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Microsoft High Definition AV pack no longer available? - Xbox Component Cables?
Published by: jack 2009-01-07

i hear microsoft discontinued the high definition av pack. i searched all around on the web and couldn't find it anywhere. i see a few of these on ebay but they are not genuine ms parts.

wondering has anyone know where these are available for purchase (or better yet has one extra!!)?

and is anyone using non ms made part successfully with xbmc?

thanks
sri

if u live in the usa, i got one from gamestop used for 8 bux....

now im new here:rolleyes: but i was wondering how can i get the ms dash back ion my 1,4 box with evox chip?
Do i need replace my old harddisk?
Or is there a software package available for this job?
I ordered those cables for voyager and me but the box is PAl.
thnx in advance.
Renzo

Do we need to select anything special within XBMC to play for example, FIFA 2007 in 720p mode?

Xbox Team::
A lot of the codecs existed in code at Microsoft before the Xbox 360 HD DVD SD mode - flip the switch on your Component HD AV pack to the SD setting,
http://blogs.msdn.com/xboxteam/HOME

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite System - Free Game - Free Ship ::
Dec 13, 2008 Power cord. Component HD-AV cable. microsoft www.stelmospc.com No longer current. Miscategorized. Report illegal/infringing Ad
http://philadelphia.kijiji.com/c-For-sale-Electronics-Microsoft-Xbox-360-Elite-System-Free-Game-Free-Ship-W0QQAdIdZ93913569HOME

I have already enabled the 720p and 1080i modes in MS Dash and set my XBOX to NTSC. XBMC runs fine in 720p and the movies too.

When playing, it looks nice, but how can i verify if the game runs in 720p or just normal NTSC or PAL mode? Or any hints to just test the 2 resolutions ? What do i need to change within XBMC for the games?

Once you enable 720p and 1080i in MS Dash the games I think will run at best resolution possible for that game.
Not sure how you verify apart from the way I am, my Sony HD-TV displays what the current resolution is for a few seconds whenever you change to that channel or when the source changes. So if I'm running XBMC at 1080i and then start the game the resolution changes to 720p and its displayed on my TV.

I just got an HD tv last nite and am having trouble using XMBC in hd. I can go into the MS dash and enable any of the settings 1080i, 720, 480 etc, XBOX works fine. But when I launch XMBC it hangs using any of the HD enabled. Even when I turn on Widescreen. Its hard modded. I DL the latest build of XMBC same problem. Any ideas?
Ok Here is the log..

6:11 M: 51441664 NOTICE: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
00:06:11 M: 51421184 NOTICE: Starting XBoxMediaCenter. Built on Feb 9 2007
00:06:11 M: 51421184 NOTICE: Q is mapped to: Harddisk0Partition6AppsXBMC
00:06:11 M: 51421184 NOTICE: Log File is located: Q:xbmc.log
00:06:11 M: 51421184 NOTICE: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
00:06:11 M: 51421184 NOTICE: Setup DirectX
00:06:12 M: 51392512 NOTICE: load settings...
00:06:12 M: 51392512 NOTICE: loading T:guisettings.xml
00:06:12 M: 51273728 NOTICE: Getting hardware information now...
00:06:12 M: 51273728 NOTICE: Checking resolution 10
00:06:12 M: 51273728 NOTICE: Setting autoresolution mode 1
00:06:12 M: 51273728 NOTICE: Per AV pack settings are on
00:06:12 M: 51273728 NOTICE: HDTV found : loading T:avpacksettings.xml
00:06:12 M: 51257344 NOTICE: Getting hardware information now...
00:06:12 M: 51236864 NOTICE: Checking resolution 10
00:06:12 M: 51236864 NOTICE: Setting autoresolution mode 1
00:06:12 M: 51347456 NOTICE: q:userdatasources.xml
00:06:14 M: 51376128 FATAL: XBAppEx: Could not create D3D device!
00:06:14 M: 51376128 FATAL: width/height:(1280x720)
00:06:14 M: 51376128 FATAL: refreshrate:0
00:06:14 M: 51376128 FATAL: 16:9 widescreen
00:06:14 M: 51376128 FATAL: progressive
00:06:14 M: 51376128 NOTICE: Running the application...

I had followed this thread for a while, and found my solution.

I had tried two el cheapo "boxes"- one i bought, and one of a friends. Both of which were fine at 16x9 NTSC res, but terrible at 480p-720p-1080i.

I have just received my monster gamelink 400x cables and now have clear 720p and 1080i. Availible for under 15 bucks at your favorite auction site. Then adding the Gamelink 100x optical audio cable for around 10 bucks. This leaves me at a not so bad 25 bucks.

I hope this helps.

Jason

edit.. one of the el cheapos I tried that did not work was this one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Microsoft-XBox-H...QQcmdZViewItem

cool.... i was gonna ask about that. i now have a second hdtv set and have been trying to find an hd av pack. i was very close to manually adding the outputs myself right off the motherboard but i'd prefer to just get an avpack and save a few hours of work.

Xbox 360 what do i need to know? - Yahoo! Answers::
An Xbox 360 console * Component high definition cable . The "Core" is no longer being sold, being replaced by the Xbox 360 Arcade.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080516031207AAvf22lHOME

Meijer: Bundle-Your-Own Xbox 360::
No longer do you have to build your character up from scratch. your Xbox 360 Console, up to 4 controllers, a power pack, AV cables and a power cord.
http://www.meijer.com/catalog/theme.jsp?ensembleId=180HOME

Sorry for bumping this thread but I'm adding another HDTV to the mix, so I'm now in need of another HD pack. It sounds like the knock-off "BOX" brand works fine for rgb video but what about the Optical Digital Audio output on it? Does anyone know if it works okay to get ac3 and dts sound?

Yes, each of the internal cables was coaxial. The composite one was slightly thicker than the two audio ones so I used that for the Y component and used the audio for Pb and Pr. These were then aranged in a star shape with 3 spacer cables that kept them slightly seperated. The cable these all went in was also shielded.

