Wii to LCD via DVI @ 1680 x 1050?

January 9, 2007 4:24 AM

Wii to LCD via DVI @ 1680 x 1050? Pipedream?

Is it (or will it soon be) possible for a Wii to drive my Dell e228wfp 22" widescreen LCD monitor via DVI-D or even analog RGB/D-Sub/whatever at 1680 x 1050 without a ludicrously expensive device to convert the signal?

posted by onshi to computers & internet (8 comments total)

At present the Wii's limited to 640p.

You'll need a component cable to even get that, and good luck in finding one. I ordered mine a few weeks before xmas and got it just recently.
posted by owenkun at 4:52 AM on January 9, 2007

Actually, it's 480p.

I did a half-hearted search for HD-capable TV tuners (that you could hook up to your computer in a Wii->computer->monitor setup) but couldn't find any. You could get a regular PCI TV tuner card but non-widescreen 480i would look terrible. I'm thinking this is probably a pipedream.
posted by zixyer at 5:00 AM on January 9, 2007

Sorry, just to amend my post, you probably would be able to get widescreen working in 480i, but 480p really does make a huge difference (of which I'm sure you're already aware).
posted by zixyer at 5:01 AM on January 9, 2007

This is something I wondered about... although obviously you won't be able to get more than 480 lines, it would be nice to be able to use a DVI connection instead of component. You can get an RGB signal out (using the Wii RGB SCART adaptor); is it then possible to wire this RGB signal into a standard 15-pin VGA connector, or is the signal different somehow? If you can get it to VGA then DVI is a simple adaptor away.

The RGB SCART cable is obviously only 480i, but I'm hoping you can switch on some pin in the connector to upgrade it to 480p mode :)
posted by jon4009 at 5:21 AM on January 9, 2007

I gather I'll need some kind of device to go from component to DVI, might a third-party accessory emerge at some point? The only devices I've found online so far cost ~$500 or more!

I run cable TV to the monitor through my PC already, and I think that this will introduce enough latency to make gameplay frustrating.
posted by onshi at 5:22 AM on January 9, 2007

Sort of a sidetrack, but if you're now looking for a component cable instead, check out this 3rd party one. It seems to be getting decent reviews, and it's a third of the price of the official nintendo one. It's bouncing in and out of stock (but if the site says it's in, it shouldn't take too long to get one). [No affiliation, just ordered one from there myself.]
posted by inigo2 at 6:38 AM on January 9, 2007

Why do you need to upconvert the signal to 1680 x 1050? You are not going to get a better picture unless you buy some kind of upscaler ( = $$$), and that is not going to do much.

Best bet would be a component to VGA converter, and letting the Wii output whatever is native.
posted by mphuie at 11:41 AM on January 9, 2007

Upconversion isn't necessary, I just wanted to explicitly state my monitor's native resolution just in case it was relevant.
posted by onshi at 9:04 PM on January 9, 2007