Wii TV Guide Channel debuts! ... in Japan
by Eric Caoili 
{ Mar 4th 2008 at 9:45AM }
We were skeptical about the usefulness of Nintendo's Television no Tomo Channel G Guide when the application was first announced -- we assumed it would be a simple listing of future and currently-playing shows. According to initial impressions of the recently launched (in Japan) channel, however, there's a lot more to it! Users can rate shows, share their favorite shows with friends, and mark their favorite programs to receive email/text alerts a half hour before they begin ... in Japan.
The coolest feature we've heard about, though, is the ability to use the Wii remote as a universal remote control. Wii owners can use the controller to change channels, adjust the volume, and switch back and forth between their shows and the TV Guide Channel. Apparently, the sensor bar transmits your commands to your TV, making this all possible ... in Japan.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nigeria: the graphics have amazing gameplay @ Mar 4th 2008 10:01AM
Remember Everybody's Nintendo Channel?
As for this, hardly anybody I know watches scheduled television anymore. But it's nice for people who are interested in this sort of thing.
jsa3mm @ Mar 4th 2008 10:02AM
Very interesting. Now if Nintendo could get that debuted here in America with an external hard drive, so I could use it to also record my favorite TV shows that would be great!
Neal Eaton @ Mar 4th 2008 10:12AM
Great pic of Buster...Arrested Development was such a great show!!
I would love to see Nintendo roll this out in the US, but I think that there are WAY too many different TV delivery 'channels' (over the air, Cable and Satellite) and way too many providers within each of those delivery methods.
Not sure how much I would use this since I already have this feature as part of my satellite service.
Christopher Jones @ Mar 4th 2008 10:18AM
This actually sounds like a useful channel, it figures we don't have it in the states... I guess I'll just go vote on some miis 'cause thats just as useful, oh wait it's not.
Co @ Mar 4th 2008 10:19AM
lol nice!
FlamingMoe @ Mar 4th 2008 10:20AM
HOW is this possible? The sensor bar is not a receiver of any kind, just two IR diodes fed by Wii's A/C adapter. Does the D-Terminal interface include more than simply transferring the signal (similar to the european SCART standard allowing "waking" the TV from standby)? Since the wiimote doesn't actually send IR, converting it to a makeshift TV remote seems out of the question. They haven't released an external TV-tuner, have they?
andyl @ Mar 4th 2008 10:23AM
Yeah, amen, yo... My Wii doesn't have a coax input, and my Wii's component connection to the TV doesn't affect channel changing through the coax input.
I don't see how this works... Shouldn't there be some kind of "bridge" between the two inputs?
twitchboy @ Mar 4th 2008 10:40AM
Do you know how a universal remote works? The wii remote would transmit directly to the TV with it's built in IR. No need for the sensor bar it would just "emulate" your TVs IR signal.
James @ Mar 4th 2008 11:27AM
This is not complicated. The sensor bar is an IR transmitter. Your TV remote is an IR transmitter. They flash the sensor bar to match the pattern your TV remote would have transmitted. That's it. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised they can do this -- first, your sensor bar probably faces AWAY from your TV, and second, I didn't realize they had software control over the sensor bar output (I had assumed it was hardwired). But if they say it works, hey, great. I guess if you use a wireless/battery-powered sensor bar, you're SOL.
FlamingMoe @ Mar 4th 2008 2:11PM
The Wii Remote is actually not an IR transmitter, but a 1024x768 IR camera. Using the LEDs in the sensor bar to transmit commands to an IR receiver on a TV set might work, it would, as James points out, recuire you to use the senson bar facing towards the TV. Seems like an awkward solution, but cool if it works.
Gneekman @ Mar 4th 2008 11:58PM
As long as the IR signal is powerful enough, it wouldn't necessarily have to point directly at the TV... after all you can usually use your remote while pointing it elsewhere. I do it all the time with my Apple Remote, anyway, and that's a tiny little transmitter. The Wii Sensor Bar could probably output quite a lot more IR light.
