PAL Wii with S-Video - Possible ? My Ideas

[JoeWeese]

I have the same problem as everyone with a PAL Wii. I want to connect it to my PC LCD with a TV-Card. This Card only has Composite Video and S-Video Input. But unfortunately the PAL Wii doesnt support S-Video. Picture quality is ok with Composite but i want a better quality without paying too much, for example a VGA Box.

Now my idea is to buy a normal Wii Scart cable and simply plug a Scart - S-video adapter on it and put it in my S-Video In of the TV-Card. Do you think that the picture quality will improve?
If not, what other possibilities are there to run a PAL Wii with S-Video ?

Thanks for your help,
Joe

[NFG]

Assuming the quality of your SCART-Svideo adaptor is decent, this should work fine.  Be sure though that you're getting an RGB->svideo chroma encoding adaptor, not just a pin rearranger that takes the Svideo from a SCART lead and gives you an Svideo connector.

[Jim B]

Hi Lawrence/Joe,

I have a similar issue. I'm just trying to get my PAL Wii set up with a projector, and have a SCART output from the WII, I've bought a SCART to S-Video converter cable, but this just a pin arranger as you decribe above and although picture quality is much better than the composite connection it's black and white.  

I need this RGB > S Video chromo encoding adapter to bring the colour back I assume? Is the same as a converter box, like the one below -

hxxp://www.js-technology.com/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=34&osCsi

Are there any cheaper alternatives?

Thanks for any help,

Cheers,

James

[Joe]

I found this website for a rgb --> S-Video Encoder/Converter:

http://www.nexusuk.org/projects/rgb2svid/

I read this article but i think its very hard to do and its also not very cheap. Just the CXA1645P IC would be about 25 Euro. I dont know at the moment if I should build this converter by my own but the picture quality of FBAS is freaking me out.

[Isamu_Dyson]

Hey Joe,

I'm also suffering from this. I hate my PAL console.  :ph34r:
Anyway i found a UK store that sells that component for about 15�.

http://www.dalbani.co.uk/Nikko Electronics

The guy that made that converter made a stripboard layout that could be handy for you if you're willing to make the converter. It's pretty easy, just have to solder a buttload of small components hehehe.  :lol:

I'll probably wait a little while to see if someone is able to hack the console to enable svideo output (or better still, progressive + RGB = VGA!  B)  B)  B)  B)  )

[Joe]

Today I decided to build this adapter/converter:

I bought the CXA1645P Video Encoder, LM1881N Video Sync Separator, 74HCT04 Hex Inverter and the Scart and S-video sockets at a german online shop. (Alltogether about 40 euro for these parts, incl. shipping) I will buy the the other parts (capacitors, resistors, ...) at a local electronic store and i think this will cost me another 5 euro.

When i got all parts i will start building the converter and I keep you informed how its going ! ;-)

[viletim!]

Are you aware that most models of Sony Playstation contain a CXA1645 + support componets? You can lift a few pins, connect your R, G, B, and C sync, and you've got a big, cheap (or perhaps free with a broken laser, etc) RGB --> Y/C and V converter.

[JoeWeese]

I knew that the PS contains the CXA1645 IC but I dont want to have a big PS on my desk just for the convertion. I want to build a small converter which I can also take with me easily.

Plus you cant tweak the red, green and blue levels and the sync separately if you use the PS.

[JoeWeese]

Finally I finished the Converter after many hours of soldering:



Everything looks good and i think i soldered everything correct but then i tested the converter with my Wii. I get pictures like that:





At least i get a picture but the quality isnt really good. I can adjust the sync with the potis but the picture quality remains bad. When I adjust the RGB signals the picture only gets darker or brighter. Now i really dont know what to do next. Has anyone an idea ?

[NFG]

That image would indicate that you're not getting any colour data, just the Y channel (or, possibly, just SYNC which also produces echo images like this on some monitors).

If you're going to start your troubleshooting, start there and try to figure out why there's no colour.

Unless you already knew that, in which case I'm useless to you.  =(

[viletim]

JoeWeese,
From the photo, it looks like your SCART sockets are wired incorrectly. Pins 17 and 18 must both be grounded because lots of cheapo leads use only one of these two pins as their only ground connection. There is also no wire connected to pin 19 (remember that pins 19 and 20 cross over in a SCART -> SCART cable) of the lower socket.

BTW the pots in this design are totaly superfluous, there is nothing unknown about the incoming video signals. If you like, you can replace R2, R3 and R4 with a 180 ohm resistor (between signal and ground) and R10 with a 75 ohm resistor.

[JoeWeese]

Thanks for your help.

The upper socket on the photo is the Scart-In. I just wired the pins which are used by the wii, 17 and 19 arent used by the wii and there are also no pins at the cable.

I didnt wire the lower socket completely because i just wanted to test the s-video output.  

[viletim]

Pinout for a SCART connector.

[Qjimbo]

Maplin do a great RGB to SVideo converter, it's what I use.