Wii Component cable is available in the US!!!

[Soundfx4]

[massive quotes deleted]

lol, I'm gonna call you MacGyver  

Oh man, I really didn't want to tear up the cable that came with my system  but on the bright side, if I can get a third party composite cable then I can tear that sucker to bits and it won't bother me!


Ground is something that has always confused me, I'm gonna have to take an AC/DC fundamentals class sometime  haha.   But anyway, it would be ok to hook up each individual signal cable's ground to the one single ground pin?  Is that correct?


Thanks.



btw, whoever administers this board, I want to personally thank you for allowing guests to post, I think it's important for boards to allow this, it lets possible users get to see what everyone is like before they decide to join.  Thanks

[acem77]

Crazy - Wii Component Cables go for over $160 on eBay

lol hell with that make your own

http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=12039

[NFG]

btw, whoever administers this board, I want to personally thank you for allowing guests to post

It's a pet peeve of mine.  Until last month we never had a problem with abuse or spam, but now the spammers have flooded the place and the forums are moderated.  Guests tho can still post!

As for the component cables, yeah.  $160 = morons.

[blackevilweredragon]

btw, whoever administers this board, I want to personally thank you for allowing guests to post

It's a pet peeve of mine.  Until last month we never had a problem with abuse or spam, but now the spammers have flooded the place and the forums are moderated.  Guests tho can still post!

As for the component cables, yeah.  $160 = morons.

even if you didn't allow guests, it still wouldn't work..  im a mod on another board, and had to warn them, as there's a new spam bot, that has OCE technology, and can "Read" the security graphics, and actually register itself on the site, then post as a registered user..

whoever programs those things, i swear, if i ever met one, he won't be able to make another bot, THATS for sure...   :angry:  

[NFG]

We've stopped that bot in its tracks.  Guests AND new members are moderated.  Once a new member gets one approved post, they're auto-bumped to a new usergroup that's unmoderated, reducing the workload on the mods.

Anyway, a discusson for another thread perhaps.

[The Afroman]

ok.. whats the best way to break open the composite cable? i'm looking at it and it has seems .. i tried a razor but can't get through the seems  

[acem77]

ok.. whats the best way to break open the composite cable? i'm looking at it and it has seems .. i tried a razor but can't get through the seems

it snaps off. release the top and bottom with something pointy and strong

[mdaria510]

I'm think following your post until the end...and then it starts to get confusing.

After you crack open the casing of the cable, you'd have to

1. Leave the pins for left and right audio where they are.
2. Pull the pin for composite, and pins for the left and right audio grounds.
3. Move composite to 7 for Y, another to 9 for Pb, and another to 11 for Pr.  It technically shouldn't matter which moves where, other than the composite, right?
4. Then cut off the male ends of the RCA cables for L/R audio (White/Red)
5. Separate both the each cable into their ground and positive wires.

Then I lose you.

6. Connect the positive of the left and right to the positive of the ones you cut off before?  But the ones you cut off before ARE the left and right...so basically just reattach the positive cable only, since it only needs one ground in the end.  Are you SURE thats safe?

7. Then connect the two remaining wires (originally the grounds from L/R) to the new pins for Pb and Pr.  Attach new male ends to these.

8. The composite pin is moved to the new Y, and it's ground remains where it originally was...the ONLY ground.  

9.  Use a paper clip to connect 8 to 10 directly.

Do you have a pic of the original pins?  I'm here taking apart my SNES composite cable, and they look like they just might fit.

Also, how did you get off the plastic cover?  I'm much more inclined to do it if I don't actually have to tear off any of the original connections, that was I can't break my one and only cable.

[The Afroman]

cool, got it, i want to pull the pins out, how did you do them?

[RGB32E]

PEOPLE!!! Just order one from Nintendo!!! http://store.nintendo.com/componentvideocable

People are getting WAY too carried away these days!    If your TV is incapable of displaying a good picture from composite... tuff titties!  Just order one, and wait a week or so!  By the time you have the cable, you'll have more of a reason to play through Zelda: TP again! :wub:

$17k for a PS3, $160 for a Wii Component cable.... when will the insanity end!  I guess I lucked out (living close to NOA).  :rolleyes:

[The Afroman]

i would if i could, but it;s annoying to play this when i have my cables hung from the ceiling...

I have a projector, and all the inputs that i ran to my input switch are component and vga... so my yellow plug is directly on my projector which is ceiling mount.. it really bites.

[mdaria510]

There's no way I'm pulling those pins out if theres ANY chance they'll break - it's impossible to even find a spare composite cable at this point.

I managed to crack the plastic off.  I didnt have any banana clips, so I tore apart an old RCA cable, stripped the positive wire, trimmed down the loose ground around it, wrapped it tightly through/around a paper clip, and tried to stick it in 7 for Y.  I assume since its luminance, it should at least come through in b/w, like normal component does.

