Xbox 360 slim with HDMI and Audio adapter - No display

Question

Basically I have a new Slim 360 and because I'm connecting to my monitor (which has no speakers or sound output), I need to use the hdmi for video and a RCA audio adapter for sound.

Here's the audio adapter I have: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-Cable-Adapter-XBOX-Slim/dp/B005EDAFFS/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

As far as I can tell this should work just fine right? Well for some reason as soon as I plug in the audio cable, the picture on the screen turns black. Does anyone know why this might happen? This is the only way I can get sound so I really need to figure this out.

Asked by HatInACat

Answer

The 'easiest' solution would be here. All in one solution to convert the audio to 3.5mm jack and a VGA (which your monitor should support - otherwise convert from there to DVI).

Answered by Foxtrot

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What are the best laptop screen resolutions for gaming on a PC?

Question

There are a wide variety of resolutions available on different laptops on the market. Which screen resolutions are best for gaming? Is Full HD (1920 x 1080) the best?

Are there any resolutions one should avoid?

Asked by Nicolai

Answer

Preference

In my opinion you shouldn't punish your non-gaming laptop usage just to run some game at a resolution lower than what is native. Moral: go as high as you'd like, 1920x1080 works well go me.

I would also recommend, if you have a desktop and a laptop, to get the same resolution on your laptop as your desktop monitor.

Performance

My laptop is 1920x1080 and I've played everything from WoW to Dawn of War 2 to Left 4 Dead 1/2 etc. It is 3yrs old and has a "NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT". I would say I'm often dropping the resolution below native, but it doesn't really bother me that much. In fact I'm often dropping it into windowed mode, as my laptop gaming is more casual, and I like to be able to alt-tab whenever I feel like it.

Final Thought

You mileage may vary but: you shouldn't be afraid of dropping your resolution below native when gaming on a laptop. Other's may disagree, but that's my opinion.

Check our Morinar's this response to stretching resolutions on a laptop: http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/1032/is-it-bad-to-stretch-your-resolution

Answered by Jonathan Mabe

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120hz in 2D, what's the point? [closed]

Question

So I've been searching the internet for advice on my next Pc/Console monitor purchase and come across a good deal on the LG D2342P-PN. It's LED, got all three connectors I want adn even 3D in 120Hz, which I didn't want but why not have?!

Then, I read some reviews and the biggest simple complain I read is that this monitor does not support 120Hz in 2D. Eh? 120Hz in 2D? Whoever needs that? Last time I checked 60fps was the speed everyone wanted their games to run in, which is the same as refresh speed of most monitors, but now we're aiming for, presumably, 120fps? Or is it 60fps in 120Hz, that we want? But still, why? Therefore:

What are the advantages of running a monitor in 120Hz in 2D ? (general use, films and games)

I understand why 120fps in 3D is good (single eye flickering, whatever it's called, which in effect produces 60fps), but in 2D? Please someone explain! Cheers.

Answer

The frames per second of the game is different to the refresh rate of the monitor.

Higher refresh rates on the monitor give you a more stable picture - regardless of whether that picture is being changed by the computer at 60 frames per second or 1. When monitors were cathode ray tubes it was definitely the case that you could see flickering at 60Hz or even higher refresh rates so a 120Hz monitor would effectively be "flicker free". With LCD and LED displays this is less of an issue, but going to 120Hz could be beneficial, but it's unlikely.

However, it's more likely that it's because the monitor is operating in 120Hz anyway regardless of the 2D/3D mode.

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Using XBox360 with LED Monitor and speakers

Question

I bought my first console over a week back and since I didn't have a TV I got a LED Monitor (Full HD) which has an HDMI port, and also a pair of good speakers. Since XBox has the (big) analog cable and HDMI we assumed I could connect both Monitor (in full HD via HDMI) and speakers with (AV to 3.5mm convertor which I got). Only after opening box I realized at any time only either of HDMI/Analog could be connected to XBox. I have no clue how to connect Monitor+ Speakers and still get Full HD. (We tried buying an external TV tuner box, it gives only 480p). Any solutions?

Answer

It's possible to do this electrically, although mechanically the two cables interfere. Microsoft sells a special version of the AV adapter that you can use to plug both cables in at the same time, or you can break the outer casing on the AV cable so that you can fit the HDMI cable in at the same time.

Note that plugging both cables in at the same time might cause some issues if you plan on switching between inputs on the monitor while your Xbox 360 is still on, see:

Why does my Xbox 360 reset when I change the input on my TV, unplug the HDMI cable, or turn the TV off?

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Is there anything I can do about the poor quality of my PS2 games on a large TV?

Question

Last year when I moved from being a highschool student to a full-time web developer, I found myself with a never before seen abundance of money.

Of course the first thing I did was go out and purchase a 50" Plasma TV for my tiny room.

I also bought an XBOX 360, having before this only being able to afford a PS2.

The XBOX looks great (with a HDMI cable), but a couple of days ago I had an itch for playing through Final Fantasy X, XII and X-2. Unfortunately, the render quality on my new 50" TV doesn't look anywhere near as nice as it did on my old 65CM box TV that is now about 10 years old. I'm guessing this has something to do with stretching the game up so much.

