X2VGA2 review
by Justin Garrison • 2006/04/21 • Main Menu, Thoughts • 27 Comments
A much awaited VGA adapter for the xbox has been released a couple weeks ago. I have had the pleasure to buy one and give it some tests.
My first impressions of taking it out of the box were somewhat mixed. The manual was not in the box because it was not ready by the time the item shipped. That made me wonder what the big rush was in getting the product out the door. I do no not know many people watering at the mouth to get the X2VGA2 but either way they felt they needed to rush the shipment and instead of a manual give you a peice of paper with a link to download the pdf manual.
The X2VGA2 came with a short component video adapter for the xbox (which is really cool), a power adapter, and the vga adapter itself. The component video cable is really neat because it is only about 12 inches long. This makes things great for keeping a neat desk with a xbox, vga adapter, controller, computer, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. The only other thing I would maybe need is on optical audio cable but lets face it, not many people have optical receivers at their desks.
The first thing I noticed about the actual adapter was that it needed a power supply. The first X2VGA adapter and the X2VGA+ adapters did not need any external power. I really enjoyed that aspect on the first adapters, but I realized that this isn’t just a xbox vga adapter. Instead this is a HD component VGA adapter and there would be no way to pull power over component video cables. This adapter will allow me to play a xbox 360, ps2, ps3, gamecube all with the same adapter!
I started getting myself worked up at this point and I realized something on the adapter that I cannot explain. There is no audio passthrough! The X2VGA+ had optical audio out, 1/8″ plug in for your computer, and a 1/8 plug out for headphones or RCA audio (with an adapter). When you were using the xbox the audio would automatically switch from the computer input to the xbox. This was a great feature. The X2VGA2 has no audio plugs what-so-ever. I could have looked at the diagram on their site to figure that out before I purchased the X2VGA2 but it still didn’t make sence why they would leave sound out of the adapter. The lack of optical audio was no problem because the component adapter for the xbox had the optical plug directly on it.
When I turned the device over I saw the familiar buttons of Power and Source and I also noticed a button labeled Screen Shift. A quick glance at the pdf manual told me that the Screen Shift button is for 480i output. That is nice to have but I am still curious why there is a 4th, unlabeled button on the front of the X2VGA2 adapter. The button pushes in but there is no light or action that is accompanied with it. The buttons did not seem as sturdy as previous models and my source button gets stuck almost every time I push it. This was annoying but not a deal breaker.
The top input is in the most awkward place I can imagine. The slide top was very hard to get open and upon my first attempt I thought I was going to break the adapter. Once I had it open I realized that if the adapter was sitting on my desk with the xbox plugged in the back it would be very unbalenced to have cables coming off the top. Moving the lights so they are closer together and a small door on the front would have been much more effective in my opinion.
Finally, how is it to use. When the xbox first starts everything displays fine but once a game starts I have to switch inputs and switch back so it will continue to display on my monitor (I think it has something to do with switching from 480i to 480p). It is annoying but I think I can live with it. The adapter automatically switches inputs when it detects a video source which can be good and bad depending on how many devices you have plugged in. Overall I like being able to play Halo on Xbox Connect every Wednesday night without taking up the TV. The X2VGA2 still has some things missing, but for the price and ability to use any input it is worth it.
Like I stated earlier the hardest thing to understand is the lack of audio. I end up playing Halo with no sound because I do not have female RCA to female 1/8″ audio adapters lying around to even plug in headphones. My only other option is to get 2 female to female rca adapters and then another stereo rca cable to reach my nearby amp. Either way It would have been better to have RCA inputs for audio and a 1/8″ output for sound.
For the discounted $64 this was still a good buy. The rush shipping was also a very nice thing to have (my adpater made it to Southern California in about 3 days). You will never find a component vga video adapter that is still capable of displaying 480p, 720p, and 1080i. Most vga adapters just show the standard 640×480 resolution that is outputted by 480i. One quick trip to radio shack to pick up some female RCA plugs and a couple 1/8″ female adapters and I should have sound inputs and outputs right on the device.
In other words, the X2VGA adapter could have been better, but it is still the best available for under $100.