I think the paper clip I have is too small, cause its definitely not snug.  I twiddled it around, and got some sort of momentary signal, but it wasn't right...it looked like it was just vertical flipping sorta...not quite the signal.

Does the Wii need to see ALL 3 Y-Pb-Pr in there before itll output on any of them?  Does it NEED the jumper too?  It'll be a lot easier to get it down right if I can start from just one, and then duplicate across the other pins.

[RGB32E]

Well, you can order a component video cable from Nintendo!    Is there some reason you can't order one?

[dustinh2k]

mdaria510, it sounds like you need to connect the ground from your stripped down RCA cable to one of the Wii AV port's ground pins.

[Guest]

Well, you can order a component video cable from Nintendo!    Is there some reason you can't order one?

I've already ordered one...it won't be here for another two weeks...so they say.  It's not rocket science to connect a few wires together to hack together a comp cable, so why not?  As long as I don't tear out the original pins, I don't see how I can break anything.  It wouldn't be the first time I've modded AV stuff.

I'll be sure to do try to connect the grounds tomorrow, along with getting bigger paper clips.  The reason I didnt was that the guy who originally did it didn't appear to.  That sounded strange to me, but I can't think of any good reason not to ground it.

[acem77]

I'm think following your post until the end...and then it starts to get confusing.

After you crack open the casing of the cable, you'd have to

1. Leave the pins for left and right audio where they are.
2. Pull the pin for composite, and pins for the left and right audio grounds.
3. Move composite to 7 for Y, another to 9 for Pb, and another to 11 for Pr.  It technically shouldn't matter which moves where, other than the composite, right?
4. Then cut off the male ends of the RCA cables for L/R audio (White/Red)
5. Separate both the each cable into their ground and positive wires.

Then I lose you.

6. Connect the positive of the left and right to the positive of the ones you cut off before?  But the ones you cut off before ARE the left and right...so basically just reattach the positive cable only, since it only needs one ground in the end.  Are you SURE thats safe?

7. Then connect the two remaining wires (originally the grounds from L/R) to the new pins for Pb and Pr.  Attach new male ends to these.

8. The composite pin is moved to the new Y, and it's ground remains where it originally was...the ONLY ground.  

9.  Use a paper clip to connect 8 to 10 directly.

Do you have a pic of the original pins?  I'm here taking apart my SNES composite cable, and they look like they just might fit.

Also, how did you get off the plastic cover?  I'm much more inclined to do it if I don't actually have to tear off any of the original connections, that was I can't break my one and only cable.

after you lost me.

6. reconnect only the positive/center wire from the cable to the positive/center
of the cut rca connectors.
you will need the gnd/outer wire in both the left and right cable to connect to the positive/center of the new male rcas for the
remaining component connections(Pb-Pr).
you are safe with only the one ground left paired with the composite wire.

7. correct

8. correct

9. yes. but you have to slide it in when the socket is plugged in to the system.
there is a solid feel when the correct sized paper clip is inserted.

snes pins are wider.

i used two jeweler screw drivers to lift the top and bottom enough to release the plastic locking tabs then it slid off.


if you get the y in correct and your gnd is good you will get a blank and white picture.

i did mess up my pins so i have to use paper clips.

in the end it cant hurt too bad to mess up the pins. all you need to do is get one paper clip back in the right spot to get composite video back if all else fails.

the main reason i did this is i cant wait to long to play in 480p. this will hold me off till the right cable comes in.

[The Afroman]

Well guys this forum post has made it onto Joystiq

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/22/make-a-w...omponent-cable/

[Guest]

I got mine up and running too now.  

[mnkdrt]

in "step 3" it says move another to 9 for Pb and another to 11 for Pr..

I am sorry but some of this I understand and some I don't...the only confusing or blank spot I have is what exactly do you mean by another?  :huh:

Thanks

[Moosmann]

I think, MAYBE Pin 14, 15 and 16 is for S-Video (Y & C) and RGB C-Sync.

Maybe it is possible like the GC Yuv-Kable or the PS2 System Settings:

Mode Pin 8 & 10 is connect, Wii Output YUV (Pin 7, 9, 11)
Mode Pin 8 & 10 is disconnect, Wii Output RGB (with 220 uf capacitors ) (Pin 7, 9, 11)

Bye Markus

[evan]

My monitor doesn't have component plugs- any chance of a pinout for svideo?

[mdaria]

Another pin.  

But don't follow those instructions.  Removing the pins is doing it
the hard way, and is unneccessary.  It's much better to just leave the
original pins intact, and supplement them with new paper clip pins,
since you have much less of a chance of irreperably screwing up your
one and only cable.  Wii in composite is better than no Wii at all.

