Curious if anyone has their 360 hooked up to a Dell 2405. If so, I'm wondering what the quality is like.

I currently have my 360 hooked to a Panny plasma, but that's my wife and I's main television. There are times when I'd like to game at my desk, where I have a Dell 2405.

The two questions I have are a) around image quality, since the 2405 can support component, and b) audio. Since the 2405 has no speakers, I was wondering how those of you who game at your computer desk handle the audio output for the 360.

Thanks!

-JR

I did it once just to check it out. I'm not going to lie. I was disappointed in the picture. I didn't have a way to do audio. So i just played a couple games without sounds. However, HD television looks pretty good on this monitor. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but thats my observation. I'd stick with the plasma.

Thanks Sooner.

I truthfully wasn't sure what to expect with the 2405. I may give it a shot later today just to see what it looks like, but was hoping others (like you) had either tried it out and had feedback, or were actually gaming on it.

What specifically didn't you like about the picture? Did you use the component input?

Thanks!

-JR

Thanks Sooner.

I truthfully wasn't sure what to expect with the 2405. I may give it a shot later today just to see what it looks like, but was hoping others (like you) had either tried it out and had feedback, or were actually gaming on it.

What specifically didn't you like about the picture? Did you use the component input?

Thanks!

-JR

Actually, I just tried exactly that, this morning. Component looks decent. The only issue with that, is that the image is stretched vertically, due to the difference in aspect ratio. The 360 was outputting 1920 x 1080i in 16:9 aspect ratio and the 2405 has a 16:10 aspect ratio. So, circles on the screen looked somewhat oval. There was no issue using HDMI=>DVI input since I just set the 2405 to 1:1 and it letterboxed the image, leaving a narrow black band at the top and bottom of the display. I didn't see any way to do that with component input. For sound, I intercept the audio from the PC going to the front speakers and insert a passive mixer made up of a bunch of resistors. I previously had the game sound piped into the aux input of the PC's soundcard, but I got tired of having to have the PC on, to hear game sound. I made up the passive mixer some time back for a different game console and I added a third input for another PC more recently. I'm considering running optical for audio and piping that into the Audigy 2ZS's Toslink input. That way, I'd get the full 5.1 surround, but then I'm back to having to have the PC on, in order to get game sound.

For video, I haven't decided yet, whether to go with component or HDMI, as there are other factors such as ~20ft of cabling to deal with and the fact that the 2405's DVI input is not HDCP compliant, which means that I wouldn't be able to play HD-DVDs via addon. With component, there's no issue with HDCP (so long as studios don't enable ICT), but then I don't know how well the 2405 deinterlaces, since the 2405 doesn't accept 1080P via component input. I'm guessing not well. Probably not an issue for games.

P.J.

What specifically didn't you like about the picture? Did you use the component input?


I did use the component input. I don't remember exactly what it was. I just like the picture better on my main tv. Sorry i couldn't be more helpful. Just try it and see if you like it. Hopefully it'll work for you. Good luck.

I've tried it with component and VGA its ok. Better then nothing but the worst set up for myself with my other displays. It did get some play time when I did a TAG get together and we had 6 or 7 Xbox 360's going at the same time (I have some pics on the construction thread).
Depends on what your other display choices are but you could certainly do worse.

Cheers
Calvin

Not that this helps with the Dell per se' but I noticed that VGA looks much better than Component on my 24" LG ( so maybe give VGA a shot if you are not using that input so that at least you can get 1080p & pixel mapped ;) ) .

--- Jason

Juice.. I toggle between my HD1000U and a Samsung 226BW 22" Monitor. I run the res at 1280x768 on the sammy thru VGA and it looks very good. I use my Pioneer DIR800Se cans through optical for the sound.

Curious if anyone has their 360 hooked up to a Dell 2405. If so, I'm wondering what the quality is like.

I currently have my 360 hooked to a Panny plasma, but that's my wife and I's main television. There are times when I'd like to game at my desk, where I have a Dell 2405.

The two questions I have are a) around image quality, since the 2405 can support component, and b) audio. Since the 2405 has no speakers, I was wondering how those of you who game at your computer desk handle the audio output for the 360.

Thanks!

-JR

I have this exact setup at work and I just don't like it at all. I think the problem is the scaler is terrible on the Dell 2405 so it makes everything look really jagged when it shouldn't be. I've tried both component and VGA for this and haven't liked the results. I much prefer my TV at home.

Actually, I just tried exactly that, this morning. Component looks decent. The only issue with that, is that the image is stretched vertically, due to the difference in aspect ratio. The 360 was outputting 1920 x 1080i in 16:9 aspect ratio and the 2405 has a 16:10 aspect ratio. So, circles on the screen looked somewhat oval. There was no issue using HDMI=>DVI input since I just set the 2405 to 1:1 and it letterboxed the image, leaving a narrow black band at the top and bottom of the display. I didn't see any way to do that with component input. For sound, I intercept the audio from the PC going to the front speakers and insert a passive mixer made up of a bunch of resistors. I previously had the game sound piped into the aux input of the PC's soundcard, but I got tired of having to have the PC on, to hear game sound. I made up the passive mixer some time back for a different game console and I added a third input for another PC more recently. I'm considering running optical for audio and piping that into the Audigy 2ZS's Toslink input. That way, I'd get the full 5.1 surround, but then I'm back to having to have the PC on, in order to get game sound.

For video, I haven't decided yet, whether to go with component or HDMI, as there are other factors such as ~20ft of cabling to deal with and the fact that the 2405's DVI input is not HDCP compliant, which means that I wouldn't be able to play HD-DVDs via addon. With component, there's no issue with HDCP (so long as studios don't enable ICT), but then I don't know how well the 2405 deinterlaces, since the 2405 doesn't accept 1080P via component input. I'm guessing not well. Probably not an issue for games.

