Technical help with a PS2

[SilverStrike]

I figure this goes in gaming discussion because it's a gaming console.

Right, basically, I don't have a TV. But a mate has given me his PS2, which is lovely, always wanted one, so many good games I wanna play. Like MGS, or Persona. And Shadow of the Colossus.

I -do- have an Xbox 360. Have done for ages. That, is hooked up to my monitor.

My setup is this. My computer is a laptop, so it has it's own dedicated screen. I also have a large flat screen monitor which can dual screen with my laptop, or if I switch VGA plugs, it can do the visuals of my Xbox, which has an adapter. The adapter has normal section for the Xbox, and then splits midway. Half of it goes to a VGA plug, to my monitor. The other half is a trio of RCA red white yellow cables. The red and the white plugs are put into a little adapter I got for less than a quid, which turns both into a one plug deal. That one plug goes into a gender changer, and then on the other end of it, my speakers plug.
Basically, I can swap speakers and monitor from laptop, to xbox.

I want to do this with my PS2.

My PS2 cable is on one end, the normal PS2 bit. It trails along a cable, coming to a SCART plug, and the cable leading to the SCART plug splits off just before the plug into a Red and a White pair of RCA cables.
Also, at the unit that goes into the PS2 itself is a yellow what I assume is RCA, -socket-.
So, my theory is it can either be a SCART connection, or an RCA connection, except that the yellow is a socket instead of a plug.

Using gender changer adapters and maybe RCA to VGA/audio... yeah.
You get the idea, I hope.

Sorry if this is a bit babbley or very technical, but that's the situation. Any questions I'll try to ask soon. I'm looking for someone to give me a concise idea of what combination of adapters or cables would work, based on cables and adapters that exist. Swapping VGA plugs and speaker plugs between Xbox use and PS2 use is no biggie to me.

Hope someone can help!

 

[FalloutJack]

I understood most of that. I'm a bit fuzzy on the term, SCART, but I can probably guess at it. Right, down to business.

I own all three types of Playstation, so I should be able to render some kind of assistance here. Now, correct me if I'm wrong here, but are you trying to have it so that both the PS2 and the X-Box are connected at once (with possibly the laptop screen involved) or something simpler?

Here's what I have at home: The flat-screen is simultaneously connected to the PS3 (with HDMI cable) and a VGA for either the PS2 or PSX (which will differ according to mood/need), though I only plug in one of these at once. VGA cable uses the adapter to merge the two audio ends into one audio plug. Also, there is a USB 'octopuss' gender-change adapter which I use to sort of connect the PS3 with the computer.

NOW THEN, you have these two consoles, but numerous cords and their uses are generally interchangeable, so it can actually be very easy to pull the plug on one and insert it into the other, unless the X-Box specifically uses a certain VGA cable different from the Playstation. What was the end desire for your setup again?

 

[SilverStrike]

Okay, SCART you can google image for what the plug looks like.
And I'm not trying to have both consoles in at once, I was simply using the xbox as an example of a working system. Basically, ignore the xbox exists. Ignore the laptop exists.
I have a PS2, I have a flatscreen monitor with a VGA port, and I have a pair of speakers which connect to things via a 3.5mm jack.
The PS2 has a cable which goes from PS2 and includes these parts. A SCART plug. RCA red and white plugs, and what I think is an RCA yellow port.

And yes, the xbox cable is itself a dedicated xbox cable. And I doubt there's an xbox - PS2 adapter just for that cable. Gods it'd be simple if there was.

 

[Zantos]

There's probably an adapter on the internet for a fiver or something. That's most likely to work.


Infact, I can't guarentee this works as I haven't tried it, but this looks promising. Maybe need a few M/F converters and some sort of audio adapter (that might actually just work with the adapters you used for xbox to speaker connection).

 

[SilverStrike]

Okay. Found out what I think might be a solution.
First, I get this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playstation-PS2-PSX-RCA-Cable/dp/B000SEU92W/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1303689314&sr=8-8
Makes the PS2 connection much easier. Get rid of Scart and that awkward inverted yellow. Just a PS2, to RCA.

