Box1020 RGB to Component Converter with Cable Driver, Gamma Boost, and Image Alignment Correction

This unique RGB to Component (YPbPr) Converter provides a picture perfect component conversion optimized for HD-ready displays for full high-definition viewing. It allows you to view high-definition (HD) content from RGB sources on your existing projector or HD-ready TV such as Mitsubishi and other RTPVs! 

The Box1020 allows you to use RGB devices on TV's that only have component inputs!

Adjustable Low Level Black Boost (Gamma Boost):  The Box1020 adds gamma adjustment to RGB devices for absolutely perfect shadow detail when using *either* the component or RGB output of the Box1020. The Box1020 is the only solution offering gamma boost on component output!

The World's first Image Alignment Correction (IAC) circuitry to fix image "left-shift" error found on some converters.

The Box1020's cable driver stage lets you use an analog output cable of any length with many converters. You no longer need to place the converter near your TV! Perfect for those of you that already have a long RGB or component cables installed.

The RGB signal is converted to the component (YPbPr) or passed through in RGB with no degradation in quality. It works with any source that has an RGB output.

Box1020 is plug-n-play with no extra steps required. It can be used for all standard High-definition TV formats: 1080p, 1080i, 720p. All standard frame rates are supported. Low-level Black Boost operates in both RGB and Component outputs.

This converter has a full dynamic range for maximum details in the picture for all input modes. The converter introduces no missing black levels in the output (no black crush) or washed-out whites.

Box1020 connects to your display in one of two ways:

• For component (YPbPr) displays: Through a standard 3-RCA-RCA cable
• For RGB displays: Through a 15-pin D-Sub VGA connector or through a VGA-5BNC break-out cable. Horizontal and Vertical sync information is present in the VGA connector

Both displays can be connected at the same time. 

Instruction Manual:

Box1020 Instruction manual (PDF format)

Low-Level Black Boost (LBB):

In most displays the shadow detail content is severely limited or simply completely missing. When there are a lot of dark areas in the picture they simply appear as a uniform black area even though the original content has a lot of details within these areas. This phenomenon is next to impossible to compensate by conventional means by simply increasing brightness or contrast.

By increasing brightness true blacks start looking grey and the overall picture only becomes washed-out.

Box1020 LBB selectively addresses only the correct black (the shadow detail) information of interest creating a very dynamic looking overall picture with a rich shadow detail. The level of correction is adjustable for maximum detail.

LBB can be used in both the component conversion output and the RGB pass-through output to operate as a stand-alone RGB-RGB Low-Level Black Boost device. (See also Box1021 for this functionality).

The following pictures show LBB in action. Look for black/dark areas showing rich details using LBB. Brightness and contrast are kept the same in all pictures and they are in their nominal settings for everyday typical use. Only LBB is turned on/off. All pictures are taken with a regular camera 3 feet away from the display.

LBB (gamma boost) off:

LBB (gamma boost) turned up 25%:

LBB (gamma boost) off:

LBB (gamma boost) on:

LBB (gamma boost) off:

LBB (gamma boost) turned up 25%:

LBB (gamma boost) off:

LBB (gamma boost) turned up 25%:

Box1020 is the world's first stand-alone RGB to Component converter to introduce the Low-Level Black Boost. See here for more screenshots of Black Boost from a customer review of the Box1021 (includes similar Black Boost features as the Box1020). 

Want to learn more about Gamma Boost and why it matters? To find out why proper gamma is critical to image quality and movie reproduction, see our free Greyscale & Colour Calibration for Dummies guide.  

Demo Pictures:

The following pictures are examples taken with Blu-Ray player -> Box1020 -> NEC XG1351 CRT Projector. Low-level black boost is utilized in all examples to bring out tremendous shadow detail. No photo manipulation of any kind is done to any of the pictures except for resizing.

Image Alignment Correction (IAC):

Box1020 Component and RGB outputs will not cause an image shift as documented with the use of other converter boxes.

Many current RGB to Component converters suffer from a limitation in the control of a picture shift where the displayed image is horizontally shifted to the left leaving some portion, typically some inches, of the active image hidden. Existing solutions merely offer a capability to shift the picture even more to the left thereby exaggerating the problem. This is a highly undesirable feature that has gone unaddressed until now.

The following pictures show IAC at work.

IAC on:

The following is a comparison picture where IAC is not used. The picture information is converted into component without using IAC and the resulting picture is shifted left similar to all other existing RGB-Component converters.

IAC off:

IAC operates similarly in all HD modes, 720p/1080i and 1080p. IAC can be used in both the component output and in the RGB output.
 

Long-Length Cable Friendly

Box1020 has a dedicated cable driver circuitry that allows cables of any length to be used to connect to your display. There is no need to buy any extra equipment or to have Box1020 close to the display.
 

