You may finding yourself needing a Component to VGA converter at some point as I did. In my case I also wanted to be able to run my game consoles on my computer LCD display in addition to my HDTV.

The thought of buying VGA cables for each console sucked. Also running all the extra VGA wires and switching to VGA cables every time I want to play on the Computer LCD did not sound ideal. I had all my consoles (Xbox 360, Wii etc.) already connected to my HDTV via component cables so I set out to get a component to VGA converter so I would not have to swap component and VGA cables on each console every time I wanted to play on my computer LCD display. I searched for a converter and chose the High-Box because it also supported 480i signals which I noticed that many component to VGA converters did not.

As mentioned in this article I split my component signal from my game consoles and used this High-box device to convert the HD 720/1080 and 480i/p signals into VGA signals that I could view on my HD LCD monitor. The monitor that I used in my tests of the High-Box has a native resolution of 1680×1050. The High-Box was set to upscale all signals to 1680×1050 resolution.

Here is the High-Box device up close:

Here are the specs of the Highbox HDTV YPbPr Component Video to VGA RGBHV Converter Transcoder:

- Delivers crystal clear 480i, 576i, 480p, 576p, 720p(50Hz/60Hz), 1080i(50Hz/60Hz), or 1080p(50Hz/60Hz) displays on standard VGA/LCD monitors.
- Adopts standard component video input, compatible with various game consoles and video devices, including the PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox360, Wii, GameCube, etc.
- Supporting perfect display of 16: 9/4: 3 format signals;
- Adopting digital frequency technology;
- Supporting various resolution models;
- Plug-and-play without software installation;
- Displaying a flicker-free picture of delicacy, brightness, stablility; convenient operation with front button;
- Supporting all YPbPr signals output products;
- Compatible with all CRT and LCD monitor; free swith of VGA and YPbPr signals without repeated plug;
- Supporting free switch of signals between VGA and YPbPr;
- Possessing digital noise reduction and image enhancement technology;
- Supporting parameters(brghtness, contrast, etc.) regulation
- Supporting progressive/1interlaced signal input.

Thats a lot of claims so after ordering this product on ebay and receiving it I put it to the test…

First I tested a 480i signal from the Wii. Below are photos I took of the screen.

Once I set the High-Box to my monitors native resolution the picture was GREAT. There was no noticeable lag at all.

After a few laps in Mario kart Wii I switched to Xbox 360. below are the photos I took of the screen.

I did not have to restart the High-Box when I switched the signal from 480i/Wii to 720/Xbox 360. The High box automatically adjusted the display to match the signal I sent into it. Pretty sweet. Also by pressing the middle yellow button on top you can easily switch between native and full screen aspect ratios. Another cool feature. A con is that you cannot set it to always stay on full screen or native. You have to manually press the button once to get to full screen mode.

The video quality lived up to the claims. After a few matched of Halo 3 it was clear that there was no noticeable lag in the HD signal conversion. Note that my monitor has a native resolution supported by the device in the list above. If your monitor’s native resolution is not on the list then your results may vary.

Here are some images of the full options menu’s:

Pros:

- Excellent video quality using a montior with a recommended resolution. I expected the image quality to be worse and was impressed by the visuals it produced.
- Automatically detects signals.
- Supports 480i up to 1080p signals. I had a hard time finding a converter that supports 480i signals in particular.
- Has built in color adjustments (brightness,contrast, saturation, hue)
- Built in VGA pass through/switch. You can switch between displaying a computer signal(pass through) and the High-Box component signal. This helps if you only have one VGA port on your monitor. Plug your computer VGA to the high-box and the high-box to your display. pressing a button will select between the PC signal and the converted component signal.
- Features both RCA riugh and left audio output OR 3.5 mm headphone type connection for output to computer speakers or headphones.

Cons:

- No off button. The devices is powered by an AC adapter and has no switch on the device to turn it off. I hooked it to a separate power strip with an off switch as a workaround.
- You cannot set it to default to full screen mode. requires one button press to set it to full screen mode.
- The device menu (resolution/color options) is a pain to get through. This is not too bad as the options you set in the menu are saved even after the device is powered off so you wont have to use the menu much.

CONCLUSION: It works great. The picture quality is indeed excellent. Recommended.