I ordered one of these X2VGA2 devices. It arrived about 2 weeks later. It was broken. Smashed. Poor packing from the factory.
Weeks went by with no response from the company. I was pissed-off.
Then, six-weeks later, someone answered my emails. “Send it back, we’ll send you a new one!” Great. I sent it back.
> > On 7/16/06, [email protected] wrote:
> > > Dear Customer,
> > >
> > > We are sorry for our late response.
> > >
> > > Please feel relieved. We will exchange a new X2VGA 2 for you. Please send
> > > the broken one back to us according the address below first.
> > > Neoya, Ltd.
> > > Po Box 7-122, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
> > >
> > > PLEASE SHIP THE BROKEN PART ONLY! NO NEED TO SHIP BACK THE RELATED
> > > ACCESSORIES(such as the power supply, component video cable, and the
> > > pedestal).
> > >
> > > Please ship back via registered airmail, no need to adopt express! We will
> > > ship a new one to you upon receiving your return.
> > >
> > > We apologize again for causing you this inconvenience.
> > >
> > > Best Regards!
> > >
> > > Sales Department
> > > Neoya, Ltd.
> > > http://www.x2vga.com
> > > E-mail: [email protected]
Yeah, that was back in July of this year. It’s now October, and I haven’t heard a peep since.
Those thieves took my money and I have nothing to show for it.
Hello there,
I’m quite interested in this adapter, but I’m scared of that horror story. Can anyone offer any advice? Is it worth getting?
Thanks!
They lied to me as well. I have a problem when using the X2VGA 2 where every two or three minutes, the monitor turns to black(sometimes again and again within seconds of each other). Also, the 640×480 resolution stopped working on my computer. After many e-mail exchanges, this was the last e-mail I got from them:
Dear Customer,
We have given feedback to our engineering department regarding your problem.
They diagnosed as sync signal compatibility problem. Our engineering
department has started to resolve the problem. It is estimated that it will
be resolved in late April, then we will ask you to return your X2VGA 2 to
us, and we will send you a new version of X2VGA 2, which has great chances
to resolve the problem you face now. Can you wait for some time?
We apologize again for causing you this inconvenience!
Best Regards!
Sales Department
Neoya, Ltd.
http://www.x2vga.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Huh. Well, April has come and gone, hasn’t it? I tried to contact them again in May, first through [email protected]. I waited about a month, then I visited their website; according to the site, they were working on a new improved X2VGA 2. So I e-mailed [email protected], asking them if I would be getting this new one. The units are now in stock, and Neoya still hasn’t replied. I doubt they ever will. They can get away with this because they’re a small company in China. If only a well known American company were to sell this kind of product, we could hold them up to high standards.
Dear all,
i bougt the X2VGA recently and installed it as required. The Red mode is there but it doesn not start my LCD Monitor SAMSUNG SyncMaster 192B. Could you please help.
Regards
Papa Alioune Diop
I just received mine. I plugged it all in. Press the power button…no light..no change..nothing. I figure its my power outlet so I try another none…still nothing. Ok maybe its the power cable. Luckily I had another one which fit. Still…nothing. The damned thing is f****** broken. Doesn’t even power up. AVOID THIS COMPANY!!! Gahh so frustrated!
I ordered the X2VGA 2 in September and received it shortly after. I tried it with my Samsung 226BW LCD monitor and Wii with component cables. It displays in 480p but has several problems:
1) light-red horizontal bands that appear often. seems like it is either a poor conversion or noisy
2) all colors are washed out and greenish
3) every few minutes it sends a black screen to the LCD or the LCD turns the signal off for a moment lasting about 1 second.
The 3rd problem is described also by poster #3 above (Prashant). Also, when using the VGA pass-thru it makes the signal noisy (very noticeable; when plugging vga cable from computer directly into the LCD monitor without X2VGA2 there is no noise).
I have emailed Neoya 4 times- about once every 2 weeks since I first tried it, to [email protected] and [email protected], and have never received a response.
