So, I've tried this and it didn't immediately work. Has anyone here figured out a way to get the 360 to output component and HDMI at the same time?

I pried the casing off of the the comp cable so that both cables would fit at the same time. I get optical audio out of the component dongle and "hdmi->dvi" video out of the hdmi port. I set both output with either cable to 1280x720 thinking that might make a difference. No dice.

So, I'm thinking this is a fool's errand and I just need to spend some more cash on an HDMI splitter to get the signal to the downstairs and upstairs TV's. I was just looking for a "free" solution.

as of now, there's no way to use both video outputs at the same time, most likely because you're not supposed to be able to use both cables at the same time to begin with...

basically, it sounds like you're going to need to get the HDMI splitter and another HDMI cable. one question though, how much cable are we talking about here, because once you go longer than say 25 feet the price of an HDMI cable starts to skyrocket, even at really inexpensive places like monoprice. for example, the 25 foot HDMI cable is under $20, but if you need say a 75 foot HDMI cable expect to pay almost $90 there...

What is the benefit to even do this?

What is the benefit to even do this?

I'm guessing hes got two entertainment/useages zones and wants to be able to play 360 at one or the other if one is use.

Yeah, that's it. I have a "threatening" home theatre in the basement. That means the wife and kids only go down and watch or play when I'm home to go down there with them. We had to bring the Xbox upstairs a couple months ago when the basement was out of commission for a couple weeks and ever one really enjoyed having it in the family room. Also, I got Lego Indiana Jones for my 6 year old for Christmas and he's not allowed to be in the basement alone much.

The wireless controllers are quite impressive since I've been able to take them to the 2nd floor bedroom (manually switching the hdmi) and play the xbox that's in the basement. I know they're supposed to have 30' range, but I was impressed that it easily did 20' and two floors/ceilings.

So when you say "at the same time" do you mean actually displaying on both TVs at once or just being able to have both TVs hooked up at once and using one or the other?

I too was just thinking of getting a smaller monitor for computer and xbox in a bedroom right behind the main TV, but I didn't want to have to get another XBOX. I was hoping to hook then up as you, component to one, HDMI to the other.

After you add up the cost of the HDMI cable and the splitter you may be close to the price range of getting a second Xbox. Just a thought.

Laters,
Jeff

And with a 2nd 360, you could link them for system link fun.

Sounds like you just need to buy another 360 problem solved. Sounds like more work and money just to do what you want if you had the capability to send out 2 signals. The 360 can only send out one type of signal at a time.

I've thought about a 2nd 360, but I don't really want to drop another $300. The system link would be nice, but then I'd have to drop $$ on two copies of any games I wanted to play that way.

What I'm going to do is get one of those $35 splitters from Monoprice. That'll give me HDMI to both TV's, but reportably only one at a time. That'll meet my needs.

I have a splitter and I can use two tvs at once.

Is it the monoprice $30 one? If not, which one do you have?

I have the very same need and question but just a bit different...I have my living room HT setup and my bedroom HT setup seperated by a wall...I'd like to simply hook up my living room to my xbox via optical and component and run a long HDMI cable through the wall and hookup to my bedroom HT setup...I'd like to use just 1 xbox to service both rooms.

The reason is simple...the wife wants to sit in the living room watch tv, I fire up the xbox in the bedroom..late at night when the wife is in bed watching tv I can fire up the living room setup.

Can I use both the HDMI and component cables on a single xbox...they won't be used at the same time to display to both sets, just one setup at a time...both sets might be on at the same time just not set to the correct input on the tv.

you get the idea...1 box for two rooms...one connected with hdmi...the other connected with component and optical.

It doesn't work. At least not on my setup. I have a Component cable that I modified to fit in the 360 next to the HDMI cable. I have to use that for Optical Audio out since my HDMI gets converted to DVI for my PJ. Anyways, there is no video signal coming from the component cables.

You'll be forced to do as I. Either get an HDMI splitter and split that signal, a componet splitter and split that signal, or buy a 2nd xbox. I'm getting an HMDI splitter.

xhonzi

It doesn't work. At least not on my setup. I have a Component cable that I modified to fit in the 360 next to the HDMI cable. I have to use that for Optical Audio out since my HDMI gets converted to DVI for my PJ. Anyways, there is no video signal coming from the component cables.

