Wii Component vs. Composite

[schild]

Obviously, I was mistaken, the difference is only... who am I kidding, it's fucking huge!

[HaemishM]

He's on an LCD TV. I'm not. My CRT does not look like those composite screens of his. Is it any wonder that the newer connection type (component) looks better on a newer type of display (LCD) than the older connection type (composite) looks on the newer type of display? Or that I don't have the problems these guys are having with their new-fangled tech?

[schild]

Yes, I know you're on a shitty TV. We get it. That's not the point. For those of us with awesome TVs, which is a hell of a lot of gamers who bought the Wii, Nintendo shafted us. They're supporting the same tech they supported with the original NES. Meh.

[caladein]

That third set and last set of shots shows a really impressive difference. Also for that matter, that's about as strong a recommendation for "non-shitty" TVs as I've seen (especially since it's from the Wii and not a 360/PS3).

[murdoc]

I dunno, I always used component cables for my SDTV anyways. It was 7 years old and had the right input for them. Was especially helpful since my receiver did component switching for me.

[Triforcer]

I see Schild has decided to take his previously trodden The Path of WoW(tm) on this one:

1.  Completely incessantly pre-release and in very early days that it will/does suck and will fail miserably.
2.  Stay relatively quiet in the first few months after, except for occassional comment about how the momentum will peter out as people discover its fundamental suckage.
3.  As it explodes in popularity, complain about how its very popularity is holding back the genre/industry/creativity in general.  Also, it runs on a server that is powered by skinning baby deer alive.
4.  As it gets megapopular and hits 50% + of the market share, quietly start admitting that "many people find it fun, even if I think it has minor problem X" and then hope everyone else forgot steps 1 and 2.

[schild]

What?

1. I didn't say the Wii would fail. it's Nintendo. Nintendo products don't fail.
2. What? Quiet?
3. Not how it's gonna work. But cute.
5. The Wii will never hit 50% market share in terms of games. Maybe consoles, but the attach rate will be "Nintendo Games + 2(maybe 4-5)." Depends on whether MS buys Capcom or not.

[WindupAtheist]

1. I didn't say the Wii would fail. it's Nintendo. Nintendo products don't fail.

[schild]

Touche, you bastard.

Ok, it's arguable that when Nintendo wants a product to fail, it fails.

[StGabe]

Honestly it doesn't seem like that much of a difference to me.  I expected more when I clicked the link.  If I get a Wii and an HD for Christmas this year then eventually, yes, I'll want that cable.  But it's not going to be that big of a deal and I wouldn't pay much for one / wait in line for one / etc.

[Trippy]

Honestly it doesn't seem like that much of a difference to me.  I expected more when I clicked the link.  If I get a Wii and an HD for Christmas this year then eventually, yes, I'll want that cable.  But it's not going to be that big of a deal and I wouldn't pay much for one / wait in line for one / etc.

As the text of the article says going from interlaced to progressive makes motion much smoother. It's the same reason why 720p is the preferred format for sports rather than 1080i even though 1080i can display much more detail in theory. On still images all you are is seeing the difference in signal "purity" where a composite signal on a single wire has to be broken apart into its three image components using filters while the component cables carry each one separately. Some people may actual prefer the "softer" look of the composite cable depending on how well your display can resolve the details (e.g. those component Miis show off the jaggies much more than the composite ones). You can get a similar benefit in image clarity going from composite to S-Video which carries the three image components over two wires (so some filtering still happens), though S-Video can't show progressive video.

Edit: typos

[Margalis]

The step from AV cables to S-Video is pretty huge. The step from S-Video to Component is not nearly as large, at least on a standard TV, but there is a world of difference between AV and any step up from that.

Just play any game that has solid straight lines and it becomes very obvious. For example the energy bars in a fighting game, or the Wii menu screens.