I don’t know if it is a problem with this X2VGA2 unit, my LCD or combination of Wii 480p with my LCD, or Neoya products in general. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Coincidentally I just received my first response, from [email protected]
Glad to hear you got a response from the company. I have had a problem with washed out colors but usually I just switch inputs and switch back and everything works fine after that. I can’t ever remember seeing light-red (aka pink 😉 ) lines on the screen. Black screen being sent to the monitor I only remember seeing when the xbox was running in 480i. Once I switched the xbox to 480p and ran the dash in 480p (pull both triggers and push both joysticks in at the same time) I don’t ever remember getting the black screen coming back.
I hope everything works out with your x2vga2
I just bought the x2vga2-
everything seems to be working great
EXCEPT SOUND.
I tried connected the two audio cables (from the HD cable set [the red and white audio]) to a microphone jack converter to see if i can use it through the microphone input on my computer to OUTput sound on my speakers.
it did NOT work, and I dont know what to do anymore. :
Try just plugging the speakers directly into the adapter (you may need a male to female adapter). That will show you right away if the problem is with the adapter or on the computer. You could even buy a audio splitter and just have your speakers plugged into both sources (your computer and the X2VGA2). If that works then don’t even bother going into the computer.
I’ve had my x2vga2 since it was first shipped (pre-ordered) and have been quite satisfied.
@RiZ
Try holding in the power button for about 2 seconds, just pressing it does nothing on mine, scared the hell out me when I first received it.
My X2VGA stopped presenting the image in the correct aspect ratio. For example, the image for Super Mario Galaxy is widescreen, but does not take up the entire screen (there are black bars on the top and bottom of the screen). Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles is the exact opposite, with black bars on both sides of the screen. Rock Band for the 360 is a square in the center of the screen and doesn’t even pretend to extend itself completely.
It used to work perfectly fine, but now it will never stretch the image to fit the entire screen. Can anyone offer me any advice on fixing this problem?
X2VGA2 AND NEOYA is a GOD DAMM SCAMM, and we all fell for it, damm it, i wish i read this b4 i bought it, i got mine, today, and im having big problems seting it up, 4i need 2 buy the cable, maby that will fix the problems, my xbox, is in BLACK AND WHITE?????!!!??, i dont know, damm it, i hate the chines, if onlyy this was a japanies company, thats top quality… i alsow dont know how to center the image, its extra stretched across… sucks, i spent 80$ and now i have 2 buy a new device, ugh!
Hello,
I received mine today. I powered on… nothing, not even a light. I just send an email asking for reimbursement. 😉 I guess I just lost 100 dollars.
For those who has a working unit. What is the DC voltage in the AC adapter. My is 5V 1000mA, positive inside.
Thank you
To turn the power on, you have to hold the power button in for a few seconds. It works good w/ ps3. The only thing is I cant display my desktop pc w/ it. Does anyone know how to do that?
To display your PC you would have to use the VGA input on the device. You will not be able to display your PC and PS3 at the same time but you should be able to “switch” between the two by turning off the X2VGA2 to view your PC and turning it on to view the PS3.
Since my previous posts from November (#6 and 7 at /2006/04/21/x2vga2-review/), I have discovered that of the following 3 problems I mentioned,
1) light-red horizontal bands that appear often. seems like it is either a poor conversion or noisy
2) all colors are washed out and greenish
3) every few minutes it sends a black screen to the LCD or the LCD turns the signal off for a moment lasting about 1 second.
I have resolved #1 and #2; they were due only to a bad component video cable (the Pr of YPbPr was broken) and not the fault of the x2vga2. I found this out by one day deciding to use a multimeter on the Wii-component cable to check whether all the pins actually connected to the RCA component plugs. So once I fixed the component cable, the colors are great and the banding is gone and 480p Wii looks pretty good on my Samsung 226BW LCD monitor. In fact, the x2vga2 does a better quality conversion than a similar product, the KWorld TVBox 1680ex, which I bought after being frustrated.
However, problem #3 persists — the black screen every once in a while for a second, which has also been reported by others and sort of recognized by the manufacturer as a problem for which they would replace that person’s x2vga2 with a new version (see comment #3 at /2006/04/21/x2vga2-review/). I am still awaiting to hear from them regarding this.
looking to buy this for my new 22″ westinghouse moniter, i guess some are luckier then others, im sure a secure transaction with pay pal plug in, one time use card will work and clear up any problems if i dont recieve the item.
