WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

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vol.2
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by vol.2 »

splits wrote:
vol.2 wrote:If you have an oscilloscope, you could put it in video mode and trace the path back to see what's what. If you don't, I'm not sure what you could do.
I don't have one with enough bandwidth to see composite video signals, unfortunately. Maybe I should think about getting one...
If you have a function generator, even a cheap one, you could try to see if there is a break in continuity on the path somewhere between the composite video out pin on the AV chip to the multiout. That could tell you if there is an open component or broken trace. Be careful not to put any voltage on any pin above it's maximum rated input. check datasheets.

Also, go back and check continuity on all of your solder joints, especially the ribbon cables. They look good visually, but you never know.
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mickcris
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by mickcris »

splits wrote:I have a question for experienced WiiDual installers--has any one else lost composite video after an install (excluding cases where composite was disabled for csync)?

I installed a WiiDual 1.1 in a Japanese 06 Wii today, and I had hoped to keep both composite video and D-terminal video functional. I mostly wanted WiiDual for HDMI output.

This is my install.

When I tested my install, HDMI video worked fine. D-terminal video worked fine (before I removed Q7 and R55). However, I have no composite video. I kept the components along the path to composite out that are removed when using composite csync, and did not short any jumpers initially.

I later wondered if perhaps "No Where (Only Component Video and RGsB will work) - Do NOT short anything" on the install page could mean that if no jumper is shorted, then composite video will not work, so I removed Q7 and R55 and shorted jumpers 1 and 2. However, this brought no change.

I just see a brief white flash over composite, then nothing.

I think my install is clean, so I am not sure what may be going on.

Edit: my WiiDual is from the most recent batch, so I think it has FW 3.0e.

Any ideas? Is there a firmware setting I am missing perhaps?

On a related note: is s-video necessarily lost when using the WiiDual? There is a comment on the v2 YouTube install video where someone asks "I hope someone can help me with a question, if I plan on using HD RETROVISION Wii YPbPr Component Cable and hdmi would I still need to remove components or can I just install the mod. And if so which ones (the same that are remove here? Or less?)" and citrus300pri replies "No components would need to be removed if you only plan to use YPbPr."

So if I wanted to use YPbPr over a D-terminal cable, I could also leave those components in? And I would still have s-video?
There is a setting in the menu you have to turn off. IIRC its "Allow 480p Mode"
splits
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by splits »

mickcris wrote:There is a setting in the menu you have to turn off. IIRC its "Allow 480p Mode"
This was the issue. I had adjusted the settings after I first booted up over HDMI.

Thank you very much. Most of the OSD settings are self-explanatory, but others, like this one, were not clear to me.

Is there any central location for a description of the OSD menu for GC Video/WiiDual installs?
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by splits »

vol.2 wrote: If you have a function generator, even a cheap one, you could try to see if there is a break in continuity on the path somewhere between the composite video out pin on the AV chip to the multiout. That could tell you if there is an open component or broken trace. Be careful not to put any voltage on any pin above it's maximum rated input. check datasheets.
Good suggestion. Turns out my issue was a firmware setting, but had that not worked this was my next course of action (I closed up the system and was trying to avoid opening it back up).
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by Unseen »

splits wrote:Is there any central location for a description of the OSD menu for GC Video/WiiDual installs?
There is a README in the original sources.
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by splits »

Unseen wrote:There is a README in the original sources.
Thanks. I thought I had seen that before, but lost track of it, and hadn't clicked through all the subdirectories.
Kyusha
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by Kyusha »

newbie here, so this is an hdmi mod for the wii, right?

if this mod was performed on the gc, would gc games finally look the same as in the wii?

cheers @citrus3000psi
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vol.2
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by vol.2 »

Kyusha wrote:so this is an hdmi mod for the wii, right?
Yes, but it's not made anymore. There will eventually be a WiiDigital that you can follow. It might be some time before it's released. (over a year)
if this mod was performed on the gc, would gc games finally look the same as in the wii?
AFAIK, most people either prefer GC video output over the Wii playing a GC game OR believe that they are pretty much the same. Most people who did the GC Dual (the GC version of this mod) did so for the HDMI output and some extra firmware options. Also, it's a popular mod for people running swiss on a GC so you do extra stuff. I believe that GBA emulation is a major target for this, but I don't do it.

