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brochiller · Nov 25, 2012

Lock faster than a game of Nintendo Land if old.

I know there's an Overscan issue with Wii U on certain HDTVs, but I feel like this is a bigger issue and severely affects the playability of games. While most of us have HDTVs now I know there are still some GAFers out there who use an SDTV primarily, and if I were one of them I would not buy a Wii U at this point, as you'll see below.

When using a 4:3 TV with a non-HDMI cable (though I don't know any 4:3 TVs with an HDMI input), the image gets cut off at the edges pretty severely. There is no way I can find to fix this, and Nintendo even admits the issue in the menu when setting up your TV. To top it off, there are still black bars at the top and bottom of the TV screen at all times.

I've taken some quick photos of the issue below to illustrate how bad it is.

Nintendo admitting their mistake:

eShop Photo: Notice how you can barely see any of the left side of the menu.

Nintendo Land

NSMBU (parts of the UI elements are cut off)

Bonus: Every I start up my Wii U the image is displayed in black and white until I go into the settings and mess around with the resolution.

FYI, I am actually using my Wii S-video cable for the connection right now, it doesn't seem to make any difference in terms of the cut off problem.

Wario64 · Nov 25, 2012

And this is a problem because...?

Currygan · Nov 25, 2012

Wario64 said:
And this is a problem because...?

because Nintendo

sixteen-bit · Nov 25, 2012

Wario64 said:
And this is a problem because...?

It cuts off the play area.

phosphor112 · Nov 25, 2012

Lol. Oh Nintendo.

xbhaskarx · Nov 25, 2012

Wario64 said:
And this is a problem because...?

Time travelers from the previous millennium can't take WiiU back home with them.

Wario64 · Nov 25, 2012

_dementia said:
It cuts off the play area.

Buy a real TV. Nintendo don't care about poor

Ryoku · Nov 25, 2012

This is 2012. If you can afford a Wii U, chances are that you can afford a decent HDTV. I understand the concerns for input response time, but nowadays, it's not really much of an issue.

plagiarize · Nov 25, 2012

this is overscan. your TV was doing it on every other console game ever unless it gives you overscan compensation. Miiverse and the Wii U shop have overscan compensation if you check settings. Some Wii U games have overscan compensation and some do not.

your TV is cutting off the play area, not the Wii U. this is not a new problem, nor is this complaint a new complaint about the Wii U.

if only there was a second screen you had, that showed the information which was cutoff...

ThoughtsOfSpeaking · Nov 25, 2012

there is gonna be a shitstgorm when the 720 and ps4 dont even have component inputs.

oh wait....

ElRenoRaven · Nov 25, 2012

Don't worry it's not just SDTVs. Hopefully Nintendo will release a patch to fix the issue.

Yes Boss! · Nov 25, 2012

Ha,

Their version of crop/pan-n-scan.

I don't really see the issue...this is a system designed for HDMI/HDTV. This is their solution. They could have letterboxed it like 360/PS3. But this is Generation 8 and this is a system for 16:9.

They got shit for going component 480p stretched 6+ years ago. Are they really gonna get shit now for embracing HDTV finally?

Diablos54 · Nov 25, 2012

First they were behind the times with no HD support, now they're too far in front of the times with crappy SD support!

WHEN WILL YOU LEARN LOLTENDO!?

But seriously, who has a 4:3 TV anymore? You can get a little HDTV for less than a Wii U these days anyway.

Rootbeer · Nov 25, 2012

I haven't used a 4:3 display in 7 or more years and i never plan to again. Not an issue me or anyone I know is likely to encounter, but it's interesting I guess.

BY2K · Nov 25, 2012

_dementia said:
It cuts off the play area.

No, it cuts off the HUD.

NYR · Nov 25, 2012

It's 2012, days away from 2013. Why is anyone buying a Wii U when they have an SD TV??

If this is a problem for you, get your priorities straight and buy a new TV. This is not a problem.

LiK · Nov 25, 2012

they only included a HDMI cable for a reason.

outunderthestars · Nov 25, 2012

Why should Nintendo support SDTV's in 2012?

Go buy an HDTV.

ShockingAlberto · Nov 25, 2012

4:3 TVs with HDMI...?

I mean, this problem sucks for those people and I hope they get a fix soon, but I genuinely did not know this was a thing that existed.

alfredofroylan · Nov 25, 2012

Diablos54 said:
But seriously, who has a 4:3 TV anymore? You can get a little HDTV for less than a Wii U these days anyway.

I still have my old Trinitron, mostly to play N64, PS1 and old SNES/NES titles.

Bog · Nov 25, 2012

We're just hearing about this now because... Oh yeah, because no one buying a $350 console has to worry about this.

KojiKnight · Nov 25, 2012

Title is misleading... It states quite clearly that if you hookup an HDMI cable to an SD TV at 4:3 it'll display fine!

*Pfffffft* Nintendo sometimes you silly.

(edit) Seriously though... You can get a 1280x720 PC monitor for just over $100. You can get a 32inch 720p for a couple hundred... generally no one is going to be using an old tuber on a new game console so it's mostly a non-issue.

Forkball · Nov 25, 2012

I don't get how I'm supposed to screw in the HDMI cable. Do I need to unplug the antenna first?

oatmeal · Nov 25, 2012

It's a dumb decision (that can prolly be fixed if it becomes a big problem)...but they just can't win.

EmCeeGramr · Nov 25, 2012

A 4:3 SDTV is lower resolution than the GamePad itself, and that's saying something.

Currygan · Nov 25, 2012

phosphor112 said:
Lol. Oh Nintendo.

Wario64 · Nov 25, 2012

EmCeeGramr said:
A 4:3 SDTV is lower resolution than the GamePad itself, and that's saying something.