Specifications/Features:

• Input: RGB (RGB with Horizontal and Vertical syncs - RGBHV)
• Output: RGBHV HD-15 D-Sub (VGA) Connector and Component (YPbPr) over a 3-RCA cable
• An adjustable Low-Level Black Boost for restoring shadow details
• An Image Alignment Correction circuitry to correctly center the image
• Supports all standard HD formats, 1080p/1080i/720p NTSC/PAL
• 400MHz large signal bandwidth for virtually lossless video processing
• Full dynamic range for all input modes to maximize the level of details
• Highly accurate color-space-conversion for the component YPbPr output
• User selectable positive or negative sync output for displays that only accept negative sync (ex: Barco 800/801/808/1208))
• Composite sync output available
• Precise black levels - no black crush in any standard mode

Performance depends also on your TV capabilities:

• Check your TV for HD component/RGB input support. Some TV's don't support HD analog inputs.
• The output resolution is the same as the input. E.g. 1080p in -> 1080p out; 720p in -> 720p out.
   

What is included:

• Box1020 converter
• Wall-mount 9V AC power supply (US/Euro)
• Instructions

Reviews/Testimonials

"Our TV is an older Mitsubishi model WS-55819 with component inputs. The horizontal centering is finally correct and the picture quality is great." - Steve & Nancy

"Your Box1020 really brought my Mitsubishi WS-55905 back to life! I bought the TV in 2000 and even though it was the top of the line at the time, it did not have HDMI. At that time component was the best available and Mitsubishi advertised that it was designed for the future, upgradeable and that it would allow buyers to take full advantage of HD technology. Well then came HDMI and HDCP and my TV became obsolete and because I could not take advantage of Blu-Ray's upscaling. Of course Mitsubishi did not provide an upgrade path. After installing a converter and your Box1020 I can operate at 1080i over HDMI. Even the regular DVD's look great after being upscaled by my Sony PS3 Blu-Ray player. I even decided to have my set tuned by Robert Jones of www.imageperfection.com who went through every setting, fine tuning convergence, focus and overscan. The television now outperforms some of the new sets I have seen in local stores.. I also wanted to thank you for your support and advice, you even helped me with some issues that had nothing to do with your box that were related to my PS3 settings." - James A.

"The reason I was interested in the Box1020 is that it specifically states it corrects the left-shift problem that has been the bane of existence for owners of Mitsubishi RPTVs. I tried an converter but it was unusable on my set. It looks like this box offers a cure for owners of converters and Mitsubishi sets. I ordered the Box1020 and I'm happy to report that my converter is now fully functional with no left shift!" - Faberryman

"I got mine last week. I finally got it hooked up today...the Box1020 worked perfectly after I remembered that I had to go back into my service menu and remove the offset that I had put in my H-POS setting to compensate for the HD Fury. Bottom line, if you want to fix the left image shift...BUY IT! The box works perfectly. Thanks for for your great support." - gblaue (Glenn)

"Bottom-line, the Box1020 & converter is a great combination for any owners of older Mitsubishi rear projection TVs. I've got my TiVo HD, Xbox 360, and HD DVD player *cough* all feeding into it now via HDMI." - Roddie

"All went well I'm glad I pre-staged the install with my JVC M-2000 as those settings worked absolutely perfect and apparently matched the Toshiba 65" RP TV PERFECTLY. Thanks again for your help and assistance and most especially for your product. Box1020 worked GREAT." - G Bel

"I received the box on Thursday just as you said. I hooked it up that evening and it has been spectacular! I currently have it streaming signal out from my Denon 2807 receiver which is receiving signals from a first generation Toshiba HD DVD player and a PS3 using HDMI cables. Between the Denon and the box 1020 is an HDMI converter. The picture on my 58" Projection Pioneer Elite 610HD is beautiful! I'm still playing with the color configuration a bit (just small adjustments), but everything has been spectacular! I am completely satisfied!" - Joshua M.

"I calibrated the my Barco 800 projector with the BOX. The Black Boost level is at around 25%.  I now can see each different step from 0 to 5 IRE!! The projector is so bright and on 0 IRE the room is completely dark. The contrast and the depth in the picture are great. I'm a very happy man..." - Waling

"I just received the unit, and hooked it up per the included instructions. So far it is working very well. I had to perform some minor IAC adjustments, but once I got it right where I wanted it the picture is very clear and stable. I'm also impressed by the solid feel of the unit...very nice. Thanks for breathing new life into my aging HDTV!" - Rene

"Overall, the 1020 works perfectly and thanks you selling me the toy which adds a new life to my NEC1352 CRT projector" - Michael

"I followed the instructions and everything worked perfectly. I managed to adjust the left shift problem. However, after having such a great picture I decided to upgrade my surround to get the full HD sound as well. I bought a new 7.1ch receiver and a new HDMI card! Thanks again for everything. Fantastic product! Well worth it." - Matthew T.

