NTSC Wii or softmod PAL Wii?

[zorrillouk]

Hi, I looked around the forum and saw a post from a couple of months ago with the same question but I have a few other things I'd like to ask. Hope that's cool.

OK. I am going to the USA in September and was planning on picking up a Wii but last week read that PAL region Wiis can now be softmodded with gecko?

Do you think I am better off just buying a PAL Wii?

Points to consider/questions...

I am not fussed by Virtual Console, I only want to play Wii games in 60hz and my NTSC Gamecube collection and maybe a few Wiiware games like Lostwinds.

I only have a SD CRT TV at the moment and would like to play through RGB for now (I think this is something only the PAL Wii can handle but will it be OK with NTSC GC games?)

When I upgrade and can play over 480p component will this run all GC games in progressive or only games with the option built in? If so, how will non progressive NTSC GC games look over component? Will they even work?

Is there a decent list anywhere on the net of the non 60hz PAL Wii games? The only list I can find is very very small, which I guess is a good thing. So far it looks like the only games I would like to try out without a 60hz option are Zack & Wiki, and Madworld.

How easy will it be to brick the console and if softmodded how much hassle will it be each time I want to play a game? A few extra clicks?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance for any help you can give!

[charlesr]

Softmod is easy, but you'll be locked to one region of shop (the first one you use).

To run gecko, you need to enter the homebrew channel and then click on gecko and then normally just press GO to load the game.

Alternatively if most of your games are US, then you can get a Pal Wii and literally turn it into a US Wii from the start - saves getting one from the US - and then install hb channel and gecko for your pal games.

[Lyris]

How reliable is that? Is the region change permanent or can Nintendo reverse it later?

If you can safely pick up a local Wii and change it to a region that gets better treatment, that is fantastic news!

[charlesr]

There's no way of Nintendo knowing it needs reversing. As far as the machine is concerned, it IS from another region.

I bought a J machine, but once this mod arrived, I changed it to a US machine so I could read the menus.

[sj33]

I have a US Wii and used StartPatch to make my system menu completely region free, allowing me to run any region game (Wii, GC or channel) straight from the dashboard. Simple as that.

[charlesr]

Does it also block the on-disc updates like Gecko or do you still need Gecko for newer stuff?

[sj33]

You can block updates. The program basically contains a list of patches that you can opt to apply if you want to, including a patch to block updates. I've not had to use Gecko at all since installing it.

It does not work on firmware 4.3 yet (4.2 is the highest), but I've not needed to install 4.3 yet. Dop-IOS Mod can install individual updated IOS files should it ever be needed (which right now, it is not).

[Deuteros]

What about the hardware part of this, specifically if you're going to use a modded PAL Wii on a SD TV set?

NTSC Wiis lack RGB output so, when playing NTSC Wii games on a modded PAL Wii, is composite your best and only option?

I know the Wii's RGB output isn't that great, but being limited to a composite signal is just sad...

[speedlolita]

What about the hardware part of this, specifically if you're going to use a modded PAL Wii on a SD TV set?

NTSC Wiis lack RGB output so, when playing NTSC Wii games on a modded PAL Wii, is composite your best and only option?

I know the Wii's RGB output isn't that great, but being limited to a composite signal is just sad...

Component.

[sj33]

What about the hardware part of this, specifically if you're going to use a modded PAL Wii on a SD TV set?

NTSC Wiis lack RGB output so, when playing NTSC Wii games on a modded PAL Wii, is composite your best and only option?

I know the Wii's RGB output isn't that great, but being limited to a composite signal is just sad...

Assuming your SD set doesn't have Component, NTSC Wiis have S-Video, which is only slightly worse than RGB Scart. Certainly close enough to RGB Scart to be able to live with.

For the anal, you can use a Component->RGB transcoder.

[Deuteros]

Component.

Well, most SD sets don't have component inputs (mine certainly doesn't). I think my set will accept a NTSC 480p signal through one of its SCART sockets, but I've never looked into the particulars for pulling it off.

Assuming your SD set doesn't have Component, NTSC Wiis have S-Video, which is only slightly worse than RGB Scart. Certainly close enough to RGB Scart to be able to live with.

For the anal, you can use a Component->RGB transcoder.

Yes, NTSC Wiis output S-Video but PAL units don't so, unless the PAL unit is able to output a NTSC game in RGB (which would be excellent but sadly I don't think is possible), composite is the only option.

Barring the use of a Component -> RGB transcoder, of course.

[speedlolita]

Think of it like this (posted on here in the past):

NTSC Wii: Component/S-Video/Composite
PAL Wii: Component/RGB/Composite

Changing the region of your PAL Wii to NTSC will allow it to output S-Video.

[Deuteros]

Think of it like this (posted on here in the past):

NTSC Wii: Component/S-Video/Composite
PAL Wii: Component/RGB/Composite

Changing the region of your PAL Wii to NTSC will allow it to output S-Video.

Really?! I thought that was an hardware thing that couldn't be circumvented!

That would mean a modded NTSC Wii would be able to output a RGB signal when playing PAL games and a modded PAL Wii would be able to output a S-Video signal when playing NTSC games, making them virtually identical.

[speedlolita]

Well, the region changed NTSC Wii would only be able to play PAL stuff, but yes it would output RGB.

[sj33]

^But you could presumably then use Dop-Mii to make the system menu region free anyway, so it's all good. I think I'll look into doing this at some point.