Dreamcast VGA help, anyone?

Sniper Honeyviper · Joined: 30 Aug 2009

Would have bumped my old DC thread but it got moved to Galaxy Oddity.

So I've finally acquired a (third-party) Retrobit DC VGA box in hopes of hooking the thing up to my HDTV. It worked for about five minutes, but when I turned the console off then on after that, my TV started refusing to recognize it. Unfortunately I don't have any other standard VGA-compatible monitors to test it with.

I have VGA and audio cables, both of which I have confirmed with other devices to be functional, and the input on the TV definitely works as well. The switch on the box is set to "PC", and all VGA connections are securely screwed in. I can get audio and composite video out of the box just fine, but with VGA the TV just starts searching for a signal.

I don't know how much help anyone will be able to offer, since I seem to have exhausted all possibilities. My guess is that I either inserted the cable pins wrong and fucked up the box's VGA-out, or the board was just a cheap third-party manufacture and part of it decided to die right then. I can do some minor soldering work if needed. I'd just rather not have to shell out another $35 if possible ;_;

There's probably some technical-focused DC forum out there that would have a better idea as to what's going on, links would be appreciated.

EDIT: Just tried it again and now the red LED on the box isn't coming on. Something almost definitely died.

elvis.shrugged · Joined: 17 Apr 2007

I bought a VGA box about a year ago and had similar problems. I once read that some newer HDTVs won't read them? Or something, I don't know.
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Sniper Honeyviper · Joined: 30 Aug 2009

That can't be the case, because I got a clear picture out of it just fine for a short while, and my TV was made this year. I also just realized I had an old VGA computer monitor laying around and gave it another test, but the results were the same.

I found a very active "DC VGA help" thread on another forum and posted there, hopefully I can get a conclusive answer.

elvis.shrugged · Joined: 17 Apr 2007

Okay! Huh, maybe I should try mine again sometime...
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klj5j6li · Guest

Sorry if this is kind of a condescending question, but could you have accidentally flipped the PC/TV switch on the back of it?

Sniper Honeyviper · Joined: 30 Aug 2009

Believe me, I checked, and I even tried it in the TV position.

Sniper Honeyviper · Joined: 30 Aug 2009

Okay, I guess someone can lock this now, because I'm going to have to get a new one! All the wires connecting it to the Dreamcast were completely torn apart along with the plastic cover when I was disconnecting it, so I'm quite certain it was just a shoddily made piece of shit.

klj5j6li · Guest

If you can find the ugly bright orange one, it's the one I use and I've never had any problems with it.

I think you can buy a good one from racketboy, too.

Sniper Honeyviper · Joined: 30 Aug 2009

This one?

Definitely looks a bit sturdier.

Laurel Soup · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Location: Hitsville, USA

Retrobit's stuff is everywhere but they don't have a website. Anyone know anything about them?
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kiken · Joined: 05 Dec 2006

Persona-sama · Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 5:12 pm

Speaking of which, I've tried playing my DC on some widescreen monitors and they can no longer play the DC because the resolution is too small and they don't support it anymore. Curse you, Dell monitors!
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zombieman000 · Joined: 03 Nov 2007 Location: A.D. 2219

I think mine (prob another cheap knock-off that I got off ebay just a few weeks ago) might've had the same problem, since it stopped working in the same way after a few hours of use. At first I thought the plug connected to the TV came loose, but it probably just died. Thanks for the recommendation!!

nothingxs · Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 4:57 pm

I wonder if I can find a decent enough LCD monitor that won't lag that I can hook a Dreamcast up to, so that we can play CvS2 at the arcade again.
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kiken · Joined: 05 Dec 2006

Sniper Honeyviper · Joined: 30 Aug 2009

For the record, it seems most of Sharp's current monitors still have S-Video. Would be handy for Bangai-O/Giga Wing.

kiken · Joined: 05 Dec 2006

Sniper Honeyviper · Joined: 30 Aug 2009

Ah yes, forgot that it was just a PAL version thing.

At any rate, I've ordered a new one from racketboy! Hoping for not another dismal failure, it really did look great for the few minutes I had it running, noticeably crisper than PS2 component (though that might have more to do with the hardware itself.)