OK, we're talking about the original microsoft composite cable here? Not some no-name $4.99 clone?

just thought I'd weigh in with my recent crappy experience:

1) bought a "Gamestop" xbox/xbox360/playstation multi adaptor, hidef, component video, digital optical audio ($15 Canadian at EB Games in the mall)

- dig audio was only for the 360 connector, so I had to use the analog L/R plugs (not too big a deal, I'm all mp3's and downloaded tv shows)
- included component cables (actually built-in), and they worked great

2) didn't like the fact that I'd lost digital audio, so I tried a unit from Intec that I found at Blockbuster for $CDN 20.
- included component cables (thin and cheap, I used my own)
- included L/R/Video plugs
- included S-Video cable
- digital audio worked
- non-hd settings worked fine
- hd was crap. Then I read these reviews: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B000067QZW/ref=cm_cr_dp_pt/102-8399868-5002531?ie=UTF8&n=172282&s=electronics

So, I'll keep the Gamestop version, return the Intec, and try to get the "BOX" version from eBay. A few months they had the MS official versions on the rack at Futureshop, but they're long gone now.

Anyway, maybe this will help someone else out.

-Geoff

Another victim of the Joytech cable here. It's crap. I get worse picture in 720p than with the RGB scart cable. Nice ghosting etc.

As for how can it be better by hand-soldering? That's easy. If you just use 75ohm video-cable (or even 50-ohm computer cable) you already have way way better cable than what these guys peddle to us. I'm fairly certain the joytech cable contains in best scenario so-called "microphone" cable which is indeed shielded but has completely inappropriate impedance for video signal. Hence reflections, hence ghosting.

In fact I think I'll dig around a bit and see if I can locate the original composite cable ..

I take it you guys have had OK experiences with the "box" HD AV kit you have to buy a set of component cables for? Those seem to work out to about $25 including shipping (and 25€ for decent set of component cables..)

Ebay US still has plenty of these "box" adapters for sale. I bought mine from somebody whose store is called "Cool Game Gears (http://stores.ebay.com/Cool-Game-Gears)".

I actually opened mine up when I first got it to add an RCA connector for coax SPDIF support. There are no components other than the optical module for digital audio. I am thinking it's just the quality of the built-in video cables (shielding, impedance, etc.) that is causing the diagonal lines on mine.

I'd still be interested in a more reliable, low cost alternative if anybody finds one.

skrot, is this pack the ms official for xbox?? it seems so by the picture, but it is far too cheap, isn't it??

It's not the original. It's third party unit made in china. As I said, my unit gave a lot of noise when combined with a 10m component cable, but the seller offered to send me another unit for me to test with (for free). If neither works, he'll give me a refund for the unit i payed for. Great service.
In terms of connectivity, this unit supports a lot:

Video:
- SCART
- S-Video
- Component (RGB)
- Composit (called V-Video on the adapter)

Audio:
- Optical Digital
- Coaxial Digital
- Stereo (2xPhono, L/R)

Because of all the connectivity possibilities I really hope this unit will work out. I've also ordered one of those "BOX" third party units, which look exactly like the original. I guess I'll get them both next week.

If anyone else has experience with third party units, post a review or something. :)

Hi I have a few questions about PAL vs NTSC xbox.
I am living in europe so I have a PAL xbox and I have a X3 modchip installed.

I just recently got a 32" HD LCD 16:9 TV (handles 480p, 720p and 1028i) and would be interested in trying out some high definition stuff to see if much of a difference.

So here's a few questions:

1. PAL and NTSC xbox's are same apart from some setting which I can change using the video selector CD (I cannot do this just from ebox dash settings??) providing that I have the special High Definition AV cable hooked up to the TV?

2. If I get the xbox switched to NTSC I can then set the XBMC to one of the higher resolutions?

3. Reqarding the difference between NTSC and PAL games I was trying to find out what games support HDTV and for example "NASCAR 06: Total Team Control" specs from US sites say it supports 480p. So if I buy the same game PAL version and have the xbox switched to NSTC will the game still support the 480p? as with my current setup with xbox as is was when I bought it (i.e. PAL) I can play NTSC games no problem as I have it chipped.

4. Is it worth converting xbox to NTSC for HD features, i.e. I've read about people wanting to switch from NTSC to PAL... why? what is to be gained?

Hip Robotamus
:nerd:

If anyone is after cables in the UK FutureShop.co.uk (http://www.futureshop.co.uk/ixos-xpx04200-xbox-to-5-rca-cable-2m-p-266.html) are selling one that looks better than the "box" ones on ebay.

I bought one of those off ebay and it works fine. Gotta love the 'BOX' branding. My projector detects it at 720p pretty happily, once I remembered to turn on the higher resolutions in the xbox.

Good to hear. I guess I should have saved my pennies. I finally won an auction on ebay for an authentic microsoft one so I never tried the knock-off brand.

It did take me a while to figure out I needed to go into the Microsoft dashboard and set my video options before XBMC would let me switch to 720p.

el1234, thank you for teh advice.

I have some news about the cables I said yesterday:

http://www.hardcore-gamer.net/tienda...oducts_id/2232

only AV video connection, not component. That means the same low quality as the original cable that the xbox is having when you buy it. RULED OUT

http://cgi.ebay.com/Microsoft-XBox-H...QQcmdZViewItem

third party cable, which does not seem to have a very good video quality, as Scrot said. Anyway, he bought a component cable to see if it improves. Let's see how it works then.

http://www.hardcore-gamer.net/tienda...oducts_id/3496

if you look at the comment that is written below, it says that the optical connection for digital audio only works with the xbox 360 and ps2, not for xbox. RULED OUT.

therefore, the conclusion is that... I am again at the same position than the beginning: I do not know which cable i can buy!!

by the way... I have been testing the xbox and I can not switch into the original MS dashboard, since I get the famous error 21. I have tried everything to fix it (editing the xboxdash.xbe to change it, pasting the original xboxdash I had stored in a backup...), but it has not worked. could anybody tell me what I can do please?

thanx!!

One thing that would be interesting to find out is if the bought leads are soldered correctly wrt the ground connections. It may not make that much difference but the lead I took apart connected all the ground wires together and connected them to the plugs casing and cable shielding instead of to the correct grounding pins on the avip.

yeah, and something's definitely wrong when a dude at home with a soldering iron and a junk box-o'-cables can make a better connector than what some companies are manufacturing and selling!

Thanks man.