"I received the Box1020 yesterday, and am very happy with the performance of the unit. Solid construction, and it appears very well made. I have a PS3 to converter on the input, and both a Sony KP51-WS500 RPTV, and NEC PG CRT projector hooked up to the output. I use the RPTV most of the time, and have a screen drop in front of the whole mess for watching movies with the CRT projector. The BOX 1020 makes my video chain very simple now. I used to have an Extron VGA splitter, RTC2200, and an Audio authority component transcoder - all replaced with the Box 1020! Left shift issue is 100% corrected on the Sony, and I no longer have to use the position shift on the NEC PG - its set to nearly zero correction now. Picture quality is great on both displays - the gamma boost seems (by eye) at least as good as it was with the RTC2200. Thanks for a great product." - Dan

"I would like to personally recommend the Box 1020 to everyone. This product not only did its job, but it performed without any trouble whatsoever. My home theater consists of a Pioneer Elite 610 HDTV, a Denon 2807 receiver, an LG 2400 BD/HDDVD player, a PS3, and a FC4 converter. Because my HDTV only accepts 480i/p and 1080i signals through RGB cables only, I purchased the FC4 converter to use an HDMI cable for better sound capabilities. However, the FC4 caused color problems (colored lines across the screen), and a slight left-shift of my TV's image. After researching the Box 1020, I purchased it (without any hassles concerning payment/shipping), and received it a week and a half later. Using the appropriate cables for my setup, HDMI included, I plugged it right in and it worked like a charm! No more random lines across the screen, and I can alter the screen shift using the Box 1020! Lastly, the unit's construction is excellent. It is built very well, and is also very sleek and small. All in all, a great product. My HDTV will last another 10 years (High definition projection CRT). Thanks!" - Joshua Mallett

"I love my Box1020. Last night I finally had a chance to sit down and watch Batman 'The Dark Knight'. I watched a couple of scenes with the Box1020 out of the loop on my CRT monitor. The details in the shadows were lacking. Then I put the Box1020 in the loop, tweaked the gamma slightly and I could really see what was going on in the shadows as compared to no gamma boost. Now you may be thinking that you could just turn up the brightness on your TV right? No! The colors in the picture become washed out, the blacks turn grey, and you loose that 3D look CRT is so famous for. With the gamma in the loop you can leave the brightness at the right spot and just boost the shadow details. It makes a big difference on my CRT monitors, projectors and projection TV's. I have the Box1020 hooked up to a 42" RCA CRT rear projection HDTV monitor. It looks fantastic at 1080i. I did some testing with the Box1020 and a converter. I like gaming and it comes in handy there too. You can bring out the shadow details so other players can't hide in the shadows. If you really enjoy getting the most out of your system and getting the most out of the movies you watch I would highly recommend the Box1020." - Jeremy R.

"My converter arrived and I got it hooked up to my Mitsubishi RTPV as you recommended with the Box1020 and component cable: Dish Network HD Receiver -> HDMI cable -> converter set to RGB output mode -> Box1020 -> Component cable (included) -> Mitsubishi RPTV. I have to say that this setup has made a huge difference in the high definition picture from our Dish Network satellite receiver on the old Mits. The picture is rock solid and stable, perfectly sized and centered, and the Box1020 makes the colors vivid and details sharp. The previous HD component cable hookup was good, but the picture overscanned left and right, loosing a little on each side. The picture is now sized with virtually no overscan. My wife and I had been considering replacing the Mits for a new LCD television, but seeing these results, we have to say that this setup has literally breathed new life into the old girl. This is a 65" television, and the picture looks every bit as vivid, sharp, and detailed at 1080i as the 65" LCD Sharp I've seen at Costco looks at 1080p. We don't have a Blu-Ray DVD player yet, but our Sony player upscales to 1080i through HDMI, and regular DVDs look fantastic through the converter and Box1020 as well. Nevertheless, it 's great to know we can now get a Blu-Ray and play it on our Mits in 1080i. In short, we are very impressed and satisfied with the performance, and are thrilled that the converter/Box1020 combo has given the Mits a new lease on life, and many more years before we will want to replace her." - Gary

"1 word.... WOW! The Box1021 was not available, so I was shipped a Box1020 at no additional cost. This product is amazing. I've been fighting with contrast and brightness issues with my DIY projector for over a year and the box1020 solved the problem! Depending on the movie or game, I would have to crank the brightness to 100 and the contrast to 95 which would really wash out the image but it made viewing possible. Now both brightness and contrast are where they are supposed to be and the box1020 is set around 85% with amazing results. I didn't realize that my projector could produce such vibrant colors. I'll post some screenshots and brag about this thing over at the lumenlab forums. Thanks again for the recommendation. I wish I would have know about this product a year ago!!"- Bulletfast

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Questions, comments or feedback should be directed to X-Vue at: X-Vue@curtpalme.com