Life and Leisure. Tech and Toys.

In my last post I talked about how the XCM 1080p Mega Cool VGA converter didn’t live up to my expectations. However, today I want to talk about how the HDFury2 is the perfect solution for my situation. Unfortunately it is a little more expensive as well which is why I didn’t go along with it in the first place. So the old saying about getting what you pay for is definitely in effect when you’re looking for a PS3 to VGA converter that also strips the HDCP encoding.

Unlike the XCM 1080p converter the HDFury2 requires an HDMI input which makes it only a viable solution for PS3 and Xbox 360. This is fine for me since I don’t own a Wii. The HDFury2 does not come with its own HDMI cable so you’ll have to supply one yourself. Luckily these are extremely cheap. The ability to send video and audio over a single low cost cable is a main reason HDMI is becoming so popular. The HDFury2 does come with a VGA to Component adapter for people with monitors with component inputs as well.

The HDFury2 does not require its own power source when running on a PS3 or Xbox360. However, if you want to run a blu-ray player you may need to purchase the external power adapter. The USB power cable can also be plugged in directly to your console. For audio you simply plug your 3.5mm speaker input to the HDFury2. Once you’ve got everything plugged in the HDFury2 does its job as specified. You’ll get full 1080p right out of the box with automatic image centering. Some people have complained about dim picture but most monitors will have the capability to brighten the picture. If you can’t get a good picture I suggest purchasing the Gamma X add-on. I’ll talk more about the Gamma X in my next post. Besides the cost of the HDFury2, I can’t really complain about anything else.

Here are some quick directions on setting your PS3 to HDMI:

1. Connect your PS3 composite/component cable to your TV (not monitor), also connect the HDMI connection between the PS3 and TV if your TV has an HDMI input. If not just plug in the HDMI cable on the PS3 side.
2. Turn on the PS3.
3. Go to the System Settings > Display settings, and change the display to HDMI. If your TV doesn’t have HDMI connections you must do the rest blind.
4. Switch your TV to the HDMI input, accept the display changes by pressing X.
5. Disconnect the TV connections and hook up your PS3 to your monitor using the HDMI and HDFury2. Turn on your monitor. If you did everything correctly you should have a picture on your monitor. You are done.
6. If you couldn’t get a picture you might not have accepted the changes while you were hooked up to the TV. Try again making sure you press X after you’ve switched to HDMI blindly.
7. If you know you did everything correctly switching the PS3 to HDMI check to make sure your monitor is displaying the right input (VGA not DVI). If not, something is wrong. Maybe a defective HDFury2 or HDMI cable. Both are highly unlikely.
8. Try again by resetting your PS3 back to composite/component. Do this by holding down the power button while the PS3 is off and the light is red. I am referring to the power button in the front where the red light is not the power switch in the back.