Xbox DVI Adapters - On Second Thought...

In my earlier post on Xbox 2 rumours, I mentioned that I'd like a DVI adapter for the Xbox 2. (I wasn't able to find one for Xbox 1 yet, either)

But I have a problem now with my Xbox 1, which is that since I picked up an Apple Cinema Display, I can't use it. Or DOS, or the BIOS (at least with my white-box Radeon 9800, but let's focus on the Xbox for the time being).

My TV is downstairs, my Internet connection nowhere near it, and so I'm basically reduced to using the Xbox upstairs. There's no TV up here. I use a Terrestrial Digital TV card for TV shows that I absolutely Must Watch (and they look great in hi def), but I stupidly didn't get a DTV card that allowed s-video or composite input. Nice one.

So, step one: rectify that little problem, and get one with Xbox-adapter-friendly inputs.

I've been running the Xbox through my old 19" CRT monitor via a TV to VGA switching-passthrough-standalone-box-thing and it's not terrible; I tried a direct Xbox-to-VGA adapter, but it basically sucked. The problem here is that new monitor only supports DVI input, so the passthrough monitor box I've been using isn't a lot of use any more. While I'm keeping my 19" until I sort out the BIOS situation with the screen, the old monitor takes up room I'd rather use for my legs. Or a bar fridge. Or something.

And that's an incredibly long-winded way of saying: if the Xbox did support DVI, I'd want it to support both the PC DVI input and the Xbox, with the ability to switch. Cos it's a useful and compelling scenario for me!

I'm hoping that running the box through my replacement PCI DTV card through the PC and out via the Cinema Display will work out for the best, with no appreciable screen lag. Only one way to find out!

Incidentally, since finding out about the limitations with the Cinema Display and random DVI-supporting PC video cards, I'm still happy with it; best monitor I've had. Now if only game makers would stop exclusively supporting 4:3 aspect ratios! (those of you that skip straight from 1280x960 to 1600x1200... you know who you are).