My attempt at making a cool useful and fun original Xbox system.

Also, rather than listing the pages of features that a modchip offers ill supply you the link

http://x3.bustedchain.com/x3configlive.html

But if your really serious about making this project extreme, get a modchip. They are superior and offer more versatility, reliability, and customization.

 

Yeah that would be sweet. Almost like the limited edition "smoke xbox". Here is a pretty wild xbox which is kind of similar to what you described. Only it has UV blue leds...Imagine trying to watch a movie on that xbox!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTTVw-f1vks

 

Think I will get the X3 Gonna have to do some config work to get it to support the VGA box as well as another mode for component. From what I read on the RGB/ VGA mod, it uses the same lines as component so a mod has to be done to BIOS for the green component line to be switched to out put the green tint versus the light control signal component uses. Need at least 2 BIOS files then. 1 for RGB/ VGA and the other for component. Also may need the Cromwell BIOS for Linux. Not sure if I can use Linux without it.

Something like that. Be a bit more clear and have a lot more LED lights in there. Thinking about a music based blinking controller for when I stream some tunes. Would also like for the system to be remote controlled but that may be a bit beyond me ATM. Many ideas. Hope I can make most if not all of them work.

 

Linux will run on most any hacked bios. So scrap the Cromwell idea, its very dated and absolute junk. Your X3 Bios will work, and so would your VGA Bios, heck that terrible BFM softmod bios will run linux! But i think your right on the money with the VGA. Sounds like you did your homework

Honestly it looks like you may need chip with at least 1MB of flash memory as the IND VGA BIOS is 512k, and another GOOD BIOS will be at least 512k to 1MB. Fortunately the X3 has 2MB of flash mem plus 256k or 512k of backup flash mem

Also keeping to your "ultimate easy xbox" philosophy...If you have an official Xbox dvd remote & receiver you can use that in XBMC to navigate the menus, play music, play moves etc. AND if you still plan to implement an infrared on/off the Xbox remote does that too (granted you install a X3 IR, or XERC)

 

Glad to hear I don't need the Cromwell BIOS for that then. My analysis of the component and VGA lines is from what I know about how they work. I made an educated guess about the signal lines as that would be the only logical way for it to work. Component uses 3 lines only: red, blue, and a brightness control on the green cable. The signal method needs no green tint since it is easily created by TVs and monitors that support component. RGB has the red, green, and blue tints separated in individual lines as well as a composite sync on a 4th line. VGA is just glorified RGB with a higher frequency. It also uses an H and V sync instead of composite sync. chips for under $5 can separate a composite sync signal into the H and V sync VGA needs. Depending on the monitor or TV set, it may run VGA on the RGB frequency. Or maybe there is something else there that changes it to the VGA standard that I missed. also, composite video can be used for the sync. Sometimes it can be used straight. Other times a "sync stripper" is needed to remove the video from composite leaving the sync signal only. Depends on what is getting the signal.

Good to know. I'm definitely set on a X3 now. BTW, would that be an Xecuter 3 or a DuoX3 chip?

EDIT: Nevermind. Gotta be the Xecuter. DuoX3 has 2 256K chips and most likely wouldn't work for me. Now looking for an Xecuter 3 CE chip.

Also, it has a 256K backup BIOS chip.

I have an official remote. I know about the DVD remote for powering on and off mod too. Plan to try and implement that unless it gets in the way of navigation if I should need the button it will be set to on remote. Maybe I'll see about using a different remote with more buttons if I can link it to the IR receivers for more buttons to support my other planned functions. Perhaps my LED idea can be controlled this way too from the extra buttons?

