How to Hook a Wii Up to a Flat Screen
By Ashley Poland
The Nintendo Wii comes with an RCA cable to connect your device to a TV, a cable type that is slowly becoming obsolete in a high-definition, flat-screen TV world. While many flat-screen TVs have RCA inputs, the RCA cable isn't your only option for connecting your Wii to your TV, or even your best option. You can also connect your Wii to a TV using a component cable that is capable of displaying the Wii picture in high definition.
Step 1
Locate the inputs on your TV for either RCA or component cables. RCA inputs are colored yellow for video and red and white for audio; component inputs also have the red and white audio inputs, but also have green, blue and red video inputs.
Step 2
Plug the audio/video mutli-out end of the cable into the back of the Wii. This cable fits into the port that looks like a rectangle with the top left corner cut off.
Step 3
Plug the audio/video connectors on the other end of the cable into the corresponding color-coded inputs for either an RCA or component cable, depending on which cable you are using. If you're using a component cable with a yellow connector on it, leave the yellow plug hanging and do not plug it into the TV; it's not necessary to connect it to the TV.
Step 4
Connect any additional components to your Wii, then turn on both the TV and the Wii to test the configuration. If you're using a component video cable, change the screen output to HD by selecting the Wii button in the lower-left corner of the screen and then selecting "Screen" on the first page. Select "EDTV or HDTV (480p)" and then select "Confirm."
References
Tips
- While the component connection will give you higher definition than the RCA cable, the Wii is only capable of showing 480p HD. As a result, don't expect the same HD resolution you get from other gaming consoles, such as the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.
Writer Bio
Ashley Poland has been writing since 2009. She has worked with local online businesses, supplying print and web content, and pursues an active interest in the computer, technology and gaming industries. In addition to content writing, Poland is also a fiction writer. She studied creative writing at Kansas State University.