Just reinstalled the MS dash, I take it the "Enigmah-X PAL-NTSC Video Selector" is up on *****?

bufff i am getting crazy with all this matter.
let's see, to sum up.. what's the difference between these cables?? i see all of them with the best quality for video and audio!!
http://www.hardcore-gamer.net/tienda/product_info.php/cPath/27_70/products_id/2232

This first one is the official adapter made by Microsoft. You proably won't get any better quality than with this one. It has connection for component video and optical audio. This adapter is out of stock in most (if not all) shops and is no longer in production. Used and new adapters can be found on eBay, but are really expensive.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Microsoft-XBox-HD-High-Definition-AV-Component-Pack-NEW_W0QQitemZ250047284974QQihZ015QQcategoryZ41015Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

This is a third party adapter made in China. It has lots of connectivity (component video, s-video, composit video, scart video, optical digital audio, analog l/r audio, coaxial digital audio). I've got this one and there appears to be a lot of noise with it at 720p. I'm not sure yet if the noise is from cable (10 meter) or adapter (most likely). I'll get a second adapter of this type next week.

http://www.hardcore-gamer.net/tienda/product_info.php/cPath/27_70/products_id/3496

This is also a third party adapter. It appears to support multiple consoles (PS2, Xbox, Xbox360) and seems to have component video output and stereo audio. Don't know if this one has optical audio for xbox.

I bought one of the "BOX" adapters off of ebay for around $10. It works pretty well at 720p, although sometimes I notice very faint diagonal lines across the whole screen. They are not really visible unless the scene is really dark. Sometimes they go from lower left to upper right (widely spaced), and sometimes they go from upper left to lower right (tightly spaced). Does anybody know if this would be due to the adapter?

Thanks,
Kris

That's the same effect which you get from poor coaxial cables for TV signals, so I'd guess the adapter is the reason :/

I think the "box" ones are low quality. Ive got one and it works fine. Have you tried better cables?

That looks like the "Gamestop" version I posted about (see above). I'm currently using it, and the video is flawless (I enabled 720p in MSDash), but as I said, no digital audio.

It looks like a bunch of us will have "BOX" versions to report back on in the next little while. Fingers crossed.

jajajajajaj very good, lexicon, very good!! you are right, this post looks like it's gonna be really loooooooong still.

concerning my cable, you are wrong: it has digital audio. Maybe in the picture it is not noticeable, but in the name of the cable they say Cable por Componentes/AV multisistema con salida �ptica, which means "component/AV multisystem cable with optical plug". that's why I am buying it!!!

If anyone fancies rolling there own the AVIP pinouts can be found here:

http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/xbox.htm

Dont know how easy it would be to canibalise an old plug or if they are avaiable but might be worth a try.

hi,

you can buy the original microsoft hd av pack from lik-sang:
http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=83&products_id=1742&

or if you live in germany from this shop:
http://www.chipeinbau.de/onlineshop/index.htm

i bought it from there, and it is the original microsoft hd av pack. it is great! :cool:
be sure to switch your xbox to ntsc and to enable the 720p and 1080i modes in xbox dash, because otherwise the hd av pack doesn't work.

cheers,
scape

I'm going to try to answer your questions but please start by reading this (link) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upscaling_dvd) and this (link) (http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/dvdpvr/0,39030417,39194701,00.htm) article on upscaling DVD basics so you will be able to grasp the concept first of all.

So what would the difference be to watch the movie on a PAL xbox? The source is still the same (assuming one PAL DVD and one NTSC DVD respectively), but with PAL, the TV would have to scale up the image instead of the xbox. Would there really be any difference in quality?If your TV supports native 720p (1280x720 progressive pixels resolution) or more then it is a huge difference, trust me, the Xbox has a superb scaler chip which does a wonderfull job at upscaling standard-resolution video to high-definition resolutions. XBMC utilizes the Xbox GPU (Graphic Processor Unit) and the digital-to-analog converter/scaler chip to do a linear upscale of the picture which does improve/enhance the picture quality. I myself have a PAL Xbox that I converted to NTSC and with a components HD adapter cable have it conneced to a projector that features native 720p output and it looks beautiful, and I certainly notice a huge difference if I convert the Xbox back to PAL and connect it to the same projector via composite cable which gets me a 576i (720x576 interlaced) pixels resolution when playing back standard PAL DVD-Video movies.

There are a several standalone set-top DVD-players available today that does the same thing using a dedicated digital-to-analog converter/scaler (or digital-to-digital if got a DVI-D or HDMI output) chip to upscale reguular DVD-Video movies to 720p, 1080i or even 1080p. These players are usually quite expensive (and much more expensive then a used Xbox) but yet people are reporting that the Xbox and XBMC still does a better job at upscaling standard-resolution video to high-definition resolutions than most of them, read the discussion here (link) (http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8227). Know that now HD DVD and Blu-ray (blue-laser) standalone set-top players are becoming more and more available, and practicaly all of them do upscaling of standard-resolution video to high-definition resolutions, at least for original DVD-Video movies. Some only upsclale them to 720p or 1080i but others also do upscaling to 1080p. I have however not seen any reports on how they compare qualitywise to the Xbox with XBMC.

As far as I can see, the only reason why you'd need composite is to enable the 720p resolution FROM the xbox. But when watching a movie from the same source (assuming the TV isn't terrible at upscaling) there shouldn't be much of a difference, should there?You can safly assume that all TV's do a terrible at upscaling standard-resolution video to high-definition resolutions, they do not enhance the picture anything at all, this is a reported fact, ...google for it if you do not believe me. (For one, there would be no need for those upscaling standalone set-top DVD-players if the chip in the TV did just as good of a job at it).