Therefore it's difficult to answer your second question, because it doesn't make much sense in the context. In general, if this mod is done for image quality improvement (as opposed to just HDMI digital 480p out of the console) it's generally done to the Wii in order to make the Wii video output better (because it's worse than the GC in 480p).

IAC, the mod is basically over from an availability perspective, so it's not a solution for you either way. Perhaps I misunderstood your question and someone else will be able to help, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree or you're simply under the wrong impression about GC vs Wii video quality in general.
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by Drunk_Caterpillar »

When it comes to GameCube games there's almost no question; I prefer the original console. If you buy a Carby, install the latest firmware, and boot your games through Swiss then it's the best those games have ever looked on original hardware, IMO. Nintendont and Devolution can improve performance and enable other cool features on the Wii or WiiU, but the problem is that the Wii's output is still subject to Nintendo's aggressive softening filters—even when you have a WiiDual installed. You can disable that filtration on a GameCube in Swiss, but to the best of my knowledge no one has taken the time to write a similar piece of software for the Wii. It's a crying shame—the Wii's library is full of incredible titles, but they've all had a thick coat of vaseline smeared over them. :(
Kyusha
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by Kyusha »

vol.2 wrote:
Kyusha wrote:so this is an hdmi mod for the wii, right?
Yes, but it's not made anymore. There will eventually be a WiiDigital that you can follow. It might be some time before it's released. (over a year)
if this mod was performed on the gc, would gc games finally look the same as in the wii?
AFAIK, most people either prefer GC video output over the Wii playing a GC game OR believe that they are pretty much the same. Most people who did the GC Dual (the GC version of this mod) did so for the HDMI output and some extra firmware options. Also, it's a popular mod for people running swiss on a GC so you do extra stuff. I believe that GBA emulation is a major target for this, but I don't do it.

Therefore it's difficult to answer your second question, because it doesn't make much sense in the context. In general, if this mod is done for image quality improvement (as opposed to just HDMI digital 480p out of the console) it's generally done to the Wii in order to make the Wii video output better (because it's worse than the GC in 480p).

IAC, the mod is basically over from an availability perspective, so it's not a solution for you either way. Perhaps I misunderstood your question and someone else will be able to help, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree or you're simply under the wrong impression about GC vs Wii video quality in general.
sorry, english aint my first language so perhaps there was some kind of malfunction

i know the gc outputs a better video quality when playing gc videos than wii does, so, would this mod essentially "unify" gc quality games?

im new to modding so i guess this is like a ps1 digital mod, right? is the new mod better than the old one?

thanks for replying, this aint my first time posting so i appreciate it
Kyusha
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by Kyusha »

Drunk_Caterpillar wrote:When it comes to GameCube games there's almost no question; I prefer the original console. If you buy a Carby, install the latest firmware, and boot your games through Swiss then it's the best those games have ever looked on original hardware, IMO. Nintendont and Devolution can improve performance and enable other cool features on the Wii or WiiU, but the problem is that the Wii's output is still subject to Nintendo's aggressive softening filters—even when you have a WiiDual installed. You can disable that filtration on a GameCube in Swiss, but to the best of my knowledge no one has taken the time to write a similar piece of software for the Wii. It's a crying shame—the Wii's library is full of incredible titles, but they've all had a thick coat of vaseline smeared over them. :(
yeah, im aware of it, im essentially asking if this wii mod would make a gc useless (as far as video quality goes) other than for playing game boy titles :)
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vol.2
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by vol.2 »

Kyusha wrote: i know the gc outputs a better video quality when playing gc videos than wii does, so, would this mod essentially "unify" gc quality games?

im new to modding so i guess this is like a ps1 digital mod, right? is the new mod better than the old one?

thanks for replying, this aint my first time posting so i appreciate it

Ok. No worries. We are an international forum here, so all trying to understand each other.

