<s>
The	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
VGA	B-Protocol
Box	I-Protocol
(	O
also	O
known	O
generally	O
as	O
a	O
DC	O
VGA	O
adapter	O
or	O
DC	O
VGA	B-Protocol
cable	I-Protocol
)	O
is	O
an	O
accessory	O
for	O
Sega	O
's	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
video	O
game	O
console	O
that	O
allows	O
it	O
to	O
connect	O
to	O
a	O
video	O
display	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
computer	B-Device
monitor	I-Device
or	O
an	O
HDTV	B-Device
set	I-Device
through	O
a	O
VGA	B-Protocol
port	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
hardware	O
can	O
produce	O
a	O
VGA-compatible	O
video	O
signal	O
natively	O
,	O
this	O
connection	O
provides	O
improved	O
picture	O
quality	O
compared	O
to	O
standard	O
composite	O
video	O
or	O
S-Video	O
connections	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
support	O
for	O
progressive	B-Device
scan	I-Device
video	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
released	O
the	O
original	O
VGA	B-Protocol
Box	I-Protocol
as	O
an	O
official	O
accessory	O
,	O
but	O
many	O
third-party	O
versions	O
were	O
also	O
produced	O
and	O
sold	O
worldwide	O
in	O
various	O
form	O
factors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
games	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
are	O
VGA-compatible	O
,	O
while	O
various	O
workarounds	O
exist	O
to	O
enable	O
VGA	O
output	O
from	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
games	O
that	O
do	O
not	O
feature	O
official	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
pins	O
6	O
and	O
7	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
's	O
A/V	O
out	O
port	O
are	O
connected	O
to	O
the	O
ground	O
pin	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
when	O
a	O
VGA	B-Protocol
box	I-Protocol
is	O
connected	O
to	O
the	O
console	O
and	O
externally	O
switched	O
to	O
VGA	O
mode	O
)	O
,	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
system	O
internally	O
switches	O
to	O
VGA	O
mode	O
,	O
displaying	O
a	O
720x480	O
image	O
(	O
480p	O
progressive	B-Device
scan	I-Device
,	O
at	O
a	O
standard	O
EDTV	O
resolution	O
)	O
in	O
RGBHV	O
at	O
31kHz	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
it	O
to	O
connect	O
to	O
a	O
computer	B-Device
monitor	I-Device
or	O
EDTV/HDTV	O
set	O
with	O
a	O
VGA	B-Protocol
input	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
official	O
VGA	B-Protocol
Box	I-Protocol
consists	O
of	O
a	O
rectangular	O
black	O
plastic	O
case	O
,	O
bearing	O
a	O
VGA	B-Protocol
out	I-Protocol
port	I-Protocol
and	O
a	O
3.5	O
mm	O
minijack	B-Device
for	O
stereo	O
audio	O
output	O
on	O
one	O
side	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
A/V	O
output	O
jack	O
breakout	O
panel	O
(	O
S-Video	O
,	O
composite	O
,	O
and	O
RCA	B-Protocol
stereo	O
audio	B-Device
jacks	I-Device
)	O
on	O
the	O
other	O
,	O
for	O
switching	O
output	O
either	O
to	O
a	O
typical	O
computer	B-Device
monitor	I-Device
and	O
speakers/headphones	O
or	O
to	O
a	O
typical	O
TV	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
these	O
designs	O
are	O
streamlined	O
to	O
the	O
point	O
that	O
no	O
extra	O
housing	O
is	O
required	O
beyond	O
the	O
cable	O
jacket	O
and	O
the	O
connectors	O
;	O
such	O
units	O
are	O
described	O
generically	O
as	O
DC	O
VGA	B-Protocol
cables	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
enhanced	O
model	O
,	O
the	O
Performance-branded	O
VGA	O
Adapter	O
for	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
produced	O
by	O
InterAct	B-Device
,	O
additionally	O
features	O
a	O
VGA	B-Protocol
input	I-Protocol
port	O
and	O
stereo	O
minijack	B-Device
input	O
for	O
PC	O
video	O
and	O
audio	O
pass-through	O
,	O
with	O
automatic	O
source	O
switching	O
when	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
system	O
is	O
powered	O
on	O
and	O
off	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
enables	O
a	O
computer	O
or	O
other	O
daisy-chained	O
video	O
game	O
console	O
with	O
VGA	O
output	O
to	O
remain	O
connected	O
to	O
the	O
same	O
monitor	O
and	O
speakers	O
as	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
simultaneously	O
,	O
without	O
swapping	O
cables	O
or	O
using	O
additional	O
switches	O
for	O
both	O
VGA	O
video	O
and	O
3.5mm	O
stereo	O
minijack	B-Device
audio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
also	O
possible	O
to	O
modify	O
a	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
to	O
add	O
the	O
same	O
VGA	O
functionality	O
to	O
the	O
console	O
itself	O
,	O
obviating	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
a	O
standalone	O
VGA	B-Protocol
box	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
games	O
are	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
VGA	B-Protocol
Box	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
games	O
can	O
use	O
a	O
VGA	B-Protocol
box	I-Protocol
's	O
S-Video	O
and	O
composite	O
ports	O
when	O
the	O
box	O
is	O
switched	O
to	O
TV	O
mode	O
,	O
meaning	O
one	O
does	O
not	O
have	O
to	O
swap	O
cables	O
to	O
play	O
VGA-incompatible	O
games	O
as	O
long	O
as	O
a	O
display	O
is	O
also	O
connected	O
to	O
one	O
of	O
these	O
ports	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
a	O
handful	O
of	O
European	O
and	O
North	O
American	O
games	O
that	O
did	O
not	O
include	O
the	O
necessary	O
flag	O
within	O
the	O
boot	B-Device
sector	I-Device
on	O
the	O
disc	O
( 	O
 '	O
IP.BIN	O
'	O
)	O
,	O
