Xbox:HDMI Output
Modern TV's may not have component/composite inputs, may have poor internal analog to digital converters and/or you may prefer to connect your Xbox via HDMI.
Fully digital
By tapping directly into the digital signals from the GPU you can skip the on-board encoder. This is useful on a 1.6 Xbox due to video issues and arguably gives the cleanest picture of any solution on any version of the original Xbox, since it skips any digital-to-analog, analog-to-digital conversion and signal interference on analog cables/connectors. However, this solution will also require the most soldering and is one of the most expensive solutions.
Xbox:OpenXHD an open source project based on the work of Ryzee119 for an all digital HDMI solution is archived since Dec 5, 2023 but can still be used to build/manufacture/order your own HDMI solution.
The only currently available retail project, is not listed here due to legal threats from the manufacturer[1].
Plug in & play converters
Another option to use HDMI is to use a 'plug in & play' adapter. The pro's of this is that there are a lot of adapters available both cheaper and even some high end ones, however none will bypass the on-board encoder as they all use the analog output on the back of the device.
This solution requires no soldering and has a broad range of quality and price.
Comparison
There are a lot of adapters available and the most known/branded ones are added to this list.
| Name | Remarks |
|---|---|
| RetroTINK 4K | Upscaler. Requires Xbox component cables. |
| RetroTINK 5X | Upscaler. Requires Xbox component cables. |
| OSSC | Upscaler. Requires Xbox component cables. No surround sound. |
| Chimeric adapter | High quality Xbox to HDMI adapter. Currently unavailable. |
| XEDUSA[2] | High quality Xbox to HDMI adapter. Both HDMI and component simultaneous output. |
| ElectronXout | High quality Xbox to HDMI adapter. Surround audio switchable |
Other options include "Kaico adapter", "Pound", "Hyperkin", "Portta" or modding a "Wii2HDMI", however these are more for convenience as for signal quality and will be beaten by a decent component cable.[3]
One special note regarding the "Pound" adapter is that for certain revisions of the Xbox, it's better to use the externally powered cable as the on board filtering capacitors of the Xbox aren't sufficient and can cause problems[3][4][5].