You'll be forced to do as I. Either get an HDMI splitter and split that signal, a componet splitter and split that signal, or buy a 2nd xbox. I'm getting an HMDI splitter.

xhonzi

ok, so if I get a splitter, will the audio still be passed to both the optical and the HDMI? I'll have to connect the video via HDMI to the TV, then optical to my A/V receiver in my living room (no HDMI receiver in in Living room) and I can connect the other HDMI that's split out through the wall and into my Onkyo receiver which is has HDMI inputs...so, does the audio signal get passed to both in this HDMI splitter setup if I choose to have one connected via optical and the other HDMI?

I'm not sure, but you bring up a good point. I was planning on having HDMI audio + video go into the splitter. The family room TV would receive HDMI audio + video straight in, but the projector uses that HDMI->DVI cable so I'd still need optical audio to my receiver.

I don't have the TV in my family room yet, so I don't have a TV that will take audio from HDMI to make sure the 360 still outputs audio on HMDI when the component + fiber cable is plugged in. I'll have to check that out with someone else's TV, or maybe someone here has some experience.

I have the very same need and question but just a bit different...I have my living room HT setup and my bedroom HT setup seperated by a wall...I'd like to simply hook up my living room to my xbox via optical and component and run a long HDMI cable through the wall and hookup to my bedroom HT setup...I'd like to use just 1 xbox to service both rooms.

The reason is simple...the wife wants to sit in the living room watch tv, I fire up the xbox in the bedroom..late at night when the wife is in bed watching tv I can fire up the living room setup.

Can I use both the HDMI and component cables on a single xbox...they won't be used at the same time to display to both sets, just one setup at a time...both sets might be on at the same time just not set to the correct input on the tv.

you get the idea...1 box for two rooms...one connected with hdmi...the other connected with component and optical.

From what I understand it may be possible. It depends on your display(s). If the HDMI and component are plugged into two TVs at once, you should only be able to get a single simultaneous signal, either HDMI or component. Whether or not you can alternatively use them depends. If the XBOX is able to detect an "active" HDMI connection, it will output the HDMI signal. However, if no HDMI connection is detected it will revert back to component. So, if the HDMI connected TV is off, you SHOULD be able to get the component signal. If the HDMI connected TV is on but on a different input, this is what will determine if the component works. If the xbox sees the input as active when the TV is on but on a different input you will not get component. However, if the HDMI input is not "active" you should be able to get the component signal at the other TV.

Now this is all what I gathered from reading a few other threads on the topic. I have no real world experience with it and YMMV. Best thing to do would be get the TVs and cabling and find out (preferably before running cabling through the walls). Please let us know how it turns out.

ok, so if I get a splitter, will the audio still be passed to both the optical and the HDMI? I'll have to connect the video via HDMI to the TV

Assuming everything connects correctly then yes it will pass to both. One of my recievers only has optical and I have HDMI going to the display and sound comes out of the tv along with surround from the reciever.

I wanted to get one of the monoprice 1x2 splitters, but they were out-of-stock when I tried to order one. I got a $40-shipped one from ebay instead (no apparent brand name). It works just like I want it to. I split the hdmi (video + audio) to my upstairs TV, and hdmi to an HDMI switch, which outputs to a HDMI-DVI cable to my PJ with optical audio off of the modified component cable.

The wires/cables are crazy, but it all works just like I want.

okay so here's the thing I need to take my XBox with Component video and have it go into my PC Monitor, I know they already make HDMI to Component adapter boxes; however, I need to also take the PS3 and my Computer with and HDMI out and also hook it up to my monitor. I've been looking like crazy all over the place for a switch that will take my XBox Component and put it through to HDMI that also features 2 HDMI Inputs and 2 SPDIF Optical Inputs and 1 Optical out with of course 1 HDMI out. so the list is: 1 Component input, 2 HDMI Inputs, 2 Optical Inputs and 1 Optical output 1 HDMI output. I have looked - to my knowledge - everywhere, all I keep finding is HDMI Switchers 3x1, 4x1, ect. 1 Component in 1 HDMI out, 1 Component in Optical in s-vid in and HDMI out. But nothing to where I need. The whole point is not to have to buy a receiver or an extremely expensive box $150 max. and Yes I have thought about getting and HDMI 2 in 1 out along with another box that has the Component in HDMI out and hooking them together but then there are too many bypasses the connections have to go through losing quality or increased risk. basically a whole new can I don't want to open. any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I seriously doubt you'll find what you're looking for, especially for the price. You'll have to go with a frankenstein of switches and convertors, which may still cost you > $150.

Just a suggestion, here's my situation and what I did.