Is there anything I can do about this aside from buying an older/smaller TV?

Answer

Have you got a component video cable (that's the official Sony variant, but many generic ones are available for cheaper) for your PS2? Most PS2s came with composite video cables (1 video and 2 audio outputs) This cable has 3 video outputs and 2 audio outputs. You can pick them up cheaply nowadays.

You can also edit the PS2's output format in its setup, which is easiest to access if you don't put a disc in the drive when you start up the PS2. You can edit the various options there to try and get a better looking picture on the TV. Most modern TVs also have options for dealing with lower resolution inputs, so you'll want to play with your TV options as well to ensure the best picture possible.

Only certain games support 480p output, which is the only HD output format that the PS2 supports.

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Is there a way to hook my Super Nintendo to my 2 year old Vizio TV?

Question

I bought my Vizio TV 2 years ago and I just got my Super Nintendo from my parents' house. I tried hooking it up to both of the TVs I have and neither of them even recognized that I had it hooked up. The only 2 cords that my SNES has ever had are the power cord and the RF switch, which has a coaxial output. Is there any way I can get it to work?

Answer

It's going to depend on what inputs the TV has. Most TVs still have coaxial input (ie, the kind that screws on). The TV must be on the right input and tuned to the right channel. Typically this is "TV" or "Coax" input, and channel 3. It may vary depending on your TV. Sometimes pushing the "Channel Up" or "Channel Down" buttons on the remote will switch it to this input.

If that's not working, you can pick up a composite cable, which may help if it has a composite input. Most TVs still do - it's an input with one "yellow" jack for video, and a "red/white" pair for audio. (pic on this page, go down to "composite") If you're wanting to get it going today, check with GameStop or wherever used games are sold in your area. New game stores may also stock it, but call first. I believe that the GameCube, the Nintendo 64, and the Super Nintendo all use the same cables, so you might have better luck if you ask for a more modern revision of the hardware.

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What is the response time of a Samsung UN22D5000NF? [closed]

Question

I'm asking this in the gaming section since response time of monitors are a big deal for twitch gaming on consoles.

My friend recently bought a Samsung UN22D5000NF. I can't find any information on its response time. I know it has a Game Mode, but no hard numbers are given when you activate it. I searched all over the Internet for a response time on the thing, but I can't find any info.

Anyone have any idea what the response time on this TV is?

Edit: I am asking on this site because I think response times are relevant to gaming (I play games that make me sensitive to such things). Obviously TVs are used as gaming-related hardware - you cannot play on a console without one, so I thought this site would be the right one to post this.

Answer

I can't give you a specific reference, but every single Samsung LED TV I've ever seen has a 2ms response time (we have several of them, ranging from 32" to 50" in our office).

The "gaming" mode turns off a bunch of the post-processing effects that the TV applies to its image. They're useful for when watching normal TV, but because gaming relies on instant visual feedback, they are disabled in gaming mode.

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How to use PS3 with a monitor?

Question

My TV was recently stolen, so now I'm hooking the PS3 up to a Dell monitor 23". But I have found out it is really difficult to get the sound out of the PS3.

My problem is even if I connect my USB headset, I can't play audio through it, only voice. There are some turtle beach headphones that work off a special plug on the PS3 (or something) but they cost $150. Is there a more clever way to get audio out of the PS3?

Answer

Do you still have the RCA composite + left/right audio output cable? (The one with the yellow, red and white plugs.) It is possible to configure the PS3 to output audio to both HDMI and the RCA cable.

Under "Settings" go to "Sound Settings" and turn on "Audio Multi-Output".

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How do I use my iMac as a "monitor" for my Xbox 360 and my Wii?

Question

I ditched cable a long time ago and have been making do with Netflix, Hulu, and iTunes for my television needs. The displays on the new iMacs these days are big enough and high enough quality that I think they should be perfectly adequate for my gaming purposes, too. I will be upgrading to one of the new iMacs this fall, and I think it could replace my television entirely.

Provided, that is, that I can hook up my Xbox 360 and my Wii, so I can play them on the iMac screen.

Is this possible given the specs of the new iMacs? What hardware and/or software will I need?

Answer

There's no good way to do this. iMacs do not have any sort of Video Input. While you could use an external Video In adapter that connects to Firewire or USB, such as ElGato's EyeTV, the latency introduced makes these devices singularly unsuited for any sort of gameplay.

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How do I use my iMac as a "monitor" for my xbox and my wii?

Question

I ditched cable a long time ago and have been making do with Netflix, Hulu, and iTunes for my television needs. The displays on the new iMacs these days are big enough and high enough quality that I think they should be perfectly adequate for my gaming purposes, too. I will be upgrading to one of the new iMacs this fall, and I think it could replace my television entirely.

Provided, that is, that I can hook up my xbox and my wii, so I can play them on the iMac screen.

Is this possible given the specs of the new iMacs? What hardware and/or software will I need?

Answer

There's no good way to do this. iMacs do not have any sort of Video Input. While you could use an external Video In adapter that connects to Firewire or USB, such as ElGato's EyeTV, the latency introduced makes these devices singularly unsuited for any sort of gameplay.

Check more discussion of this question.