But the TV is bigger than the gamepad. ur dumb

Arkam · Nov 25, 2012

Wario64 said:
And this is a problem because...?

Lol exactly what I came to post. Such a nonissue. Most games on ps3/360 BARELY support sdtv's as it is.

metalslimer · Nov 25, 2012

ShockingAlberto said:
4:3 TVs with HDMI...?

I mean, this problem sucks for those people and I hope they get a fix soon, but I genuinely did not know this was a thing that existed.

Me either

entremet · Nov 25, 2012

Can't please everyone.

Fried Food · Nov 25, 2012

Who uses optical anymore?
Who uses ethernet anymore?
Who uses 4:3 tv anymore?

I never thought nintendo would be the one to draw the line in the sand on "old" technology.

PotatoeMasher · Nov 25, 2012

This is going to be bad news for Gahiggidy's setup.

Or maybe the Gamecube Hut sells some newer TVs now.

BHK3 · Nov 25, 2012

Don't use old tvs to play new systems.

Pociask · Nov 25, 2012

SDTV-Gaf unite!

I have a tv. When it stops working, I'll replace it. Although damn every year Black Friday gets harder to resist.

KojiKnight · Nov 25, 2012

oatmeal said:
It's a dumb decision (that can prolly be fixed if it becomes a big problem)...but they just can't win.

Nintendo won't fix it though. People wanted Nintendo to go HD, so it is and it doesn't plan on focusing on the past beyond phoned in legacy support. Hence surround being tied to HDMI only, hence no ethernet port, hence hiding BC behind a wall in the system, etc.

Dreamwriter · Nov 25, 2012

Has nothing to do with 4:3 at all, the Wii U has no problems with 4:3 TV's. It's overscan, which happens a lot more on old non-flat CRT TV's than modern LCD TV's, because you aren't seeing the actual edge of the screen, the screen disappears under the TV's frame, and it's the part that's under the frame where the images you see as cut-off are appearing.

The problem is with the games, not with the Wii-U - the games either need to move important HUD elements to where they should be safe from overscan, or need to have an overscan option that scales the entire image (making it look worse), like you can do in Miiverse and a couple other apps.

RedSwirl · Nov 25, 2012

plagiarize said:
this is overscan. your TV was doing it on every other console game ever unless it gives you overscan compensation. Miiverse and the Wii U shop have overscan compensation if you check settings. Some Wii U games have overscan compensation and some do not.

your TV is cutting off the play area, not the Wii U. this is not a new problem, nor is this complaint a new complaint about the Wii U.

if only there was a second screen you had, that showed the information which was cutoff...

Still needs to be a system-wide feature on every console going forward.

phosphor112 · Nov 25, 2012

Ryoku said:
This is 2012. If you can afford a Wii U, chances are that you can afford a decent HDTV. I understand the concerns for input response time, but nowadays, it's not really much of an issue.

I can afford a 800 dollar HDMI receiver with 5.1 surround sound.

That doesn't mean I should buy an 800 dollar surround sound kit just to get 5.1 because options suck.

EDIT: fixed my brain fart wording.

benny_a · Nov 25, 2012

ShockingAlberto said:
4:3 TVs with HDMI...?

I mean, this problem sucks for those people and I hope they get a fix soon, but I genuinely did not know this was a thing that existed.

He says 4:3 TVs not connected with HDMI. He says he does not know what happens with a 4:3 TV that supports HDMI.

OP said:
When using a 4:3 TV with a non-HDMI cable (though I don't know any 4:3 TVs with an HDMI input), the image gets cut off at the edges pretty severely.

Diablos54 · Nov 25, 2012

PotatoeMasher said:
This is going to be bad news for Gahiggidy's setup.

?

catabarez · Nov 25, 2012

Fried Food said:
Who uses optical anymore?
Who uses ethernet anymore?
Who uses 4:3 tv anymore?

I never thought nintendo would be the one to draw the line in the sand on "old" technology.

Technically it supports Ethernet. I use the same adapter I had for my Wii.

sixteen-bit · Nov 25, 2012

PotatoeMasher said:
This is going to be bad news for Gahiggidy's setup.

just pick up an RF switch at GameCube hut.

BladeoftheImmortal · Nov 25, 2012

Should've put down 200 for a new TV before you put 350 down on a new system...

Alcoholikaust · Nov 25, 2012

You have money for a 350 dollar system, but still use a 4:3??

Priorities????

sixteen-bit · Nov 25, 2012

Alcoholikaust said:
You have money for a 350 dollar system, but still use a 4:3??

Priorities????

Maybe his priorities include input lag.

Poyunch · Nov 25, 2012

Wii U doesn't even come packaged with composite cables.

Dreamwriter · Nov 25, 2012

RedSwirl said:
Still needs to be a system-wide feature on every console going forward.

A system-wide feature that somehow knows where a game's HUD elements are, what the important ones are, and moves them out of the overscan? Or a system-wide feature that scales the entire image smaller, losing even more detail and making the game uglier, not to mention affecting the performance of every game released on the system?

No, this should not be a system-wide feature, it needs to be a game-by-game feature, like it always has been (this is a problem as old as time, the Wii U isn't doing anything different from any other game console, going all the way back to the Atari 2600.

The Mana Legend · Nov 25, 2012

Nintendo don't do HD, people complain because they only do SD. Nintendo does HD, people complain because Nintendo don't do SD, an all but dead type of TV.

It never ends.

Drago · Nov 25, 2012

Diablos54 said:
?

What is even the full story behind this picture?

tenchir · Nov 25, 2012

phosphor112 said:
I can afford a 800 dollar HDMI receiver with 5.1 surround sound.

That means I should buy an 800 dollar surround sound kit just to get 5.1 because options suck.

Are you saying the most inexpensive decent surround sound system you can get is 800 dollars?

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