Display adapter for my XBOX...

["Paul Gordon" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey chaps,
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I'm working away from home a lot at the moment, so I'm spending most of my
=
life in a hotel for the next few months..
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To help keep myself sane, I thought I'd set myself up an XBOX in my room,
b=
oth to play some games, watch some DVD's, and just to "tinker"
with, - with=
XBMC and so on... (I have even packed my soldering iron which is now enson=
ced in the drawer in my hotel room!)
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Unfortunately however, although the TV in the room has an unused SCART
sock=
et in the back, I don't appear to be making much headway with using it...
:=
-(
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I've connected up the XBOX using the normal AV cable (i.e. composite video
=
only). - I have an advanced (RGB) cable at home, but I can't get that
until=
next week. (I assumed the hotel TV would be mere composite anyway), but I'=
m not getting the TV switching to the AV input. - Obviously there are a
cou=
ple of possibilities...
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a) - The TV's SCART socket does not have auto-switching enabled, and so is
=
not switching to the SCART input upon the appearence of the external
signal=
...
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b) The SCART socket is not configured to accept a composite input, and
thus=
is not "seeing" a signal being input from the XBOX...
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One other slight problemmette is that the remote for the set has no button
=
for selecting the AV input - I'm guessing the set has the IR command
availa=
ble in its command set, but the remote just doesn't have the button
present=
... - but unfortunately it means I have no way to force the input
selection=
...
=20
So thinking on my feet, I wondered if I could use my laptop display
instead=
... - I would need a way of getting the AV signal into it... - and it
would=
need to be external, (USB or PC-Card). - USB would be more useful, since I=
could potentially use it on desktops as well... - Then I thought to myself=
, - I was already planning on getting the smallest possible USB freeview
ad=
apter to carry around with my laptop (was planning on that tiny little
dong=
le one...). - the smart thing would be to immolate multiple avines with
the=
unitary projectile and get a box that did both...=20
=20
A comprehensive scour of the local branches of PC World and Curry's turned
=
up:
USB Analog TV adapters that have an auxilliary AV input
PCI TV analog adapters that have an auxilliary AV input
PCI Freeview adapters that have an auxilliary AV input
USB Freeview adapters that *don't* have an auxilliary AV input
numerous USB video capture devices with plenty of auxilliary AV inputs,
but=
no TV reception...
=20
... But not a SINGLE USB based, Freeview TV receiver, *with* an auxilliary
=
AV input...
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Does anyone know of one?.... - I'd like it to be as small as possible, as
I=
'm planning on keeping it in my laptop bag and carting it around with me
fu=
ll-time...
=20
Other thoughts that occurred to me were to try to get the IR codes for the
=
set, and use a pronto to force select the right input, - but I can't get
my=
spare pronto until next week either... I also considered just buying an ad=
ditional LCD set. - I might still try the Pronto option, but I'm loath to
b=
uy another LCD TV set for several reasons...
- I already have several perfectly good spare LCD PC monitors at home, and
=
I have no need of another LCD screen beyond this limited use.
- I've just spent =A3850 on a new HiDef 32" LCD (Toshiba 32WL56) last
week,=
so SWMBO would *kill* me...
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My last thought was just to get one of those adapters that contain a TV
Tun=
er and have a VGA out, enabling a standard PC monitor to be used as a TV,
w=
ith no PC required... - this is also acceptable, provided I could get a
fre=
eview version, - although it has to be said, that would still require me
to=
hump yet another bit of kit into the room, - and thus means I can't do it =
before next week...
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Thoughts?
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Paul G.
=20
=20


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