I think what you want to know is "Does WiiDual give you the same quality for GC games as a regular GC console."

The answer is, that depends on who you ask. I think most people agree that WiiDual with the latest firmware is going to give you equal to GC video output for RGB and it should be identical to the GC Dual mod video output.

Some people seem to have a preference for the original console, I don't. I prefer my WiiDual modded Wii because it plays both and I believe it looks at least as good(if not better) than a GC.

The Wii Digital is "like" the Playstation Digital in that it is made by the same person. The concept is the same. They will take the video from the original unit and output over HDMI.

Again, you should know that WiiDual and GCDual are no longer available and not made anymore. Wii Digital is not yet finished and it may be a very long time before this will come out. It's hard to say.
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by Kyusha »

vol.2 wrote:
Kyusha wrote: i know the gc outputs a better video quality when playing gc videos than wii does, so, would this mod essentially "unify" gc quality games?

im new to modding so i guess this is like a ps1 digital mod, right? is the new mod better than the old one?

thanks for replying, this aint my first time posting so i appreciate it

Ok. No worries. We are an international forum here, so all trying to understand each other.

I think what you want to know is "Does WiiDual give you the same quality for GC games as a regular GC console."

The answer is, that depends on who you ask. I think most people agree that WiiDual with the latest firmware is going to give you equal to GC video output for RGB and it should be identical to the GC Dual mod video output.

Some people seem to have a preference for the original console, I don't. I prefer my WiiDual modded Wii because it plays both and I believe it looks at least as good(if not better) than a GC.

The Wii Digital is "like" the Playstation Digital in that it is made by the same person. The concept is the same. They will take the video from the original unit and output over HDMI.

Again, you should know that WiiDual and GCDual are no longer available and not made anymore. Wii Digital is not yet finished and it may be a very long time before this will come out. It's hard to say.
i see, thank you very much, you summed it perfectly :) it will be cool to only carry a wii around and not both systems anymore once the wii digital comes out, now you said that the creator of the psx digital its the same, isnt he working on ps2 digital as well? on which other systems is he working on?

sorry of the offtopic
Issac Zachary
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by Issac Zachary »

I finally got a WiiDual compatible Wii and now I see that it's no longer made. I was looking for the RGB capability and have no desire to play on HDMI (at least for now until CRT's no longer exist.)

So the question is, what do I do now?

1. Would a YPbPr to RGB converter be my best option right now?
2. My TV doesn't have YPbPr, so maybe trying to get one would that I can also convert to RGB would work even though I already have an RGB modded TV?
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vol.2
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by vol.2 »

Issac Zachary wrote:I finally got a WiiDual compatible Wii and now I see that it's no longer made. I was looking for the RGB capability and have no desire to play on HDMI (at least for now until CRT's no longer exist.)

So the question is, what do I do now?

1. Would a YPbPr to RGB converter be my best option right now?
Yeah, if I was in your position, I would do Mike Chi's COMP2RGB. That's probably your best bet. https://www.retrotink.com/product-page/comp2rgb
2. My TV doesn't have YPbPr, so maybe trying to get one would that I can also convert to RGB would work even though I already have an RGB modded TV?
Maybe, but the converter should be good quality, and it's $80 versus the price and hassle of a new TV. Depends on your larger situation and how you would feel about the additional equipment.
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by andykara2003 »

Issac Zachary wrote:I finally got a WiiDual compatible Wii and now I see that it's no longer made. I was looking for the RGB capability and have no desire to play on HDMI (at least for now until CRT's no longer exist.)

So the question is, what do I do now?

