Wii to HDMI...

[mcseforsale]

I'd like to plug my original Wii into HDMI on my new TV.  Just wondering what the options are.  There seems to be a lot of Wii2HDMI converters on fleabay, but I'm not sure how they work.

Thanks,
AJ

[knave]

You can use anything that will convert the analogue  video to digital. They used to be kinda pricy not sure now. I have a cheaper one and the quality is only ok.

If your TV still has the Wii inputs you'll get better quality from that.

My Wii looks great on my 1080p tv even though its playing in 480...

[DaveMMR]

You could use one of these if you have the component cables for the Wii:
http://www.amazon.com/component-YPbPr-HDMI-converter-v1-3/dp/B003VJ9RP6

Or just this would be easier, though it's getting some mixed-reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Wii-HDMI-Adapter-BRAND-Nintendo-Mayflash/dp/B005QB868Q

Since the Wii doesn't do HD, I think component is the best option. Many (most?) modern TVs have component inputs. Does yours lack one? 

[mcseforsale]

OK, I'll stick with component in.  Thanks guys!

AJ

[Howard_Casto]

Just to give you an explanation in case it's helpful.  The Wii runs at 480p, obviously a much lower resolution than your HD tv.  Normally this would mean "jaggies".  Luckily the Wii uses component out, which is an analog input method.  Because it's analog it blurs things just a tad.  Rest assured you WANT that... it'll make things look a little better.  Think of it as a natural up-conversion.  On the other hand most of these hdmi adaptors typically just convert the signal over to digital, which may or may not look better.  Most likely it'll look worse. 

I hope that helps. 

[Fursphere]

You get a better picture going from composite (3 wire) to component (5 wire).  Its noticeable.

But on my Wii U, running at 1080p - my Wii games look worse than they did on my Wii.  (Basically confirming what Howard was talking about.. you *WANT* that crappy analog signal for Wii games).  Its not a huge difference, but its there.

Best bet - run your Wii games on the Dolphin emulator, since it can really upscale the video properly. 

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah wii compatibility mode kind of shocked me.  Some of the games look so bad (I'm looking at you Resident Evil shooters) that they are darn near unplayable.  I sure wish they'd offer some screen filters for Wii Mode.  Surely all that extra horsepower could be used to add a simple filter. 

[ChadTower]

To be fair to this guy a lot of A/V receivers don't have component connections anymore.  Everything is HDMI or "legacy composite".  There is nothing in between.  Someone who has one of these receivers and is looking to use it for all of their video switching has to either downgrade the older device connections to composite or use converters to get them to HDMI.

[mcseforsale]

Fortunately, the TV has component in and the picture is pretty good.  Little man is playing Skylanders swap force and it looks really good.

The TV is a few years old so I think that's in my favor.

AJ

[drventure]

Just to throw another comment on here, I picked up a RockSoul Wii To HDMI converter box and it works quite well. Pushes audio through the HDMI too so you end up with one cable to the receiver/tv.

I can't really compare it to non-hdmi, but wii games look pretty dang good on the 42" lcd I've hooked it to. No noticeable jaggies.

http://www.myrocksoul.com/wii-to-hdmi-converter.html

EDIT: Just to add this, the audio level is a LOT higher with the Wii than anything else, so every time I switch inputs, I have to fiddle with volume. Apparently, this is just a wii thing though, and there's not much you can do about it.

[SavannahLion]

Just to throw another comment on here, I picked up a RockSoul Wii To HDMI converter box and it works quite well. Pushes audio through the HDMI too so you end up with one cable to the receiver/tv.

I can't really compare it to non-hdmi, but wii games look pretty dang good on the 42" lcd I've hooked it to. No noticeable jaggies.

http://www.myrocksoul.com/wii-to-hdmi-converter.html

EDIT: Just to add this, the audio level is a LOT higher with the Wii than anything else, so every time I switch inputs, I have to fiddle with volume. Apparently, this is just a wii thing though, and there's not much you can do about it.

An awful lot of identical knock offs for 1/3 the cost. :|

[drventure]

An awful lot of identical knock offs for 1/3 the cost. :|

Yeah, I didn't pay retail for it. It seems to work fine, Don't know about the knockoffs.

[Howard_Casto]

I would like to see pics if that's possible.  Most people haven't had much luck with these so maybe you've found the exception. 

I've got to ask the question in regards to why someone would want to do this?  Personally I'm running out of HDMI ports (I've actually got an auto-switcher hooked up at this point) but have plenty of the old analog ones as absolutely nothing uses them anymore. 

I'm not knocking it, I'm just asking.

[SavannahLion]

I've got to ask the question in regards to why someone would want to do this?  Personally I'm running out of HDMI ports (I've actually got an auto-switcher hooked up at this point) but have plenty of the old analog ones as absolutely nothing uses them anymore.

