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Monster's Wii cables selling at horrifying prices
We had heard about Monster Cable's plans to sell Wii component cables several weeks ago, but we held off on announcing the product until its inevitable boutique pricing was revealed. Amazon now has the item available for sale, listing the 10' cables at $59.99. That's double what Nintendo charges for its official component cable and six times the cost of other third-party solutions.Now that component cables for the Wii are in good supply, are prices like that justifiable? We understand that Monster is aiming for the high-end market, but how different can its product be from what others are selling for much cheaper? Does the quality actually match the pricing?
Team Xtender announces component to VGA adapter box
Its multi-console-connecting component cable has yet to make it out of "preview mode," but the folks at Team Xtender already seem to have another component-centered video game accessory in the bag, now showing off their XCM Multi-cable V2 PC Monitor Adapter. As that mouthful of a name suggests, the little black box will take the component end of the included multi-headed component cable (or presumably any other component cable) and convert it into a VGA signal by the time it reaches the monitor plugged into the other end of the box. Team Xtender has also been thoughtful enough to include a second port and a handy switch for those that still want use their monitor for computing duties. As with their component cable, however, they haven't spilled any details on pricing or availability just yet, although they are happy to sign up anyone willing to sell 'em.[Thanks, WunSick]
Make your own Wii component cables; play homebrew
Looks like the Wii hacking is fully underway this weekend, with guides both on how to make your own Wii component cables (since apparently it's still super difficult for Nintendo to flood the damned market with 'em), as well as to play homebrew games. On the component cable side, it looks like what you need to do is follow the Wii AV pinout, re-arrange the pins on an AV cable, then rewire those to a new set of cables with RCA ends; if you wire it the right way, you can even use a toggle to switch between component and composite. We're not saying it's easy, but it's not heart surgery, either. As for the homebrew, it's appears to be slightly less tricky, but essentially you need an SD card and SD to GameCube adapter, a GameCube Action Replay pack, and some patience while you enter in a 28 line long 474 character code. Enjoy playing that hacked Wii running emulators and homebrew on a faux component cable -- remember Nintendo, the people will always get what the people want.[Thanks, Ryan]Read - component cable hackRead - homebrew hack
Hooking up a Wii to your HDTV? Preorder cables now
The Nintendo Wii might max out at a 480p resolution, but plenty of HDTV owning gamers will be picking one up at launch. Unfortunately, component cables for the console (not included -- although even some high priced consoles don't have them either) won't be available on store shelves at launch either. With the cables not listed as arriving until December at popular videogame retailers, the only sure option is to order now from Nintendo's website and spend extra on shipping. If you're asking yourself why cables are so important when the system is at best EDTV anyway, remember the lessons learned from the last generation. PlayStation 2 and Xbox games (and other sources) are considerably clearer on HDTVs when using component connections as compared to S-Video or composite cables, and early reviews of the Wii show the same trend. Remember, friends don't let friends game in 480i.Read - Wii component cables available online now, in stores December 5Read - PSA: Use the right cables for your TV
PS3: component cables sold separately [update 1]
Both models of the Japanese PlayStation 3 will be packaged with only composite (red, white, and yellow) cables, according to a report from uber-popular gaming magazine Famitsu. We've talked to death about its lack of an HDMI cable, component cable inputs are available even on standard definition screens to enhance the image, as are S-video inputs.Those with PS2 component cables will be happy to know that they work with the PS3. A quick search on GameStop reveals a third-party PS2 component cable for only $14.99. While $15 is relatively little money to the consumer, it would likely cost Sony even less to pack in a cable of its own, or at least create a six-prong composite/component hybrid, similar to the Xbox 360.Let's throw this one to the masses: are those who intend to buy a PlayStation 3 discouraged by this news?[Thanks, The Dude][Update 1: clarified source, currently affected regions.]
