Photo channel update avoidable and reversible
by Candace Savino 
{ Dec 11th 2007 at 4:00PM }
Fortunately, if you're like us and think this "upgrade" makes no sense (even though we don't even use the Photo Channel), there are steps you can take to resist switching to AAC compatibility. First, you can avoid downloading the Photo Channel 1.1 upgrade altogether, which is the easiest course of action, as this means you don't have to do anything. If it's too late and you've already downloaded the upgrade (for curiosity's sake, perhaps?), then you also have the option to downgrade the Photo Channel back to version 1.0, which allows MP3 playback. Just follow Nintendo's handy instructions here to get the downgrade.
Of course, this will only work with Wiis sold before December 2007, so if you've gotten yourself a shiny new Wii for the holidays, you're out of luck.
[Thanks, hollyw0od!]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
GrapenutsRobot @ Dec 11th 2007 4:42PM
Who cares? Mp3 or whatever. Does anybody even use this feature? And if you go through the trouble, just use that format.
Nushio (NDF - Blue) @ Dec 11th 2007 4:55PM
To anyone who actually downloaded it: Is there a way to send Wii Message Board pictures into the SD Card?
I know it can't be done with PC1.0, but I'm wondering if 1.1 fixes this issue.
DomoBraden @ Dec 11th 2007 5:05PM
If I've said once, I've said it a thousand times...whoever was/is in charge of creating/maintaining the Photo Channel is completely incompetent. It could be argued that I have no right to complain being that I don't even use the channel, but that's the problem...I WOULD use it if there was even an archaic amount of supported formats.
A. says "raw" @ Dec 11th 2007 5:07PM
who cares about mp3 support?! if you're like me, one of the million people who have ipods, you use AAC!
Shariq Ansari @ Dec 11th 2007 5:07PM
@GrapenutsRobot:
Actually just a week or two ago, my sister used the Photo Channel to show off pictures from her trip to Egypt this past summer at a party my parents threw. She got some ethnic Egyptian music and set up a huge slide show of about 300+ pictures. Everyone really enjoyed it and was talking about how nice it was with the zooming effects and music that the Photo Channel provided.
So yeah, people do use it, if not often. It's nice to have.
thethirdmoose @ Dec 11th 2007 5:20PM
Or, if you're smart, like me, you want more than one device to play your files, so you make them MP3.
danny. @ Dec 11th 2007 5:28PM
I just used it to add a picture I like to the front page of the wii menu. I'll get more enjoyment out of a picture I like than I ever did out of the photo channel... Now I just need to be able to do the same thing to check me out, weather, and everybody votes...
GoldenPie @ Dec 11th 2007 5:29PM
Why dont they just allow both file types in the 1.1 update? =/
NutMac @ Dec 11th 2007 5:35PM
Even with component video connection, 480p is all you get for the Photo channel. While I think 480p is sufficient for gaming fun, it is way too low for enjoying photos with your family and friends. That said, Photo channel is essentially a freebie, so I am not losing sleep over it... with or without MP3.
B1gC72 @ Dec 12th 2007 9:48PM
ditto. if i was going to show photos on a console, i would do it on my PS3 since it has alot of presentation options and you are able to start playlist for the pictures and music (in multiple formats). plus i can show them in 1080i on my HDTV. nothing against my Wii but i just dont use it for that kind of stuff although the pointer is nice for the picture editing (all kinds of fun there lol).
Nate @ Dec 11th 2007 6:03PM
I don't use the photo channel, since my TV supports USB mass storage devices, I just pop my memory card or flash drive in there.
Abscissa @ Dec 11th 2007 6:32PM
MP3 is an archaic format. It wasn't even designed for music anyway. Nobody should be storing their music in it, not when there are much better formats like AAC, WMA, or better yet, Vorbis.
But that said, I don't think I can imagine anything stupider than REMOVING mp3 support that's ALREADY there, instead of just simply adding aac support IN ADDITION to mp3. What kind of hack programmers is Nintendo hiring?
