Dreamcast VGA Adapter

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Xranger60
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Dreamcast VGA Adapter

Post by Xranger60 »

Who else uses a VGA adapter to play their Dreamcast games? For the games that support it, the adapter outputs games at 480p, which is a treat, compared to the PS2, which only supported 480i for most games.

Recently, I played through Code Veronica through VGA, and it looked great. RE2, however, ended up looking like the PC version... the characters looked great, but the backgrounds looked...pixelated, making some details more difficult to see. RE3 is the same case, apparently. This must be a result of the backgrounds not being rendered at the higher resolution, but instead simply being drawn onto the high resolution, resulting in the pixelated look.

For most games, though, the VGA is worth it, and a lot of HDTV's have a VGA port nowadays. I actually play on an LCD computer monitor through the VGA port, and since the monitor will only support progressive scan through VGA, this makes the Dreamcast infinitely easier to setup and play than the PS2 by comparison.
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Warp2063
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Post by Warp2063 »

I would like to have one, but I've never picked one up. Really, I'd like to have all of my game systems hooked up to my monitor eventually, though.
I have my Saturns, I have some of my games, I have a RasPi. Gotta put all this stuff together!
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Post by Xranger60 »

Apparently, there is a way to mod the dreamcast to build in a VGA port right on the back, since when a certain pin or two is grounded, the Dreamcast will output in VGA.

If only other console developers had been so forward thinking in their video options. None of the other developers produced consoles capable of outputting to VGA natively, until the Xbox 360 came along. While it's easy to buy the component cables for PS2, finding games that work in 480p is another matter. For gamecube, true component cables are extremely rare. Better off buying a wii with the component cables to enjoy those games.
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Post by Warp2063 »

As much as I am interested in mods, I really don't like to physically mod my primary systems. That being said, three of my game systems do have internal changes. Possibly four. Out of all the game systems I own, however, this is a very small number.
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Post by grolt »

I never had a VGA adapter back in the day, but last year I bought one and I haven't looked back since. It really does make a big difference. Edges are that much sharper, and colors reproduce a lot smoother and richer compared to composite. I've got it hooked to my 40" 1080P Sony HDTV, and games like Phantasy Star Online and Shenmue look beautiful on it.

That's what I always liked about SEGA - they always had these often untapped extras on each and every console. The Master System had the 3D glasses/card game port, the Saturn had the modem, internal memory, VCD adapter, etc. and the Genesis had all those expansions. When it came to forward thinking television-wise, though, SEGA was ahead of the cusp even in the Saturn days. You can find 16x9 modes in NiGHTS and Panzer Dragoon Zwei, and for fast-flying games like those the added space on the sides really helps the gameplay.
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Re: Dreamcast VGA Adapter

Post by ellanceo »

I also got a VGA adapter and it looks great on my 50" Samsung plasma, however I get HORRIBLE scanlines. Not sure if this is an issue with the VGA box itself or my TV? I can move the scanlines around with the picture settings, however no luck getting them to go away.

I will post pictures later on, any suggestions?
Image
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