13 Responses for "Wii HD Link Component Cable"

1. Octavius August 25th, 2009 at 12:28 am
   Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

   Some people are reviewing that they can tell the difference between the standard A/V cable that comes with the Wii (Red/White for audio signal, yellow for video signal) and this component cable (same Red/White for audio signal, but three separate video signal cable)…

   So I thought I’d explain quickly the different. With one loan video signal cable (stand Wii, out of the box) your highest attainable resolution is 480i. The “i” stands for interlaced. What it means is that the video signal is interlaced into odd and even number vertical lines. You TV displays the odd lines first from top to bottom, then on a second pass, displays the even numbered lines from top to bottom. Then the cycle continues to repeat, refreshing the lines odd, even, odd even and you see “motion.” All CRT TV (ones that have a Tube) the display is always interlaced video.

   Now, in 480p, the “p” stands for progressive. In a progressive scan the entire image is refreshed top to bottom every pass. Today’s LCD and Plasma screens always display progressive video. Because it only takes one pass to complete the entire video image, progressive scanned video tends to have slightly higher refresh rates. In video gaming, this can translate to slightly better image quality and less lag between the controller and the results on the display.

   So here is the kicker: for a CRT to accept an incoming progressive video, it has to translate it (internally) to interlaced video. This translation takes time, which in turn adds lag and can slow down the reaction time in gaming. Because of this, any Wii hooked up to a CRT (or Tube) TV should be set to 480i. EVEN if you use component cables.

   For LCD and Plasma TVs, any interlaced video incoming to the TV must be translated to progressive video. Like the reverse for CRT TV’s this translation takes time and adds lag. The only way to get the Wii to send a direct progressive scan signal to a Plasma or LCD TV is to use a component video cable (2 audio connections, 3 video connections). But once this cable is attached, you must change the Wii options to send in 480p resolution. Once that has been done, you fancy flat display will not need to translate interlaced to progressive.

   I’ve simplified this quick explanation. For the true tech geeks out there (like myself)… please accept that I have tried to put this in non-geek speak (best I could) without going into great detail.

2. Udell August 25th, 2009 at 1:05 am

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   Definitely worth it if you have a LCD/Plasma TV
   My parents gave me a hand-me-down Sharp Aquos about a month ago so that I didn’t need to save up for the Samsung UN46B8500XFXZA which is pretty outrageously priced.

3. Zahar August 25th, 2009 at 1:29 am

   I decided to give these cables a shot since they were half the price of the official Nintendo component cables, and audio/video cables are a product well-known for some companies (you listening, Monster?) seriously trying to rip off consumers. I found these cables to work wonderfully; despite some other opinions, I think they make a significant improvement in picture quality, well worth fifteen bucks if you have an HDTV to hook your Wii up to. When compared to the composite cables that come with the system, object edges are really sharpened up. You don’t need to pay $30-$50 for quality component cables. Highly recommended!

4. Zuwena August 25th, 2009 at 2:04 am
   Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

   I bought these cables due to them being cheapest at the time, and they work fine.

   To those stating they can’t notice a performance difference, it’s true that the picture quality is almost the same. However, if you’re going to play your Wii on an HDTV, I would highly recommend component cables due to the fact that using the AV input on an HDTV requires it convert the incoming signal, which adds lag to the display. Not noticeable usually with something like a DVD player, but with games the added latency is very noticeable between your button press and the reaction of the HDTV. The difference between AV and Component lag was very noticeable in my experience (I tested this with Mario Galaxy on a ViewSonic 19″ HDTV).

   Although, if lag is your biggest concern, best to just use an old crummy non-flatscreen TV, as they still have the quickest response times (even vs. component) in my experience.

5. Sydney August 25th, 2009 at 2:27 am

   1.0 out of 5 stars
   Low quality cable. Many artifacts on the screen.
   Low quality cable. Many artifacts on the screen. I would recommend getting a higher quality cable.

6. Iphigenia August 25th, 2009 at 3:51 am

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   Nykko Wii HD Link Component Cable
   I’m well aware of some of the problems with HDMI cables, but I made the critical error of assuming that one component cable would be as good as the next… Not so!

7. Tacita August 25th, 2009 at 6:48 am

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   Why buy the Nintendo brand cables?
   This will make your display crisper and will improve the display on an LCD TV. I bought an LCD TV, tested my composite cables, then tested these component cables.

8. Kaethe August 25th, 2009 at 8:14 am

   2.0 out of 5 stars
   Inferior to official Nintendo cable
   I have a high-quality projection TV system and I see a pretty significant difference between the Official Wii Component Video Cable and this Nyko version (I have both).

9. Oren August 25th, 2009 at 8:50 am

   2.0 out of 5 stars
   Stopped working after six months
   I purchased this in January 2009 for my new Wii console. Since I do not use my Wii very frequently, these cables probably were used about four times.

10. Jenny August 25th, 2009 at 9:27 am

    1.0 out of 5 stars
    Can’t tell the difference
    I cannot tell the difference even on my super duper Samsung HDTV with the proper settings. Must be a reason the price has come down on these cables.

11. Ivan August 25th, 2009 at 11:22 am

    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Great Product, Great Price, Big Difference Over Composite.
    This is a good quality product for a great price and for me it made a big difference over my composite cable on my 42″ Plasma TV.

12. Kael August 25th, 2009 at 1:43 pm

    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Get this cable - nuff said!
    Well if your TV supports component video input, buy this. The picture quality and performance improvement are obvious and well worth it.

13. Lajos August 25th, 2009 at 4:41 pm

    3.0 out of 5 stars
    Lost in the transulation…..
    Not a bad product but no directions as to where and how the leads are to be hooked up…