No, I do not want to buy a 2nd xbox 360 and a 2nd Wii. My problem was that the 2 tv's I wanted to use the 1 xbox, 1 Wii were on opposite sides of the house and on different floors. Yeah I could have wall fished all of the cables and hoped the controllers still worked from that distance (they did somewhat). To save myself the hell of the wall fishing and possibility of controller issues. I bought a 2nd power supply and video/audio cables for the Wii and Xbox.

I have them setup and ready to go at both locations. My need to really move the Wii and Xbox is rare. So it's not a big deal to take 5 seconds disconnect the cables, grab the xbox or Wii and take another 5 seconds to connected to the other tv.

That was my solution and it works for me. Like I said, It's rare that I need to move them at all. Total cost was under 100.00 and total time saved is at least a couple of hours of wall fishing, cussing, banging my knuckles, and crawling in the attic and under the house.

Hope this helps if any of you haven't found a solution yet

From what I understand it may be possible. It depends on your display(s). If the HDMI and component are plugged into two TVs at once, you should only be able to get a single simultaneous signal, either HDMI or component. Whether or not you can alternatively use them depends. If the XBOX is able to detect an "active" HDMI connection, it will output the HDMI signal. However, if no HDMI connection is detected it will revert back to component. So, if the HDMI connected TV is off, you SHOULD be able to get the component signal. If the HDMI connected TV is on but on a different input, this is what will determine if the component works. If the xbox sees the input as active when the TV is on but on a different input you will not get component. However, if the HDMI input is not "active" you should be able to get the component signal at the other TV.

Now this is all what I gathered from reading a few other threads on the topic. I have no real world experience with it and YMMV. Best thing to do would be get the TVs and cabling and find out (preferably before running cabling through the walls). Please let us know how it turns out.

Has anyone tested Bigjohn's idea yet? It seems logical.
Situation here is the same, sometimes the wife want's to watch the TV when I want to play but the 360 is only hooked up to the 50". I have 2- 24" monitors that have HDMI imputs seperated only by a wall & about 4' from the 360 (hole already cut in wall).

Guess I'll have to pick up an extra HDMI cable & try this myself. If it works I'll post the results.

My xbox stopped producing Component signal as soon as an HDMI cable was plugged into the Xbox. Even if nothing was connected on the other side. It must detect presence of the cable, not just the display.

My xbox stopped producing Component signal as soon as an HDMI cable was plugged into the Xbox. Even if nothing was connected on the other side. It must detect presence of the cable, not just the display.

Ah, thanks for the info xhonzi, saved me from trying. Guess I'll just get a component splitter, found one pretty cheap at monoprice.

http://benheck.com/12-08-2008/xbox-360-component-video-hdmi/comment-page-1

The Great and Terrible Ben Heck was experimenting along these lines. He's come up with a sort of solution, but you have to be a L33t HAXX0R to do anything with his findings.

My xbox stopped producing Component signal as soon as an HDMI cable was plugged into the Xbox. Even if nothing was connected on the other side. It must detect presence of the cable, not just the display.

My 360 doesn't care that an HDMI cable is plugged in to a powered on TV, as long as I don't switch to that input, it will continue to output component video. Switch to the 360 input and the 360 reboots and component goes away. I don't really see how the 360 could detect that an HDMI cable was connected, if the other end was not connected to anything.

P.J.

http://benheck.com/12-08-2008/xbox-360-component-video-hdmi/comment-page-1

The Great and Terrible Ben Heck was experimenting along these lines. He's come up with a sort of solution, but you have to be a L33t HAXX0R to do anything with his findings.

All this guy is saying is to disconnect the hot-plug detect pin to keep the 360 from knowing that an active device is now present and rebooting.

P.J.

Has anyone tested Bigjohn's idea yet? It seems logical.

This works with my Xbox 360 Arcade which I purchased mid-2009.

What I have is the 360 in my theatre, which happens to be below our living room. The 360 is connected to my projector via component and via a long HDMI cable to the AV receiver upstairs.

To get this working initially, I had to perform the following steps:
- connect 360 via component only
- configure output settings for the projector
- shutdown 360 and disconnect component cable
- connect 360 via HDMI cable
- disable Display Detect option on the 360
- configure 360 for the TV
- power off 360, projector and TV
- connect both component and HDMI cables (it's tight, but I can make it fit)

After all that, I just have to remember to power on the projector or AV Receiver prior to the 360 depending on which I want to watch. Both can be on simultaneously, so long as only one input is active. I imagine this behavious probably partially depends on your equipment as mine seems to disconnect inactive inputs.