Connecting Steelseries Cross Platform to 360 with monitor

0

So I'm trying to connect it to my 360 with my desktop monitor but no luck. For reference, it has either green/pink audio out and mic cables, or audio out and a USB connector.

It says on their website I should be connecting the USB to the 360 and then the audio out to my monitor. However, my monitor doesn't have audio out, only audio in, which I think is fairly common (so I don't know why they would just assume). It's connected to my monitor with an HDMI.

Maybe it would work if I tried getting my speakers to go through the monitor instead of the desktop? I'm using 5.1 channel speakers though and I'm moving in the near future and planning not to take the speakers. Maybe cheap speakers? I'm also looking at getting a second monitor in the very near future, so perhaps recommending something to look for in a monitor would work too.

If anyone has ideas, let me know.

Michael Yousef

Posted 2013-05-01T15:40:14.020

Reputation: 103

Your monitor must support audio out...otherwise you can't capture the audio only the video. – Ramhound – 2013-05-01T16:12:30.673

Answers

0

If I understand correctly how you've got it set up, you've just got an HDMI cable from the 360 to the display, and no audio out on the display to which to connect your headphones.

If I'm right about that, what you probably need is a breakout box like the one discussed here; I haven't used such hardware myself, but if (as I gather) what you need is to tee an analog audio signal off the HDMI signal between the 360 and the display, then that should do the trick.

Note that, assuming either the unit described there or a unit with identical outputs, you'll certainly need an RCA-to-minijack converter to plug in your headphones, and you'll almost certainly also need a small amplifier to raise the audio signal from line level to something you can drive a pair of headphones with.

This might be a somewhat costlier option than a display with analog audio out, but I'd still recommend it assuming the additional cost is no object, because it gives you a much broader range of choices when replacing your display.

Aaron Miller

Posted 2013-05-01T15:40:14.020

Reputation: 8 849

Yes, you understood correctly. Additonally I do have the RCA adapters to connect RCA to my headset, it's extremely versatile in what it can connect to. I would rather not purchase a box if I could avoid it, I think having the second monitor have this functionality would be best. I'm only using a single one right now so it's not replacing anything. It having this functionality would be nice. – Michael Yousef – 2013-05-01T20:01:47.117

Fair enough; on the other hand, in searching around, I haven't found all that many monitors which provide both HDMI in and 3.5mm minijack out, and most of the ones I have found are discontinued. That's why I recommended the breakout box (and http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Analog-Converter-Digital-Extractor/dp/B008LOIKX6/ref=pd_sim_e_2 is another one that's USD$30 and provides a headphone jack without needing the RCA adapter) -- granted it's an extra complication which ideally you could do without, but it appears requiring a headphone jack on the display very strictly limits your display options.

– Aaron Miller – 2013-05-01T21:07:05.650

What about a TV with like DVI input as well? – Michael Yousef – 2013-05-01T21:26:12.397

Sure, why not? I think the sticking point is more likely to be the headphone jack output than the HDMI and/or DVI input. You can also cheaply obtain a cable with a DVI connector on one end and an HDMI connector on the other, so a TV with two HDMI inputs and a headphone jack should still work. (I've seen several Vizio TVs with audio monitor outputs; those were RCA rather than minijack, but I gather that's close enough to work for your purposes.) – Aaron Miller – 2013-05-01T21:32:06.730

Just to follow up, I ended up getting a TV instead. I was interested in getting something to use RCA as well for a PS2, so I figured a TV would be just as good and kill two birds with one stone. My TV has VGA or DVI (I don't remember, it's not all that relevant) and multiple HDMI, while my desktop graphics card has HDMI as well, so it will work out fine I'm sure. Haven't had a chance to use it but I see no problems. Thanks for your help. – Michael Yousef – 2013-05-05T03:46:42.363

Sounds like it should work quite well, and glad to be of assistance! – Aaron Miller – 2013-05-05T03:53:57.270

Asked: 2013-05-01T15:40:14.020

Viewed: 77 times

Active: 2013-05-01T16:21:01.773