I concede (RE: X360 VGA vs Component)

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I've just spent an afternoon configuring my Home AV setup and the component image absolutely spanks the VGA image for colour depth, black levels, contrast and sharpness (comparing 1080i/720p component with 1366*768 VGA).

Now I've always touted the VGA cable as being superior and with tweaking it can come close to component but for reasons unknown to me the quality is simply inferior to the component connection. Now I know it's not my TV as I loaded a picture onto my PC and 360 and comparing the following:

360 component
360 VGA
PC VGA 1:1 mapping
PC DVI via HDMI 1:1 mapping

All images look identical bar the 360 via VGA. Any ideas as to why MS have made the VGA cable inferior to component? I hope the HDMI cable for the 360 (if/when it's released) can match the component quality as my component connection is taken up by the Wii and ideally I'd like no overscan (component loses 5-10% at the edges of the screen by design).

Not really sure why I posted this other than I imagine McDaniel would love to take the opportunity to say "I told you so".

EDIT: It's not the TV as the PC via VGA looks fine!!!
 
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GuruJockStrap said:
I've always though that Component gives the more vibrant colours but lacks the sharpness of VGA.

I'd imagine the TV you use also plays a massive factor.
I get the same from 3 TVs:

LG 32LC2DB, LG 37LC3R, Samsung LE32R74.

Also the same picture being sent from a PC and a 360 at 1366*768 both via VGA on the above TVs and on an NEC 20WGX2 monitor all show the same flaws in the X360s VGA. There's no logical reason for the 360's VGA to be inferior to a PCs VGA though, or especially compared to component.

Edit: The dashboard in particular looks better via 1080i than 1366*768 VGA for some reason. I'm still using VGA because of my limited connections but I'm hoping HDMI can solve this.
 
Same here, just got a 32" LCD Friday. With VGA the colours look a little 'mis-coloured'. On a 19" TFT they look amazing though.

Composite looks flawless in terms of colour to my eyes, its simply like playing on my 19" TFT via VGA but actually on the 32" picture wise.
 
Kreeeee said:
I've just spent an afternoon configuring my Home AV setup and the component image absolutely spanks the VGA image for colour depth, black levels, contrast and sharpness (comparing 1080i/720p component with 1366*768 VGA).

Now I've always touted the VGA cable as being superior and with tweaking it can come close to component but for reasons unknown to me the quality is simply inferior to the component connection. Now I know it's not my TV as I loaded a picture onto my PC and 360 and comparing the following:

360 component
360 VGA
PC VGA 1:1 mapping
PC DVI via HDMI 1:1 mapping

All images look identical bar the 360 via VGA. Any ideas as to why MS have made the VGA cable inferior to component? I hope the HDMI cable for the 360 (if/when it's released) can match the component quality as my component connection is taken up by the Wii and ideally I'd like no overscan (component loses 5-10% at the edges of the screen by design).

Not really sure why I posted this other than I imagine McDaniel would love to take the opportunity to say "I told you so".


This is exactly the findings I found when I tried component vs VGA. (using Samsung MW940 HDTV).

I only tested one game - BF2 which showed a stark colour depth difference between component and vga (VGA looking washed out) so on my setup at least component is superior in terms of colour depth however vga is noticably sharper in RB6 vegas (not so apparent when I originally tested on BF2).
 
This varies depending on what screen you have, I'm running my 360 through a dell 2407 and the vga picture is better by far (component is shockingly bad on this screen) but on a hd ready tv with proper component inputs then component will be better
 
Princey said:
Why dont you just turn the colour up on VGA and have the best of both connections then?
Because raising the colour doesn't get rid of the white haze. With VGA you can't have deep blacks and striking whites like you can on component. Lowering the brightness helps loads but at the cost of pristine whites.

Sirrel Squirrel said:
This varies depending on what screen you have, I'm running my 360 through a dell 2407 and the vga picture is better by far (component is shockingly bad on this screen) but on a hd ready tv with proper component inputs then component will be better
But that doesn't explain why PC VGA at identical resolutions doesn't look crap, it looks the same as component on the 360.
 
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I am running mine via vga on a toshiba 37wlt58... the actual clarity/sharpness does look better than compnent, but the picture is so bright it ruins the black and colour levels and im finding it impossible to get a decent compromise picture, either its too bright or the blacks loose all detail.

It was the same when I connected my pc the colours were dim and the brightness seemed too high, even though it wasnt... causing the washed out look that everyone is always on about. Iv used the avia disc and it has helped a great deal getting it better, but still I may just give up and go back to component... My lcd doesnt let me change the colour settings in pc mode, which is awful
 
Official VGA lead is still better for me than the HD component lead on my 23" Sammy LCD TV.

Any colour difference there might be doesn't bother me, and its much sharper. PGR3 is almost a different game with the reduced jaggies a VGA lead provides.
 
Nismo said:
Official VGA lead is still better for me than the HD component lead on my 23" Sammy LCD TV.

Any colour difference there might be doesn't bother me, and its much sharper. PGR3 is almost a different game with the reduced jaggies a VGA lead provides.
After trying PGR3 again I agree. In everything but the dashboard everything seems a bit sharper bit the difference in colour depth is huge :(

Edit: I think most of the jaggies disappear by there being no overscan. The overscan cuts off the edges and blows up the rest of the image to fit the screen (removes 5-10% depending on the TV) which accentuates "jaggies".
 
i must say i prefer VGA over component on my samsung 940MW 19". I still get good blacks and nice sharp whites, and no jaggies (esp in PGR3).

Weird how it's good for one screen and not for another.
 
the component cable for me seems a little more washed out then VGA on the 360 yellows not quite as bright/sharp for example (the Y button for dashboard shows this) compared to the stronger colours i get on VGA.
 
InwardSinging said:
The VGA is far better on my LCD. Stop buying budget LCD's tbh ;)
Read threads before posting ;) :rolleyes:

DaveyD said:
It's the cable though, as he's said, on VGA via PC, the picture is fine.
Aye and there's really no legitimate reason for it really.
 
Not having a Xbox360 so therefore totaly ignorant about the cables but...

Isn't it down to the VGA output of the 360 not the cable ? . VGA colour voltage is 0.7V so you're unlikely to get much drop along typical cable lengths and crosstalk would give you screen noise / shimmer etc
.
:)
 
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