You mean why would anyone want to upconvert to HDMI?

I think it was touched upon earlier in the thread. There are more and more really good T.V.s that have no input other than HDMI and "legacy" composite. On some of the more modern TV's, I would question how good the composite really is. I remember reading somewhere that some of the older composite only consoles aren't working properly with newer TV's. I can't find it now, but I recall it had something to do with the ATSC tuner and manufacturers leaving out the older NTSC tuner.

But I digress, the point is, more TVs have no "in-between" video input. No Component, no S-Video. Nothing. Based purely on unmodified consoles, that means nearly every single console predating the PS3/360 would be composite only in. Ever try chaining those feeds in? The auto-switching boxes start making things look like crap after a few consoles. Even a number of console mods don't go any higher than A/V or S-Video. So you're screwed there.

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah but see that isn't true at all.  I would actually challenge you to find me a tv smaller than 27 inches that DOESN'T have at least component out.  Or at least a tv of a quality worth buying (vizio, lg ect...)  S-video is a thing of the past to be sure, but composite, commonly used for video cameras and what have you and component, which believe it or not is still the "standard" for many cable/sat providers are here to stay, at least for the time being. 

Now 5-10 years from now you'll probably be correct, but not right now. 


In regards to multiple retro consoles I'm not sure what the point of that argument was.  This is a Wii 2 hdmi converter, not a anything to hdmi converter.  Generic hdmi converters can cost upwards of 100 dollars... the wii is special because it has digital out already.  Regardless even a high end tv back in the day only had 3 or 4 sets of inputs..... you still had that problem back in the day. Just like hdmi does today.  So cable/sat... that's one.  Bluray player/media player that's two and you might have two more left if you are luckly.  So that's one for a Nintendo console and one for a sony/Microsoft one.  It makes more sense to use the analog inputs than to waste one on the Wii. 

[sharpfork]

Best bet - run your Wii games on the Dolphin emulator, since it can really upscale the video properly. 

I just put together a nice Intel i7 rig for emulation on my first 1080 TV (have only had 720 til recently).  I was really surprised at how spectacular GC and Wii games look rendered in 1080.  I wish WiiU did something similar.
Watch this in full screen 1080 to really see the difference:

Of course running an emulator is going to have some issues compared to the original hardware.

[SavannahLion]

Yeah but see that isn't true at all.  I would actually challenge you to find me a tv smaller than 27 inches that DOESN'T have at least component out.  Or at least a tv of a quality worth buying (vizio, lg ect...)  S-video is a thing of the past to be sure, but composite, commonly used for video cameras and what have you and component, which believe it or not is still the "standard" for many cable/sat providers are here to stay, at least for the time being. 

Now 5-10 years from now you'll probably be correct, but not right now. 


In regards to multiple retro consoles I'm not sure what the point of that argument was.  This is a Wii 2 hdmi converter, not a anything to hdmi converter.  Generic hdmi converters can cost upwards of 100 dollars... the wii is special because it has digital out already.  Regardless even a high end tv back in the day only had 3 or 4 sets of inputs..... you still had that problem back in the day. Just like hdmi does today.  So cable/sat... that's one.  Bluray player/media player that's two and you might have two more left if you are luckly.  So that's one for a Nintendo console and one for a sony/Microsoft one.  It makes more sense to use the analog inputs than to waste one on the Wii.

Sure... whatever. 

[ChadTower]

The converter may be Wii specific but that's still one more component input for an older console to use.

[opt2not]

FWIW, I had to replace my 8-year-old LCD TV this Christmas, because it finally died, and decided to get a top-end Plasma -- 2013 Panasonic 55" Plasma Viera (TC-P55VT60).

It came with no S-video, but it still has Component.
So I wouldn't say Component is completely dead right now, but I'm sure it'll phase out eventually.

Also, people speak highly of the Neoya Wii2HDMI: http://www.neoya.com/wii2hdmi

[ChadTower]

It came with no S-video, but it still has Component.
So I wouldn't say Component is completely dead right now, but I'm sure it'll phase out eventually.

How many components?  That's the main point.

Most of the $400-750 range AV receivers I have been looking at to replace my old one have no component.  They switch either HDMI or composite.  Even then it's only one or two composites.

[opt2not]

Well, it does have only one Component connection. But one is enough for me, given that I still have my old Joytech component switchbox that handles all my component consoles.

[knave]

I have one of those switch boxes too, works great, Wii, DVD and old school VHS...LOL

[Ingesecition]

There is really no difference in HDMI cables as far as picture quality is concerned. The signal is digital.

[Goz]

I found a fairly inexpensive (under $20) analog/digital upscale. box works  great for Wii and Dreamcast. Maxes out at 720p. I can snap a pic of the box or get the manufacturer info, etc if needed.

[SavannahLion]

I'd like to see it.