Hardware Wii2hdmi vs official component cables

[Highthorn]

Hi gbatemp,

Recently got back into using the wii after years and years.
In those years got new consoles and new tv's and since newer tech rarely uses scart, component or composite I gave up looking for modern tv's that still had those inputs.

The last time I used my wii I used the original Nintendo component cables I had (and still have now) and remember the image being very smooth and very good colour range and black/white levels.

My TV right now only has hdmi and so I got a wii2hdmi adapter which works OK but really bad flickering when using the wii setting for hdtv (480p).

So I thought, what if I used my component to hdmi converter I already had for my ps2 in combination with the official wii component cables but I was shocked with the image quality, but no flickering as with the wii2hdmi adapter.

The externally powered converter :



I did some research on the connectors and readings it gave on my tv.

Wii2hdmi seems to have full range colour ycbcr444 (also more pins) but bad flickering / refresh:



Official Nintendo component cable, just has rgb range and less pins which results in crushed black/whites and bad colours but no flickering.




I'm now wondering if anyone can check if modern/newer third party component cables have all the pins like the wii2hdmi, I would love to know.

 

[newo]

The component cable that i have has no branding at all so no clue where its from. The mayflash wii2hdmi has all the pins.

 

[Highthorn]

Thanks for the reply.
After some more searching and asking around I guess it's normal for a component cable (whatever the brand) to have 5 pins (corresponding with the rca plugs).
Don't know why hdmi adapters like mayflash, wii2hdmi have all the pins even though it uses the same video out from the wii as the component cable.

Perhaps it is my converter in combination with the wii because I do get a ycbcr signal from my ps2.
Perhaps someone else with an external converter could elaborate on this.

 

[drag4you]

I use this ones but how do you check that info on your tv?
https://castlemaniagames.com/collections/hd-retrovision/products/hd-retrovision-wii

 

[Highthorn]

I have a LG and this menu can be accessed by rapidly pressing the green button.
My previous Philips TV showed it in the input selection and my Sony before that at a specific info menu.
Don't know about all brands but it should be possible to read out such information.

 

[Highthorn]

Just an update incase somebody would need some info on this in the future.
I got a new converter and this converter shows ycbcr444 and has a lot clearer image than the wii2hdmi.
It's the "PORTTA Component to HDMI Converter".

Perhaps I just got bad versions of the wii2hdmi (got two) but this converter gives a pretty clean image.

 

[Qaztab]

Just an update incase somebody would need some info on this in the future.
I got a new converter and this converter shows ycbcr444 and has a lot clearer image than the wii2hdmi.
It's the "PORTTA Component to HDMI Converter".

Perhaps I just got bad versions of the wii2hdmi (got two) but this converter gives a pretty clean image.

Every time I see a thread about wii2hdmi on reddit the reviews are usually all the same. Most have some significant issue with it, and some have it worked as advertised. Plus there's more than one release of it which complicates reviews and/or finding one that works adequately.

Always seemed to me that the best overall route was just spending the extra and getting a Component to HDMI converter.

 

[CoolMe]

The Wii2HDMI adapters are crap. Also, you should be questioning the fidelity of the converter if i were you. The results you are getting is most likely a result of the poor internals of this Chinese component converter you are using.. I'd would look into for something better like the OSSC..

 

[AkikoKumagara]

HD Retrovision here. 5 pins like the official cable. Never really had any quality complaints but also don't have much to compare it with.

 

[eSocrates]

I tried that Portta converter for my Xbox and mine had bad interference with 480p video. Strangely HD modes had zero interference. I ended up returning 3 of them that all exhibited the same behavior. Trying a bunch of Xbox2HDMI adapters I finally found one by Kaico (a rebranded Bitfunx unit) that works great at all the resolutions.

For the Wii I went searching and found a recommendation for the Mayflash Wii2HDMI on Reddit. It’s half the size of the common Wii adapters that all seem to be the exact same design which was promising so I bought one to try out.

After testing it out I ended up buying a second to give to my friend’s kids. It gives almost perfect results with no interference. Just a slightly different color temperature compared to my Nintendo brand Component cables. I even plugged it into my Wii U to test HD resolutions and even at 1080p the output quality matched my component cables.

Interesting side note. At 720p/1080p my Wii U puts out a crappy quality signal from the Multi-AV out. But it’s the same crappy quality with either the Mayflash Wii2HDMI or just Component cables.

 

[Marc_LFD]

The internet can sometimes be a bit useless. So I tried looking up for accurate comparisons using the official Wii component cable, and yet most of them used shitty $5 unbranded cables versus the spectacular GCN component cable (really an unfair comparison).

Having said that, I came across a Reddit thread that was actually quite useful and contains pictures that show picture quality improvement with the official Wii component cable.

Just keep in mind these are photos from his TV rather than screenshots.

Source:

It definitely boosted the picture quality! And I read it helps to set the quality to "limited" so it doesn't look washed.

