Cheap And Easy Xbox HDMI

[xman]

I was after a cheap and easy way to keep the Xboxes useful in this house seeing as the Xboxes seem to be outliving the modern T.V.s. I don't know whether you guys are noticing but it is becoming harder to find new T.V.s that actually take component cables as an input. It must be heaps cheaper to put in HDMI inputs because most modern T.V.s have about 3 HDMI inputs and one composite. I know P.J. is working on a solder on board to cure this but I figure many of you aren't up for doing this such mod. What I have come up with is a component to HDMI plug in converter that actually works. That is what I am here to share. It doesn't not up-scaling meaning 720p out of the Xbox so 720p into the T.V. via the HDMI lead. ,
Just straight component leads from the Xbox to the converter and a HDMI lead from the converter to the T.V., done and it works well. No lines, no interference. It just does exactly what you want, HDMI output from your beloved Xbox.
I personally will be looking at installing the converter in the Xbox itself and add a HDMI port above the AV connector but that is in the future. At the moment it is all about just letting you guys know this one actually works and at $12 Aussie, is super cheap. I bought it on EBay out of China and is widely available. This is a picture of the converter, nice and small. I was after something small I could easily fit inside the Xbox myself.


It is USB powered, 5vDC. In my testing I used a USB wall plug to power it. When it goes inside the Xbox, I'll get the 5vDC from the hard drive power connector to power it or any other place 5volts is inside the Xbox. I will also be testing to see whether the 5vDC available on pin 13 on the AV connector supplys enough current to power this adapter and if that works, it would be an ideal place to grab 5vDC from to power the converter externally rather than the front ports of the Xbox. If your T.V. has a USB port you could power the converter from that as an alternative. I did test this the USB port on my T.V. and it also worked quite well.

Here's some pictures I took using the converter. All these pictures you can see in the bottom left of the screen showing the input source that the T.V. is actually using is HDMI1 and the fact it is 720p. Yer I know it's an old build, don't look at that bit BuZz. This is solely for testing purposes and to show this is not Kodi, this is a real Xbox running XBMC.




By the way that last picture actually has rain on that screen shot, it isn't interference or static lines. I'm kicking myself I only ordered one of these units for testing. I need at least another four for this house and until I get another one, I won't be ripping this one apart to see just how small the internal board is and therefore where I can mount it inside the Xbox and direct wire it in. When I get up to that , I'll put up pictures with instructions if anyone is interested in that type of modding.

[professor_jonny]

do you have a link for it I have not seen that model on taobao. and by chance can you open it up ?

are you able to find the resolution on your tv with the converter when in the official ms dash ?

I'm just curious if it will be 720p or not

[xman]

Here's a link...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mini-RGB-YPb ... SwVupTq~qY

I'll give the MS dash a go and let you know what it is. I can say in my modchip splash screen it is 480i but that is 480i all the time even using component leads.
I hope they have more, I just bought those last two myself.

[professor_jonny]

I can say in my modchip splash screen it is 480i but that is 480i all the time even using component leads.
I hope they have more, I just bought those last two myself.

so that model does not upscale to 720p the model I have upscale's SD resolutions to 720p.

it is a shame all the cheap ones don't have digital audio input.

[xman]

Yer, if it is composite to HDMI your after they are pretty easy to get. Some will even upscale to 1080p but I question how good a composite signal can be up-scaled. That is why I went for no up-scaling and using a component 720p input from the Xbox to start with and just convert to leads modern T.V.s can use, ie HDMI leads. I was actually wondering why you wanted to know what my XboxDash was. Shit, I haven't seen the XboxDash for years on any of my modded machines. . I do have it as an app but I never use it. As I use XBMC exclusively and use Enigmah for the PAL to NTSC conversion with a modchip you can see why I have no use for XboxDash.
Anyway, although I said I would possibly install the component to HDMI adapter inside the Xbox I have also been thinking of something like this without the component cable sticking out and without the RCAs in the side of the box. This is solely as a mock up to check clearances but you get the idea. Wires would all be internal of the case and the case would be molded to the AV connector making it all one piece. Making for a simple plug in adapter to get HDMI leads out of the Xbox.




There is 5vDc at pin 13 of the AV connector I could possible use to power it. I just haven't checked if it has enough current to power it.

[professor_jonny]

don't use the power pin on the avip port it wont have enough power it is really only designed for an logic circuit or toslink powersuply.

[scroeffie]

my problem is the colors are to rich when hooked up via hdmi green is extreme green red blue etc
its sharper than component to tv no doubt i have this one can find the link any way its a 40 euros upscaled with menu etc psu
it has a vga port component port and hdmi etc it works perfect with my dreamcast colors are perfect sharp image
but with the xbox the colors are way off to rich
maybe i should try a cheap one ?

what about this

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/TRIXES-HDMI-Male ... SwYshUagWM
maybe the problem is my chinese component cable i see also tiny bit of interference
so if my dreamcast has perfect picture with the upscaler i use does it mean the problem is for shure the cheap xbox component cable so
do i buy this for the xbox http://www.ebay.nl/itm/Component-RGB-R- ... XQHO9ReQ4a
or this
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/Official-Microso ... SwZ1lWgDI1


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8jFJjoIO8s

[NOTTHESAME]

I have this one and gives out nicely, but no upscaling and audio I don't think converts to digital http://m.ebay.nl/itm/262206470896?_mwBanner=1

[scroeffie]

how does the picture look like sharp colors etc can you post some pictures thanks

[NOTTHESAME]

OK let me get home in a few hours and I'll upload some.
@ xman I notice with this box I have and I'm sure others outputs movie audio, really great I can hear the voices nicely and I have a Dolby digital but I only have 2.0 sound bar.

