I got the WiiDual mod actually for improvement on my analog signal. The HDMI is really just icing. I guess I wanted the HDMI also for the ability to do cube party games easy.
I’m interested in that, but I’d need a second Wii that was compatible with the mod. Maybe one day…
I was tempted by Wii dual for the improved analog alone (still am), but I don’t wanna redo it again if/when an integer scaling digital version comes out.
My knowledge is lacking… is that a hardware limitation, or could it be solved in a firmware update?
The FPGA in the current Wii Dual and GCHD units isn’t powerful enough to scale the image. I’ve seen Citrus3000psi mention this in discords and streams. I’ve also seen him say that he thinks scaling is the next step (doesn’t mean he’ll do it himself, but given that the plans are open source it could be something that somebody else picks up…they can even look at how he and Chris(?) did in in GCHDMI, also open source).
Wait, the Wii mod is also beneficial to people using the Wii in Component /480p? Is it lag-free like the original connection?
Yes it’s lag free and it’s doing exactly what any other console does, taking the digital output and converting it to Analog. A cool feature of the WiiDual is you can use the HDMI AND Component output at the same time!
Yeah, it apparently pumps out a better image than the stock Wii, but that’s solely based on what Ive heard Citrus say. I haven’t seen screens. And like Socks said, it’s not doing anything more lag prone that the stock Wii. It’s basically just cleaner DAC processing.
I was playing PAL Metroid Prime on the Wii via component and Gamecube via RGB, mainly testing out the OSSC’s x4 bob-deinterlacing (I’m late to the party but holy fuck, it’s amazing) and I noticed that the GC is way brighter than the Wii’s output, and this seems to be the case for the progressive Wii video too, it’s kinda of dull looking. I really want to get one of these devices to see if this is brighter than the Wii’s output or if the WiiDual improves the image compared to stock output.
Sounds odd. Have you confirmed that is a problem elsewhere? Different display?
Seems like this is where the excitement is. Is the video output the only knock against a Wii vs the GC?
For me, it is. Aside from that negative, the Wii is literally a boosted Gamecube. So if the Wii Dual brings Wii on par with the GC (and if integer scaling becomes a reality), I’d start playing more on Wii.
I’m still rocking my original launch Wii (just for Wii games) but on black friday I picked up a cheap 4 layer board one. I would like to get a Wii Dual put into it or one of the GC Video solutions but I think I’m going to wait to see if there’s any developments with a version that does some upscaling. I think I’d be happy if they even got it to the point of doing 480p 2x to 960p. I think the DCHDMI does that, 960p in a 1080p window for compatibility.
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Any hints on how to easily spot a good value a 4-layer board Wii? Is it literally all the coloured (not black or white) ones? Does that mean there are none with GC ports?
Seems this is a thing:
More thanks to socksfelloff
It appears to be more pronounced on a PC CRT compared to a Flat screen. I tested the Wii’s RGB out and I believe it has similar brightness to the GC’s RGB, so the component is kinda killing the saturation and brightness I think, both in interlaced and progressive. I really want to see if the WiiDual’s brightness brings it in line with the GC’s.
This is a gif made from Sixfortyfive’s direct screen captures, GC vs Wii, I didn’t think it was a huge difference at the time and Wii was only slightly inferior but I think I’ve changed my mind now. Probably not as big of an issue for people with Flatscreen tv’s where you can add some post-processing to bring it closer in line.
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This link might be handy: https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/revision-identification-guide.863/
There are 4-layer boards with GC ports if you’re after one that has them.
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@vespa Can’t you just dial in Component to look identical in brightness, contrast and color saturation to RGB? RGB vs Component comparisons don’t work if this isn’t taken into consideration and was a main criticism we once had of a phonedork video comparing PS2 RGB vs Component (the differences aren’t as pronounced as his analysis made it seem).
I remember doing this on Yoshi’s Island/RGB SNES/BVM vs Yoshi’s Island GBA/Component GameCube/JVC CRT. Yeah, apples vs oranges, but had the latter match the former as closely as possible by eyeballing it, taking pics and on review not being able to tell which was which.
@televator whoever creates a Wii solution with upscaling needs to include an extra horizontal scaling option. Doubling 720x480 for windowed 1080p would result in the wrong aspect ratio. Should have the option to resize to 853x480. I think the Wii Dual probably already does this in Bob’s video, so disregard if so.
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Yeah, I think you can, unfortunately, I’m using a PC CRT that doesn’t have any saturation control and increasing brightness seems to wash things out without bringing up saturation along with it. I should have been more clear, it’s definitely for a more niche setup.
There are definitely 4 layer boards that have GC ports, that’s what I picked up. It’s a black one. The link Vespa posted should help you out.
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Just checked my two white GC-port Wiis. One was a RVL-40 Rev and one a RVL-01. Definitely not too hard to find. My local retro shop is sitting on maybe 20-25 Wii’s they are selling cheap, I may go look at a few to see if I can get another 4-layer.