I only had small paper clips.  I managed to get the Y/luminance signal
working once I grounded it to the right audio ground, as long as I
jiggle the clip around until it makes contact.  I went ahead and
spliced in the other two wires, but there was no way in hell I could
get both to stay in contact side by side.

To acem77:  are you saying you didnt ground the component cables at
ALL?  I couldn't get Y to work until I grounded it.  Now I have a
beautiful component 480i picture...in black and white.  I assume they
all need to be grounded to work...I connected all 3 of the "new"
grounds from the component cables to the ground for right audio...is
that overkill?  Should I actually bother splicing one new ground into
each of the three pre-existing grounds?  I snatched a few paper clips
from work, so I'll at least be able to do it right later tonight.

Also, any idea what the three mystery pins are?  I assume one is
chroma for s-video.  Does anyone actually have a stock component cable
and can confirm which 2 of the 3 mystery pins are the extra grounds
for the 2 extra component cables?  It should be obvious by the process
of elimination...one of the three mystery pins should missing from the
component cable, and thus should be the chroma....

[q]ode Pin 8 & 10 is connect, Wii Output YUV (Pin 7, 9, 11)
Mode Pin 8 & 10 is disconnect, Wii Output RGB (with 220 uf capacitors
) (Pin 7, 9, 11)[/q]

Definitely not - I didnt have 8-10 jumpered, and pin 7 was putting out
pure luma.

[Konchu]

This information is great and gives me a glimmer of hope for my holiday weekend. Thought I am caught by the slight scaryness that no replacement cables are in the stores locally yet.

I have though though of a solution that I think I will try and wanted to bounce this off as it might be a solution for the less brave. I am thinking of using a dremil to put some slight groves in the black part of the plug to make room for the extra wires to come around the plug. And maybe use nail polish or paint to cover the video contact.

I think this would have limit repercussions as it could be undid with minor damage to the cable.

[Guest]

So, any chance of a nOOb tutorial for those of us that arn't awesome?

[mdaria]

Dustin, I just checked my Wii Component cable and found that the cable is wired such that all of grounds on the RCA connectors are wired to the same set of GND pins.  The GND wiring (on the component cable) isn't quite the same as you described for the composite cable.  Mind you, that the cable was NOT connected to the system while using the Volt meter.

Besides, on this system (and all others that come to mind), is that GND is GND... The GND pins used for audio in the composite cable were chosen for manufacturing reasons, and not because you have to use pins 5 and 6 for audio GND.  Hence, the GNDs are not isolated (in this situation), there just needs to be a connection.  I hope I'm not beating a dead horse here!

Can you be more specific as to how it's grounded?  The stock composite cable has three grounds.

Left --> 5
Right --> 6
Composite Vid --> 12

But you say the component has only TWO grounds?  How is it wired?  All video to one, audio to the other?  All split equally between the two?  Or otherwise?  

I'd like to emulate the stock cable as much as possible when I'm doing the mod.

[squeakypants]

So, by opening the A/V cable would I break the warranty? Also, is there any way to mod it so I could still use the composite signal (or rather, can I do it so I can "unhack" it and use the composite cable like normal)?

[Guest]

So from all this, will there ever be a chance of a VGA cable solution?

Apparently with the GC the Japanese D Terminal cable could be modded to a VGA, so is it possible to do it with the Wii version of this cable or mod the component to VGA?

[mr. newbie]

http://www.digg.com/ you've been dug!

[yuzi87]

hi there, i will be getting a wii on 8th december, i currently have a tav with 2 scart connections and the red white yellow rca connections at the front,

what cable would i need for the best possible picture i can get with those connections? thanks for any help

[BrianS]

Nintendo.com is now backordered until Dec 18 for component cables.  

I'm taking a stab at this today as playing Zelda in 480i on my hdtv is making my eyes bleed.

Is it possible to get component out while still leaving the original pins and cable intact? The reason I ask is because I can't seem to get anything but Y to work(black and white) doing it this way.

I got a spare RCA cable and connected the positive wires to 7,9,11 respectively and combined the three ground wires and spliced them into 12. I then jumpered 8 to 10. What I get is a black and white image that cannot be put into progressive mode.

Is it because 3 still has a pin that is connected to the original composite video wire? I figured that as long as I left the original video cable unplugged that it wouldn't even know that it was there. Or am I wrong?

Is there anything that I am overlooking? I don't understand why I can't get any kind of signal from Pb and Pr.

[NotRegistered]

For the S-video cable, I'd suggest that it goes something like this:

mode pins - not connected
Y (7) - luma
Pb (9) - chroma
Gnd (5, 6, 12)

Might have luma & chroma reversed; not 100% sure about those.

[BinaryProgrammer]

I finally got this working last night/early this morning and Zelda in 480p is stunning.

To answer some of the common questions in the thread:

Yes you can leave the composite pin in place and add the other pins without messing up the composite video signal.

It doesn't matter what ground you tap off of 5, 6, or 12 they are all common.

