Got a few questions about softmodding my xbox

[ColonelAlec]

I watched a dew tutorials here and there about softmodding a xbox with the splinter cell method but still have a few questions. I only plan on using the xbox to play burned isos on DVD -R.
1: I have component cables so I'll be using the HD option only I found there is also an option for eeprom virtual C+ or something. What is this option and do I need it if I just want to play burned isos?

2: I saw there was a dual boot or single boot option. I want to use unleash x for sure and no other hacked dashboards. Is there any reason to use dualboot to get the ms dash aswell? Yet again I only using it for burned isos.

Thanks in advance!

 

[FAST6191]

1. If you are in Europe you will have to use something like Enigmah video switcher to allow such resolutions.
virtual eeprom and shadow C would be the options you saw.
Virtual EEPROM is much like it sounds and presents the system with a copy of the EEPROM for all it pulls from it. If something writes to that virtual EEPROM and messes it up then no big worry as it will be restored next boot. Worth having from where I sit.
Shadow C. Your C drive in your xbox is much like your PC in that it contains all the good stuff. Shadow C also presents a copy that you can mess up but as it will be restored next boot it provides a bit of protection. Also well worth using.
In the case of shadow C you lose a couple of hundred megs but that will not really bother you.

2. Originally it was so you could go play games on Live. Now Live is gone it is less of a concern. I like the management tools the original dash has for memory cards, saves and audio ripping more than the homebrew alternatives, especially for unleashX. You can still manage it via FTP though if you wanted.
Equally you can launch alternative dashboards as software if you wanted to (many people use XBMC as a dash but it works just fine as a standalone program like any other emulator or something if you want it to).

I should also say various DVD drives are picky about the types of disc, but I guess that is why you specified DVD-r. Also at this point in time a lot of drives are full of dust and not in great condition. If you install games to the onboard hard drive they will not only load faster but you don't have to worry about the DVD drive. Technically you can clean them but if you are opening it up you might as well replace the hard drive at the same time.

 

[ColonelAlec]

1. If you are in Europe you will have to use something like Enigmah video switcher to allow such resolutions.
virtual eeprom and shadow C would be the options you saw.
Virtual EEPROM is much like it sounds and presents the system with a copy of the EEPROM for all it pulls from it. If something writes to that virtual EEPROM and messes it up then no big worry as it will be restored next boot. Worth having from where I sit.
Shadow C. Your C drive in your xbox is much like your PC in that it contains all the good stuff. Shadow C also presents a copy that you can mess up but as it will be restored next boot it provides a bit of protection. Also well worth using.
In the case of shadow C you lose a couple of hundred megs but that will not really bother you.

2. Originally it was so you could go play games on Live. Now Live is gone it is less of a concern. I like the management tools the original dash has for memory cards, saves and audio ripping more than the homebrew alternatives, especially for unleashX. You can still manage it via FTP though if you wanted.
Equally you can launch alternative dashboards as software if you wanted to (many people use XBMC as a dash but it works just fine as a standalone program like any other emulator or something if you want it to).

I should also say various DVD drives are picky about the types of disc, but I guess that is why you specified DVD-r. Also at this point in time a lot of drives are full of dust and not in great condition. If you install games to the onboard hard drive they will not only load faster but you don't have to worry about the DVD drive. Technically you can clean them but if you are opening it up you might as well replace the hard drive at the same time.

Yes that's the reason I am using those dvds. I did my research before doing anything. If I am using component cables on an HD tv what would you suggest as a mode to have the screen still look good because I do live in Europe. I can clearly see the difference with extension and component so I would atleast like to keep the image quality as it is now.

 

[FAST6191]

Fun and games with PAL and NTSC mostly vanish when you go to component/HD resolutions, not to mention most European PAL TVs alive today will support NTSC as well.
In this case the xbox only supported 720p and 1080i and what I would suggest then varies between screens (some do well with deinterlacing, others not so much). Technically you have 480p as well (no 576p unfortunately). Not all games support such resolutions, especially not the PAL region editions but if you are modding then yeah. For most it is more for XBMC, the emulators, the various flavours of xbox linux and other such homebrew that saw the desire for those resolutions. Still those games that do manage it are often worth having it for.

 

[tech3475]

Personally, I would opt for a HDD upgrade if you can.

It makes loading games like Halo 2 much faster.

 

[ColonelAlec]

Fun and games with PAL and NTSC mostly vanish when you go to component/HD resolutions, not to mention most European PAL TVs alive today will support NTSC as well.
In this case the xbox only supported 720p and 1080i and what I would suggest then varies between screens (some do well with deinterlacing, others not so much). Technically you have 480p as well (no 576p unfortunately). Not all games support such resolutions, especially not the PAL region editions but if you are modding then yeah. For most it is more for XBMC, the emulators, the various flavours of xbox linux and other such homebrew that saw the desire for those resolutions. Still those games that do manage it are often worth having it for.

If I'd use standard then will I still have the screen image I have now?

 

[FAST6191]

I don't follow.

Do you mean standard cables? If so then you will have the standard composite cable image. Either 480i or 576i depending upon what region you are playing it in.

If you have component cables and set your PAL model xbox with the enigmah video mode switcher then you have those options but at component quality, on top of that you also have 480p, 720i, 720p and 1080i to play with. What games and homebrew allow what varies a bit, most homebrew will do it all. Wikipedia appears to have a half useful list to get you started
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xbox_games_with_alternate_display_modes

 

[Lumstar]

PAL xbox can use component cables without modding. But it'll remain restricted to 480i or 576i.
The PAL ms dash never had HD modes selectable.

I believe it's best to keep the ms dash installed just in case. Features and options vary between different dashes.

There are some things I don't know:

1. What happens to 50hz-only games when the xbox is set to NTSC (50hz is not selectable on the NTSC ms dash)
   
2. Which NTSC games left in official 50hz support.
   
3. Which PAL games left in official HD resolution support.

A softmod is enough to simply play genuine imports, or burned games. If that's all you need right now.