http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/wiki/index.php?title=What_is_XBMC_%26_What_Can_it_Do%3F #Does_XBMC_and_Xbox_support_HDTV_.28High_Definitio n_TV.29_resolutions.3F.2C_and_HDTV_media.3FQ: Does XBMC and Xbox support HDTV (High Definition TV) resolutions?, and HDTV media?
A: Yes and no, but the answer is a little more complicated than that, you see: Xbox/XBMC can output a 480p/720p/1080i signal (if you have a Xbox High Definition AV Pack/component cable) and upscale all low-resolution videos (like retail DVD-Video/Movies) to 720p (1280x720 pixels progressive) or 1080i (1920x1080 pixels interlaced) in hardware (linear upscale/upconvert). So XBMC have no problems with upscaling for example DVD-Video (720x480 NTSC/720x756 PAL) movies to HDTV 480p/720p/1080i. XBMC is even capable of playing native HD video (video/movies with native resolutions higher than 720x576) like 720p (1280x720) and 1080i (1920x1080), however there is here a big snag/limitation with that and that is that a standard Xbox only has a 733Mhz Intel Pentium-III CPU (processor) and that does not have the processing power to decode those native HD videos fast enough, (Microsoft� and DivX� recommends a 2.4 Ghz PC + 384MB RAM for 720p MPEG-4 playback!). This means that you might only get maybe 10-20fps (frames per seconds) displayed which would appear so jerky because of all dropped frames that it will be un-viewable. The only real solution if you want to play videos with native HD resolutions on Xbox is to buy or upgrade to a non-standard Xbox with a much faster CPU (processor), (like example the DreamX-1400 from FriendTech] which has a 1480Mhz Pentium-III that is at least capable of decoding all native HD videos encodec with MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 ASP (H.263) that are have up to 720p in native HDTV video resolution. FriendTech do offers trade-in). Note! You must enable/setup your HDTV settings in Microsoft dashboard, (on NTSC Xboxes).

To make this even clearer XBMC capability on a standard Xbox (with Intel 733Mhz PIII CPU):
* 720x480 pixel video output to 480p HDTV (720x480 progressive) = OK! (eg not upscaled).
* 720x480 pixel video output to 720p HDTV (1280x720 progressive) = OK! (eg upscaled).
* 720x480 pixel video output to 1080i HDTV (1920x1080 interlaced) = OK! (eg upscaled).
* 1280x720 pixel progressive video output to 720p HDTV (native 1280x720 progressive) = FAIL!
* 1920x1080 interlaced video output to 1080i HDTV (native 1920x1080 interlaced) = FAIL!

Note! All above that state FAIL don't actually fail to play, it's just that the Xbox CPU is to slow to decode/render the high resolution so it will drop so may frames (producing stuttering playback) that is will be un-viewable.Please also check out the supported video formats and resolutions chart (link) (http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/wiki/index.php?title=XBMC_Features_and_Supported_Format s/Codecs#Supported_video_formats_and_resolutions) in XBMC's online wiki manual, it lists which native video resolutions of common video-codecs to show what the Xbox CPU (system-processor) can handle. It might be off-topic when talking about scaling but it still an interesting read.

I just got my Big Ben HD AV pack (the one with the pass through) and hooked it up, and the picture is perfect. I no longer see the diagonal purple lines that were present with the "BOX" adapter I got. Consoleplus is still selling these Big Ben units on ebay UK at this link (http://cgi.ebay.com/High-Def-Component-Optical-Cable-for-XBox-BRAND-NE_W0QQitemZ120091041186

In case anyone was considering the "XCM Multi-Consoles Component Cable" from Play-Asia, I can heartily commend it for quality of HD image, however everyone should be aware that the 'Optical Out' which is described is ONLY for the XBox360 connector, the PS2 has one not on the cable but on the unit itself, BUT the original XBox connector DOES NOT HAVE OPTICAL OUT.

I was disappointed, since this would have saved me many cables for my XBox and PS2, but I'll get a 'Box' adapter as described by many others earlier in the thread and just have to live with multiple cables and switching them out as required.

CD

Gamester, is there any mode in which you'd prefer composite over component? Or is it just a matter of simplicity?I have two different displays which I switch between sometimes, one is a high-definition (720p) projector so it needs to run in NTSC and have the component cable, the other is a standard-definition PAL CRT TV so it needs to use composite cable (or S-Video, or RGB scart, all of which are non-HDTV capable cables).

I would never use my Xbox with non-HDTV capable cable on a real HDTV, that would be such a waste! :;):

link doesn't seem to work, and I can't find it on your site, but have a look at the wiki - would it make sense to add it there?

Sorry, its working now - was a private post for some reason. I'll take a look in the wiki, although not sure its really wiki-worthy...

Hi, i bought an HD cable off ebay when i bought my HDTV. It wasnt an original M$ cable, but it was a very good one, and it worked brilliantly, i even changed my XBox to NTSC and used XBMC in 1080i.

Here is the UK Ebay link, HD Cable For XBOX (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/xBox-Component-Video-Optical-S-Video-HD-Cable-Lead-A-V_W0QQitemZ130008703448QQihZ003QQcategoryZ20385QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Hi everybody, it's some weeks I have been reading and posting in some spanish forums to solve exactly the same problems you have, so I finally have decided to post here.
let's see, concerning the cables you say, last week I bought these 2 cables, neither of them official as you will realize because of the prices, really low(it's a spanish web, i'm sorry, but I guess yoy only need to see the pictures/prices):
http://www.hardcore-gamer.net/tienda/product_info.php/cPath/27_70/products_id/750

http://www.hardcore-gamer.net/tienda/product_info.php/cPath/27_70/products_id/3032

first one is a RGB cable, and the second a component cable.
by now I am not very satisfied with the result, since only the RGB has improved the image quality (but only a bit).
but I still have to switch the xbox to NTSC format, and then going into the Microsoft dashboard and set my video options to the HD ones (by now I am having the error 21 when trying, but i will keep you updated).

by the way... nobody here has said the option of buying a VGA box?? wouldn't it also increase the image quality??

1. Yes - they are identical apart from the EEPROM setting.

2. Yes, though you must enable the HD modes in the MS Dash (or equivalent) first.

3. It depends on the game. 480p vs PAL is no difference anyway really - the only difference is it's not interlaced, but your display will deinterlace it anyway.

4. Is it worth it? - Most definitely. The main disadvantage for a PAL user is that PAL sourced videos will not play back as smoothly (25fps vs 60fps output), though you probably won't notice it too much, and if you do, you can always slow down the playback speed to 24fps which will be smoother (at the disadvantage of resampling the audio).

Cheers,
Jonathan

anyone have a current link to the 'box' one?

all the ones at the start of the thread are out of date and I can't seem to find any of them any more. does anyone know if there are any on www.ebay.co.uk?

update: just got my "BOX" knock-off HD Pack, and it works great (component video + optical digital audio), 720p 16:9 NTSC.

I would be very interested in hearing your results with it.

If anyone knows where I can get a genuine microsoft cable in the UK please let me(us?) know.

As long as playback from 720p HD movies is too resource demanding for the xbox, I can't really see why it'd be an advantage to have 720p enabled, except for gaming.
One good reason is because the interface looks much better in 720p.