Second, I get this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/VGA-to-S-Video-RCA-Adaptor/dp/B000P3UB24/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1303689906&sr=8-2
Plug in the yellow to that, stick the VGA in the monitor. Hook up the red and white to the speakers in a fashion similar to the xbox.

I think that would work. My only worry is the black socket also attached to the VGA. It says it's S-Video. Can I just completely ignore that and theoretically make it all work?

 

[FalloutJack]

Okay. Found out what I think might be a solution.
First, I get this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playstation-PS2-PSX-RCA-Cable/dp/B000SEU92W/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1303689314&sr=8-8
Makes the PS2 connection much easier. Get rid of Scart and that awkward inverted yellow. Just a PS2, to RCA.

Second, I get this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/VGA-to-S-Video-RCA-Adaptor/dp/B000P3UB24/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1303689906&sr=8-2
Plug in the yellow to that, stick the VGA in the monitor. Hook up the red and white to the speakers in a fashion similar to the xbox.

I think that would work. My only worry is the black socket also attached to the VGA. It says it's S-Video. Can I just completely ignore that and theoretically make it all work?

My experience with VGA cables is that if there isn't a port specifically for a part of the cord, then it can be left alone. As long as you get an audio signal and a visual signal, you're good to go.

 

[Jazoni89]

I understood most of that. I'm a bit fuzzy on the term, SCART, but I can probably guess at it. Right, down to business.

Ahh...i remember you Americans don't have SCART.

They are all the rage in Europe, and they give a pretty good picture quality too.

Though they are a bit fiddly, especially because the scart port is found on the back of a TV, so it's hard to slot in.

What do you guys have instead, RF, composite, just curious?

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Okay. Found out what I think might be a solution.
First, I get this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playstation-PS2-PSX-RCA-Cable/dp/B000SEU92W/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1303689314&sr=8-8
Makes the PS2 connection much easier. Get rid of Scart and that awkward inverted yellow. Just a PS2, to RCA.

Second, I get this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/VGA-to-S-Video-RCA-Adaptor/dp/B000P3UB24/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1303689906&sr=8-2
Plug in the yellow to that, stick the VGA in the monitor. Hook up the red and white to the speakers in a fashion similar to the xbox.

I think that would work. My only worry is the black socket also attached to the VGA. It says it's S-Video. Can I just completely ignore that and theoretically make it all work?

You would be able to ignore the S-video plug since it's just an alternative video cable. Unfortunately, I doubt that setup is going to work. VGA is a component video system, while RCA is a composite format. Assuming the VGA plug was outputting the right video format, it might be possible to downmix that signal to an RCA plug -- I know S-video to RCA works like this -- but you would need some specialized electronics to go the other way. Something like <link=http://www.svideo.com/component2vga.html>this. Note the exorbitant price; you're probably better off just buying a TV.

PS: also, a little research shows that even going in the proper direction, those cables don't properly convert the signal; it's effectively a VGA signal going out through component cables, and most TVs don't even support it.

 

[Gigatoast]

I suggest a technical support forum from 8 years ago.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I understood most of that. I'm a bit fuzzy on the term, SCART, but I can probably guess at it. Right, down to business.

Ahh...i remember you Americans don't have SCART.

They are all the rage in Europe, and they give a pretty good picture quality too.

Though they are a bit fiddly, especially because the scart port is found on the back of a TV, so it's hard to slot in.

What do you guys have instead, RF, composite, just curious?

What we have is a tangle of wires. Off the top of my head, the three most common connection types are Composite RCA, Component RCA, and HDMI, with S-video being around but uncommon, and Coaxial having been phased out for pretty much everything but getting the cable company's signal to the cable box/cable modem. Audio cables are a whole 'nother kettle of fish, with at least four common standards that I can think of off the top of my head. SCART was a pretty cool idea, but it took the advent of HDMI for Americans to latch on to an all in one cable; I don't think there were ever any SCART compatible products released in the States.