Grand Theft Auto Adverts: The Old and the New

With GTA IV hype reaching fever pitch, the first adverts have been spotted in the UK. Interestingly, they align themselves only with the Xbox 360, while hinting at the exclusive downloadable content to come on that console - no doubt part of the original Microsoft deal. But the average consumer links the Grand Theft Auto series to the Playstation brand, so will this be enough to swing sales to the 360's favour? With Xbox 360 consoles outnumbering PS3 consoles it's certainly going to be interesting to watch who wins the sales wars...who do you think will come out on top?


Reading a few old Preacher comics the other day, I came across this (amusing) USA advert for the original Grand Theft Auto. Is this really what we used to look like waaaaay back in the 90s?

(Click to bigulate the image)

What's the difference between the HD Fury Red, Green, Blue & Gamer?

HDFury, the HDMI/DVI to VGA converter that adds a HDCP compatible HDMI input to any monitor screen, is a popular product. But with so many different models, there seems to be some confusion as to which one to get. We set out to explain what each version is capable of and which one is best for your setup.

HD Fury Blue/Red/Green

It's really not as complicated as it seems. The blue/red/green versions are essentially the same unit, but each come with a different additional cable included. They are also capable of being externally powered with the HDFury power supply (£5.99), which is required when longer cables (more than 5 metres) are used and on certain setups when the signal is going through different switches and amps.

HDFury Blue (£72.99):

The most popular version of the original models, and the one suitable for most setups, is the HDFury Blue. The package contains the HDFury adapter and a VGA to VGA extension cable. This means it can be used in conjunction with a HDMI to DVI cable to connect a Blu-Ray player, PS3, 360 etc to a VGA compatible device such as a monitor, projector or VGA Plasma screen.

The VGA extension cable is a particuarly useful inclusion for wall-mounted screens, as when the HDFury is plugged directly into the back of a TV, it tends to stick out several inches - space which may not be available on a mounted television.

HDFury Red (£72.99):

The HD Fury Red package is specifically only for Barco projectors. It contains the HDFury unit itself and a gold VGA - DB9 adapter to hook up on Barco (on port3). The DB9 input looks similar to a VGA input, (see the diagram below) but is only found on Barco projectors. Note it only has 9 pins, not 15 like a VGA connection.

HDFury Green (£72.99):

Again, the HD Fury green is intended for projectors setups. In this package, the HDFury comes with a gold VGA to 5 BNC adapter. BNC inputs (pictured below) are normally found on CRT projectors.


HDFury Gamer Cable

The latest addition to the HDFury family is also the cheapest. The HD Fury Gamer cable (£59.99) is an all-in-one solution for connecting a HDMI output (such as PS3) to a VGA input (monitors, projectors, TV screens etc).
Unlike the other HDFury models which have DVI connections on one end and VGA on the other and so require an additional cable to connect to a screen, the HDFury Gamer is a straight HDMI to VGA cable. The HDFury box sits in the middle of the cable, so allowing HDCP sources (such as PS3, Blu-Ray players etc) to be played on non-HDCP compatible screens (such as regular PC monitors and older televisions that don't support HDCP). Unlike the other models, it can't be externally powered by the HDFury power supply.

Conclusion

If you're after the simplest solution for playing Playstation 3 games or watching films from a HDMI source on a VGA screen, the HD Fury Gamer is your best option. It's the cheapest way to do it, and is literally plug and play (or watch).

If you have a more sophisticated setup with unique projector inputs, long cables switches and amps, or require the versatility of an adapter that you can remove and add to different cable as you please, then you will find one of the red/green/blue HDFury models more suitable.


What are your experiences with the HDFury? Leave a comment and let us know.

PS2 - PS3 Guitar Controller Converter Now in Stock: Use PS2 Guitars on PS3

Rocking out on the Playstation 2 on the Guitar Hero series is pretty...well, rocking. But don't you wish you could use your older PS2 guitars on the PS3? Unfortunately, the PS2 guitars aren't natively supported by the PS3 and all the current PS2-PS3 controller adapters on the market are incompatible with PS2 guitars. Well, until now at least. But you probably guessed that from the title of this post.