You get this:
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/5788/xbmchd10yd9.th.jpg (http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xbmchd10yd9.jpg)

Instead of this:
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/6734/xbmcscreenshot3ug2.th.jpg (http://img157.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xbmcscreenshot3ug2.jpg)

Another good reason is HRHD (960x540) TV shows look great and play great on the xbox. I've also found a few 720p avi's that the Xbox can play back with very little frame drops.

Plus, like you mentioned, some TV's might not have the greatest upscaler. I can say without any doubt that playing back a DVD with my Xbox at 720p looks better than playing back that same DVD on my progressive scan (non up-converting) DVD player.

Great tutorial ryan.
Ive been looking for something like that.

One question though. Can the xbox boot from a CD-R? Or am I gonna have to get a mate to buen me a bootable DVD of the Enigmah PAL/NTSC Selector CD?

Thats the only thing holding me back now!

Well that and not having the HD Adapter!

From the .nfo file with the Enigmah program:

The Enigmah Video Mode Select CD is a tool that converts any NTSC box into a full PAL
box so you get a full color output.
Also works on JAP machines and PAL machines,(if you want to convert PAL to NTSC).
Elminate all Black & White problems without the need for a full RGB lead.
Press A to select PAL and Press B to select NTSC, press X and Y for a few extras :)
It works best on DVDR but will boot on CDRW just as well.
Tested 100% on the amazing Enigmah Xbox Mod - the only mod that does everything all on one chip.

...so i guess you could give it a try. I dont know how something boots "better" or worse from dvd or CD, so i thought id be safe (and impatient) and go straight for the dvd option.

I have the "box" adaptor too. It works fine for me, no lines. I belive that they are a bit hit and miss i.e. some work some dont.

Ive just ordered this (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/High-Def-Component-Optical-Cable-for-XBox-BRAND-NE_W0QQitemZ120078985831QQihZ002QQcategoryZ20385QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) one. As it has a pass thru. Ill be putting my old one on ebay as soon as I get it. Let me know if you want the link.

I just got one of those official HD AV adapters from ebay and I'm also seeing the diagonal lines that kyoung2112 was talking about so I'm not sure should I go fork out about 80 for an official one (there are a few official ones on ebay but some going for up to $150!!)

So does anyone have any idea what causes this effect? cheaper components in the adapter?? I mean there can't be much going on inside it is there... maybe I should open it up and have a look!!

skrot, is this pack the ms official for xbox?? it seems so by the picture, but it is far too cheap, isn't it??

One good reason is because the interface looks much better in 720p.

You get this:
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/5788/xbmchd10yd9.th.jpg (http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xbmchd10yd9.jpg)

Instead of this:
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/6734/xbmcscreenshot3ug2.th.jpg (http://img157.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xbmcscreenshot3ug2.jpg)

Another good reason is HRHD (960x540) TV shows look great and play great on the xbox. I've also found a few 720p avi's that the Xbox can play back with very little frame drops.

Plus, like you mentioned, some TV's might not have the greatest upscaler. I can say without any doubt that playing back a DVD with my Xbox at 720p looks better than playing back that same DVD on my progressive scan (non up-converting) DVD player.

good points, I didn't think about the interface thingie... So this basicly means that for any DVDs I store on my xbox, they should, if possible, be in NTSC format? This is gonna be a huge mess :S

Stay away from this cheapo cable/adapter

http://www.inkjetcartridge.com/xboxcommutator.html

very bad quality and gives like a ghost image on my plasma dispaly

Made my own using the guides, wasnt too hard taking about an hour to get everything done. Used an old xbox composite lead and just rewired the 3 phono leads in it - Comp AudioL AudioR > Y Pb Pr. Also added a digital coaxial out by drilling a little hole in the back of the plug and inserting an old phono cable. Soldering was a little tricky due to the small contacts but it works and looks fantastic in 720p & 1080i. 1080i looks the best to me but its a little slow on the animations. But thats close up, from my normal viewing distance there isnt any noticable difference in the quality so left it at 720p for the smoother animations.

One thing that would be interesting to find out is if the bought leads are soldered correctly wrt the ground connections. It may not make that much difference but the lead I took apart connected all the ground wires together and connected them to the plugs casing and cable shielding instead of to the correct grounding pins on the avip.

Next job as kragh3d almost did, remove the AVIP and add all the outputs directly off the motherboard :)

I got one of the MadCats from bestbuy ($15.00) and when it restarted (resolution was auto) it slammed into 1080i and blew me away. Course the animations and what have you slowed down so I went down to 720p but the overall change in clarity is amazing. All those silly custom DVD icons I was making.... I CAN SEE EM NOW! woohoo!

i have decided to buy this one:
http://www.hardcore-gamer.net/tienda/product_info.php/cPath/27_70/products_id/3496

it's not original but it really looks good.

by the way, i guy from another forum has told me that to activate the High Definition mode in the MS dashboard, you need to have a component cable, because with the RGB cable it's not possible. is this right??????

To use modes such as 480p, 720p, 1080i you need to enable them in the microsoft dash, and they will only work with a component cable. If you're using a PAL Xbox you need enigmah video mode selecter to make it NTSC, or else you will only get a 576i output.

Hi,

I got my Xbox in NTSC mode but unfortunately not all it perfect.

For anyone trying to changes between PAL and NTSC I think that UnleashX is the easier option. Its a another dash that I just ftp'd onto the xbox and run the Default.xbe from XBMC and the UnleashX dash has options in the video settings to change the video mode. I had tried using Enigma's video selector but couldn't get an CD-R recongnised.

That was all fine I could run the XBMC in HD and I don't know if other people has experienced this but running at 1080i slowed down the XBMC just enough to be annoying so running at 720p was much better.

The problem is the vague diagonal lines that are on th screen now and creates a slight haze in the background. I figured out it was the xbox high definition AV cable that I got from ebay it was the UNofficial one with "box" on the front of it. I've read other comments on different forums where people had same problem. Unfortunetely xbox are not producing that HD AV pack anymore so they're going for up to $150 on ebay!! not really worth it.

Apart from that I was playing FIFA 2007 at 720p and it looked amazing apart from the slight hazyness from the cable.

As for watching videos its better quality to watch with my old standard AV cable.

Ideally I could switch between video modes depending on what I'm doing on xbox but I've read the eeprom doesn't like to be rewritten to much or it might just give up the ghost!!

