Dreamcast - 15hz hsync RGB VS. VGA Box

Post by **lordofduct** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:30 pm

All right, just in case you don't know... here in the USA, RGB is not of the norm. The only format of RGB really supported here are the VGA formats that are of 30hz Hsync and higher. None of the lower 15-17hz HSYNCs like that found in the Sega Genesis.

I have an HDTV, and it too does not support RGB. Only HDMI and component for the high end, and I want me some RGB fun. So I took a look around and went through tons of different choices to decide WHAT I wanted to do to get the best video out of my old consoles... and I decided on a RGB to HDMI converter (I have a marantz A/V receiver that transcodes to digital, that and my TV is digital... so I chose to convert directly to digital instead of going RGB to component and then letting my TV convert to digital... to much conversion there).

Anyways, got the box, it works, I'm using it for my Sega X'Eye and Sega Saturn... but I was wondering...

THE QUESTION! finally...

Which would you suggest for the Dreamcast: RGB Scart lead, OR VGA box?

I have the VGA box and it runs directly into my Television (which supports VGA), it looks amazing... but the downside is that not every title supports it. Some of my all time fav Dreamcast titles (Bangai-O and a lot of other 2D titles) don't support VGA mode.

Having to swap between S-Video and VGA for each game is a bitch and rather tedious... For those who've used both, what do you think?

Post by **kyuu** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:56 pm

Well of course VGA looks better, but its not like scart is bad.

If you really dont want to switch, just use scart.

Post by **Caboose** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:53 pm

If you don't have one, get the kind of VGA box that racketboy sells. I have one and it's great. There is a switch to choose between VGA and S-Video, just leave both hooked up. Doesn't get more easy than that if you want the best of both worlds.

Post by **lordofduct** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:58 pm

Caboose wrote:If you don't have one, get the kind of VGA box that racketboy sells. I have one and it's great. There is a switch to choose between VGA and S-Video, just leave both hooked up. Doesn't get more easy than that if you want the best of both worlds.

Mine isn't from racketboy... but this is the kind it has. It still is a bit of a nuisance though in my opinion due to the lack of a place to set the box itself.

Post by **Caboose** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:14 am

Well I guess if you wanted to you could try using the Utopia boot disc to try running some of those games in VGA mode, but that would be even more tedious than flipping a switch. I don't know what your setup is like, but taking an extra 2 seconds to flip the switch on the side of the box when you put the game in or go to power on the console hardly seems tedious to me, especially when comparing it to the alternatives (boot discs, making copies of you games and trying to patch them so they can be used with VGA).

Post by **lordofduct** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:19 am

Caboose wrote:Well I guess if you wanted to you could try using the Utopia boot disc to try running some of those games in VGA mode, but that would be even more tedious than flipping a switch. I don't know what your setup is like, but taking an extra 2 seconds to flip the switch on the side of the box when you put the game in or go to power on the console hardly seems tedious to me, especially when comparing it to the alternatives (boot discs, making copies of you games and trying to patch them so they can be used with VGA).

Well my set up is this:

Cable, VCR, XBOX360, Dreamcast, Sega X'eye, Sega Saturn, 3D0, NES, PS2, XBOX
They are all sent to an A/V receiver for switching
the A/V receiver outputs all the signal as HDMI to go into the television.

The Dreamcast though has only it's audio and S-vid going to the A/V receiver and the VGA going directly to the TV. To go into VGA I have to set the TV to VGA, and have the little box which is behind the Sega Dreamcast on a shelf that doesn't give me a comfortable place to put the VGA box for switching and turn it on. Along with turning on the receiver and TV.

If it doesn't support VGA I have to then swap over to HDMI on the TV, and switch the box over. A bunch of walking up to the television across the room that I don't like.

All my other consoles just need me to lean off my couch, hook up a controller (have extension cables running over to my consoles and hidden along the wall). Pick up a remote and flick the TV on and the receiver over to the proper input. Then yell at my slave to flip the on switch to the console if it is one of the bunch I haven't modified a IR switch for (I've made IR power switches for some of my consoles like the XBOX, PS2 and the sort). The only time I have to get up is if I want to change the game that is in the console.