Your Nintendo Wii is older than your new TV and you can't seem to connect it. Will you have to sacrifice progress in Super Mario Galaxy, or is there something you're missing?
Here's how to connect a Nintendo Wii to your TV.
You're worried that your Nintendo Wii doesn't have a TV-out option that will fit your new TV. However, despite first impressions, there are several methods of connecting the Nintendo Wii to a television. These are based on the standard AV cable, which can be used to connect the Wii to a television via:
If your new TV is missing legacy inputs or if you have multiple devices competing for the same ports, the following instructions (intended for HD and HD Ready TVs) should help you connect your Wii to almost any type of TV.
Please note that whichever solution you use, you will be limited to the Nintendo Wii's maximum output resolution of 480p.
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Shipping with the Nintendo Wii was a proprietary cable, the Wii AV Cable. This is designed to connect to the Nintendo Wii on one end, and the RCA TV inputs on the other. (Red and white are for audio, while yellow is for video.)
Once connected, and the Wii turned on, you will be able to view the Wii picture using the TV/Video button on your remote. If this doesn't work, look for Input Select, EXT, AUX or AV. You can also try navigating to channel 00 or 99.
In most cases, this brief instruction should be all you need to connect your Nintendo Wii to a television.
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The Nintendo Wii can also be enjoyed with an S-Video cable connected to your TV.
RCA connectors may also be included, giving you the option of using either depending on your TV. However, for S-Video connections, you'll need the red and white audio cables connected to your TV as well as S-Video. These will usually be grouped on the back or side of your TV (occasionally hidden behind a door).
Once connected to the TV and the Wii, with both devices turned on, you can use the input select button or similar on your remote (see above) to find your Wii's signal and start enjoying your game.
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Do you want to use the SCART connector on your TV? If you are limited for ports, this could be a good choice as SCART can also be easily extended as it supports splitters and switched hubs for multiple connections, somewhat like a USB hub.
RCA to SCART adapters are not as common as they used to be. If you were lucky, one might have been included with your Nintendo Wii. Otherwise, you will have to buy a new one.
With three inputs (red, white and yellow) once the RCA cable is plugged in, you can connect the SCART to the back of your TV, switch the input mode and watch the SCART input channel on your TV.
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Again, using an adapter, you can also connect your Nintendo Wii to a VGA monitor. This is particularly useful if your Wii has been relegated to a back room, for example, or if you use it as a PC after installing Linux Not Just for Desktops:10 Devices You Can Install Linux On, Not Just for Desktops desktop:10 devices You can install Linux on If you're looking for a new Linux project, take a look at this list of devices you can install Linux on. Read more.
Here, simply plug the cable into the VGA input on your TV or monitor, plug it into your Wii, turn on the display device, and make sure the input option is set to VGA.
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Available for less than $10, a component cable will connect the Nintendo Wii to the component input jacks on the back or side of your television. This is an increasingly rare collection of five entries, two for audio, three for video.
If you buy a device like the one shown, you'll start by plugging the red and white audio connectors into the corresponding inputs, and the green, blue, and red ones the same way. In the rare but occasional absence of matching color coding on inputs, you'll need to pay attention to the labels.
For audio, this means red is right, left is white. For video, green is Y, blue is Pb/Cb, and red is Pr/Cr. With the cable connected at both ends, select the correct input mode on your remote; Please note that if your TV has progressive scan, you will need to enable it in order to view images from the Nintendo Wii console.
You will also need to open Settings> Wii Settings> Display and set the TV Resolution setting to EDTV or HDTV (480p) and Widescreen Settings to Widescreen 16:9 , clicking Confirm after both changes are made.
This video explains in more detail:
Note that the component inputs are regularly found next to the RCA inputs, as red/white audio cables can be used for both. Make sure you have the correct cables in the correct ports!
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Originally, the component cable option was the only way to reliably connect the Wii to an HDTV. Fortunately, it is now possible to use an HDMI A/V converter to produce a good quality picture on an HD or HD-ready television.
With one of these inexpensive devices attached to the back of your Nintendo Wii, you'll be able to connect an HDMI cable (but don't spend too much why you should never spend more than $10 on an HDMI cable why you should never spend more than $10 in an HDMI cable To get the best out of your HD gear, whether it's a good widescreen TV, Blu-ray player, PS3 or HD set-top box, you need at least one HDMI cable (or more… Read More) from your TV to your Wii, and view the output on the HDMI channel using the input selector or similar option on your TV remote.
It's a quick and easy solution for connecting your Nintendo Wii to any available HDTV using the most popular modern video connection standard.
For best results when connecting a Nintendo Wii to your TV's HDMI port, consider the Wii Dual solution.
This is an internal upgrade to your Nintendo Wii, one that not only adds an HDMI port, but also improves the quality of the RGB signal. It is developed by Dan Kunz and works with the following board versions of the original Nintendo Wii (as opposed to the Family Edition or Wii Mini):
Go to shop.dansprojects.com for more information. Kunz offers an installation service, but if you feel confident, the Wii Dual will eventually be available to purchase and install.
Although digital audio is not present for the Nintendo Wii, you can still get good sound. Dolby Prologic II, mono, stereo and specifically for surround sound are available, the latter providing simulated surround sound ideal for entertainment systems with a surround sound setup.
To switch between these options, open Settings> System settings> Sound , and make your choice. Remember to Confirm your choice when you're done.
(If you're unsure about your audio options, our guide to Surround Sound Dolby Digital, DTS, THX:Surround Sound Standards Explained Dolby Digital, DTS, THX:Surround Sound Standards Explained Although there are only three players major players in the surround sound industry, each with their own subsets of technology related to the environment. Read More explains it all.)
While you may not have that old TV anymore, if you want to keep playing games on your Nintendo Wii, you can easily connect it to your new TV.
Although 480p is the best quality resolution you can manage, all your old games will be ready to play. Not only that, you can enjoy a whole world of classic video games with these great retro emulators for the Nintendo Wii 30+ Great emulators that you can run on your Nintendo Wii 30+ Great emulators that you can run on your Nintendo Wii With these emulators, you can play virtually any retro video game on the Nintendo Wii. Here are the best emulators for the Wii. Read more.