You should only ground the Y component cable, leave Yr and Yb ungrounded.

I used Acco paper clips (size #1) these are the small ones, not the jumbos.  To get a snug fit - double the paper clip onto itself making a long "U" shape and pinch the 2 pieces as close to each other as possible.

To get a nice clean and fairly sturdy install, transfer your alligator clips to directly soldered component cables onto the paper clips.  To make sure that the pins would not short, I used some heat shrink tubing on the part of the paper clip/wire that is exposed.

[Nar1n]

I finally got this working last night/early this morning and Zelda in 480p is stunning.

To answer some of the common questions in the thread:

Yes you can leave the composite pin in place and add the other pins without messing up the composite video signal.

It doesn't matter what ground you tap off of 5, 6, or 12 they are all common.

You should only ground the Y component cable, leave Yr and Yb ungrounded.

I used Acco paper clips (size #1) these are the small ones, not the jumbos.  To get a snug fit - double the paper clip onto itself making a long "U" shape and pinch the 2 pieces as close to each other as possible.

To get a nice clean and fairly sturdy install, transfer your alligator clips to directly soldered component cables onto the paper clips.  To make sure that the pins would not short, I used some heat shrink tubing on the part of the paper clip/wire that is exposed.

This is great advice!

I didn't have any paperclips, so I used the white cable "twistie ties" that came with the Wii itself!  Strip the end back and fold it over itself, crimp it together a bit with a pair of pliers and it works great so far.  As a bonus, the rest of the wire is insulated.

[acem77]

:blink: 18890+ Views WOW! people love the Wii and demand 480p!! how much traffic can the forum handle lol?
just to let people know my mod is not meant to be permanent in any way.
it is just there to hold me over for a few weeks.
very true it is ghetto but it does the job and that is all that counts as a proof of concept.
i have done many other mods that are far from ghetto for my duo, nes, 3do , cdi, ect.
my fav and most complex non ghetto mod the RGB 3do costom made pcb and a lot of time going through almost lost scrap pieces of data. thanks to moosmann for that data
i am too hardcore with my video to sit there and be forced to play my new next gen system in composite:P
thanks to rgb32e with his pics and info  i was able to complete the puzzle and most likely be the 1st to do a functioning mod.
there are many ways to do it the paper clip only way is the raw and most likely the safest way to do it.
the other way i explained will be the closest to a permanent mod.

[Guest]

Great thread.

I just don't understand the need for the "mode pins".
Shouldn't the "progressive mode" be software selectable?
Or is it only there for the Wii to detect that a "allowed" cable is plugged in?

P.S. hopefully in Europe they'll have a larger stock of component cables on Dec 8th.

[dustinh2k]

I didn't have any paperclips, so I used the white cable "twistie ties" that came with the Wii itself!  Strip the end back and fold it over itself, crimp it together a bit with a pair of pliers and it works great so far.  As a bonus, the rest of the wire is insulated.

LOL, the truth comes out.  Component cables included with every Wii system, some assembly required.  

[NFG]

I just don't understand the need for the "mode pins".
Shouldn't the "progressive mode" be software selectable?
Or is it only there for the Wii to detect that a "allowed" cable is plugged in?

You nailed it.  If you don't short 8 & 10 the Wii doesn't know it's allowed into progressive mode.  It helps reduce the number of blown-up TVs Nintendo has to hear about when some idiot switches progressive on and his 20-year-old Zenith throws a wobbly.

the truth comes out. Component cables included with every Wii system, some assembly required.

Hahaha, well said.  =D

[Nick]

Is it possible to get component out while still leaving the original pins and cable intact? The reason I ask is because I can't seem to get anything but Y to work(black and white) doing it this way.

I got a spare RCA cable and connected the positive wires to 7,9,11 respectively and combined the three ground wires and spliced them into 12. I then jumpered 8 to 10. What I get is a black and white image that cannot be put into progressive mode.

I did this as well, except I only grounded the Y cable.  I have the same problem, B&W image that can't be put into 480p....something I'm missing?

[Guest]

Is it possible to get component out while still leaving the original pins and cable intact? The reason I ask is because I can't seem to get anything but Y to work(black and white) doing it this way.

I got a spare RCA cable and connected the positive wires to 7,9,11 respectively and combined the three ground wires and spliced them into 12. I then jumpered 8 to 10. What I get is a black and white image that cannot be put into progressive mode.

I did this as well, except I only grounded the Y cable.  I have the same problem, B&W image that can't be put into 480p....something I'm missing?

I just redid everything and this time I only grounded Y. Still no luck, only B+W.  

[Nick]

I just redid everything and this time I only grounded Y. Still no luck, only B+W.

it's probably your connections.  I just redid mine and really pushed the twistie-tie way down in there, and now I have everything except Yb.  I can even switch to 480p now.