DaiMac79 @ Dec 11th 2007 8:59PM
Isn't it a license thing with .mp3? I seem to recall reading somewhere that AAC is much cheaper to license for devices, and Nintendo is selling so many Wiis maybe that MP3 license fee started to add up to something pretty significant for them going forward.
Abscissa @ Dec 12th 2007 5:30AM
IANAL, but the mp3 licensing fees only apply when you create an mp3 encoder, not a decoder. Ogg Vorbis has no licenses at all. WMA and AAC have some sort of licensing, but I don't know how it works. Might be the same as mp3.
Maddles @ Dec 11th 2007 9:17PM
It all comes down to licensing. Both formats require some kind of payment to the owners of them for Nintendo to be able to use them in a commercial product.
In a more perfect world they could just chuck FFmpeg and MEncoder in there are we'd all be happy.
Abscissa @ Dec 12th 2007 5:30AM
"It all comes down to licensing."
No it doesn't. They payment only applies for encoding, not decoding. And the Photo Channel obviously doesn't encode mp3s.
Maddles @ Dec 12th 2007 5:41AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3#Licensing_and_patent_issues
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Audio_Coding#Licensing_and_patents
DaiMac79 @ Dec 11th 2007 8:58PM
iTunes is free, it costs nothing to download and add all your MP3 files into its library. If your computer is fast it takes less than 30 seconds for iTunes to encode most MP3 files (not including full albums and such obv.) to a smaller AAC file of equal quality. The Wii only holds 2GB SD cards, so assuming your photos are decent quality and take up more than 20 or 30MB (lets just say 512MB a nice big slideshow), then you would at most need to re-encode 1.5-1.75GB worth of MP3. It would even be easier if you don't use iTunes now: you can do this one time, leave it on when you're not using the machine, copy the files to an SD card (and maybe a DVD if you want a convenient backup), and you're good to go.
If that is too difficult, then you should probably give up on using computers and electronic devices in general, before you hurt yourself.
Rocketboy @ Dec 12th 2007 9:36AM
Why do i hear 'Join us... Join us...' in the back of my mind when I read the above post? You know what? I DON'T WANT iTunes on my PC. Not only that, I don't want to Lose functionality that I already have. If you can't understand that, maybe you give up giving advice before someone hurts you.
DaiMac79 @ Dec 12th 2007 11:47AM
@Rocketboy: Because you're exhibiting classic signs of Paranoia, including but not limited to misplaced aggression?
I don't want a POS program like Windows Media Player on my machine either, but I just have to deal if I want to guarantee access to all the possible media I might want from the net. You want to use the new version of the Photo Channel, you'll grit your teeth and download iTunes (or one of 8 or 9 other PC programs that can do MP3-AAC conversion, if you hate Apple so much). If not, just don't download the new version, Nintendo isn't killing the old version of Photo Channel. I haven't upgraded because...*drum roll* I don't EVER USE IT! I have HD devices that can do slideshows, and invariably photos look better in 720p than 480p, funny how that works.
Charcoal @ Dec 11th 2007 9:59PM
God damn it, nintendo...
tiamat1990 @ Dec 11th 2007 11:11PM
AAC ftw!
Marcus @ Dec 13th 2007 1:58AM
How come I can play both MP3 and AAC?
Jason @ Dec 23rd 2007 10:49PM
Lies, you just want me to waste my time downloading this update and testing it out.
What i think is really strange, is that excite truck still can play mp3's but not AAC, so why couldn't nintendo just round this problem off and use both formats? The thing i have found with nintendo over the years is that they tell you they know best, and no one will ever be able to change that, because then it wouldn't be nintendo
Mark Cuda @ Dec 12th 2007 10:24PM
Nice, but I already got this info from a site called http://www.dailynintendo.com you guys should check it out...
hollywo0d @ Dec 12th 2007 11:27PM
nice. i was curious if this was going to get posted. thanks :)