Noob.Xbox

I didn’t think a chip was possible to region free a Xbox, because there is a person who told me it’s only by softmod you can do it on this console… it’s a good news ! If I go to a PAL Xbox with a chip Aladdin XT Plus 2, I could play to NTSC games in 480p, and, eventually, in addition, if I buy a V1.6, I must do the Rocky5 softmod you talk about, and that’s all ? If yes, have you a chip to advise me ? What is the best for you ? For the rest, all is clear now, many thanks !

Thanks again for your answers. 1 - By « chip a v1.6 », what do you mean exactly ? Can I chip a Xbox to region free it, as the Gamecube ? Or region free is only possible with a softmod ? I’ll prefer a chip if it’s possible. 2 - Sorry, but I don’t understand about RGB cable. Can I display 480p with it, or it’s only by component ? Because I only intend to play in 480p. 3 - Component picture is less good than RGB one in all case, or if use quality and official stuff, it will be at the same level (I intend to use High Definition AV Pack + HD Retrovision component cable) ? Because I saw in RetroRGB Xbox page that the result in ED/HD resolution depends of the quality of the stuff : to resume, if you use a « basic » component cable, it will be bad, and if you use quality one (Monster, HD Retrovision, Microsoft HD AV Pack), it will be « an excellent signal », to take their words.

Wow, many thanks for all those explanations ! My question about PAL 50Hz is just because I like my consoles can read all games regions at the exact frequency… even if I never use 50Hz I’ll play to NTSC 60Hz in 480p most of the time. My question about the exact frequency was to know if a PAL region free Xbox can run NTSC games with the exact NTSC frequency, 59,9Hz. But if I can’t have a clear answer about that, it’s possible I finally buy a NTSC Xbox to be sure. If I do such thing, could I region free my NTSC Xbox to PAL and JAP region by the same way than a PAL one ? Those Xbox revisions are very complicated IMO. Well, I’ll play only with original games on « official » discs, not with CD-R/RW, and, if I understand well what you say, Hitachi DVD player has problem with original Xbox games discs…. Yoy say also Thomson are the most reliable…. I don’t really want to do a lot of softmod, to correct the 480p problem and other things, that’s why I prefer when a chip can simply region free a console, as on Gamecube. I just play my NTSC games, and it’s fine. I suppose if I want to have a maximum « stock » console, I should buy a V1.0, NTSC Xbox, remove and replace all what it needs, and with a Thomson DVD player. Have you heard about the best RGB picture on V1.6 ? In all case, by RGB, this means it’s only a better picture for 480i resolution, not for ED/HD resolutions by component ?

OK, perfect ! I don’t know if my CRT is 100/120MHz It’s a Sony BVM multiformat, so I suppose I have native 480p/720p with it, but for the rest…. As you seem to play on a PAL region, I have some questions if you don’t mind. 1 - About PAL games, if I use a softmodded PAL Xbox to have NTSC regions and unlock ED/HD resolutions, I can have 480p with them, but I wonder about frequency : there will stay in 50Hz only, or could they be switch on 60Hz ? 2 - Do you know if a PAL Xbox softmodded region free could run NTSC games at the exact NTSC frequency, 59,9Hz, as PAL region free PS2 and Gamecube, or do I’ll need some kind of DFO, as on PAL region free Saturn or PS1 (if not, the frequency is 59,2Hz) ? 3 - About C-Sync, do a PAL/NTSC Xbox has it natively, as the Dreamcast, or do they need a mod, as PS2, or it’s just impossible to have it, as on Gamecube ? 4 - Which Xbox version you advise to me ? I know I must remove clock capacitors, etc… except perhaps on V1.6. But V1.6 have some issues with 480p… but I also read they have better RGB picture than other revisions, and it’s also easy to find one with a Philips or Samsung DVD player, the two best, instead of Thomson one. So, knowing I’ll play only with original games on discs, what revision could suit me the best ? Thanks again

Thanks for your detailed answer. Well, if I correctly understand what you say, it seems there is no some optimization for Xbox PAL games, and I suppose I can just give a try to one of them, and compared by myself with his NTSC equivalent (Xbox games aren’t the most expensive lol). I ask this question because, first, I wanted to buy a NTSC Xbox, to have directly ED/HD resolutions, but it’s easy for me to get a PAL Xbox, and softmod it to unlock NTSC region and all the features with it. So, can you confirm me if the configuration I expect to use is the right : Xbox PAL softmodded NTSC + High Definition AV Pack + Component cable + original discs NTSC/PAL games = proper 480p (and beyond if higher native resolutions are possible) ? I specify I play on HD CRT (multiformat BVM), and I just want to use native resolutions and original games. For Gamecube, I know it very well. Maybe you misunderstood me. PAL games have a 480i/576i mode, and they are optimized for it. If you play on a stock PAL Gamecube, you can’t have 480p with them, even using a DOL-001 (with the Digital AV port), and the official component cable, you’ll have only 480i or 576i, depending what mode you chose. But if you use a region free PAL Gamecube, you can launch NTSC games, and select the progressive scan mode at the beginning of the game (exactly by the same way than 480i/576i mode on PAL, pressing B button). You need of course to have the component cable for this. This is my exact configuration, I play NTSC games on my region free PAL Gamecube, with the official component cable. Nevertheless, using Swiss, with this configuration, you can forced 480p on PAL games (and even higher resolutions). But, on some games, forced progressive scan doesn’t give a proper result, because PAL games have been optimized for 480i/576i mode, and you can have problems on picture. All PAL Gamecube games I have played, which have this 480i/576i mode, have the progressive scan mode (480i/480p) on their NTSC equivalent. To finish, I point out I use the component cable for 480p, of course, but for some NTSC games which haven’t progressive scan option, I use a RGB C-Sync cable to display 480i, because RGB gives a little better picture than component IMO, so I prefer use it when it’s possible.

Hello, I know PAL games can display 480p if a PAL Xbox is softmodded NTSC. But do those « forced » 480p PAL games are as good as native 480p NTSC games ? I explain my point : on a region free PAL Gamecube, you can force 480p on PAL games with Swiss. But some games aren’t as good as their NTSC equivalent in 480p, because they are optimized for 480i/576i mode, not for 480i/480p mode, and so they can have some issues with their pictures. So, my question is : do PAL Xbox games have this kind of optimization for PAL region, as Gamecube games, or are they strictly identical to NTSC ones ? Thanks for your answers.

I build a retrogaming setup, and I’m going to add the first Xbox. So, I have some questions about this console