Wii component quality across console revisions

Hi, I wonder if any of the more knowledgable members can help me with this?

It is well known that the Wii has poor component image quality. Gamecube component is much clearer:

Example : http://retrorgb.com/gamecubevswii.html

Apparently, some of the later Wii hardware revisions had slightly better image quality than the earlier Wiis via component though.

I've been told that these might be later models - RVL-101 - the ones that had no Gamecube ports.

Does anyone have any more in depth information as to exactly which hardware revisions have this 'upgrade' in image quality?

Cheers
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I think it's more to do with software, the Wii probably softens to video output to reduce flicker.
Microsoft did the same thing with the xbox.

This 'should' only apply to composite but it wouldn't suprise me if Nintendo got sloppy and just used smoothing on all out puts..

wonder if we could pull VGA out of a wii?

 

Thanks for your reply.

I'm talking about 480p component specifically though, so there would be no flicker filter involved.

I thinks there's something in this that points to it being to do with a hardware revision and I'd love to get to the bottom if this.

I've heard from one person who said this:

"If I am not mistaken... Any Wii with the D2-3(and newer) DVD chip also has the upgraded component.
So you are looking for 2010+ Wii types... Model # has escaped me"

It would be great if someone was able to confirm this - and also if anyone knows which model numbers have the better component output.

(P.S. I have a Wii VGA cable - it's the same quality as component)

 

As I said nintendo probably got sloppy and used a flicker filter..

any way, it could also be the DAC, find the pinout and tap directly off that and see if there is any difference..

 

Filter flicker is never used on a 480p component signal. It is used only for interlaced signals to reduce the 'flicker' effect from a 480i signal.

Connecting straight to the DAC could be a good option - although I haven't found a guide on this & I would prefer to follow an expert guide if I were to attempt it. If it was the case that bypassing the DAC significantly improved image quality, though, I expect there would be information about this on the net. I would love to hear if anyone has done this - although as I say I have looked around and haven't found any info.

Either way, this post was really about Wii hardware revisions and 480p component quality. Is there anyone who actually has knowledge on this who wouldn't mind chiming in?

 

I doubt quality differs. Also that comparison is bad. Different focus.

afaik Wii uses 3 chip models for output. AVE-REL BU9055EKV, AVE-REL BU9955EKV or AVE-RVL A C8391. I've seen photos of Wii Mini with second one. So it should be possible to output component on wii mini if somebody inject right values to chip through I2C bus.
http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Hardware/AV_Encoder
http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/AVE-RVL

 

I took those pictures. I see what you mean that one lacks the moire patterns of the other one, but that's what the difference looks like

I can take new ones if you'd like

EDIT: Although I would be taking them using a different scaler than last time. Those pictures were taken using an Optoma HD3000, if I'd have to take new ones I would have to use a Lumagen VisionPro HDP instead.

But you should focus on the black ghosting to the left of the menu box. That's not in the GameCube shot.

 

Thanks very much this is very helpful Riki

So are you saying that those 3 chip models are not used together in the single Wii console - but are each used in different revisions of the Wii, spread across the console's lifespan?

If so, do you know which was used in the later Wii revision (RVL-101)?

You may well be right that there is no difference - but a very decent and knowledgable guy who goes by the name of RetroRGB and runs the website with the Gamecube comparison above is pretty clear that he has seen a few black RV-101 non-gamecube-compatible NTSC Wiis that have improved 480p component quality. I would love to pinpoint this - and if you or anyone else can shed any more light on this I'd be really grateful. If the 'improved component' theory is true, would you be able to hazard a guess as to which chip might be the cause?


I can vouch for Bearking by the way - he's a respected member of the Shmups forum & his photos are very likely accurate.

 

I am curious how GameCube games played on a wii u compare. I have heard that the wii u puts out better video for when it comes to playing wii games than the original wii.

 

The different encoder chips surely do things somewhat differently but the question is: is it noticeable? And it probably isn't unless you sit there and scrutinize things heavily.

 

For sure, you may well be right. I'm still interested in doing some side by side tests though - I don't suppose you or anyone here know of a particular person or group where I could go who who might know more about this and is likely to have in very in depth knowledge of the Wiis internal makeup?

 

Contact Nintendo?

I do appreciate how anal you're being over this though. Would love to read your final verdict.

 

Someone did try but didn't get a satisfactory answer. The trouble is that the people you usually get to contact at Nintendo don't tend to have a very in depth knowledge about this sort of thing

 

You should not use scaler at all.
You need a capture card. And post PNG images without any post processing (default cc software can apply some filters). Ghosting usually comes with not very good cable.

I do not know. But you can try to install 3 on one Wii and make a comparison with capture card without post processing.

 

Yes I should, because most TVs scale SD content really bad.

I don't have a capture card, but it's irrelevant, because the pictures still show the problem clear as day. I've used only original Nintendo cables on both consoles. Now I've even gone through the effort to make a super high quality component cable for my Wii and it's still the same.

 

Wow, thanks - very dedicated of you Bearking. Good to know we can put that to rest - and Riki, all the scaler is doing is replacing the (probably much) poorer quality scaler in the TV.