I need a cam I'll get it in a bit my phones images are not that great

[professor_jonny]

my problem is the colors are to rich when hooked up via hdmi green is extreme green red blue etc
its sharper than component to tv no doubt i have this one can find the link any way its a 40 euros upscaled with menu etc psu
it has a vga port component port and hdmi etc it works perfect with my dreamcast colors are perfect sharp image
but with the xbox the colors are way off to rich

that might be the tv.

I found that when I plugged the adaptor I have into different TV's the black level cut seemed to be different you had to raise the brightness to be the same as component view basically the colours were really vivid but the display was dark.

my home tv tended to blend the greys till they were almost black.

other TV's did not have this issue they looked right with out adjusting the brightness.

[xman]

@ Scroeffie. I did see this one you linked to but was put off by the bad reviews it had.
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/Component-RGB-R- ... XQHO9ReQ4a

This one however, the one I selected, did receive good reviews. All be it most were PSIII and Xbox 360 related but still I like to trust all reviews.
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/Mini-RGB-YPbPr-C ... 3d0d177f0e

@ Notthesame. Which converter are you using?. Would be nice if it was the one that received the bad reviews actually. That model is so much easier to get hold of than the smaller ones I have been getting. I seem to think that the larger version is the replacement for the smaller, earlier ones I have been getting. Maybe the bad reviews are 360 or PSIII related and work just fine on the Xbox. Also, about your sound. What sound from the Xbox are you feeding into the converter?. There is supposed to be up to a 1 second delay on the sound. I figured this not to big an issue for me because I would simply advance the sound in XBMC to compensate and if that wasn't satisfactory, use a sound bar, put an amp in the Xbox with separate speakers or feed the sound RCAs direct to my TVs if they would allow. Not as good as using the HDMI lead for sound as well as the video but at least a couple of workaround ideas. And then again there is also this workaround. I'm more inclined to take this route or something similar seeing as the modern TV's have such shit sound anyway or if the T.V.'s sound is any good, it won't be for long.
http://www.mwave.com.au/product/logitec ... AqAu8P8HAQ

[NOTTHESAME]

Yeah I was not so happy with this, I still use it at times or try to mess with it,but I had got ten a gift card and bought that and i should of went with something else but Im stuck with it, now I have it hooked up for a better audio so i can hear , I hooked it up and It seems that I get a better audio with voices over sound effects but I could be just assuming I need to test again tonight , but for now I ordered a conponment with sigital audio(optical)I couldn't do
that hack to connect a wire to my board.

I did also read bad reviews I didn't realize it didn't upscale I wanted something like that a digital out but oh well I'm stuck with that box for now

[hawsey]

Thanks for the heads up , just got this ordered £9.80 delivered from Hong Kong to the UK http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... 18&alt=web

Cheers

[NOTTHESAME]

The box I use I kept messing with it and noticed the audio gets a boost in the background sounds a bit which is great the voices I can hear clear nicely and yes image is much better sharper,colorful and does help games , and emulators, I will do more testing later.

[xman]

Thanks for the heads up , just got this ordered £9.80 delivered from Hong Kong to the UK http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... 18&alt=web

Cheers

Fingers crossed it works well.

[hawsey]

It looks to be the same company , Portta that makes them ;
I've had good luck in the past with cheap standard HD leads so am hopefull
I will report back

[scroeffie]

with this cheap one how do you select like 480p 720p 1080p etc how are the colors ?
i think iam going to buy the microsoft hd av pack the chinese cable is my problem not the upscaler i have because dreamcast i have not problems
i have a panasonic plasma tv
found it !! this is the one i have everything is the same exept mine does have component out and no usb

an i did not pay that price i payed 40 shipped it has allot of options in menu

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/Lenkeng-All-to-H ... SwgQ9Vn-Ib

i use this for my xbox and ps2 than it in to the hdmi scaler

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/261100516844?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT
i have bought the official ps2 component cables the chines ones sucks
wil do the same for the xbox just need to find them

[xman]

with this cheap one how do you select like 480p 720p 1080p etc how are the colors ?

There is no upscaler so what you put in is what you get out. 720p component in and you will get out 720p HDMI out.

i use this for my xbox and ps2 than it in to the hdmi scaler

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/261100516844?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT
i have bought the official ps2 component cables the chines ones sucks
wil do the same for the xbox just need to find them

That is a 3 way switch. I'd try taking that switch out of the circuit 1st before being absolutely certain it is the Chinese leads at fault. Chances are it will be the leads but worth a try first. To me, it was most important to get HDMI out rather than 1080i or 1080p because all upscalers do is mimic what they "presume" the missing lines of data will be and I'm quite happy using 720p. However if you can get 1080 anything looking good and it's using a HDMI cable, that is all the matters. Please let us know how things go. It appears to be an interesting subject many are interested in.

[hawsey]

Thanks for the heads up , just got this ordered £9.80 delivered from Hong Kong to the UK http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... 18&alt=web

Cheers

This arrived today from Hong Kong after ordering it on the 30th , not bad
Will try it out tomorrow .