thus	O
preventing	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
from	O
booting	O
in	O
VGA	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Common	O
workarounds	O
include	O
unplugging	O
the	O
VGA	B-Protocol
Box	I-Protocol
while	O
booting	O
a	O
game	O
,	O
or	O
temporarily	O
switching	O
the	O
VGA	B-Protocol
Box	I-Protocol
into	O
TV	O
mode	O
while	O
booting	O
a	O
game	O
,	O
or	O
using	O
a	O
boot	O
disc	O
such	O
as	O
DC-X	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Elements	O
of	O
some	O
sprite-based	O
games	O
that	O
were	O
originally	O
designed	O
for	O
interlaced	O
display	O
may	O
appear	O
less	O
detailed	O
when	O
displayed	O
in	O
progressive	B-Device
mode	I-Device
due	O
to	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
scanlines	O
softening	O
the	O
image	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
these	O
games	O
are	O
officially	O
considered	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
VGA	B-Protocol
Box	I-Protocol
because	O
they	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
normally	O
in	O
VGA	O
mode	O
,	O
and	O
were	O
thus	O
branded	O
as	O
compatible	O
on	O
packaging	O
and	O
marketing	O
materials	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dreamcast	B-Device
VGA	I-Device
boxes	O
are	O
compatible	O
with	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
systems	O
from	O
all	O
regions	O
,	O
since	O
all	O
consoles	O
are	O
capable	O
of	O
producing	O
the	O
appropriate	O
video	O
signal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NTSC	O
and	O
PAL	O
systems	O
will	O
produce	O
images	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
resolution	O
and	O
horizontal	B-General_Concept
scan	I-General_Concept
rate	I-General_Concept
when	O
running	O
similar	O
compatible	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dreamcast	B-Device
light	I-Device
guns	I-Device
will	O
work	O
with	O
VGA	O
or	O
other	O
connections	O
when	O
using	O
a	O
direct-view	O
CRT	B-Device
VGA	O
display	O
or	O
a	O
multisync	B-General_Concept
,	O
significantly-bright	O
CRT	B-General_Concept
projector	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
VGA	B-Protocol
Box	I-Protocol
can	O
be	O
connected	O
to	O
an	O
HDTV	B-Device
or	O
PC	B-Device
monitor	I-Device
's	O
DVI	B-Protocol
port	I-Protocol
with	O
a	O
simple	O
passive	O
adapter	O
,	O
as	O
long	O
as	O
the	O
port	O
is	O
DVI-A	B-Protocol
or	O
DVI-I	B-Protocol
compatible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
also	O
possible	O
to	O
convert	O
the	O
VGA	O
output	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
to	O
HDMI	B-Protocol
or	O
DVI-D	O
via	O
an	O
active	O
VGA	O
to	O
HDMI	B-Protocol
converter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Demand	O
for	O
Dreamcast	B-Device
VGA	I-Device
boxes	O
has	O
risen	O
among	O
console	O
owners	O
in	O
the	O
years	O
following	O
the	O
discontinuation	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
due	O
to	O
an	O
overall	O
increase	O
in	O
the	O
usage	O
of	O
HDTVs	B-Device
and	O
computer	B-Device
monitors	I-Device
since	O
then	O
,	O
as	O
such	O
displays	O
increasingly	O
lack	O
standard	O
S-Video	O
and/or	O
composite	O
video	O
connections	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Accordingly	O
,	O
prices	O
for	O
Dreamcast	B-Device
VGA	I-Device
boxes	O
on	O
the	O
second-hand	O
market	O
have	O
increased	O
as	O
well	O
,	O
particularly	O
for	O
discontinued	O
premium	O
models	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
video	O
game	O
consoles	O
released	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
early	O
revisions	O
of	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
GameCube	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
,	O
supported	O
progressive	B-Device
scan	I-Device
through	O
YPbPr	O
component	O
video	O
,	O
although	O
relatively	O
few	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
titles	O
took	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
feature	O
compared	O
to	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
since	O
none	O
of	O
these	O
consoles	O
were	O
capable	O
of	O
producing	O
a	O
native	O
RGBHV	O
signal	O
at	O
31kHz	O
for	O
standard	O
VGA	O
output	O
,	O
these	O
devices	O
were	O
generally	O
designed	O
around	O
an	O
outboard	O
color	B-Algorithm
space	I-Algorithm
transcoder	O
and/or	O
scan	B-General_Concept
converter	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
would	O
remain	O
a	O
problem	O
for	O
modern	O
TVs	O
until	O
integrated	O
plug-and-play	O
HDMI	B-Protocol
adapters	O
were	O
manufactured	O
and	O
made	O
available	O
by	O
third-party	O
companies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
complexity	O
,	O
cost	O
,	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
software	O
support	O
for	O
such	O
accessories	O
led	O
to	O
far	O
lower	O
VGA	O
usage	O
compared	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
since	O
these	O
consoles	O
supported	O
YPbPr	O
component	O
video	O
natively	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
easier	O
to	O
use	O
with	O
typical	O
EDTVs	O
and	O
HDTVs	B-Device
that	O
may	O
have	O
lacked	O
VGA	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
consoles	O
widened	O
support	O
for	O
progressive	B-Device
scan	I-Device
by	O
featuring	O
component	O
video	O
,	O
VGA	O
,	O
and/or	O
HDMI	B-Protocol
connection	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
