Checkerboard Issue

QualitySeeker

Edit history:

QualitySeeker: 2014-04-02 05:27:37 am

QualitySeeker: 2014-04-02 05:26:36 am

QualitySeeker: 2014-04-02 03:59:20 am

2014-04-02 03:49:43 am

Hello, for the past few months I've been trying to stream my speedruns at the highest possible SD quality I can. I've gone through several consoles, cables, capture devices, and televisions in an attempt to achieve this. Recently, I've been struggling with streaming my Wii (more specifically, Super Mario 64). I have been getting the dreaded checkerboard effect. I've tried different cables, devices, televisions, and scenarios in an attempt to solve the problem. I've scoured the internet for information regarding this subject, but it seems like everyone was able to fix their issue with new cables. I'd appreciate any information or help that can get me out of this situation.

SYSTEM:
- WHITE NINTENDO WII W/ GAMECUBE PORTS

DEVICES:
- GV-USB2
- DAZZLE DVC100

CABLES:
- NINTENDO WII AV CABLE (http://i.imgur.com/BcWEUHi.jpg)
- RANDOM ASS WHITE WII SVIDEO CABLE (http://i.imgur.com/j74uB7O.jpg)
- GAMESTOP UNIVERSAL SVIDEO CABLE (http://i.imgur.com/66wNWxy.jpg)
- MONOPRICE WII SVIDEO ONLY CABLE (http://i.imgur.com/dkUfGCw.jpg)

SCREENSHOTS:
- CABLE 1; COMPOSITE (http://i.imgur.com/fKR2EZT.png)
- CABLE 1; CONVERTED FROM COMPOSITE TO SVIDEO (http://i.imgur.com/896dnW7.jpg)
- CABLE 2; COMPOSITE (http://i.imgur.com/fMOBFb3.jpg)
- CABLE 2; SVIDEO (http://i.imgur.com/vCGLO9X.jpg)
- CABLE 2; BOTH PLUGGED IN (http://i.imgur.com/ZOyxHkt.jpg)
- CABLE 3; COMPOSITE (http://i.imgur.com/nkCl2WI.jpg)
- CABLE 3; SVIDEO (http://i.imgur.com/hUvhWry.jpg)
- CABLE 3; BOTH PLUGGED IN (http://i.imgur.com/h2oNVmq.jpg)
- CABLE 4; SVIDEO (http://i.imgur.com/Lx2baQV.jpg)

I've also tested all combinations of red/white input to see if that changed anything, but it didn't.

Originally, I assumed it was the cables because that's the conclusion most people reach. However, the thing that made me doubt this was cable 4. It has no composite input, which is supposedly what causes the checkerboard effect. I haven't seen this mentioned on any articles or posts I've read, but is it possible that my Wii is the culprit? The reason I suspect this is because of how it looks when I convert cable 1 into svideo. If the cable was the problem, then why would the official nintendo cable produce the effect? I'm starting to wonder if my Wii is defective in the way it produces svideo. Also, to be clear, I get this effect both on my television(s) and any capture program I use (such as AmaRec or OBS).

I'm praying someone here knows the answer. Thanks to any brave soul willing to help!

Thread title:

Hello, for the past few months I've been trying to stream my speedruns at the highest possible SD quality I can. I've gone through several consoles, cables, capture devices, and televisions in an attempt to achieve this. Recently, I've been struggling with streaming my Wii (more specifically, Super Mario 64). I have been getting the dreaded checkerboard effect. I've tried different cables, devices, televisions, and scenarios in an attempt to solve the problem. I've scoured the internet for information regarding this subject, but it seems like everyone was able to fix their issue with new cables. I'd appreciate any information or help that can get me out of this situation.

SYSTEM:
- WHITE NINTENDO WII W/ GAMECUBE PORTS

DEVICES:
- GV-USB2
- DAZZLE DVC100

CABLES:
- NINTENDO WII AV CABLE (http://i.imgur.com/BcWEUHi.jpg)
- RANDOM ASS WHITE WII SVIDEO CABLE (http://i.imgur.com/j74uB7O.jpg)
- GAMESTOP UNIVERSAL SVIDEO CABLE (http://i.imgur.com/66wNWxy.jpg)
- MONOPRICE WII SVIDEO ONLY CABLE (http://i.imgur.com/dkUfGCw.jpg)

SCREENSHOTS:
- CABLE 1; COMPOSITE (http://i.imgur.com/fKR2EZT.png)
- CABLE 1; CONVERTED FROM COMPOSITE TO SVIDEO (http://i.imgur.com/896dnW7.jpg)
- CABLE 2; COMPOSITE (http://i.imgur.com/fMOBFb3.jpg)
- CABLE 2; SVIDEO (http://i.imgur.com/vCGLO9X.jpg)
- CABLE 2; BOTH PLUGGED IN (http://i.imgur.com/ZOyxHkt.jpg)
- CABLE 3; COMPOSITE (http://i.imgur.com/nkCl2WI.jpg)
- CABLE 3; SVIDEO (http://i.imgur.com/hUvhWry.jpg)
- CABLE 3; BOTH PLUGGED IN (http://i.imgur.com/h2oNVmq.jpg)
- CABLE 4; SVIDEO (http://i.imgur.com/Lx2baQV.jpg)

I've also tested all combinations of red/white input to see if that changed anything, but it didn't.

