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VD-W3 Review
From VDIGI Electronics, the company that brought us the VD-W2 Wii VGA cable, this time they surprised us once again with another breakthrough - VD-W3, the world's first ever Wii upscaler that brings graphics output to a whooping 1080p from the current max of 480p.
Right now, the Nintendo Wii system offers users the Wii component cable for purchase, which cost about $29.99USD and allows user to enable 480p mode display on their Wii. Back in 2004 this would have been sufficient, when HDTVs were beginning to come into people's homes and most people were still gaming in 480i or even S-video display. Nowadays the two major high definition enabled consoles offer up to 1080p resolution, which is widely supported in any recent HDTVs. Is 480p really enough for the Wii? Is the Wii really limited to output of last-gen HD graphics?
Well, maybe not anymore with the help of VD-W3.
The VD-W3 is not exactly just "a high-def cable" for the Wii. It is an upscale converter that scales progressive 480 line up to 1080 lines output. Why not just make a True HD component cable or a HDMI convertor for Wii, wouldn't it be simpler? Yes it would - if only the Wii hardware is configured to output a 1080p video source. Maybe some day in the future there will be an upgrade for Wii to output 1080p, there is no word yet. Currently the Wii is maxed out at outputing 480p video, and that is why the VD-W3 comes in handy. As an upscale converter, the VD-W3 provides the hardware to boost your 480p video to a 1080p source, to be displayed on your HDTV via HDMI connection or on a PC monitor via DVI connection.
I read through almost all available reviews on the VD-W3 prior to writing my own, and have been using this device for a few months. As the first ever 1080p upscaler for Wii in the world, it obviously received all types of attention and hype before the public was able to get their hands on it. What I observed however, is that it was the same hype and expectation that brought a lot of people to making the conclusion that the VD-W3 "does not deliver true HD" or "lacks in comparison to a native HDMI output". That is why I started my review off with the explanation that the VD-W3 is an upscaler, not a magic cable that adds an 1080p output option in the Wii hardware. The Wii will still output a 480p source due to its hardware settings, but via VD-W3 the video signal is enhanced because it turns 480p lines to 1080p. How are the lines being multiplied and how it compares to a native 1080p source output are things that are out of scope in my review and will not be covered. I am simply writing a review for a video upscaler that upgrades my Wii graphics, not doing an invalid comparison between consoles and their capabilities.
For those who decides that he or she has done enough reading, here's my quick and short verdict: VD-W3 provides a satisfying graphical boost, both in 2D and 3D situations, it delivers what it promises which is currently the best available video output on the Wii.
For those who has a few more minutes, or looks for more convincing, I have captured the following screenshots that compare side-to-side the 480p output via the Nintendo Wii component cable versus the 1080p output via the VD-W3. The TV used for testing is a 32-inch Samsung LCD HDTV (model LN32B460) and I apologize for having only a Panasonic DC (FX01) + tripod for capturing the screens. Fortunately with the games I tested (Zelda Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Paper Mario, Dragon Ball Z) I believe I was able to capture the difference between the two output sources with these screens.
The main improvements that the VD-W3 offers, in my opinion, can be summed up with three points: 1) Adds more depth in 3D environments with more solid-looking polygons. 2) Offers a wider range of colors and increases distinction between colors in both 2D and 3D environments. and 3) Reduce noise in video output and corrects screen contrast, provides a picture that is more pleasant to the eyes.
(Screenshots are in small sizes for the sake of convenience to put two together side by side on one screen, please email me if you wish to see the original size shots)
Let's look at Zelda: Twilight Princess first. This game is one of the best looking Wii titles of all time, and from the 480p screenshot one can say that the polygons are solid enough, and colors seem to be output properly. I was not aware of the level of improvement until I put the 1080p screenshot next to the 480p one, notice how the green in the game is now actually green, and in various shades too. The shadows in the scene also appear darker. From the clothing on characters and the horse I can tell that it was more than just adding more temperature to the graphics, but there just seems to be more colors available for display at 1080p.
This one supports my first point of improvement which is to add more depth to 3D environments. First look at all the areas in the picture that are supposed to be dark, then take a look at the areas that are supposed to be bright. It is obvious that VD-W3 allows better depth perception and users can actually see what time of the day it is in Zelda's world. It is hard to believe that the two screens are taken at the same point in the game, when the 480p output screenshot looks like it was taken on a cloudy day and the 1080p output one looks like the sun is shining brightly in the sky.
Next we look at the color range improvements. As you can see in this screenshot, 2D graphics are just as sharp when displayed in 480p. The difference that is apparent when comparing it to the 1080p output, however, is that the picture is no longer too bright to a point that color changes are becoming blurry (No video settings on the TV have been changed throughout all tests). The overall color palette is more coordinated and there is no longer too much "white" in the picture. Just look at Princess Peach's colors as well as the "Press 2" word.
Looking closer, I never knew Mario's hat isn't even really red on 480p until I compared it with 1080p! Mario's hair also seems to be fading a bit on 480p display. This might not seem major, but when everything is in motion, more vibrant colors means the world especially in 2D environments.
Remember the brightness problem I mentioned earlier? This comparison explains why it is important if you want to experience all the tiny details in a game. Would you be able to easily spot the circular patterns in the blue sky background in 480p display? The formulas and writings in slightly darker shade of blue can still vaguely show on the left screenshot, but I bet you will miss seeing all the pretty circles shown in the right screenshot. Also as for colors, look at the S box on top of Mario.
Super Paper Mario was a better game to compare colors and contrast, so I only have this one screenshot comparison for Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2. The game is already very colorful in 480p, but subtle differences can still be spotted in the hairs of all the Saiyans.
Super Mario Galaxy combines both colorful graphics and 3D environment, perfect example to show off all three points I have for VD-W3. First check out the added shades of grey underneath the letters, making them more "pop out" from the screen. Secondly, the contrast correction. 480p output suffers from an "over exposure" problem in my previous comparisons but in this one, it suffers from the same "cloudy day" syndrome seen in Twilight Princess. Finally the apparent noise reduction, it seems that a filter has been removed in the 1080p output.
Richer colors in 1080p output, the black star creature is actually black and the Princess has better blonde in her hair color.
This one shows off the smoothing of 3D polygons that a lot of us have been waiting to see in a graphics enhancement by VD-W3. All the "dog-teeth" are showing in 480p, resulting in many dots on screen. In 1080p the dots are gone, and the anti-alising on the graphics is very apparent. Not to mention the color enhancement which is my favorite feature in VD-W3.
Just for fun I captured screenshots for a classic console game I happen to have on my Wii. Not much difference there
Overall, I am satisfactory with VD-W3's performance. What is even better about this upscaler is 1) It does not require external power connection like most powerful upscalers and 2) It not only does 1080p, but also does practically any HD resolution including PC monitor sizes: 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1680x1050 (at refresh rate 59.94Hz). For the suggested price of $59.99USD on the VDIGI website you get a combination of 1080p upscaler/HDMI output converter/VGA Cable for your Wii. It is a must buy if you wish to bring your Wii gaming experience to a higher visual standard.
For detailed product technical information as well as ordering inquiries please visit www.vdigi.com
Author's email: nam@fattygrunt.com
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