Seth G. @ Mar 5th 2008 2:28PM
I'm guessing it works by the Wii-mote sending the desired command to the wii via Blue Tooth, and then the Wii will send the acquired command via the sensor bar to the TV's IR receiver.
The only thing that is potentially erroneous here is having to put the Sensor Bar in front of your television in order for it to receive the IR signal from the bar. But, I've been able to point my TV remote away from the TV some times, and it still receives the signal...
SoshiKitai @ Mar 4th 2008 10:24AM
I don't see what's your guy's problems are...
The fact that you can express your opinion about anything is always nice.
It's not like you HAVE to download it.
It's not like you HAVE to use it.
It's not like you HAVE to use everything on it.
But the fact that the choice is there... it's nice to have.
And who wouldn't want to replace their remote for the WiiMote when you (once again) lost your remote?!
An extra remote is always handy to have.
SoshiKitai @ Mar 4th 2008 10:26AM
It's useful when you're trying to find a really good Mii to add to your Wii for your next Wii-sports party.
...it's easier than making it yourself, I used to get headaches trying to figure out who else I should create.
SoshiKitai @ Mar 4th 2008 10:27AM
Darnit, that was supposed to be replying to Christopher Jones!
I really hate that reply button, I always have to press it twice.
Jordan @ Mar 4th 2008 10:41AM
I'm pretty sure the sensor bar is connected to a GPIO inside the Wii, so I guess it is feasible. The wiimote just has to transmit via bluetooth to tell the wii what signal to send through the sensor bar. The question I have is, how does the signal get to the sensor on the tv from the sensor bar. I know remotes can work when not pointed directly at the tv, but an angle like the one typical between the sensor bar and tv seems difficult.
Sonic_13 @ Mar 4th 2008 12:15PM
This channel is obviously a lot more complex than I (and I presume all of us) thought it was.
These details actually makes me hope that it gets released in the US someday, as I could definitely see myself using this channel.
gevenstaines @ Mar 4th 2008 12:46PM
Bob! BOB! BOB!!!
motang @ Mar 4th 2008 1:44PM
So Japan gets two new channels (Everyone's Nintendo channel and the TV guide one) we get nothing...come on Nintendo where is NA's Everyone's Nintendo channel?
Errol @ Mar 4th 2008 2:10PM
And Europe too!
Atlantis1982 @ Mar 4th 2008 5:14PM
Yeah, umm, good, but where the @#$% is the Everyone Nintendo Channel. Stop PLAYING BRAWL and get back to work already, NoA! >:O
TheFireStorm @ Mar 4th 2008 9:32PM
The sensor bar remote will work here is how i know i took my Tvs remote and set on top of my tv with the IR transmitter facing away from the tv and then pressed the buttons it worked then i did the same below the tv and it worked try it out for your self
Iain @ Mar 4th 2008 11:26PM
Seems like a useless extra that would get in your way. It's not on-demand... Not a Tivo... No movie downloads.. Just a different way to browse your current TV?
Fideocam @ Mar 5th 2008 11:05AM
If Wii had an HDMI (v1.3) port they could just change the channel on an external tuner device without programming the remote. Pity, such a cool concept.
Girrrtacos @ Mar 5th 2008 8:31PM
"the sensor bar transmits your commands to your TV, making this all possible"
All the sensor bar is-
LED LIGHTS.
stupid @ Mar 7th 2008 6:15PM
infrared LED lights, the very same inside ur regular tv that send infrared signals to your tv to ummm idk change the channel and ajust the volume perhaps
Girrrtacos @ Mar 7th 2008 6:32PM
Yes, but all that is connected to the wii is Power. Nintendo would have to make a completly new design of the Sensor Bar to adjust the lights to change when the Wii instructs to.
zander erasmus @ Mar 5th 2008 7:23PM
I hope this comes to North America any time soon, it seems like a very interesting feature
i've got a lot of respect for Nintendo and it is definiately making business with it's broad marketing strategies... their target market is everyone and everything
lol, when people compare consoles they don't even use the Wii anymore, because of it's widespread popularity they've got millions in the bank.. kind of makes you curious as to what they will come up with next
Zander Erasmus
http://zandererasmus.blogspot.com