I want to play the Wii on my HDX notebook, but what solution do I choose?

This has been a very painful experience for me, as there seem to be so many limitations in the options available to me. To be brief, I'm a UK/PAL user with a HDX Laptop that I want to be the one-stop shop for all TV and video games, as the beautiful 20" screen lends itself to the job very well.

However, connecting the Wii to the laptop has been an incredible headache at best, the following options I have are:

1) Use the existing TV-Tuner. The HDX has a coaxial input already with the TV-Tuner, I can use this with an RF adaptor made for the Wii, but isn't this redundant cabling? I want to be able to get the best sound and picture quality that the laptop provides, which this may not do? I need some feedback.

2) Use S-video. Two problems occur here. The first being that PAL Wii's have the s-video option disabled, so I would need to buy a converter of some sort. I've read in a couple of sources that a direct Male S-vid to Female RCA would work, but in others that it wouldn't. Could this be clarified please? Secondly, I'm not even sure that the HDX has an input for s-video, or if it's output only, I'm going to assume it's input for now since a fair few sources quote it as being so.

3) Buy a new TV-Tuner that uses USB/PCMCIA/expresscard to connect the Wii with Composite video/audio cabling. This seems like a good option, but i've seen so many of these tonight I have no idea what'll work and what won't. Having spent so much on the laptop i'm budgeting this heavily, and I don't want an expensive card for Digital TV etc. just one for this job. I also want to have minimal or no lag whatsoever. I've seen videos that look more than acceptable, but they never say what card it was specifically - I don't want to record or edit video forcibly, just play the Wii on the laptop!

This has been such a headache for me, I have no idea what the best option for my set-up would be. I really appreciate any help anyone could provide me with.

Thanks in advance.

 

Use coaxial. You have to remember that the Wii outputs only at 720x480, so image quality will always be mediocre.

 

2 seconds delay is a minimal

 

Wii on a laptop.. that is something new and unheard of for me..and probably one of the strangest things i've heard

 

I've seen a few videos for a tuner called 'easyCAP' that doesn't have any input or playback lag whatsoever, i'll invest in one of those if the coaxial looks terrible.

Why should it be strange? It's a screen like any other. I don't want to invest in a TV just for a games console when the laptop, which is reasonably sized, makes the need for one redundant. I have a 42" Samsung at home, I can't take that to university. Look on youtube and other forums to see a lot of people use consoles on their PC/Laptops.

 

I can play my ps2 games without any delay on my desktop's TV tuner

 

Tell us how

 

I just....plug it in....

 

LMAO best answer ever.

 

try laptop.

 

Use a program called DScaler. If you have a powerful computer it should be able to display your console games and cut down on the lag that you would get with typical TV tuner software.

Nirvana, a split second lag is jarring, but a 2 second lag is ridiculous. I have to ask what hardware you've tried using so I can know to avoid it.

 

From my experience, don't do it.

I too tried to play my video game through laptop and desktop.
The truth is that, it's NOT enjoyable because of a LAG. No matter what you do, there's always going to be a lag It's can't be helped. Don't do it and save yourself a hassle/stress/money

 

No, the solution is just to friggen wait. With a advance in Technology comes a Cleanup of lag.

 

Of course. Over time, he should be able to play the game without the lag.
However, he wants to play it right now.

 

I do indeed

GAME are selling an RF adapter for the Wii on offer for 98p, so it can't hurt to try it out. I'll give it a go tonight since the HDX came in the post this morning.

 

If you use an RF adapter you will get about 98p for your resolution

 

10$ for a gamebridge and your good to go lag free. Its only 640x480 res tho. But its better than nothing and what I use when I am on the road.

 

What's the difference? It's an ultra-cheap one that isn't even on the manufacturer's website, and Vista detects it as a webcam (it's not compatible with vista)