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Introduction

One of the niftiest features of the Dreamcast, in my opinion, is the ability to use a monitor with the Dreamcast in place of a TV. This does two things: First of all, if you own a computer, and not a TV, the DC is the obvious console choice. Who does that benefit? Well, college students, who make up a large part of the gaming market. The second bonus is an increase in graphics quality. This increase is rather noticeable, and is a wonderful compromise for the DC. Unlike the PS2, the Game Cube, and the X-Box, the DC doesn’t have power to fill an HDTV resolution, even at one of the lower settings. In addition, HDTV technology is still 5 years from being in everyone’s house, but VGA monitors are standard with every computer.

Our Competitors

The Hais VGA Box- $21 (Electronics Boutique): The Hais product is a pretty little plastic box, rectangular in shape and about 4″x2″x1″ lwh. The box looks fairly sturdy, and features a foot-long cord that plugs into the DC media-out. There are two sets of outputs. One set with a VGA port and a stereo audio out (like a headphone jack, or the ports on the back of your sound card). The second set of outputs is the standard Red-Yellow-White connectors that plug into the back of any modern TV. A small switch lets you select the output through either the VGA or the TV outs.

The Naki VGA Box- $15 (Electronics Boutique): The Naki box is very similar, in physical layout, to the Hais box. It has the same integrated input cord, the same set of two outputs, and the same cute little selector switch. The big difference between the two is that the Naki box is rounded and comes in a variety of colors.

Our Testing Platform

One Sega DreamCast.
6 DC Games: NFL 2k1, Crazy Taxi, Soul Caliber, NBA 2k, Shenmue, Jet Grind Radio
2 Monitors: KDS 19″ Shortneck, MAG 17″

Results

Well, both boxes worked beautifully on the KDS monitor, producing sharp, colorful pictures. Setup for both was minimal, taking very little time to complete. At this point, you may be wondering why I, a poor college student, would even bother to buy two VGA boxes and write a silly review. Well, it’s fairly simple. The Naki VGA Box didn’t work with my MAG monitor. None of the games. I would get a screwed up image that rendered the games unplayable and looked just plain ugly. That is why I bought a second box. And guess what? The Hais box worked perfectly. Beautiful image, crisp, clear, colorful. And, so, we have our winner, by default.

Score

Hais Box: 8/10
All the Features you could ask for, and at a decent price. Beautiful picture.

Naki Box: 3/10
Despite its lower cost, possible incompatibilities can’t let me recommend this box. When it worked, it produced a beautiful picture, but when it didn’t it was a waste of $15.

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