Today's most progressive game video: Wii Component Cables 480i VS. 480p
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Jan 13th 2007 at 12:05AM }
Okay folks, it's laid out right here for you. If you got your grubby little hands on Wii, then maybe you've been wondering if the component cables really make a difference. Maybe you even blew off buying them, scoffing at the Wii and its low graphics capabilities when compared to the behemoth graphics on-board both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.
Well, look no further. This video after the jump clearly shows a pretty fair-sized gap between component and composite, so you might want to reconsider picking some up if you can find 'em. If you were wise and invested in a set of cable, then you can gloat silently in your wisdom. Now I just wish someone would design a website with photos and video of everything I want to buy, laid out comparison-wise. It sure would make the whole decision process a lot easier.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rob @ Jan 13th 2007 12:16AM
Fake!!!!
SuicideNinja @ Jan 13th 2007 2:52PM
The answer is Component mainly because composite connections suck quite badly. S-Video is a MINIMUM.
Dana @ Jan 13th 2007 12:17AM
While I'm sure there is a difference, the quality of the video makes it almost impossible to tell.
Huzzah!! @ Jan 13th 2007 3:52PM
Really old video, but it makes me really glad I got cables!
flyNN @ Jan 13th 2007 12:21AM
My Zelda does not look that bad on composite. That's not to say I'm not eagerly looking for a nyko component cable.
S_DOG34 @ Jan 13th 2007 12:21AM
Christ...why can't they ever do these split scene comparisons with the same video settings? Of course one looks better than the other when the gamma/contrast are totally off on one and perfectly adjusted on the other. Does anyone's copy of Zelda honestly look like the composite cable image?
lucky644 @ Jan 13th 2007 12:28AM
My tv does very nice side by side PIP.
I don't see why someone doesn't hook up two wii's and does a side by side pip with composite and component...
This would force the identical settings for each :)
btw, youtube is USELESS to compare with....the quality is too low...
Jeremy @ Jan 13th 2007 12:27AM
I wish there was an HD youtube. :\
FSK405K @ Jan 13th 2007 12:32AM
Hey they forgot S-video! S-video alone makes Zelda look about 2x as good. And you don't need an HDTV to get that jump.
diskoboy @ Jan 13th 2007 12:30AM
There is a huge difference in Zelda.
And I ordered my component cables from Nintendo, themselves. The packaging for the Nintendo cables is overkill. They come in a big 'ol box...
nick @ Jan 13th 2007 12:32AM
its hard to tell from that vid since the quality of the vid is so bad. But yeah... the composite cables are a must buy if you have an hd set. It is vastly different in quality. I highly recommend them after switching to them about 2 weeks after first getting my wii.
GrizzlyAdams @ Jan 13th 2007 12:36AM
Other than the quite noticeable red push on the composite side, the quality of this video makes any other difference unnoticeable.
Honestly I've come to expect a red push from composite signals, every TV I've seen lately has that sort of problem with the component inputs.
OM @ Jan 13th 2007 12:50AM
There's no point to doing these comparisons if you're just going to upload them to YouTube. The quality is so crappy it just renders the whole thing useless.
alexanderwales @ Jan 13th 2007 12:51AM
Note: if you're going to do a side by side comparison, do it with high resolution screencaps, not with YouTube.
Jonathan Pongco @ Jan 13th 2007 12:57AM
Yoou NEED Component cables to play the Wii on an HDTV...There is no other way to go!!! Zelda looks much more sharp and detailed and Wii Sports has an overall sharper edges and clarity than its component counterpart. Hey, if you have the technology, you've spent more than enough to afford $19 mad catz components.
DrunknMonkeyAU @ Jan 13th 2007 1:43AM
I call BS! Zelda on composite dosn't look anywhere near that bad
Admiral Ackbar @ Jan 13th 2007 1:30AM
When i switched from composite to component I went from being able to see to distinguish only three shades of gray (from the calibration screen in Zelda) to all four.
