pin so you can plug it into your mic/input port on your sound card. Some motherboards/sounds cards have optical in so thats an option possibly. Creative has a kinda nifty little device (the DDTS-100), which is essentially a mini-reciever without any amplification. If you happen to have Logitech's Z-5300 or Z-5500 speakers then they have inputs. You can also go the external reciever route.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Originally posted by: cpmer
I got the video game jockey for 50 bucks not 100. The blurry picture im talking about isnt when im trying play the playstation on the computer its when im trying to use my computer like i normally would. This box has a button that switches from computer to playstation. I never even got to the part of hooking up the playstation because the video quality on the pc was so terrible. Im not sure if i wanna get componet cables because i dont think playstation 1 supports those cables

What do you mean PS1 not support component cables? If you're physically hooking up a PS1, then probably not, but if you're playing PS1 on the PS2, then it will. For games, the component cables offer just slightly better image quality for the PS2 (I don't believe any PS2 games support 480p, but I could be wrong), but if you have the newer slim PS2 then the component cables will let you get progressive scan out of your DVDs (which you'd probably watch on your PC instead anyways).

 

[imported_rod]

Can you get software emulators to let you run consoles games directly on the PC?

RoD

 

[cpmer]

maybe an emulator would be best. With emulators can u just put a playstation game in your computer cdrom drive and have it work? Also is there anything extra i should know about emulators?

 

[duragezic]

So would an Xbox hooked up with something like the Vdigi transcoder have good quality? No worry about sound... would just like good video. My 7800GT has HDTV out which IIRC is the YPbYr or whatever. I could use this as input to the Vdigi then VGA to my Dell 2005FPW?

I've tried composite before and its not horrible on there... just got to sit far back like you normally do with a TV, and its more comparable to a old CRT TV with regular cable.

The thing with the N6 is its low quality yet $190!!! That's absurd! Makes me wonder the price of that Vdigi, but I don't see where its sold anywhere. edit: Nvm, didn't notice the store link. $60 isn't too bad, would be nice if it was 360 capable though.

Would having an Xbox 360 change anything? Or would I still be limited by the S-video and Composite inputs on my 2005, so that for any decent quality I'd HAVE to get some type of transcoder to take HD in but output to VGA or DVI?

 

[cpmer]

so when it all comes down to it does anyone actually have any of these products that work good with no blurry picture at all?

 

[ribbon13]

Originally posted by: cpmer
so when it all comes down to it does anyone actually have any of these products that work good with no blurry picture at all?

http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?products_id=4233&likref=compcharts

I thought that was satisfactory for Xbox on a Diamondtron 21" CRT

 

[hans007]

well i think you can actually buy a vga outcable for the 360 or original xbox. then you could just get a kvm or something.


or you could use an external passthrough tv tuner. my brother has one, you plug the box into the computer, and the monitor into the box. even has a remote. so you dont evenn eed the computer on while using it.

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: cpmer
I got the video game jockey for 50 bucks not 100. The blurry picture im talking about isnt when im trying play the playstation on the computer its when im trying to use my computer like i normally would. This box has a button that switches from computer to playstation. I never even got to the part of hooking up the playstation because the video quality on the pc was so terrible. Im not sure if i wanna get componet cables because i dont think playstation 1 supports those cables

Ah, well if you go for a TV tuner card you don't have to worry about the blurriness. PSX should work well with a TV tuner card, as most of its games were around 320x240 res and 30fps, just the modern consoles use 480i and often at 60fps which makes it impossible for the TV tuner cards (or any device) to properly deinterlace them.
Does the game jockey have an on/off switch? That might help, since in its off position the VGA port should function as a true pass through.

Or you could just go for PSX emulation, you don't have to buy anything (save maybe a controller) and the graphics would be better.

(I don't believe any PS2 games support 480p, but I could be wrong),

Many do, but most older games would need to be forced with the blaze vga adapter. (at least its bootup disc, I wonder if it can work with component cables?)

So would an Xbox hooked up with something like the Vdigi transcoder have good quality? No worry about sound... would just like good video. My 7800GT has HDTV out which IIRC is the YPbYr or whatever. I could use this as input to the Vdigi then VGA to my Dell 2005FPW?

Yeah, it has good quality. Why would you want to output component from your 7800gt to the vdigi then vga to the dell? The ideal way to hook it up would be xbox component cables to vdigi then vga to monitor, and 7800GT DVI directly to monitor, your monitor most likely has both DVI and VGA. Actually, doesn't that monitor have component inputs as well?

The thing with the N6 is its low quality yet $190!!! That's absurd! Makes me wonder the price of that Vdigi, but I don't see where its sold anywhere. edit: Nvm, didn't notice the store link. $60 isn't too bad, would be nice if it was 360 capable though.

The N6 is both a scaler and a tv tuner, that's why its expensive. The vdigi can only deal with 480p, 720p, and 1080i, it converts them directly to a VGA signal. 480i is out of the scanning range of any consumer monitor, and older connections like RF, svideo, and composite can not be straight transcoded to vga, that main purpose of the N6 is to deal with them, it just is able to deal with component and vga inputs as well. (mangles the VGA signal though, but when turned off it will just function as a passthrough with no degradation, the component is ok but not as good as a transcoder which is always 100% accurate)

The Vdigi is xbox 360 capable, though they make vga cables for the xbox 360 so you could just hook it up to the monitor directly or to the vga passthrough on the Vdigi if you want more than one thing at a time hooked up.

Or would I still be limited by the S-video and Composite inputs on my 2005, so that for any decent quality I'd HAVE to get some type of transcoder to take HD in but output to VGA or DVI?

IMO, the main advantage of the xbox 360's graphics over older systems is hi def, so there's almost no reason to have it if you're not going to play in high def, meaning get a transcoder.

so when it all comes down to it does anyone actually have any of these products that work good with no blurry picture at all?

Anything that's a transcoder (such as the vdigi or the thing ribbon linked to, the vdigi seems a bit more feature fill since it comes with cables and has a vga pass through, plus a hackish 480i mode) will have the best picture you can get, however transcoders have the limitation that they can only accept component inputs and HD signals.
The N6 is probably about the best external device you can get for the older inputs. I rarely use the component in on it as the transcoders do a much better job, do component cables from the game system to a transcoder then vga to the n6's vga passthrough then to the computer monitor, that way I can have one central control device that handles all my inputs.