FHD2400 Monitor + Xbox 360: Can this be done properly without blurryness?

Coldkilla

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2004
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I have a Gateway FHD2400 monitor, a PC, z5500 Surround Sound, and an Xbox 360. I tried connecting the Xbox to my monitor and it was incredibly blurry compared to being plugged into a television. Is it just not feasible to play Xbox 360 on a computer monitor at a quality comparable to a television?

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Here is how everything is connected:
[Video] Xbox 360 > 3x Component Cables > Monitor.
[Audio] Xbox 360 > Optical Cable > Logitech z5500 control unit.

[Video] PC > VGA Cable > Monitor.
[Audio] PC > 3x 1/8th inch cables > Logitech z5500 control unit.
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PC Monitor Native Resolution: 1920x1200.
PC Monitor Manual: http://support.gateway.com/s/Manuals/Monitors/8512497.pdf
PC Monitor Quick Stats (Newegg): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824113012

I changed the Xbox 360 display settings to 1080p/1080i/720p/480p and all settings were still very blurry. I've read online that setting your monitor to "auto-detect settings," sometimes fixes this problem - but my monitor only allows for auto calibrating in VGA mode, not component. I have tried an HDMI cable, and an VGA to HDMI cable - both yielding the same blurry results.

What can I do, if anything?
 
Last edited:

mfenn

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Jan 17, 2010
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www.mfenn.com
First off, do you see a small amount of letterboxing when the Xbox is running? If not, then your 16:9 output from the Xbox is being stretched to 16:10.

Second, are you talking about the menus or just games? I hate to tell you this, but console games look like crap when you get up close. The menus should be sharp though.

Third, can you try HDMI?
 

Coldkilla

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2004
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First off, do you see a small amount of letterboxing when the Xbox is running? If not, then your 16:9 output from the Xbox is being stretched to 16:10.
On the horizontal aspects of the screen there is a small amount of letter boxing (less than an inch) on the top and bottom.

Second, are you talking about the menus or just games? I hate to tell you this, but console games look like crap when you get up close. The menus should be sharp though.
Both. The menus are definately readable, but when compared to what it looks like on a television the menus are consderiably blurrier on the monitor.

Third, can you try HDMI?

It's been a few years but yes I just tried HDMI. The image quality is definatly much better than I remember! However I no longer have any audio and cannot connect the optical cable to my surround sound volume control unit since the component/RCA connection to the xbox is the component that had a slot for it. Both the HDMI and component/RCA connection cannot fit on the xbox at the same time.
 

mfenn

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Jan 17, 2010
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www.mfenn.com
It's been a few years but yes I just tried HDMI. The image quality is definatly much better than I remember! However I no longer have any audio and cannot connect the optical cable to my surround sound volume control unit since the component/RCA connection to the xbox is the component that had a slot for it. Both the HDMI and component/RCA connection cannot fit on the xbox at the same time.

Sounds like you need one of these adapters. It'll let you use HDMI and optical and/or RCA stereo out at the same time.

If you don't feel like spending any money, it's also possible to remove the plastic housing from the standard component cable adapter so that the HDMI cable will fit under it.
 

Coldkilla

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Oct 7, 2004
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I know this is a month late, but that solution worked mfenn. The screen is definitely clearer now. Albeit, it still doesn't seem as clear as it is on my television - but its pretty darn close.
 

TheStu

Moderator<br>Mobile Devices & Gadgets
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Sep 15, 2004
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I know this is a month late, but that solution worked mfenn. The screen is definitely clearer now. Albeit, it still doesn't seem as clear as it is on my television - but its pretty darn close.

Is it filling the whole screen or are there black bars on the top and bottom? I've hooked up a PS3 to that monitor over HDMI and never had any issues like that.
 

Coldkilla

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Is it filling the whole screen or are there black bars on the top and bottom? I've hooked up a PS3 to that monitor over HDMI and never had any issues like that.

After giving up on consoles for what seems like forever, I've tried my hand with this again and while I'm darn sure you won't read Stu, I have ~1/2 inch black bars all around the screen. My monitor will not let me zoom in or adjust any settings while having HDMI as the primary input ether so I'm basically stuck with a somewhat blurry image with black bars all around it... TV's much crisper though sadly.
 

TheStu

Moderator<br>Mobile Devices & Gadgets
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Sep 15, 2004
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After giving up on consoles for what seems like forever, I've tried my hand with this again and while I'm darn sure you won't read Stu, I have ~1/2 inch black bars all around the screen. My monitor will not let me zoom in or adjust any settings while having HDMI as the primary input ether so I'm basically stuck with a somewhat blurry image with black bars all around it... TV's much crisper though sadly.

My friend has this monitor and a 360, let me get with him, see if there's a setting you can use. I can't remember if I ever had a 360 hooked up to mine, but like I had said, the PS3 had zero issues.