I found this post over at xbox.com from an MVP by the name of S4Lee (
http://forums.xbox.com/User/UserProf...UserName=S4Lee). As we're friends of xbox.com I feel it would be beneficial to post it here as well since this a common question:
Connecting an Xbox to a PC Monitor
Note - this method is only for
playing Xbox on a PC Monitor, but will give you the best picture quality.
It is possible to connect the Xbox to a VGA display with very very good results. The key to obtaining good results is to avoid the basic line doubler devices available from places like Lik Sang. They take the basic 480i signal from the Xbox and convert it from interlace to progressive scan. This works but looks very poor.
To get truly great results, you need to tap a quality Xbox signal. By taking the native 480p, 720p, or 1080i signal from the Xbox and displaying it directly on the VGA device, you get exceptional results. This is not line doubling the 480i signal. You must use the direct output from the Xbox or transcode component to VGA.
There are two devices on the market that do this both very well and inexpensively. The
X2VGA is a device that connects directly to the Xbox and uses the native output to provide a VGA signal. The
VDIGI VD-Z3 is a component to VGA transcoder. This provides equally great results but provides the flexibility to use any device that can provide a component video signal (not just Xbox). This is vastly different than those cheap line doublers mentioned earlier that accept composite and S-video inputs from any source. These devices do not transcode and will not provide the same level of results.
I personally use the VD-Z3 and absolutely love it. You can't really go wrong with either product.
Using a Laptop as an Xbox Display
Generally, this is NOT possible. The video (S-Video, VGA) connections on laptops are OUTPUTS. They will not accept an in-bound signal. In order to get anything on the screen from an external source, you need a Video Input. It may be possible to connect an external Video Capture device to the laptop and use an composite or S-Video cable from the Xbox, but these connections are limited to 480i and the results may not be optimal in any case (i.e. - it may lag a bit, see below for more details).
Capturing Xbox Video on a PC
There are 2 basic ways to get this accomplished, direct to PC and w/ a Digital Video Camera.
Direct to PC
First off, you'll probably need a half-decent PC. If you don't plan on doing alot of editing, a ~1.5Ghz with at least 256MB RAM should get you started, and you'll need at least a GB or two of Hard Disk space to store the video while you're working on it, depending on how long your segments are. In order to record video on a PC, you will also need a Video Capture card and capture software. Some video cards may have this, so look on your PC and check if there is a yellow RCA or S-Video INPUT plug next to the VGA/DVI Output. If you're not sure, check the manual or website for your PC/Video Card. A Video Capture Card is NOT the same as a TV Tuner card, though many TV Tuner cards may also include video capture capabilities. These cards usually start in the $50-$75 range and go up from there. There are also external video capture devices, but if you're considering one of these, make sure you have a USB2 or Firewire connection for the device, since USB1 will be a little slow when dealing w/ Video. If you have a laptop, another option may be a PC Card (PCMCIA) Capture Card. The capture card will have a composite input (OK), an S-Video input (Better), or maybe both.
This is the only device we know of at the moment that uses component inputs. There is a list of available cards at
VideoHelp.com, including prices, technical details, and user comments about most of them.
Once you have a capture device, you'll need to connect it to the PC. Do NOT assume you can just connect it directly to the PC and play 'live'. Generally, there will be a slight delay as the video passes through the PC, so you don't want to be playing your game while watching it on the PC monitor. Therefore, you will probably want to consider one of the following connection methods:
1) Splitter - Use a composite Y-Cable (cheap) or S-video splitter (not so cheap) to split the output of the Xbox to BOTH the TV and PC. You can use
the Radio Shack Video Distribution Amplifier as a splitter, especially for long cable runs, and it will also convert Composite to S-Video if your TV and PC inputs don't match. Basically, you'll connect the Xbox cables to the Y-Cables/Splitter, and the splitter to the TV and PC. Anything you do while in the game should be visible on the TV in real-time, and maybe slightly delayed on the PC. Don't forget your audio cables! They will be split as well using simple RCA Y cables, available at Radio Shack or any electronics store.
2) Monitor Out - Some TV's have a 'monitor' jacks to OUTPUT whatever is on the screen. You'll connect your Xbox to your TV as you normally would, then run another cable from the TV to your Video Capture card/device. Most of the time, this Monitor output is only Composite, so it may not be the optimal method. If you are using a decent A/V Reciever, there may also be a monitor output on the reciever that you could use as well.
Once you got everything connected, you should be able to use whatever video capture software that came with your device to display the signal that's input into the PC in a window or full-screen on video monitor and start recording it. Assuming you're recording to the AVI file format for future editing, try recording at 480x640 or 720x480 before going to any higher resolution (or 'NTSC' if your card lists options in that manner). This is the best you'll get over a composite or S-video connection, so increasing it probably won't make much of a difference.
Digital Video Camera
This one is pretty simple, as long as your camera has Video Inputs (as most do). Connect the camera to the Tv and make sure you can see what the camera sees on the TV (the TV is on the right input, etc...). Connect your Xbox to the Camera. Record your video by pressing "REC" on the camera. When you're done, connect the camera to the PC and you can transfer the video to the PC as per your camera's software instructions. Many software programs will even let you control the camera directly from the software, so you may be able to have the camera connected to the PC at the same time and control it through the software.
For more general information on capturing and working with video on a PC, check out the guides at
Videohelp.co
Credit to
S4Lee
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