Edit: He didn't buy an official component cable, but even then, it looks vastly better. It just goes to show what an improvement it makes.

 

[JuanMena]

The internet can sometimes be a bit useless. So I tried looking up for accurate comparisons using the official Wii component cable, and yet most of them used shitty $5 unbranded cables versus the spectacular GCN component cable (really an unfair comparison).

Having said that, I came across a Reddit thread that was actually quite useful and contains pictures that show picture quality improvement with the official Wii component cable.

Just keep in mind these are photos from his TV rather than screenshots.

Source:

It definitely boosted the picture quality! And I read it helps to set the quality to "limited" so it doesn't look washed.

Edit: He didn't buy an official component cable, but even then, it looks vastly better. It just goes to show what an improvement it makes.

The thread is about Wii2HDMI vs Component...
That Reddit one is Composite vs Component...

 

[CoolMe]

Also a GC vs Wii comparison. Each render/display GC games differently (internally), regardless of the cables used..

 

[Marc_LFD]

The thread is about Wii2HDMI vs Component...
That Reddit one is Composite vs Component...

PQ of Wii2HDMI isn't very good, tbh.

Also a GC vs Wii comparison. Each render/display GC games differently (internally), regardless of the cables used..

I was curious how Mario Kart DD/Wii looks via the official Wii component cable, but found nothing.

 

[SylverReZ]

PQ of Wii2HDMI isn't very good, tbh.

I've had one of those and they were shit. It made the picture way worst.

Post automatically merged: Nov 11, 2022

Would suggest component cables (not AV) over cheap HDMI adapters.

 

[JuanMena]

PQ of Wii2HDMI isn't very good, tbh.


I was curious how Mario Kart DD/Wii looks via the official Wii component cable, but found nothing.

I think most people have had an awful luck with those cheap Wii2HDMI converters.
My sister has a Wii, I own a Wii too.
She bought her own Wii2HDMI and I bought my own Wii2HDMI.
Hers has "bad shielding", as there's diagonal lines across the picture at all times in her Wii and my Wii.
Mine doesn't has diagonal lines, and I've tested it in her Wii and my Wii.
I also own third party component cables, I own a now dead Toshiba DL15 TV from 2005 and it has a max res of 480x640.
The very little time I could use it, I had my Wii hooked to it via Component and that's the best picture I've seen ever in a Wii.
It even defeated Wii2HDMI on a 4K TV.
Literally couldn't believe SNES games with hq2x filter on. Simply gorgeous.
Being said that... the Wii picture is not just the cables, but the monitor/TV you own is an important factor too.
Of course, Component will always be better than Wii2HDMI, but have in mind that "todays" TV's has to upscale a lot the low resolution coming from the Wii.
Nowadays, without much options at hand, I'm playing Wii with Wii2HDMI + VGA2HDMI converter on an old Samsung monitor (2008) and is not bad either. Nothing compared to Toshiba TV with native 480x640 resolution. But I've also made a Component to VGA adapter soldering Component Inputs to VGA pins and although my monitor is not compatible (green tint at all times) the picture looks way, way sharper than Wii2HDMI + VGA2HDMI.
Right now, I'm trying to find a Computer CRT monitor that supports my ComponentVGA adapter. I think that'd be glorious, better than a consumer TV me thinks.

EDIT: Just remembered that I've also had tested my Wii to my parent's 50" SAMSUNG TV over Component and I will correct myself... My Wii + Component looks way better thaan Wii + Component + LG4K TV.
To be honest, my parent's SAMSUNG is too old to be considered 4K, I think it's just 1080p, not sure as I've only used it once and for very few minutes. If anyone here wants to play Wii on modern TV's, get a 1080p TV, not a 4K one.
Can confirm your Wii will benefit from lower res TV's than blasting the pixels to 4K resolutions.

EDIT 2: And I do know YPbPr is not the same as RGB so just soldering Coponent to VGA pin-outs won't work either.

 

[neotank19]

Got a new tv that only has hdmi. why can't the stupid manufacturers include component inputs?

At least this thread answered my question about the junky wii to hdmi converter.

Will have to try the portta.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Got a new tv that only has hdmi. why can't the stupid manufacturers include component inputs?

At least this thread answered my question about the junky wii to hdmi converter.

Will have to try the portta.

Component is deemed outdated by today's standards so they phased it out.

A Component to HDMI converter could be a solution. I bought a Component Box to connect three different devices so I'll just have to use an older HDTV which I don't really care, it's still an HDTV.

 

[newo]

Buy a used or older model tv, save a couple bucks And you'll get component ports. Problem is you will get fewer hdmi ports. Winsome lose some.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Buy a used or older model tv, save a couple bucks And you'll get component ports. Problem is you will get fewer hdmi ports. Winsome lose some.

With HDMI it's easier, just buy a HDMI switcher and it does the job.

I sure would love to have a GCN and its rare component cable, but I'll settle for the official Wii component cable.