Blast out your favourite songs and stick it to The Man who tries to make you buy a new guitar for each console with this guitar-specific PS2-PS3 controller converter (£6.99) that lets you plug in your PS2 Guitars into your PS3. It works on PS2 Guitar Hero 1 , 2 and 3 (in their PS3 upscaled loveliness) and the PS version of Guitar Hero 3.

The guitar adapter works on all PS2 wired guitars, and with four separate adapters, you can plug four guitars into the PS3 . We know you're probably wondering which guitar game supports four players? The answer's none...yet! Guitar Hero 4 is on the horizon though and until then, it certainly makes for an interesting game of Pro Evo...

What do you think of the Guitar adapter? Let us know by leaving a comment!

24 Hour DHL Express Delivery Option Added

We know what it's like when you've bought a new console or toy and you just need one more accessory to make your setup complete. Maybe it's excitedly waiting on a HD Fury Gamer to connect your PC to a PS3, or perhaps you can't wait for an XFPS keyboard adapter so you can reign supreme in Call of Duty 4.

Whenever you're in a hurry, we've added a new delivery option to get your order SUPER FAST. With DHL Express delivery, order before 3pm and for a fixed price of just £9.99 you'll receive your order by the end of the next working day - guaranteed.

Simply select the DHL delivery option at the checkout and look forward to your order arriving!

Xbox Frozen Cable: VGA Cable for the Original Xbox

Did you know the original Xbox supports 480p, 720p and 1080i? Did you know it looks bloody good running in any of these resolutions, particuarly the higher two? If your AV setup doesn't lend itself well to an Xbox component cable £7.49, you may be interested in the Xbox VGA cable solution. With the Xbox 'Frozen' cable £12.99, you can plug your original Xbox direct into the VGA input of a PC monitor, projector or HDTV and enjoy HD resolutions.

There are though, a few restrictions before being able to use the Xbox Frozen VGA cable and it is not a simple case of 'plug and play':

1. Your Xbox must be running in NTSC mode. HD resolutions are only available when your Xbox is set to run in NTSC mode. If you have a PAL Xbox, your machine will need to be modded to run the Enigmah PAL-NTSC video selector, so you can set it into NTSC. The HD resolutions will then be selectable in the video menu.

2. The Xbox Frozen cable will not work on the last two revisions of the Xbox console, v1.6 and v1.6b. There are lots of ways of identifying your Xbox version without even cracking it open.

3. You must be running frostythesnowman's 1080i VGA BIOS patch. Did you wonder why it was called the 'frozen' cable? Here's why: frostythesnowman was a jolly happy soul who created a patch that you can apply to standard Xbox BIOS images that allows you to use VGA cable on the Xbox. The cable manufacturer wanted to associate the cable with the patch so people wouldn't buy it expecting it to work on a fresh Xbox, hence the 'Frozen' cable.

4. Not every game supports HD mode but most homebrew apps do (including XBMC!) If you want to know what games support which resolutions, check out HDTV Arcade, it's a fantastic and very thorough resource that will let you know if your game of choice is supported.

If all this sounds too technical, then this probably isn't the right product for you. Don't despair though as you can still use a component to VGA converter as long as you have your Xbox running in NTSC mode.


Questions? Suggestions? Let us know by leaving a comment!

TheGameTrain.com - New Warehouse, New Offices, Same Great Service

It's all been quiet on the blog front in the last two weeks. Not only were we suffering from an Easter-induced chocolate overload, we've also been busy moving premises. Still in Birmingham, our new expanded warehouse is over twice the size of our old one, which means we'll be able to stock an even greater range of products so you can get the most out of your favourite machines.

We've also taken the opportunity to install a brand new test centre so we can provide unique professional product photos and show you detailed comparitive shots of different products on this very blog.

In the meantime, check out some pictures of our new warehouse: