Wii Component Cables: Which ones and why?

Cristallis · 06-02-2008, 09:29 PM

Hi, I got a 27" HDTV and I wanted to get some Component Cables for it, even though it only goes up to 480p... Two questions:

1. Is it worth it?

2. Does it make a difference whether I get a 3rd party or an official Wii Component Cable?

blue_blur · 06-02-2008, 10:02 PM

i got the official ones and it makes a big difference and its totally worth it. i remember playin MP3 before the cables and after and the game looked way better with the cables

Cristallis · 06-02-2008, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue_blur

i got the official ones and it makes a big difference and its totally worth it. i remember playin MP3 before the cables and after and the game looked way better with the cables

Have you compared the picture quality to that of a 3rd party (knockoff) cable?

Frog · 06-02-2008, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cristallis

Have you compared the picture quality to that of a 3rd party (knockoff) cable?

I tried a friends "offical" cable and could not see any difference in the generic one I got off Ebay for $7 shipped to me. I just looked and saw some even cheaper shipped than that.

I am using it on a 16x9 720p/480p Samsung 12ms LCD Flatscreen Monitor/HDTV.

Why pay $35 for official ones when you can get one for less than $7 shipped to you? Make sure you get gold-plated ones though. And also check the length of the cable to be sure it will work with your setup.

Cristallis · 06-02-2008, 10:49 PM

Has anyone else had any experiences with these cables then?

kenosando · 06-02-2008, 11:11 PM

component cables are capable of carrying a digital signal, and since your TV supports digital signal, there is no difference between "cheap" cables and official ones ... digital signal doesn't have any quality issues over component cable - theoretically, there is no difference based solely on the cable. Save yourself some $$$ and get the cheapest ones possible.

See: Monster vs. coat hanger

linuxghost · 06-03-2008, 03:42 AM

There will be no difference between an official Nintendo cable and a $5 third party cable, as kenosando said.

I use component mostly because I play on an LCD monitor using a VGA box. It's an official Nintendo one.

Guster · 06-03-2008, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenosando

component cables are capable of carrying a digital signal, and since your TV supports digital signal, there is no difference between "cheap" cables and official ones ... digital signal doesn't have any quality issues over component cable - theoretically, there is no difference based solely on the cable. Save yourself some $$$ and get the cheapest ones possible.

See: Monster vs. coat hanger

Component cables carry analog signals not digital signals.. Thus, the signal is susceptible to degradation. So, it is important upon deciding which cables to buy. With that said, I bought some cheap-o component cables and they seem to work fine. I may be able to get a better picture with some more expensive cables but I don't have Hawk Eyes and probably wouldn't notice much of an improvement.

As a side note:
What you are saying, kendosando, does apply to HDMI cables. It outputs a digital signal and so isn't susceptible to degradation in the same way that component and composite (both analog) signals are. Of course, the signal can degrade over length, and in the case of HDMI, if you plan on running anything over 2 meters, you should consider buying more expensive cables.

GaryT85 · 06-03-2008, 12:37 PM

i have played my wii on both mine and my uncle's TV - both the exact same TV, obviously the wii's are all the same..

the difference was i had official cables, he had 3rd party ones..

none of us could see any difference, apart from the bigger dent in my bank balance

AbSoluTc · 06-07-2008, 01:53 PM

I purchased the Official Nintendo cables. Not a fan of third party items. I may pay a little more, but at least I know they are tried and true