Nav @ Jan 13th 2007 1:36AM
I think this gamespot mouse-over screen comparison is much more useful:
http://www.gamespot.com/features/6162297/p-2.html
ellipsis @ Jan 13th 2007 1:47AM
"the composite cables are a must buy if you have an hd set"
composite cables came with the Wii, dude.
Zeke @ Jan 13th 2007 2:10AM
I don't know. The component cables made the color separation a lot better but all the jaggies they introduced made it a wash. I'm actually gonna go back to the composite. I hate jaggies worse than death.
jonathan @ Jan 13th 2007 9:56AM
I have a 27" Sony Wega with official Nintendo component cables and I can't see a difference. Do you need progressive scan to see a difference?
Sammy @ Jan 13th 2007 2:20AM
This video is moronic. As others have said, the picture on the left is calibrated, and the one on the right not (with a gigantic red push). You can't tell ANYTHING from this. The comparison linked to above is much more informative.
Bottom line, there is no way to make a Wii game look like an Xbox 360 game. If you are an HDTV owner, just give it up.
Seraph Wing @ Jan 13th 2007 2:16AM
Not just HDTVs!!!! I've got an EDTV projector (Optoma H31), that takes Component input. The difference is astounding. The added progressive scan, deeper colors, more distinct edges, everything is just clearer. It's like putting on a pair of glasses. IF YOU HAVE COMPONENT PORTS, GET COMPONENT CABLES!!!!
syco @ Jan 13th 2007 4:19AM
If you're an HDTV owner you can afford both a Wii AND a 360 and every good 360, Wii, Cube, and compatible Xbox game ever made.
Almost nobody has an HDTV, or even an EDTV, so it's a moot point. If you have an HDTV or an EDTV you have either have component cables or you shouldn't have bought an HDTV or a Wii because you don't know a thing about HDTVs or hooking up game consoles in general.
burninhell @ Jan 13th 2007 3:50AM
Why waste our time with this? This is like comparing a sasquatch film with a photocopy of my ass, but much less informative.
Ruffie @ Jan 13th 2007 3:57AM
Fuck Zelda looks shit, I cant believe you nerds get so horny over it. sheesh
Brian @ Jan 13th 2007 4:30AM
I bought the component cable.
Pros:
Colors are better and more vivid
Web surfing is better and more clear
Cons:
Jaggies are a lot more apparent (Composite actually hides this with blurring)
-in my opinion, the component cable actually makes the graphics look worse when you're playing games
Burnt Meatloaf @ Jan 13th 2007 5:18AM
First, we're not comparing 480i to 480p. We're comparing one of the crappiest connections to the best possible connection. The only real difference between the two standards is interlacing.
Second, there's a huge difference between component and S-video. There's not much difference between S-Video and composite (except cost). I think it's inexcusable that any modern console doesn't come with a combo A/V and S-video cable, because they cost about the same to manufacture as plain A/V cables.
Third, how bad the interlacing is depends on your TV. Some old TVs flicker like crazy, but most fully modern TVs have excellent filters. I use my PS2 with an S-Video cable, and I can't imagine it looking any better at all with a much more expensive component cable. The colors are crisp and there's no flickering at all.
Forth, anti-aliasing is mandatory with 2006 technology at SDTV resolutions. Visual detail isn't that big a deal, but I'm shocked Nintendo cheaped-out on visual quality, too. So, yes, it may be a good idea to get an S-video cable (if you can find one) instead of the rediculously overpriced component cables, just to soften the image a bit.
Embassy @ Jan 13th 2007 5:22AM
The component cables will make a difference on a HD TV yes, but the optimal way to view the Wii is going to be on CRT as with the PS2.
Nicolas Redfern @ Jan 13th 2007 6:25AM
S-Video is actually rubbish. I'm haven't got a Wii yet and have Zelda on the Cube. I use a SCART cable for the cube which is better than S-Video.
PS Finished Zelda- WOOHOO!
ALH @ Jan 13th 2007 6:44AM
While my upscaled fuzzy mess of a zelda doesnt look as bad as the image here, i can relate to the colour balancing issues, i had to readjust my TV in the fire dungeon because it was so dark that i couldnt really see what i was doing. My HDTV doesnt have component, i've considered getting the SCART but it doesnt seem worth it for one game- wiisports, play and wario ware look fine.
now, if they came out with a VGA cable...