1. Would a YPbPr to RGB converter be my best option right now?
2. My TV doesn't have YPbPr, so maybe trying to get one would that I can also convert to RGB would work even though I already have an RGB modded TV?
As far as I know, a better mod’s coming out by Dan called the Wii Digital. I think it’ll have the same analogue output as the WiiDual but really good upscaling on the HDMI output. Not sure when to expect it but it’ll be the new gold standard.
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by Issac Zachary »

vol.2 wrote:Yeah, if I was in your position, I would do Mike Chi's COMP2RGB. That's probably your best bet. https://www.retrotink.com/product-page/comp2rgb

Maybe, but the converter should be good quality, and it's $80 versus the price and hassle of a new TV. Depends on your larger situation and how you would feel about the additional equipment.
Thanks! Ya, used CRT TV's are still plentiful. It's just I don't have room for two, and getting rid of them is probably the harder part. But the Retrotink Comp2RGB might be just as good. Thanks!
andykara2003 wrote:As far as I know, a better mod’s coming out by Dan called the Wii Digital. I think it’ll have the same analogue output as the WiiDual but really good upscaling on the HDMI output. Not sure when to expect it but it’ll be the new gold standard.
I'll have to keep an eye out for that. Personally I'm not against new fangled flat panel displays, but for some reason I have more fun on my CRT and I'm not entirely sure why.
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vol.2
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by vol.2 »

Issac Zachary wrote: I'll have to keep an eye out for that. Personally I'm not against new fangled flat panel displays, but for some reason I have more fun on my CRT and I'm not entirely sure why.
I'm not totally sure that WiiDigital is also going to have the RGB output. I thought for some reason that it wasn't going to. I would confirm that before making any assumptions.
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by strygo »

I finally had my WiiDual installed after having gotten one of the final WiiDual kits last August. The installer didn't hook up RGBS, so I opened up the Wii (ugh, so many screws) and removed the d-terminal components and bridged pads 1+2. I'm seeing incorrect colors even though I'm using a Retro Access WiiDual cable. The WiiDual is running 3.0e ("GC Mode") -- I'm assuming this was pre-installed by citrius3000psi, but I'm not certain. My assumption is the cable is correct (having been wired according to the non-standard pinout used only by WiiDual).

In reading the various forum posts, it seems like over late 2019 through 2020, there was some flip-flopping of the RGB pinouts used, but I'm not 100% sure where things have landed at this point. Is citrus's firmware different than the one found on the GC Video github? Have they both aligned on the original non-standard pinout? Any guidance here on how to resolve my problem would be greatly appreciated.

My plan otherwise is to load up the various 3.x firmwares and see if one in particular resolves my problem, but I'd love some more definitive intel. Thanks!
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by Unseen »

strygo wrote:The WiiDual is running 3.0e ("GC Mode")
Does it show "GC Mode" while on the Wii home screen? If so, something is wrong with the digital audio signals of your install.
strygo wrote:I'm seeing incorrect colors even though I'm using a Retro Access WiiDual cable.
How would you describe the (originally white) color of the Wii's home screen?
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by strygo »

Unseen wrote: Does it show "GC Mode" while on the Wii home screen? If so, something is wrong with the digital audio signals of your install.
Yes, I see GC Mode on the Wii home screen.
Unseen wrote: How would you describe the (originally white) color of the Wii's home screen?
In HDMI, everything looks great. The color issue looks identical to what was seen in this post:

https://forums.black-dog.tech/index.php ... output.52/

This person was using a stock Wii RGB cable, which seems different than my situation. One other piece of info: I happen to have a Retro Access GCHD MK-II cable as well, which from my understanding should be equivalent to a PAL Wii cable. When using that cable, I observe the same miscolored behavior:

Image
strayan
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by strayan »

Have you tried RGsB?

Edit: ah, nevermind, looks like rgb is swapped around on wiidual if I’m reading it right
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by strygo »

I have a gscartsw, so RGsB is supported in my setup. RGB and RGsB look identical - both exhibit the same color issues. Notably YPbPr looks solid red, so this would reinforce the idea that the colors are swapped.