P.J.

You can fix the stretched look by making sure you set in the settings of the monitor to maintain aspect ratio.

Thanks for the feedback! Definitely a bummer, I was really hoping it'd be an easy good quality solution. The aspect ratio was a worry, so hearing what Valence had to say confirmed my suspicions.

I may give it a shot just to see it with my own eyes, but from what you've all said here, it won't be a great solution. :(

-JR

Thanks for the feedback! Definitely a bummer, I was really hoping it'd be an easy good quality solution. The aspect ratio was a worry, so hearing what Valence had to say confirmed my suspicions.

I may give it a shot just to see it with my own eyes, but from what you've all said here, it won't be a great solution. :(

-JR

I've seen one in action through VGA and HDMI-DVI and thought it looked quite good runnin 1920*1080 and 1:1 mode. Just one mans opinion though.

You can fix the stretched look by making sure you set in the settings of the monitor to maintain aspect ratio.

I have this exact setup at work and I just don't like it at all. I think the problem is the scaler is terrible on the Dell 2405 so it makes everything look really jagged when it shouldn't be. I've tried both component and VGA for this and haven't liked the results. I much prefer my TV at home.



Yes, you're right. I don't know how I missed that. Using component input, of the 3 settings under Scaling, "1:1" and "Aspect" both maintain the correct 16:9 aspect ratio, while "Fill" naturally does not.

As for the scaler in the 2405, I don't understand, why does that even come into play? If you setup the 360 to output 1920 x 1080i over component, where is the scaler? Deinterlacer yes, but scaler no. As for the performance of the deinterlacer, I did some quick tests with an HD camcorder outputting 1080i to the 2405 and it would appear that during horizontal pans, vertical edges show a lot of blur, that goes away when panning stops. I think they do that to eliminate combing artifacts. While blur looks better than combing, it's still not really the ideal way to deinterlace.

P.J.

I use it and it works fantastic with both VGA (At 1080p) and component at 1080i, and the 1080p obviously looks much better. If you set the aspect ratio to 1:1 in the menu, there are no aspect ratio issues.

Oddly enough for as slow of a monitor as it is (11ms refresh ratio) motion blur isnt an issue during games (It's an issue though with both HD-DVD and Blu Ray movies).

The color reproduction is great, and it's just convenient for me to have my PS3, Xbox 360, and computer all hooked into one screen.

As far as color saturation and reproduction, I think my CRT HDTV is a lot better, but it's in a whole different part of the house.

I use it and it works fantastic with both VGA (At 1080p) and component at 1080i, and the 1080p obviously looks much better. If you set the aspect ratio to 1:1 in the menu, there are no aspect ratio issues.

Oddly enough for as slow of a monitor as it is (11ms refresh ratio) motion blur isnt an issue during games (It's an issue though with both HD-DVD and Blu Ray movies).

The color reproduction is great, and it's just convenient for me to have my PS3, Xbox 360, and computer all hooked into one screen.

As far as color saturation and reproduction, I think my CRT HDTV is a lot better, but it's in a whole different part of the house.

As for response time, I'd be very surprised if this was an issue with the usual 24 frame per second movies, since 24fps is one full frame every 41.66 ms. That it takes 11ms for image of the previous frame to die off before the new one is fully visible, I wouldn't think would even be noticeable. Perhaps the Blu Ray and HD-DVD issue that you're seeing is due to the 2405's low tech deinterlacing of 1080i over component? Or are you actually seeing the Blu Ray / HD-DVD issue with 1080P over VGA?

P.J.

spring for the 2407-hc. And you MUST use VGA. component/360 looks horrible on the Dell's. I have one, and the picture is superb for an lcd. your plasma will always look better, but the 2407-hc is surprisingly good...and this is coming from someone that can't stand lcd's.

but use VGA, MS VGA cable is the only one that gave me a good picture. The other cheaper ones were horrible

as for audio, I have logitech 680's in my office area. i think 5500 is the replacement??? not sure it's logitech's best 5.1 whatever model that is now. has a little control dock with multiple inputs, remote controlled, awesome sub etc.

I was getting motion blur on the HD-DVD over VGA, and I now get it on the Blu-Ray over component.

I mean, this thing is awesome for what I ask it to do. I can't complain. For the $800 I paid for it though, I could have a much better monitor today. But for when I bought it, it was the TOTAL ****. There are VERY few monitors today that are bigger or better.

I was getting motion blur on the HD-DVD over VGA, and I now get it on the Blu-Ray over component.

I mean, this thing is awesome for what I ask it to do. I can't complain. For the $800 I paid for it though, I could have a much better monitor today. But for when I bought it, it was the TOTAL ****. There are VERY few monitors today that are bigger or better.

Certainly motion blur is going to happen over component since the 2405 doesn't accept 1080P and the 2405's deinterlacer is so rudimentary, but I can't explain why you would see motion blur via VGA input. Movies just aren't fast enough to push an 11ms display.

Even with the limitations, the 2405 is still quite a good monitor. How many other 24" LCDs out there have 5 inputs (DVI, VGA, Component, S-Video, Composite)?

P.J.

I gave it a try last night after the Superbowl, via the component input. I don't have the DVI cable, so it was all I could try.

Although the image wasn't bad, it was as noted above, it had some odd anti-alaising. The colors were very vibrant, which initially looked great, but I did notice that there was loss in the black details and some washout. That could be due to the component input - or simply the limitations of the 2405.

I went into the 360 set-up and tried everything from 480p-1080p, just to see what the difference in video quality would be and what the tv would even accept. The 720p and 1080i seemed to look the best, but occasionlly the 1080i would look...scrambled.

I'm using my VGA input for my PC, but I think I may pick up some cables and try out the VGA.

-JR