So anyone got a spare Official xbox HD AV pack they don't want?!?? :D

Have you tried Ebay?

There are usualy a few on there. And most UK stores will have no problem posting to denmark.

OK, we're talking about the original microsoft composite cable here? Not some no-name $4.99 clone?

Yep, thats the one. I think its the one that came with the console. I have been using an advanced AV scart cable with optical out but couldnt bring myself to butcher that one. Probably would have broken the optical out as its moulded into the plug anyway! The composite one was spare so nothing to loose :)

Can you buy the AVIP plugs or are they custom?

Thanks for posting your results. I'm in need of one as well and but have been weary of these third party BOX ones found on ebay. But, now I'm off to get one.

I'd take the joytech cable apart myself but I'm trying to get my money back from it :rolleyes:

I spent the day going through a bunch of stores and various internetshops in norway today, and they all seem to be sold out when it comes to the xbox HD AV pack. So I ended up getting one from ebay. Seems like there's quite a few left on ebay, even if the price is slightly steep there (anything between 10 and 50$), depending on how lucky you are with your action.

Report back here on your brand and if it worked (noting available audio and video outputs), so others can make informed decisions too!

Just tried that new adapter last night and works perfect, its all wonderful HD now!!

P.S. has anyone any suggestions to what are the best games for xbox to show off the HD cos I know only some games support HD resolutions. I have FIFA 2007 which looks great at 720p. any driving games that support the higher resolutions?

http://144.92.43.200/hdg/

Nitro Karts is a good one but a fun racer ala mario karts.

The question is do PAL versions of the game run in HD when run on an HD enabled NTSC console or do we need to get NTSC versions of the games for them to run in HD?

I dont know where you are based ashlar. But I am in the UK and Ive just bought an xbox for �30. Right at the moment is the right time to buy. Everyone is offloading their old xboxes as the buy 360's. So theres a glut of cheap boxes and accessories out there.

i bought 5 component cables yesterday at a webshop in holland.
http://www.consoleshop.nl/product/26828/27207/1329/konig-xbox-digital-optical-av-cable.html (http://http://www.consoleshop.nl/product/26828/27207/1329/konig-xbox-digital-optical-av-cable.html)

now we gonna tweak the pal boxes to ntsc boxes to get the benefits of it:grin:
Renzo

I just got one of those official HD AV adapters from ebay and I'm also seeing the diagonal lines that kyoung2112 was talking about so I'm not sure should I go fork out about €80 for an official one (there are a few official ones on ebay but some going for up to $150!!)

So does anyone have any idea what causes this effect? cheaper components in the adapter?? I mean there can't be much going on inside it is there... maybe I should open it up and have a look!!

the official cable costs 45$ on ebay for "buy it now".

I recently ordered myself a DVD player which supports 720p upscaling, and the difference between letting the DVD player do the upscaling, and having the TV do the job was really big. Way more of a difference than I had imagined. I can only imagine that the same goes for the xbox.

I use the Gamestop Universal HD component cable which works with Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2, PS one, and PS3. It's $15 at Ebgames and Gamestop. Only bad thing: it doesn't have digital audio out(except for the 360 plug).

Ah guess Im not alowed to mention that place.

Lession learned.

Found it anyway.

And the answer to my question is yes.

http://xbmc.org/forum/showpost.php?p=122244&postcount=7

Thanks Nickman

Just bought one from here:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/COMPONENT-VIDEO-CABLE-YPbPr-High-Definition-Xbox_W0QQitemZ280011972776QQihZ018QQcategoryZ41015 QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

My 'Box' adapter had a loose connection on one of the Y/Pr/Pb connectors, even with a set of Monster cables, but it would have cost me more than the �0.99 plus shipping to send it back. I have just ordered one of the above mentioned adapters and am looking forward with full component 720p glory WITH optical sound out. :)

Thanks for all the links folks.

CD

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/XBOX-Component-Cable-DTS-Digital-Input-Gold-XB-613-C_W0QQitemZ330075702629QQihZ014QQcategoryZ41015QQr dZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Finally arrived and omg it's made a big difference. Very nice cable. XBMC looks even nicer. Very happy with the cable and XBMC.

Hey there

Been lurking for a bit here, but now I need some help.

I just bought a xbox, again. I couldn't do without XBMC. But I really need help finding a proper component video cable with an optical audio output in a shop near/in Denmark.

I recently bought this component cable (link (http://www.av-connection.dk/?PGr=524&ML1=1&ML2=7&ML3=36&ML4=226)), but it was no good, there was quite noticeable picture blurring In 720p. High-grade indeed. So if anyone knows of a online shop that has a component cable with a "guaranteed" good picture quality, I'd love to hear about it.

I've been looking through the threads about cables, and I feel as if I've visited every online shop, but I still can't find what I'm looking for. :(

Thanks!

I recently bought one of http://cgi.ebay.com/Microsoft-XBox-HD-High-Definition-AV-Component-Pack-NEW_W0QQitemZ250051425242QQihZ015QQcategoryZ41015Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem and I got lots of noise. I've got a 10m component cable though. I'm going to buy one of those "BOX" adapters now, see if that works out any better.

OK, That's the one I stumbled across and wondered about in my last post:
http://www.inkjetcartridge.com/xboxcommutator.html

Too bad it didn't work out for you, all those connectors looked sweet.

i have decided to buy this one:
http://www.hardcore-gamer.net/tienda/product_info.php/cPath/27_70/products_id/3496

That looks like the "Gamestop" version I posted about (see above). I'm currently using it, and the video is flawless (I enabled 720p in MSDash), but as I said, no digital audio.

It seems a lot of these cheapos just can't handle the high bandwidth stuff. Maybe they're lacking filters or shielding?

It looks like a bunch of us will have "BOX" versions to report back on in the next little while. Fingers crossed.

yes msdash is the easiest way to enable HD modes. Msdash requires a valid componentcable connected and xbox in ntsc mode before is shows the HD modes. this setting is then saved in an eeprom.

I recently ordered and set up one of the 'BOX' HD adapters from eBay. After bit of trial-and-error it is now working great. *Highly recommend*.

I wrote a short 'how to' here if anyone is looking for an idiots-guide version on how to do this: http://www.ryanvanlaar.com/?p=393

link doesn't seem to work, and I can't find it on your site, but have a look at the wiki - would it make sense to add it there?