Olson @ Jan 13th 2007 7:07AM
It clearly makes a difference the 480i was to dark
Jdoki @ Jan 13th 2007 7:24AM
I just picked up the Blaze component cables for Wii (only ones I could find in the UK - on Amazon), and now have them hooked up to my HDTV.
The cables seem to produce a much better overall picture tone (reds are nicely toned down), the extra sharpness really impressed me - especially in Zelda.
I'd say that YouTube video does illustrate pretty well the change - textures are much, much clearer.
FrankTheCrank @ Jan 13th 2007 10:12AM
I have a PSWii....
I'm loving life right now...but anyhow...
Component cables have been hard to find...very expensive when I do find them. Gamestop wanted $49.99 for some knockoffs.
Went on eBay...bought some chinese ones...$11.98 shipped!!!
He shoots, he SCORES!!!!
StixxUK @ Jan 15th 2007 4:59PM
I would be much more interested in seeing a comparison (a la the Gamespot mouse-over one, rather than this video, for obvious reasons) of RGB Scart vs Component.
Andy @ Jan 13th 2007 10:49AM
slightly offtopic: what was the point of the rusty Karmann-Ghia for this post's picture? ^^;
parantaja @ Jan 13th 2007 2:38PM
Just quick note on the differences between the connections (comopsite & component) for anyone who simply assumes the differences are due to different settings and not the cables themselves.
Using component can have a noticeable impact on color, brightness, etc. because it does a few things component doesn't.
Namely, if memory serves, component seperates video signals into three elements - luminance (brightness), and blue and red chrominance (color). Composite lumps all this together into a single cable. There are other differences as well, but hopefully that clears a bit of this up.
Killer Loki @ Jan 13th 2007 11:09AM
to quote..
23. If you're an HDTV owner you can afford both a Wii AND a 360 and every good 360, Wii, Cube, and compatible Xbox game ever made.
Almost nobody has an HDTV, or even an EDTV, so it's a moot point.
What a crock of BS.. I have 2 HDTV's, a 30" (1080i) and a 40" LCD (1080p) You people make it sound like that you'd have a rob a bank or sell your kids into slavery to afford a HDTV.. Haven't any of you heard of saving up for one, or using layaway if a store has it?
You all gladly go out and buy a console (doesn't matter whhich one either - to each his own) you buy all or a great deal of the launch games and extra controllers then bemoan the fact the picture looks like shit on your 19-25" 4yr old or older TV's. Noobs
Mr. Khan @ Jan 13th 2007 11:51AM
Yeah, i got taken in by those $49.95 Mad Catz component cables at GameStop on Boxing Day, but i had to buy them, relatives were coming over, i didn't have time to shop around, and i didn't want to wait for online order (just got my HDTV the day before)
Pros: Greater detail (see individual leaves on trees in Wii sports and Zelda, see Link's sword when he does spin attack, instead of a blur), also get much clearer color contrast
Cons: Greater detail (hideous jaggies on Link's sword while it is still, and the pins in Bowling look hideous too)
Overall, it works out pretty well, breathtaking panoramas in Zelda make up for some small-scale jaggies
RUSKULL @ Jan 13th 2007 11:55AM
wow, this is totally useless. Doesn't joystick know that the best way to see the difference (outside of owning them yourself) is on a per pixel basis? Not only is this video on your site not even 480 horizontal lines big, it's not even from the original video stream, it's off a TV!!! what the hell is the point? I'd expect this lack of tech savvy from Cnet, but not here :P
Shibathedog @ Jan 13th 2007 12:05PM
of course it makes a huge difference! Has everyone forgotten about how much better HDTV looked when it first came out and this was pretty much the only HD resolution? i mean yeah it doesn't look as good as todays HD Standards, but it still looks a hell of a lot better than SDTV. I don't know about you but when HD first came out and i saw it i was amazed at how much better it looked than my SDTV.