Originally, I assumed it was the cables because that's the conclusion most people reach. However, the thing that made me doubt this was cable 4. It has no composite input, which is supposedly what causes the checkerboard effect. I haven't seen this mentioned on any articles or posts I've read, but is it possible that my Wii is the culprit? The reason I suspect this is because of how it looks when I convert cable 1 into svideo. If the cable was the problem, then why would the official nintendo cable produce the effect? I'm starting to wonder if my Wii is defective in the way it produces svideo. Also, to be clear, I get this effect both on my television(s) and any capture program I use (such as AmaRec or OBS).

I'm praying someone here knows the answer. Thanks to any brave soul willing to help!

bangerra

2014-04-02 06:53:26 am

It's also on your TV huh.. Are you using splitters? Or is the image still checkered when you plug it directly in your TV?

(If you want optimal quality out of your Wii you should go for component cables btw, or get a WiiU with HDMI output..)

Edenal

2014-04-02 08:00:55 am

Hockey enthusiast

What's the region of your Wii?

QualitySeeker

2014-04-02 11:40:09 am

Quote from bangerra:

It's also on your TV huh.. Are you using splitters? Or is the image still checkered when you plug it directly in your TV?

(If you want optimal quality out of your Wii you should go for component cables btw, or get a WiiU with HDMI output..)

I've tried both methods. I get the checkerboard issue while directly plugging it into my TV, as well as when I use splitters.

QualitySeeker

2014-04-02 11:40:20 am

Quote from Edenal:

What's the region of your Wii?

NTSC-U.

DJS

2014-04-02 12:06:46 pm

torch slug since 2006

maybe you should try the official nintendo wii s-video cable? apparently its only available in japan

http://www.play-asia.com/wii-s-video-cable-paOS-13-49-en-70-1mwg.html

QualitySeeker

Edit history:

QualitySeeker: 2014-04-02 12:22:00 pm

2014-04-02 12:21:33 pm

Quote from DJS:

maybe you should try the official nintendo wii s-video cable? apparently its only available in japan

http://www.play-asia.com/wii-s-video-cable-paOS-13-49-en-70-1mwg.html

I've already looked into it; they're always "out of stock".. Basically, they don't make them or sell them anymore.

DarkAries

2014-04-02 05:00:40 pm

Can we get a whole setup diagram with any extra switches, etc. Also Why are the screenshots so huge(or is it just me). What do your capture settings look like. You do mention it also looks like that on your TV. Is it CRT/LCD/Plasma? Most CRTS have a good enough comb filter that it actually masks the pattern if it's not strong enough. I would also look inside the connectors and see if it even has the s-video pins on the cables.

http://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:wii_multi_av_pinout

is the pinout diagram. Really this is an odd one if you get it on 4 different cables. At this point it could be 4 dud cables in a row or even your wii is borked somehow. Can you try the cables with another wii or even a WiiU?

honorableJay

2014-04-02 07:11:20 pm

The Dork Knight himself.

I've been wondering the same thing from my own setup, which almost leads me to believe it's something other than the cable getting in the way (possible the video encoder from the console).

My setup:
I have a 19" CRT tv with video passthrough, and hooked up to it I have both my Genesis and Wii. From the video output on my tv, I pass the composite and audio L/R to my Dazzle for capture. In the case of the Wii (I use a multi-system cable but only hook 1 up at a time), I send the composite to the TV for viewing but hook the s-video from the cable directly to my Dazzle.

On the TV I have no checkerboard effects at all. On the preview window for Amarec, the checkerboard is sometimes there and sometimes not depending on what Deinterlacing settings I have activated. If I turn off the Deinterlacer completely I get the checkerboard effect (easier to see on solid colors), but if I choose a specific Deinterlacer (the exact settings I need and not the Auto setting) along with turning on the Line Doubler the checkerboard goes away.

The raw recorded footage always has the checkerboard effect, but once I run the video through Yua the checkerboard is completely gone as if it didn't even exist. Mind you this ONLY happens with the Wii and not the Genesis.

I've been wondering the same thing from my own setup, which almost leads me to believe it's something other than the cable getting in the way (possible the video encoder from the console).