I just got an X2VGA2 and it wouldn’t turn on either, even holding the button down for several seconds did nothing. BUT: I found by wobbling it around in all sorts of strange angles while pressing the power button does let me turn it on and off, it not reliably. Also, since I’ve got a PAL Wii, the 480i mode doesn’t work and there’s no way for me to set my Wii up in 480p mode (I don’t even have a TV…)
Don’t buy the X2VGA. Don’t buy anything from Neoya. Just don’t. Get the VDigi cable or something instead.
Did any of you ever happen to a look at the manual, for a start..? http://www.x2vga.com/support (see links a the bottom of the page)
I have run through all of your posts and didn’t notice any reference to the manual or FAQ.
It seems, you guys don’t even know that this device is best at working with 720p and 1080p resolutions rather than with your sorry 480p!
Try it in higher resolutions (with PS3 or Xbox 360) as it meant to be and say if it works better.
Also pay attention to provide yourselves with a decent (i.e. not cheap) component cable. Then observe all the setup routine before powering the unit up.
The manual has it all! Check it! Who knows, maybe somehow you’ll make it work well.
To my mind claiming the device unworkable is just only after you’ve done everything according to the demands, stipulated in the manual.
Above = X2VGA Damage Control Rep
I get the same blank screen issue with my Samsung 24″ LCD.
Every so often screen goes blank for 1 sec.
its not entirely a bad thing but just rather annoying for something that should work fully.
The worst part is not knowing what causes it, but i suspect its the X2VGA.
I got a reply from NEOYA idiots… sales department of course not tech support, so we’ve yet to see what tech idiots will come up with.
Anyway they wrote this..
***”Dear Customer,
Thank you for your email.
WII video format is not the standard video format of the computer, so
it seems that your monitor is not fully compatible with such a video
format. You can try to press AUTO button on the monitor and make the
monitor reconfirm the video format, which may improve your situation.
If any question, please feel free to contact with us!”***
Just reading the first sentence makes me want to puke,
The hell are they selling their stupid x2vga box for wii then….
The screen continues to blank out every 20 minutes or so, it annoying as hell, but from the many site’s ive read its most likely a Samsung related issue and its very unlikely a fix for this would show up.
I have the same problem with the screen going blank every so often. However, my Vdigi cable that I had before wasn’t that much better. It had the color distortion for Trauma Center and it also had random screen blanking.
However, the screen blanking thing seems to be a problem with Brawl and Mario Kart I think. Never noticed it with other games like Resident Evil.
Also, my monitor is a Samsung 206BW
The only problem I’ve been having with the box is that I can’t display the right resolution for my computer. The settings when I’m connected to the x2vga 2 won’t let me choose 1680 x 1050 but lets me choose the other resolutions that aren’t widescreen. Anybody know how to fix this?
Pretty much every time I want to use the box with my Wii I have to start my computer without the box plugged in, turn on my computer to get it displaying the right resolution and then plug in the box again.
And the audio problem is resolved by getting a 2 Female RCA to 1/8″ Y-Adapter and a 1/8″ coupler if you can’t directly plug in the 1/8″ into your audio port.
Yeah, I guess this X2VGA is a scam…Well, mine actually came via UPS. I bought the X2VGA to play my PS3 on my LCD monitor. Powered up, got great picture in 720p…then after 30 minutes of playing, I got the 1-second blank screen. The 1-second blank screen happens about once or twice an hour. Just don’t buy this thing. Find another solution…such as an HDTV! Well, I really knew I shouldn’t have ordered from their website, I noticed the “about us” tab on their website didn’t have any information about them. That right there is a heads-up a customer should be wary. Oh well. Live and learn.
Many of your problems are unrelated to the X2VGA. They are set up problems relating to your monitor, computer, or speakers! The X2VGA itself is pretty plug and play, BUT set up for it to get some more complicated set ups working is definately not. If you have a problem, reply to me, and I’ll try to help you.