Beavis @ Jan 13th 2007 12:12PM
If anyone is still looking for these, Play-Asia has them (3rd party) for $13.49 shipped. I picked them up myself and the quality is excellent. If anyone wants to see some pics let me know. Here is the link:
http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-463s-71-10z-49-en-84-j-70-1rch.html
fleisch @ Jan 13th 2007 3:17PM
Zelda looks way better with the component cables on my samsung 26" HD telly. Used to get horizontal lines showing up when links hair swayed or he fel in water..now none! its much crisper too! I use the official nintendo ones, got them from Game (check their online store as the shops themselves never have).
Slaziman @ Jan 13th 2007 12:48PM
What I would like is a comparison between Composite and Component... both running at 480i.
Why? Because in Europe we have a thing that's called RGB Scart, and works the same as component cables, but doesn't support 480p. Since Component input is only available on HD-ready TV's in Europe, I can't use that. But I'm not sure whether I should buy the RGB scart cable either :|
Anyone can do this? Please?
The ZeroCorpse @ Jan 13th 2007 1:29PM
If you have an HDTV, using composite is stupid. HD screens bring out EVERY LITTLE FLAW in SD video signals. Anybody who has watched SD television on an HDTV knows this. Switch to HD signal- even if it's just progressive scan Enhanced Definition 480P- and the same image will improve a great deal.
Composite video sucks. Always. It sucks even more when on an HDTV.
Evan @ Jan 13th 2007 3:13PM
@39 480i vs 480P
I found that 480i is slightly better than 480P! Maybe it's my MadCatz component cable, maybe it's the Wii's DAC, or maybe it's the video switcher in my amp, but 480P "feels" a little blurry in the horizontal direction. 480P requires double the frequency response of 480i, so it is possible. However, my tv has a very good de-interlacer that's probably cleaning up 480i a lot, some televisions might not de-interlace the image as well.
Regardless of 480i or 480P, component is certainly superior to composite!
Hirsbrunner @ Jan 13th 2007 3:24PM
I purchased the REACT component cables from BB just last night. Hooked 'em up.
It's a WORLD of difference on my TV. Granted, it's a flat tube, not a LCD, HD, BMW, PMS, ABC, 123, etc...
Still, I'm very happy with them. Zelda is much more crisp.
Adam Zey @ Jan 14th 2007 3:47PM
Sigh. Still, nobody has done a test showing the difference between 480i with composite and 480i with component.
Component cables predate HDTVs, you know. They even predate progressive scan (480p) TVs. And I'd love to know if component cables would make a difference on my 32" Sony Wega TV (that has component inputs, but is still 480i max).
Remember, there are a LOT of interlaced-only SD TVs out there with component input. Not everybody has HD, or even a progressive scan TV.
cybereality @ Jan 13th 2007 4:03PM
I'm still waiting for Nintendo to ship my component cables (what did they make, like 10 of them?). I've seen the components at a friends house and they do look noticably better. It almost makes some games, like Super Monkey Ball, look HD. It doesnt matter if you have a HD set or not, composite blows (and has sucked for many years). I've used nothing but S-Video connection for like that past 2 generations of systems. I'm surprised people are just discovering composite sucks.
Also, the Wii is optimized for SD screens. I see why Nintendo did this (to keep costs down) but its a bit disappointing to HDTV owners. Honestly the Wii looks much better on a SDTV. I hooked up my 5 year old Sony Trinitron 27" sdtv and my brand new Samsung 32" hdtv side by side and popped in Zelda. The quality looked much better on the older TV. The component cables do help, but they don't change the fact that the Wii can't handle HD. Nintendo just cheaped out bigtime. Seriously, when the Xbox1 can handle 1080i, its disappointing that Nintendo hasn't even heard of 720p.
ERrrr @ Jan 13th 2007 5:25PM
Since I played Wii for about 2 months at a Mall Kiosk Program with Component Cables on Sharp Aquios TV's, I can say there is a HUUUUGE difference with the 480p adjustment. That is, not a GOOD difference. The games look like crap on 480p, as you can see every single jagged edge it makes the game look horrible. (For Zelda at least.) Not too bad with Red Steel, but 480p = Not good on Wii.