As of the latest firmware, my understanding is that it should be back to the non-standard pinout, is this true? Is there a difference between the firmware that is published on GitHub and what Dan hosts?

The fact that I’m seeing the same color issue on both of my cables would seem to imply my cable itself has the issue. Can I downgrade to an earlier firmware version whose colors are swapped to confirm this?
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by strygo »

Unseen wrote: How would you describe the (originally white) color of the Wii's home screen?
I was able to do some more testing today.

I discovered that I am required to use Dan's updater dol files as opposed to the ones in the repository. The official ones restrict the ability to update Dan's WiiDual 1.1 boards. Can this restriction be lifted?

I was able to move between versions 3.0c and 3.0e. In all cases, the About menu reports as being in GC mode. I don't know why or what the consequences of this might be. Could this be an issue with Dan's firmware?

When downgrading to 3.0c, my color problem was resolved, so this seems to imply that my cable is wired to match a PAL Wii. Might it be possible to introduce an "RGB (swapped)" setting in the firmware to allow both modes to be supported?
TyMiles2012
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by TyMiles2012 »

I don't have a modded Wii just yet (Planning to build myself a WiiHDMI GCVideo based board using wmi-0's github repository for my RVL-CPU-01), but can someone test something for me so I know something ahead of time? What resolution does N64 VC games render at according to GCVideo via 480p (Looking at Input on the OSD)? Or at least specifically Ocarina of Time. I'm wondering because even with the mod, there's a possibility the emulator could be doing a 720x480 rendering resolution, which is not correct, so you see blended pixels which are VERY visible on my VGA CRT, which is in the attached image. (Image was one I had on hand regarding Twilight Princess for GC with the carby on my CRT, but it's the same idea) Basically, stock component looks like left image, I'm hoping a GCVideo mod for Wii of any sort will make it look like the right image for N64 VC.

Image
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by strygo »

strygo wrote: I was able to do some more testing today.

I discovered that I am required to use Dan's updater dol files as opposed to the ones in the repository. The official ones restrict the ability to update Dan's WiiDual 1.1 boards. Can this restriction be lifted?

I was able to move between versions 3.0c and 3.0e. In all cases, the About menu reports as being in GC mode. I don't know why or what the consequences of this might be. Could this be an issue with Dan's firmware?

When downgrading to 3.0c, my color problem was resolved, so this seems to imply that my cable is wired to match a PAL Wii. Might it be possible to introduce an "RGB (swapped)" setting in the firmware to allow both modes to be supported?
I spent time last week getting the dev environment working and was able to modify 3.0e to have swapped RGB on my console. With all my problems of video, I hadn't realized that I don't have functioning audio. The diagnostic tool indicates that LRClock is missing. I've checked and re-checked the soldering of these pins against this diagram. Everything looks correct. I have noticed that I have continuity between the LRCK pin and the pin right above it in this diagram despite seeing no evidence of solder connecting the two. Is this expected? Does anyone have experience with this problem with the WiiDual? If so, any pointers?
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by bahamutfan64 »

Are you using un-leaded solder?

Those two pins should not be connected.
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by strygo »

bahamutfan64 wrote:Are you using un-leaded solder?

Those two pins should not be connected.
I didn’t originally do the mod, but I’m fairly certain it is lead-free solder.

I see no signs visually that the pins are connected anywhere. I will post a photo for reference.
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by strygo »

Here are some photos of the install: https://imgur.com/a/BNC83lG

Any feedback or thoughts are appreciated!
bahamutfan64
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Re: WiiDual / GCVideo discussion

Post by bahamutfan64 »

Even though certain pins aren't connected, I don't think I've ever seen them so blatantly unsoldered like they were here. I personally would just reflow everything.

You've enabled Enhanced DVI mode, right? Without it there won't be any audio over HDMI.
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