Wii gets TV guide channel, Wiimote becomes universal in Japan
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Mar 4th 2008 at 11:54AM }
Additionally, while using the TV Friend Channel, the Wiimote will operate as a semi-functional universal remote, capable of changing channels, adjusting volume, and switching between the Wii and TV inputs. The 'hack' is accomplished with the sensor bar, which sends out an IR signal compatible with your display. The signal is bounced off a wall (or your head or whatever) and ideally lands on your TV's IR port. There's a faceless female voice that guides you through the IR calibration process via the Wiimote speaker (we knew it had a purpose!), just in case your screen goes dark ... and stays that way. Hey, it's free, remember?
[Via Engadget Japanese; thanks to Ittousai for translating!]
Gallery: TV Friend Channel (Wii)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Mar 4th 2008 11:58AM
This would be utterly lame, except for that part about it doubling as a universal remote.
That makes it only mostly lame.
Vince @ Mar 4th 2008 12:01PM
so i'm an elderly citizen because all i can afford is SD programming?
Curtis the Claw Game Master V2 @ Mar 4th 2008 12:02PM
Yes.
Intentless @ Mar 4th 2008 12:04PM
its 10 bux more with most cable providers to ge digital.... hell just rent the box for 5ish for the guide and on demand...
Vince @ Mar 4th 2008 12:05PM
and then i have to buy an HD TV and the DVR box. i'm a college student. I don't have that kind of money to throw around.
WiNG @ Mar 4th 2008 1:01PM
Vince, forget these lamers. Don't spend money on stuff you don't need, especially while the country is heading into a recession.
Save your money, and when you're out of college and have a nice job, then buy a nice TV. It will cost half as much as what the early-adopters pay for it, anyway.
Foetoid @ Mar 4th 2008 3:37PM
Ouch, you guys in the US have to pay for Digital? Here in Australia there is effectivly 3 types of TV:
Free-to-air analog: Standard free-to-air TV which most people have (and gets every single good US show) containing about 5-8 channels.
Free-to-air Digital: Effectivly the same thing as above except broadcast in 16:9 native with a far crisper image and a few bonus channels, including HD versions of all normal channels providing you buy a HD Digital Set-top-box rather than an SD version. Plus you then need the TV to play it. I've got an SD Digital Set-top-box plugged into a very standard 29inch tube TV and it looks great. SD box costs start at US$30, HD about $US90
Pay-TV: I guess this is the same as your 'cable' TV. Has 50+ channels, not in Digital, but does run 16:9 if you wish.
So yeah here in australia, digital and digital HD channels are totally free and although we dont have as many channels, we still get every single high-profile US show anyway, and a lot of those in HD.
NATO_Duke @ Mar 4th 2008 12:03PM
I guess the universal remote idea is kinda neat. Kinda. I still don't think the guide channel is valuable though, as most who have wifi will have cable tv too. Seems largely useless for most people.
DomoBraden @ Mar 4th 2008 12:04PM
Oh snap! I could totally use this. My regular remote control and TV Guide channel just don't cut it anymore. How did people manage to even get by without this channel before?
NATO_Duke @ Mar 4th 2008 12:11PM
You dont need an HD tv for digital signal - the 2 have nothing to do with each other.
Co @ Mar 4th 2008 1:28PM
I've been beating that statement into peoples heads for years. They don't listen.
I can't believe people still think that come Feb. 2009 anyone that doesn't have an HD set wont be able to watch TV.
NATO_Duke @ Mar 4th 2008 2:05PM
Yeah I just don't get it either.
seishino @ Mar 4th 2008 5:17PM
The remote functionality would be great at parties, especially if it could be expanded out to cover different component IO's like the more expensive universal remots.
Vidikron (FU) @ Mar 4th 2008 12:34PM
This does seem kind of worthless, but it's hard to complain too much about a free optional channel.
WiNG @ Mar 4th 2008 1:02PM
Yeah, to everyone saying it's lame:
It IS lame, but it's also free and optional. So, as Heavy Weapons Guy would say:
CRY SOME MORE!
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Mar 4th 2008 1:05PM
Appropriately priced to fit the market.
ComradeTrotskii @ Mar 4th 2008 12:55PM
My first reaction is that it seems kind of odd that a videogame (video game? vid30g4m3!) company would be promoting watching television, surely they would want people spending time (money) on their product instead.
But despite this service sounding pretty rubbish compared to even the most basic of digital guide services it actually looks like another decent move for Nintendo in getting hitherto uninterested people to actually pick up a Wiimote.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Mar 4th 2008 1:04PM
And thats probably what this is all about, too.
ComradeTrotskii @ Mar 4th 2008 1:11PM
Well, yeah.
Wait, what?
Mr Khan @ Mar 4th 2008 5:06PM
A good chunk of us don't have digital cable, because we're already paying about $60 a month for your basic 70 channels, and we don't want to pay upwards of $100
Yeah, Legal local monopolies (deals where they pay the municipality for monopoly rights, then pass the costs onto the consumer) suck
Matt @ Mar 4th 2008 3:30PM
@Intentless
You are making the assumption however that people are paying for standard cable. Basic cable is in fact only about $17 a month so that upgrade to the $60+ dollar a month service would be pretty hefty.
Besides with the internet and videogames I need those 150+ channels why?
Squirrel3D @ Mar 4th 2008 6:44PM
Um no man....around here in baltimore, it's about $52 a month for basic cable. I know this because my sister told me the other day.
PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ Mar 4th 2008 1:24PM
i mean it does seem kinda cool i guess with the ratings and everything. could be a good way to discover a new show you might like. and the universal remote sounds interesting. other than that, i have DirecTv with autotune (no DVR unfortunately) and a smartphone. if there is something coming on that i want to watch that bad, i just put it in my calender and put it on autotune.
i realize you cant really complain about free but you certainly get what you pay for cause this seems close to useless.
Squirrel3D @ Mar 4th 2008 2:22PM
Oh my god.....my TV is gonna be so useless when---oh that's right, I have Direct TV. Cable and Satilite customers won't notice jack when Feburary 2009 arrives.
The functions of the Wiimote and your TV sounds nice, but my direct tv remote does this already.
License to ill @ Mar 4th 2008 5:01PM
Directv HD DVR FTW...
michael @ Mar 4th 2008 2:37PM
this doesn't seem that useless. especially for those with JUST basic cable service. when you think about it, you could be browsing the guide on your Wii, click on the show you want to watch, and since the sensor bar can send information to your TV IR, it could just change the channel for you. it would have a blank screen for a few a second due to the inputs switching from the AUX to the tuner, but whatever, it's free. end of story. pee pee time.
Nick the Hero of Canton @ Mar 4th 2008 2:42PM
DO WANT.
No really, fuck the TV Guide Network and their shitty programming I have to sit through just to know what's on (Idol Chat....really?)
Alex @ Mar 4th 2008 3:03PM
Does Nintendo think it's funny to bounce IR signals off our heads?
Martez @ Mar 4th 2008 3:21PM
My HD set has EPG built in. It sucks.
Sora267 @ Mar 4th 2008 5:46PM
Wait, you mean the Wiimote speaker's purpose WASN'T to turn Pedobear on with Midna's giggles?
Derick @ Mar 4th 2008 7:42PM
I really wish Nintendo had stuck to games.
That's what they said they were all about right?
I wish they'd stop making consoles and just make really good games again.
Enough of this channel Shit.
mocax @ Mar 5th 2008 9:37AM
Maybe it's a project by Nintendo interns. Pretty cool.
hvnlysoldr @ Mar 9th 2008 5:37PM
I wonder what homebrew can be used for wiimote to work as a universal remote.