My setup:
I have a 19" CRT tv with video passthrough, and hooked up to it I have both my Genesis and Wii. From the video output on my tv, I pass the composite and audio L/R to my Dazzle for capture. In the case of the Wii (I use a multi-system cable but only hook 1 up at a time), I send the composite to the TV for viewing but hook the s-video from the cable directly to my Dazzle.

On the TV I have no checkerboard effects at all. On the preview window for Amarec, the checkerboard is sometimes there and sometimes not depending on what Deinterlacing settings I have activated. If I turn off the Deinterlacer completely I get the checkerboard effect (easier to see on solid colors), but if I choose a specific Deinterlacer (the exact settings I need and not the Auto setting) along with turning on the Line Doubler the checkerboard goes away.

The raw recorded footage always has the checkerboard effect, but once I run the video through Yua the checkerboard is completely gone as if it didn't even exist. Mind you this ONLY happens with the Wii and not the Genesis.

TheThrillness

2014-04-03 01:56:19 am

thethrillness.blogspot.com

Yeah I've had similar issues as Jay and sometimes there is just no explanation/solution I can think of. This is generally why I now try to just play systems with component or HDMI output so I don't have to deal with weird issues like this.

The retron 5 can't come soon enough for me.

QualitySeeker

2014-04-03 05:33:42 am

Quote from DarkAries:

Can we get a whole setup diagram with any extra switches, etc. Also Why are the screenshots so huge(or is it just me). What do your capture settings look like. You do mention it also looks like that on your TV. Is it CRT/LCD/Plasma? Most CRTS have a good enough comb filter that it actually masks the pattern if it's not strong enough. I would also look inside the connectors and see if it even has the s-video pins on the cables.

http://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:wii_multi_av_pinout

is the pinout diagram. Really this is an odd one if you get it on 4 different cables. At this point it could be 4 dud cables in a row or even your wii is borked somehow. Can you try the cables with another wii or even a WiiU?

There are no extra switches in my setup. It is literally as simple as possible. I get the issue when going from console straight to TV. I've tried several different TVs, all of which have the same problem (LCD, CRT, etc..). I'm starting to think it literally is just awful luck and that all my cables are shit.

[quote="DarkAries"]Can we get a whole setup diagram with any extra switches, etc.  Also Why are the screenshots so huge(or is it just me). What do your capture settings look like. You do mention it also looks like that on your TV. Is it CRT/LCD/Plasma? Most CRTS have a good enough comb filter that it actually masks the pattern if it's not strong enough. I would also look inside the connectors and see if it even has the s-video pins on the cables.

http://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:wii_multi_av_pinout

is the pinout diagram. Really this is an odd one if you get it on 4 different cables. At this point it could be 4 dud cables in a row or even your wii is borked somehow. Can you try the cables with another wii or even a WiiU?[/quote]
There are no extra switches in my setup. It is literally as simple as possible. I get the issue when going from console straight to TV. I've tried several different TVs, all of which have the same problem (LCD, CRT, etc..). I'm starting to think it literally is just awful luck and that all my cables are shit.

QualitySeeker

Edit history:

QualitySeeker: 2014-04-03 05:38:46 am

QualitySeeker: 2014-04-03 05:37:56 am

2014-04-03 05:37:23 am

Quote from TheThrillness:

Yeah I've had similar issues as Jay and sometimes there is just no explanation/solution I can think of. This is generally why I now try to just play systems with component or HDMI output so I don't have to deal with weird issues like this.

The retron 5 can't come soon enough for me.

Believe me, I'd love to have the money and setup capable of component and HDMI. That would solve all this bullshit, but sadly it isn't an option for me. I'm going to try and create my own cable and see if I can fix it that way. If that doesn't fix it, then I know something is wrong with the Wii. Sadly, I don't have an extra Wii or know anyone that has one to be able to test if that is indeed the case. If making my own cable fixes it, then we know it's just terrible cable luck.

DarkAries

2014-04-03 06:54:34 am

well the one cable you have is multi console. Try it out with any playstation console since they all use the same av out port and see if the issue is there. Or the 360 port. If the pattern persists then it's the cord. If there is no pattern it's the wii.

QualitySeeker

Edit history:

QualitySeeker: 2014-04-03 08:02:48 am

2014-04-03 07:43:54 am

Quote from DarkAries:

well the one cable you have is multi console. Try it out with any playstation console since they all use the same av out port and see if the issue is there. Or the 360 port. If the pattern persists then it's the cord. If there is no pattern it's the wii.

Thanks for the idea, I can't believe I didn't think of this. I tested it out on my Xbox 360, and it still had the checkerboard issue. This pretty much proves to me that it is in fact the cables and not the Wii. I guess I just have shitty luck.

QualitySeeker

2014-08-07 08:35:03 pm

As of 8/7/14, I have received an official Nintendo S-video cable. It has absolutely no checkerboarding and is perfect quality. I was lucky enough to find a brand new one on eBay for 10$. This basically proves the cables are the issue.