Permanent Wii Video Corruption?

apotheos

I've recently started having problems with my Wii, and I wasn't really sure how to summarize it so I'd avoided posting about it. This happened just before a 2 week Carribean holiday I just returned from, so there was a bit of a delay introduced by that.

Basically, it is some extremely strange and consistent artifacting of the graphics. It started one day without provocation in Warioware, and has since spread in size and now affects every game. You can see a blog post with images here:

http://www.friday.com/bbum/2007/02/18/wii-480p-output-problems-are-most-likely-a-software-issue/#comment-79768

Has anyone else experience this problem, or know any more about what Nintendo is doing about it?

(I've been gone for 2 weeks, and did search for a discussion of this, but someone point out if I missed it)

JJ

I actually haven't played my wii in a month. haven't even finished Zelda. I feel so bad.

jimenex

That looks similar to what my PC looked like when I overheated my videocard from the fans breaking down. Is the Wii in a poorly ventilated area?

I know connect24 doesn't use the video card but, do you leave it like that usually?

apotheos

My Wii is standing vertically, with at least 6 inches on both sides. I would consider that well ventilated.

JJ

Okay well you guys scared me so I turned wiiconnect24 off.

Doesn't matter since i haven't bothered talking to my roommate yet to get it connected to our network.

homeobocks

Not to hijack the thread, but is it normal to have some 1-2 second framerate slowdowns in Wii Sports?

Fats

Do the dots move around?

It certainly looks similar to the artifacting you get when you overclock a video card too much or it's overheating. I'd be talking to Nintendo about a replacement.

zeroomegazx

I encountered this same problem about 3 weeks ago. It is a hardware failure. Call nintendo and they will send you a complete replacement like they did me =] transfered all my save information including Miis Saves VC data, Points... Best customer service ever! if you ahve any questions about the problem ask me. I was running at 480p standing my Wii vertical in a well ventilated area. Unfortunaly it seems like an overheating issue that damages something inside the Wii part of the Wii but leaves the Gamecube un-effected.

UnderHero5

A friend of mine had this exact problem. Long story short, he just got his repaired Wii back yesterday. Call Nintendo. They'll pay for everything, shipping, repairs.
It's a hardware problem and I'd get mine repaired/replaces asap if I were you.

I don't think it happens only with 480P either because we tried his with component cables too, and it still artifacted. We placed the Wii in an open window... when it was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside, so the thing wasn't hot.

Call Nintendo.

Edit: ZeroOmega is the friend from my story! Wiiiiii!

apotheos

So in like half an hour I've found a bunch of people with this problem.


Why hasn't this been covered within the media? It sounds, while perhaps not common, alarmingly frequent.

AbsoluteZero

We have talked about this in like a couple different threads here (such as the stupendously amazing Wii Care thread!)

The 'video card' inside your Wii has overheated and become damaged. Nintendo will fix your Wii for free, call them up.

This seems to be a problem with launch Wiis, from what I can tell.

BTP

Yeah, I brought the issue up in the Wii Care thread when I read up about the issue. It seems leaving WiiConnect24 in standby mode make the Wii heat up enough to somehow cause that damage. So far it seems I was lucky since mine was in standby mode for almost a week straight, and when I checked it on several screens, I didn't see anything wrong. Neither did my dad, when I asked him to try to find "freckles" as I called them on screens of (as pure as I could) white, black, and the blue sky/ocean from Wind Waker.

One thing I have noticed though: Even if you have WiiConnect24 as "on" and turn off the standby mode option, the News Channel will think WiiConnect24 is off, so you'll need to turn it on to ever use it again. This might be also with the Forecast Channel.

But fear not! There is a solution! When you want to turn off, and I mean completely off, your Wii but still leave the option to go into standby mode in the Wii settings, hold down the power button on the system for a few seconds instead of a usual press. It'll go red light off. If you want standby mode, you can still do a normal press, or press the power button on the remote.

jothki

apotheos wrote: »

So in like half an hour I've found a bunch of people with this problem.


Why hasn't this been covered within the media? It sounds, while perhaps not common, alarmingly frequent.

I assume Nintendo has been good about fixing it. The best way to keep customers quiet is to keep them happy.

Grizzly_Addams

WiiConnect24 you say?

I've had mine in standby pretty much since I got it (launch day). I just got component cables and hooked them up yesterday and haven't had a chance to use the system yet. Should I be worried?

Magus`

BTP wrote: »

Yeah, I brought the issue up in the Wii Care thread when I read up about the issue. It seems leaving WiiConnect24 in standby mode make the Wii heat up enough to somehow cause that damage. So far it seems I was lucky since mine was in standby mode for almost a week straight, and when I checked it on several screens, I didn't see anything wrong. Neither did my dad, when I asked him to try to find "freckles" as I called them on screens of (as pure as I could) white, black, and the blue sky/ocean from Wind Waker.

One thing I have noticed though: Even if you have WiiConnect24 as "on" and turn off the standby mode option, the News Channel will think WiiConnect24 is off, so you'll need to turn it on to ever use it again. This might be also with the Forecast Channel.

But fear not! There is a solution! When you want to turn off, and I mean completely off, your Wii but still leave the option to go into standby mode in the Wii settings, hold down the power button on the system for a few seconds instead of a usual press. It'll go red light off. If you want standby mode, you can still do a normal press, or press the power button on the remote.

I just tried what you suggested in the last paragraph and it does not work. I can hold it down for 1 second or 30, it still goes into orange stand by.

Lunker

Crap. I think mine may be starting to do this. I've noticed a few tiny freckles in Rayman, and then recently in Wii Sports.

Poop.

Caswynben

I've had my Wii in Standby mode since launch, and I have never had this problem.

mausmalone

Caswynben wrote: »

I've had my Wii in Standby mode since launch, and I have never had this problem.

Ditto here, and I've been having radiator problems pushing my room up into the 80's some nights.

A friend had this problem though ... he just told nintendo and they did the replacement no problem. I don't know why it's not being reported more widely, but it's not a totally new issue.

agoaj

I may also just be a fault of the video card, since Nintendo is handling this so quickly. Maybe some of them had the cooling paint poorly applied or something.

MuddBudd

I had this, called Nintendo, they sent me a UPS sticker to send it in for repairs.

Call them.

apotheos

Like I'd mentioned I was gone for two weeks and the Wii was on standby the whole time.

It was much much worse when I came back than before I left.

I really hope nobody with a "fixed" Wii has this problem. Standby is a cool feature.