2 Questions Regarding HD on the Consoles...

I am deciding on whether I will be getting a 360 or a PS3, but that isnt what I'm here for. I want to play these consoles on my current PC monitor. It's cheap, its 1440x900, which is good enough for me, and it works perfectly well. I don't know whether or not it has an HDMI or DVIport, but I know that at least the 360 can play HD resolutions using a VGA HD cable from Microsoft. This leads me to my 2 questions.

1. Can the PS3 use a VGA HD cable to play HD resolutions, or does it require HDMI/DVI?

2. If I hooked up a 360 or PS3 to my current monitor, assuming everything works fine in VGA, could the console play at 1440x900 in 1080p/i compatible games, or would it simply revert to 720p? Also, which console could do this, if not both? Oh and, if this would work in HDMI or DVI, but not VGA, please tell me.

The PS3 does not support VGA and requires your monitor to support 720p (or 1080i, or 480p, but who'd want that?). It doesn't have the 360's built-in scaler, so it relies on the monitor knowing what to do with those signals.

For your first question, the PS3 will only play if the monitor is HDCP compatible, im not sure about the 360.

I dont get what you mean in the 2nd question.

Sry if my second question was unclear. Here's what I meant.

Can either/ both the 360 and PS3 play in 1440x900, or are 1080 and 720 the only compatible HD resolutions?

The PS3 and Xbox have very set resolutions. 720x480 (480p), 1280x720 (720p) and 1920x1080 (1080p/1080i). Some TV's may list a different resolution, but still support the systems. That is because they are TVs and have the technology present within them to do so. Monitors can be really tricky. The 360 and PS3 will NOT support 1440x900, but that does not mean your monitor cannot scale its output to match that of the 360. Hopefully someone can answer this better than I. Adam_the_Nerd

Thanks guys.

And you, loweO, u said that PS3's don't work with VGA... would they work with DVI?

Thanks guys.

And you, loweO, u said that PS3's don't work with VGA... would they work with DVI?

Alright, thanks again for all your help. I'm gonna check back after I find out whether or not my monitor supports DVI and "HDCP," whatever that is. Sorry. I don't know a lot of tech lingo for comp monitors, altho I'm rather the uber-nerd when it comes to graphics. lol. I'm pretty sure this monitor supports DVI, because if it didn't, the monitor would most likely not be HD, which it is. I heard VGA can make HD signals blurry and weird-looking. (I suppose that means I won't get the VGA HD cable for a 360. I couldnt find a DVI cable for it, though, so I may need to get a new monitor w/ HDMI or use the hdtv upstairs. I dont use the family room HDTV because my parents and little sister watch it all the time. I dont watch much tv, but i play games a lot, so there would be time conflicts.)

P.S - Could I use non-Microsoft or non-Sony DVI cables to connect from a ps3 or 360 to my monitor?

The PS3 and Xbox have very set resolutions. 720x480 (480p), 1280x720 (720p) and 1920x1080 (1080p/1080i). Some TV's may list a different resolution, but still support the systems. That is because they are TVs and have the technology present within them to do so. Monitors can be really tricky. The 360 and PS3 will NOT support 1440x900, but that does not mean your monitor cannot scale its output to match that of the 360. Hopefully someone can answer this better than I. Adam_the_Nerd

Two last questions.

1. Could a third-party DVI cable work w/ the PS3?If the answer is yes, is it only specific brands? If the answer is no, does Sony offer its own DVI cables?

2.One more question... Can a regular voice chat headset, the one this computer uses, work on a PS3? It isn't USB. It uses the regular headphone port. (Whatever thats called)

Two last questions.

1. Could a third-party DVI cable work w/ the PS3?If the answer is yes, is it only specific brands? If the answer is no, does Sony offer its own DVI cables?

2.One more question... Can a regular voice chat headset, the one this computer uses, work on a PS3? It isn't USB. It uses the regular headphone port. (Whatever thats called)

Tennisobsessor1

1. Yes, any will work, but you need a HDMI/DVI converter.

2. No, it has to be USB or Bluetooth.

Two last questions.

1. Could a third-party DVI cable work w/ the PS3?If the answer is yes, is it only specific brands? If the answer is no, does Sony offer its own DVI cables?

i found out my monitor, altho HD, is only VGA... Xp Oh well... I'll just work out some kind of time schedule so I can play the PS3 on my family's HDTV...

Thanks anyway, guys. I'm pretty sure the TV came w/ an HDMI cable, so I could always use that to play the PS3.