 

Well, got some updates for ya people interested in my project. Got another shipment in 3 days ago. Was too busy to upload picture then. Here it is:



From left to right, top to bottom:
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell for the soft mod
Xbox interlink cable
USA power cable
the wonderful, magnificent... AHEM! Xbox itself (did't realize they are some heavy mutha f***ers!!)
standard CAT5 cable that came with the interlink cable (Really cool looking being in a clear case.)
cable for keyboard below
custom made mini keyboard, touch pad mouse combo. Was made for an exercise company that went belly up. Got 2 of them for like $50 USD. They went on the equipment and have very heavy metal plates on bottom. Gonna have to get rid of that. In fact, I'm most likely just gonna use the touch pad on a full sized keyboard so I can have all the keys. (This board is missing the F keys, ESC, ect.)
PS2 keyboard, mouse to Xbox adapter with expansion slot for memory cards and such in top
and my 320 GB ATA/IDE 133 HDD I got for a song.

Just today, I got my Component cable and my Game Shark in the mail. Too lazy to take a picture of them. Thought I was all set up to fire this puppy up and play some Conker: Live and Reloaded. Then, from the controller: *SNAP* Me: FFFFF**********KKKKK!!!!! Turns out this "new" controller had been fixed. Right trigger broke off of the pot it turns. Some one had tried to fix it and failed. It was also listed as "dual shock" They just replaced one of the vibrators with a larger one. Black tape to cover the connection. Thanks a lot dumb ass eBay seller. Expect negative feed back from me. The controller even had the warranty label over the bottom center screw hole. Some one put a lot of effort into fixing this cheapo controller to sell. Tried to fix it myself and failed. Thin plastic doesn't "weld" easily. At least it was only $8 and I now have spare parts. Now waiting on my programmable controller to show up.

In other news, I also cracked open my Game Shark memory card adapter. All I see in it is a PCB that leads the USB lines to the proper ones in the socket for card and a green "power on" LED. Nice. Cheap. USEFUL!!! After finding this out, I went straight to fleaBay and got a cheap memory card for $5 flat. 16 MB sized one. Useless that small. Pathetic. New hack. Many are familiar with the USB drive for memory card hack so I'll skip straight to the point. Gonna put my 4 GB USB drive in the casing of the memory card if the USB drive ever shows up. Methinks it should be perfect. Looks original but has plenty of storage space. Side point: the Game Shark v1.1 software from 2005 work in Windows 7 64 bit. Yay?

Last details.
Think I'm gonna ditch the HDD in picture if I can finish a deal with another member here for a 750 GB drive. May sell the 320 GB one. Not sure yet...

 

As ASSEMbler will say "He needs to be fucked with a flaming dick".

 

Haha! Now my dirty 5 minute paint.net edit:

 

Well, While I wait on some other important junk to show up, I figured I'd play around with my box a bit. I hooked it up with my component cable, set the video to 480p, plugged my keyboard and touchpad mouse in, plugged in the DVD remote, tried to fire it up and... nothing. DAMNIT!!! Oh. Wait. I had it pulled all apart and didn't get the PSU cable seated back down in the plug on mobo. Derp! Fixed that and away she went. Found lotsa game saves in the HDD. They needed to go bye bye. Now the drive is empty of any game saves or music tracks. Decided to try playing a movie. Fast 5 got through the previews and froze when trying to load the title screen... repeatedly! (Damnit!) So I tried another video that is a copy a friend made about 2 years ago. It works flawlessly. Here's the interesting thing. On the DVD "title screen", it shows the information on the .vob file that will be played. Notice the extension at the end I noted in picture:



.XVID??? I didn't know they still used this format to this day. I always thought standard DVD movies started the disk read from the inside and went out. XVID starts at the outer edge and works it way inward.

...I think...

 

Only 480p? 1080i that sucker! that is of course if your TV supports 1080i signals. Maybe 720p?

I played a DVD and set it to 1080i- I swear you couldn't tell the difference from Blu-ray other than the audio. It was incredible. I'm keeping my Xbox for a ling time now, considering how well it's capable of upscaling media.
Keeping in mind my TV also helped out a bit, but the Xbox did most of the work.

 

I would if I could. TV is a 20 inch Toshiba model from 2001 so I doubt if it will do 1080i much less 720p. I was surprised it would do 480p. Thought it was limited to interlaced video.

