Wii Channels Explained

Wii Channels Explained

When you first boot up the Nintendo Wii, you are presented with a home screen consisting of a series of icons. If you are on a regular 4:3 aspect television, you will see a grid of four channels across, three icons high. If you are using a widescreen 16:9 aspect television (many LCD, DLP, and plasma televisions are widescreen), then you will still have three rows, but five columns instead of four. In addition, there are several "pages" of these grids, offering you lots of space for additional channels. Why would you need this extra space and what do each of these "Wii Channels" represent?

You're in luck, because LoveToKnow is here to explain the Wii Channels to you in a simple and straightforward way. Here they are:

Disc Channel

This is where you access any of the Wii (or GameCube) games that you insert into the disc slot. When there is no disc in the slot, it will simply display a generic image, telling you that you need to put in a game. After putting in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for example, the on-screen image will change to one that corresponds with that particular title. When you select the Disc Channel, you will then be treated to a brief introduction with full graphics and music that accompany that game. Select "Start" from this ensuing page to begin playing.

Mii Channel

With the Mii Channel, you can create a whole series of in-game avatars. Make a cartoon likeness of yourself, your family, and even celebrities using the many tools found within. You can customized hairstyle, eyebrows, skin tone, and so on to achieve a particular look. Why would you want to create these characters, you may ask? Well, for some games -- like Wii Sports -- the Miis are the actual in-game characters. In this way, it will look like you are actually playing tennis and not some generic character! What's more, when you connect your Nintendo Wii to the internet, you can share these Mii creations with other Wii owners around the world.

Photo Channel

You will notice that on the front of the Nintendo Wii, there is a small covered section next to the disc slot, located between the Reset and Eject buttons. Open this flap to reveal an SD (Secure Digital) card slot. This type of memory card is commonly used with many digital cameras, cell phones, and other portable electronics. When you store photographs on an SD card and insert it into the Wii's card slot, you can view that collection of pictures on your television via the Photo Channel! Zoom in and out, create a slide-show, and even add some funny effects to those images. Although not officially condoned by Nintendo, there is also word that you can play videos through the Photo Channel as well.

Forecast Channel

Don't have immediate access to an internet-connected computer, or don't want to wait for the weather channel on your television to get to the news that you need. Fret not, because the Forecast Channel on the Wii presents you with current weather conditions and five-day forecasts for a wide range of international locations, from New York to Paris, Tokyo to Sydney. Powered by weathernews.com, the Forecast Channel combines an incredibly intuitive interface with very accurate forecasts. A fun side feature is that when you zoom out on the 3D model of the Earth, you can grab the planet and spin the globe like how you did in elementary school. Fun and informative.

Internet Channel

The official launch of the Wii Internet Channel, powered by Opera, will be in March 2007, but a trial version is already available for consumers to enjoy. What this channel provides is the opportunity to surf the internet, including watching YouTube videos and reading up on your favorite LoveToKnow website, on your television screen via the Wii. Text entry is performed via an on-screen keyboard, and you can choose between a full QWERTY keyboard (like your computer) or a cell phone-like pad for people who are more comfortable with a text message style entry. Both options include the choice to use predictive text as well. You can keep track of several favorites as well.

Wii Shop Channel

It is here that you can purchase additional games for the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console and other software items for the video game system. You can purchase additional Wii points, buy versions of your favorite Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games and so on, but before you do, be sure to check out our article on Wii Virtual Console Game Reviews. It is also here that you download the Wii Internet Channel (currently for free).

News Channel

At the time this article was written, the Wii News Channel had not yet been launched, but a placeholder icon is shown on the Wii main menu. Much like the Forecast Channel, the News Channel needs an internet connection to work correctly, but as soon as you have your network connection all set up, you will be receiving news reports from all around the world.