Make Your Xbox Switch to AV Mode Automatically

Short information about why I wrote this instruction

Did it ever annoy you that when you unlike when you start you DVD or DVB your Xbox still had you reaching for the remote to change to the AV channel? For me the main annoyance was the old TV in my bedroom, I had an Xbox with XBMC connected to it so the broken remote should not be a problem if only the Xbox would switch to the AV channel automatically. So I built this and decided to share it with you guys.

What does this modification ACTUALLY do?

It enables your Xbox to automatically switch to the correct AV channel without you reaching for the remote, it can even bring your TV from sleep mode (Well on most models)

This is done by taking 12v (or 5v) from your Xbox adding a connector to the SCART adapter and sending the voltage to pin 8. Very easy.

Step 1: What You Will Need

Tools you will need 
1 Solder iron
1 Solder thin
1 Torx screwdriver (to open the Xbox)
1 cable cutting pliers
1 flat pair of pliers

Items you will need

50 cm(20 inches) thin red wire (For the Xbox)
50 cm(20 inches) thin black wire For the Xbox)
10 cm (4 inches) thin red wire (For the SCART Adapter)
10 cm (4 inches) thin black wire (For the SCART Adapter)
2 RCA female connectors
1 shrinkrubber or some electrical tape
1 RCA male to male cable (not include in picture)

Optional
Male to female computer drive power adapter (If you do not wish to cut cables in your Xbox) 

Step 2: Open the Xbox

Opening the Xbox

I will be very brief on what you do to open your Xbox because you can find many very good videos on the web on how to do this.

Remove all the black rubber feet from under the Xbox and find the two center screws under the stickers on your Xbox (this voids the warranty but so does the rest of what we are going to do) remove all screws and lift the lid straight off. 

Find the hard drive connector on the back of the hard drive and unplug it. 

Step 3: Adding the Cables

Cut the cables

Find the corner bend of the cable near the right corner of the Xbox. 

If you have a widescreen TV
Cut the red and the black cable

if you have a regular TV
Cut the yellow and the black cable


Now strip 10 mm (<½ inch) of plastic from all cables and solder the thin red cable to either the red (if you cut the red cable) or to the yellow cable (if you cut the yellow cable) then re-solder the yellow/red cable back to is original state and cover with shrink rubber.
Then solder the black cables together and cover with shrink rubber. Heat shrink rubber until they fit well around the new joint. 

The Xbox has a perfect hole to run the cables out from the shielding metal very close to were we made our first cut.

Tip
If you have a hard time soldering the cables together adding a hair band to the pliers will make a great DIY holding clamp.

Step 4: Adding the Connector

Adding the connector

Now get the lid for the Xbox and in the lower left corner drill a hole just big enough to fit your RCA connector.
Solder the thin red cable to the center pin of the RCA connector and solder the black thin wire to the shield of the RCA connector.
Fit the connector in the hole and close the Xbox, it's done! 

Now you have an Xbox with a 12v (or 5v) output RCA connector lets modify our SCART adapter to use the new port.

Step 5: Modifying the SCART Adapter

Modifying the SCART Adapter

As stated earlier if you place an input voltage on pin 8 in the SCART connector it will automatically switch the TV to AV mode so lets do that

Remove the plastic from the SCART Adapter (sadly I have no pictures of this but be more gentle then I was because they seem to be quite fragile.) Solder the short thin red wire to pin 8 in the adapter and to the center pin of the second RCA female connector. Then solder the short think black wire to the shield of the RCA female connector and to the metal frame around the adapter.

Reassemble the adapter.

Step 6: Putting It All Together

Ready for the most difficult step? 

Connect the RCA cable from the new Xbox RCA female connector to the modified adapter. Done, your Xbox will now automatically switch your TV into AV mode when you turn it on

I hope you found this instruction informative and easy to understand please leave some comments.

//Karl-Henrik.