Nice tutorial here too:

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=213487

I just got my third third-party adapter, the one marked "BOX" insted of "XBOX" on eBay. It works very well. No ghost-like noise like I got with the other adapter. :)

I bought mine new from www.kjell.com (http://www.kjell.com) (it's a Swedish company) but they sell/ship to all contries in the European Union (so I'm not sure if they ship to Norway, but usually all companies in Sweden ship to Norway). The Xbox component cable from kjell.com (38128) (http://www.kjell.com/content/templates/shop_main_details.aspx?item=38128&path=13335000,13339843,13339960) works great on at NTSC converted PAL Xbox when in the component mode, but it does however have one problem if switch over to the composite mode then the digitalt-audio (SP/DIF TosLink) do not work, as that only work in component mode on this specific cable. Kjell.com used to stock the original Microsoft High Definition AV pack at a good price as well and I bought one at that time which I used it to compare it with that cheap Xbox component cable from kjell.com (38128) (http://www.kjell.com/content/templates/shop_main_details.aspx?item=38128&path=13335000,13339843,13339960) and I can not see any difference, unfortunatly kjell.com don't sell the Microsoft orignal component cable any longer but I can still highly recommend the cheap one I got.

The quality is great at 720p! I even bought a 10-meter ClickTronic High Quality component RGB video extension cable (http://www.kjell.com/content/templates/shop_main_details.aspx?item=37898&path=660000,1350000,1360000,1440000) for it and the video quality is still great at 720p, (I use this connectior (http://www.kjell.com/?item=38128&path=13335000,13339843,13339960) to plug the two component cable together).

The grounding point shouldn't matter that much since it's not a differential (balanced) signal. Were they using coaxial cable? Like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:RG-59.jpg

Yes, each of the internal cables was coaxial. The composite one was slightly thicker than the two audio ones so I used that for the Y component and used the audio for Pb and Pr. These were then aranged in a star shape with 3 spacer cables that kept them slightly seperated. The cable these all went in was also shielded.

Dont get any ghosting at 1080i so must be decent enough cable for it. It is a bit mad that the companies that make these cables cant spend a few extra pence on decent cables. Every penny of profit counts I guess.

From the .nfo file with the Enigmah program:

The Enigmah Video Mode Select CD is a tool that converts any NTSC box into a full PAL
box so you get a full color output.
Also works on JAP machines and PAL machines,(if you want to convert PAL to NTSC).
Elminate all Black & White problems without the need for a full RGB lead.
Press A to select PAL and Press B to select NTSC, press X and Y for a few extras :)
It works best on DVDR but will boot on CDRW just as well.
Tested 100% on the amazing Enigmah Xbox Mod - the only mod that does everything all on one chip.

...so i guess you could give it a try. I dont know how something boots "better" or worse from dvd or CD, so i thought id be safe (and impatient) and go straight for the dvd option.

Thats great!

Ill sort out getting the cables and stuff sharpish then.

Kellet - That cable would be perfect if it had a digital out too...

Like this one for example:

http://www.iulaw08.com/iulawpics/1138599915546_XBOX_HDAVPACK.jpg

They look original but instead of saying "xbox" they only have "box" on the cover.

I guess since I can't find any genuine ones and the knock-offs are so inexpensive I can buy one and see what happens with it.

I bought one of those off ebay and it works fine. Gotta love the 'BOX' branding. My projector detects it at 720p pretty happily, once I remembered to turn on the higher resolutions in the xbox.

This is the shape of things to come... harder and harder to find consoles and accessories. I pray for a solution to port XBMC somewhere else, soon... :(

thx for the detailed answer :) I guess I'll have to start looking for a used HD cable for my xbox then :S

Report back here on your brand and if it worked (noting available audio and video outputs), so others can make informed decisions too!

well, the one I bought from ebay was a "used and new" original HD cable. So it isn't really that interesting with regards to testing out different brands.

Gamester, is there any mode in which you'd prefer composite over component? Or is it just a matter of simplicity?

P.S. has anyone any suggestions to what are the best games for xbox to show off the HD cos I know only some games support HD resolutions. I have FIFA 2007 which looks great at 720p. any driving games that support the higher resolutions?

Do we need to select anything special within XBMC to play for example, FIFA 2007 in 720p mode?
I have already enabled the 720p and 1080i modes in MS Dash and set my XBOX to NTSC. XBMC runs fine in 720p and the movies too.

When playing, it looks nice, but how can i verify if the game runs in 720p or just normal NTSC or PAL mode? Or any hints to just test the 2 resolutions ? What do i need to change within XBMC for the games?

Hey guys.

Ive got the opportunity to pick up an original Microsoft HD adapter and cable. I just want a couple of questions cleared up before I pull the trigger.

Ive got a PAL box. In order for me to get 720p i need to change it over to NTSC right? But I can do that with "Enigmah-X PAL-NTSC Video Selector" cant I?

Also I don't have the MS dash installed on my box any more, its backed up but not installed. Do I need to change any settings in there? Its a PAL box and I don't remember seeing any options for HD display. Do I need to reinstall it then?

Id be grateful if someone could help me get these things straight in my head :)

I took a chance and picked up the Joytech one for $18 USD shipped. It's an all in one connector with RGB composite, RCA component, S-Video, and optical audio. Saw the difference right away with the dash running at 1080i. It's too bad that maneuvering through the thumbs was painfully slow. Dropped the dash down to 720p and still a vast improvement over standard but noticably worse than 1080i. Many of my divx actually were worse after this. I had to play with the settings quite a bit. Some of them are still blurrier than with normal component cables. The other half had little to slight improvement upscaling to 1080i. Watching the video at original size, it's obvious the output is there and the source is just not good enough quality to display on my set (divx 6.0 encoded dvds using home theatre setting). Xvids also from dvd source were hit or miss as well. Finally, I tried a few AMT trailers and I could see what this xbox is actually capable of doing. The detail on high quality trailers was amazing compared to the normal cables. I tried a few true HD sources but of course, the xbox couldn't handle the stream. On lower quality HD streams (720p mpeg2 compressed from sat source), I got massive frame drops (avg 15 fps). On 1080i, I got the xbox to play for a maximum of 5 seconds before just choking up (though the picture that I did see was spectacular). Not bad for an $18 item. I think I picked them up at etoys, a subsidiary of eshop but the big box online stores had them for about the same price (sam's club, walmart).