 

OK, so I now know my DVD drive is toast. It wouldn't play official games or DVD movies. It did play a burned version of Sucker Punch I got a few years back before it was re-leased. (Gotta love the Chinese or Hispanics taking a video camera to the theater. Don't ask...) So I decided to try cleaning it. Nothing at all now. Not even Sucker Punch. So I tried the laser pot adjustments. Still nothing. DAMNIT!!! The drive is the best model to get: Samsung SG-605. I had read here about a modified PC DVD drive that works in the box. The original Samsung drives work at a best of 4X to 5X speeds. The hacked PC drive runs all the way to 16X. In theory this should equal a 3X to 4X speed increase. So I had a choice. Spend like $27 for a replacement Samsung SG-605 or $30 for a Samsung SD-616T and mod it for use in my Xbox. Guess which one I choose...
...
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...
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That's right. I went for the SD-616T. I got the last one of 2 available on fleaBay. The seller even has a detailed log on how to modify this one for use in the Xbox. In fact, here's a picture of the sale page:



As you can see, there are none left. This seller had 1 left and I got it.

 

Hey guys. Sorry for no updates. Been busy with life...

So I finally got back to the 'box. Here's where I'm at right now. I got another unit from flabbergaster in good working order, softmodded it, found it is a 1.6 (F%$K!), gutted it to repair my first one (turned out to be a 1.1 model. 1.1 in late 2003???), got it going with UnleashX dash, tried to use my SD-616T but having issues (need to look into that more...), tried to use my 320GB HDD but Chimps didn't like it (F$#K AGAIN!), settled for a 40GB Barracuda, and closed 'er up for now.

Now Imma gonna go install a few games to the HDD. Before I go, Have a video of it running and me basically retelling everything you just read plus a bit more...

 

was really creepy the way you said sexbox lol, cpu's seem to run warm anyway good ol p3's lol, i recken with a bit of persistence you could get the 320GB drive working, the keyboard / mouse combo is cool

lightguns always awesome, but think there was only 1 lighgun game on the xbox, HOTD 3.

+ conkers on my to play list.

 

Once again, try hard modding it. It'll simplify EVERYTHING and it unlocked a lot of little features. Plus if the drive dies, there's no serious need to panic and have to do it all over again.
There should be someone selling modchips- I bought one off a fellow (whoever it was) for about $15 incl shipping. While I haven't quite gotten around to using it yet, My 'box is already hard modded and I really like it that way- upgrading to a 320GB HDD was a breeze.
Also it should simplify DVD drive issues- but don't take my word for it.

 

I know I said "Sexbox" rather creepy. Meant too...

It does run a bit warm for my liking but playing some Conker for around 30 minutes didn't seem to raise it much. My 1.6 runs around 38 CPU idle. Weird...

As for my HDD and DVD woes, I think the DVD is from wiring being wrong and possibly the firmware swap didn't work right. Have to recheck it sometime. The HDD is another story. I think I'll go the mod chip route to just get rid of the locking problems once and for all.

As for the light gun, there were 3 games: The House of the Dead 3, Silent Scope Complete, and the multiplayer part of Starsky and Hutch. Plan to get the first 2 for sure. May just FTP the ISO straight to HDD and save me some disks.

Conker's Bad Fur Day on N64 rules the world and Microsoft's remake comes in at a close second due to the extra bleeps added in.

 

What?

TS = TeleSync (recorded from a cinema with a camera, but has line audio)
Xvid = codec to encode/decode the movie and is still used today

Dont know what you are on about with the disc thing.

 

It's normal for the XBOX to run warm, you'll find earlier models had fans on the GPU or CPU sink. It's all good though don't worry.
Movies are not scened in XVID any more, I believe it was shortly after Sucker Punch was released... You'll read up about it if you search

 

Got scared since my 1.6 runs at least 10 to 15 degrees cooler. I just kicked the fan speed up to 5x in the settings menu. Not helping much but makes me feel better...