Let me know how that high def cable works, I'll get one myself they have 100 listed!!

Works PERFECTLY!

Much better than the "box" one. Plus it has a pass through for my little screen.

Get one...

so do those non-microsoft high defintion packs that are all over ebay for $5.99 not work?

Ok, I'm a bit confused here. Just for info, I have a PAL xbox, but it doesn't really matter atm.

Suppose you want to watch a DVD from your harddrive on your xbox. Now, from what I can understand, if you have a NTSC xbox, or if you have switched to NTSC format from a PAL xbox, the xbox will upscale the movie to fit 720p, but the source quality is obviously still the same either way.

So what would the difference be to watch the movie on a PAL xbox? The source is still the same (assuming one PAL DVD and one NTSC DVD respectively), but with PAL, the TV would have to scale up the image instead of the xbox. Would there really be any difference in quality?

As far as I can see, the only reason why you'd need composite is to enable the 720p resolution FROM the xbox. But when watching a movie from the same source (assuming the TV isn't terrible at upscaling) there shouldn't be much of a difference, should there?

When playing games on the other hand, I can understand the need for 720p resolution coming out of the xbox. Cause when gaming (assuming the game supports 720p) the output from the xbox will have 720p as the source resolution, and hence the TV image will have pure 720p quality. This however seems to be the only case where 720p actually makes a difference.

As long as playback from 720p HD movies is too resource demanding for the xbox, I can't really see why it'd be an advantage to have 720p enabled, except for gaming.

That said, returning to the hardware part of the conversation, is composite the best interface with regards to picture quality? And when connecting composite to a SCART converter, will this decrease quality? Or should you ideally connect the composite directly to the TV?

If anyone can help me clear out these issue, I'd be very greatful =)

I said the shape of things to come for a reason. Consoles are not produced anymore, accessories are getting harder to find. Things can only get worse, there's no getting better in this.

That's what I meant.

Gotcha!

Right now is just about the right time to be stocking up then. Buy Buy Buy!

Then Sell later at an inflated price!

Muahahahahaha!

Im new to all this Xbox stuff, I not really sure what PAL and NTSC means. I have regular xbox it isnt modded just stock I guess, I was thinking about buying one of those "box" hd av packs from ebay, will I be able to view it on my HD tv without all the mods that you guys are talking about? If not what will I have to do to get working?

where did you buy the xbox? If it was bought in Europe or Asia, it's most probably PAL, if it's bought in the US, it's most probably NTSC. Only the NTSC version will allow you to use the xbox in HDTV mode. However, you can change a PAL xbox to NTSC by using a software tool called enigmah X.

It may not make that much difference but the lead I took apart connected all the ground wires together and connected them to the plugs casing and cable shielding instead of to the correct grounding pins on the avip.

The grounding point shouldn't matter that much since it's not a differential (balanced) signal. Were they using coaxial cable? Like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:RG-59.jpg

Hi guys,
I have a modded (UK) PAL xbox. HD cable on order (ebay). I have obtained a copy of Enigmah but I have a problem.
My DVD drive is Notoriously temperamental in reading disks. When originally modding the box, I spent more money buying CD-R/RW DVD-R +-’s than a new drive would cost!
My question:
Would it be possible to strip the Enigmah app from the ISO, dump it on the xbox in the apps directory and run it from there?
Regards,
Jimbo

thanks.

you can buy the original microsoft hd av pack from lik-sang:

i have already checked that source. right on the page you linked, it says "back ordered, ships when stock arrives." probably i should try calling them.

as the last resort, i am thinking about going down the mod route.

thanks for your reply.

regards
sri

^ I wonder about that too, Zajja, I don't really understand upconverting yet :)

Works PERFECTLY!

Much better than the "box" one. Plus it has a pass through for my little screen.

Get one...

I just got one in the post, so I'll let ye know tomorrow does mine work ok too the guy has (had) 100 listed (85 left ebay link (http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120078985831&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.ie%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fsea rch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26satitle%3D120078985831%26fv i%3D1)) on the ebay listing and all the feedback I could see from other people who bought it seemed to be good.
Also now that I have it, its feels much more solid that the "box" one which is very light.
Here's a picture of it in case anyone is interested:

http://www.roboticuniverse.com/xbox/xboxhdadapter.jpg

fyi, here's an interesting item, a true all-in-one, it seems. Anybody have experience with this?

http://www.inkjetcartridge.com/xboxcommutator.html

hi again guys,

I have been looking for some component video +optical audio on the internet, and I have found some Psyclone and and Monster Cables in Amazon.com and some other webs, but the thing is that none of them operates out of the USA.
do you know any web that sells in Europe???

thanx!!

I can't get my HD pack to work. Its one of the cheep ebay 'box' ones.

I can't see the settings video for 480 720 1080, I only see normal, letterbox, widescreen.

I'm pretty sure my xbox is nstc. I have the mechassult soft mod installed. I turned it off to be able to make the changes in the m$ dash.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Sounds like the cable is not being recognised as HD.

This is a nice little page that shows most of the different modes in PAL and NTSC:
Xbox Video Compare (http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/paulgun/xbox/video/)

http://www.shop.com/op/~STUDIOS_B4V00004_Component_HD_AV_Cable_for_XBox_3 60-prod-28932697

I picked up one of these from ebay. Just waiting for it to arrive. Nice and cheap, just hope it's not cheap and nasty. Looks decent and similar to other hd av cable that have been posted in this thread.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/XBOX-Component-Cable-DTS-Digital-Input-Gold-XB-613-C_W0QQitemZ330075702629QQihZ014QQcategoryZ41015QQr dZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Was going to pick up one of those "BOX" brand ones, but this one is posted/shipped from Sydney where I am, so I might receive it faster than ordering O/S.

Anyways, Ill let you know if this cable is any good.

Hi,

For anyone trying to changes between PAL and NTSC I think that UnleashX is the easier option. Its a another dash that I just ftp'd onto the xbox and run the Default.xbe from XBMC and the UnleashX dash has options in the video settings to change the video mode. I had tried using Enigma's video selector but couldn't get an CD-R recongnised.

I have a version of the video switcher that runs as an app. it was very east to use - solved my dvd playback problem as i was runing an ntsc box on a pal crt tv. I couldnt get the cd-r version of the video switcher to work either