Laying some crap to rest.

[shams]

Entroper said:

shams said:

I'll ask again - for a console to support 720, is there something the video signal generation chip (i.e. the thing that turns a frame buffer into a component/RGB signal) has to do? Or is this pure software? I assume its the first option, so regardless of frame buffer size - the Wii can never manage 720p?

The RAMDAC converts the contents of the framebuffer to an analog signal that can be carried over composite/component/whatever. For a digital 720p output, the RAMDAC is irrelevant, but it matters for component. The details of the Wii's RAMDAC have not been disclosed.

Also, the Wii's graphics chip has an embedded framebuffer. If it's the same size as the Gamecube's embedded framebuffer, then it's 2 MB. That's enough space to double buffer a 640x480x24 display, just. It isn't enough for 720p, even single-buffered. But of course, the details of the Wii's GPU have not been disclosed, either. I think it's likely that the texture cache has been increased, and not the framebuffer, but that's pure speculation on my part.

Interesting... did some more reading here:

http://wiinside.blogspot.com/2007/04/inside-wii.html

...and it mentions this:

"3 Megs embedded Ram Same ( Wii able to use A-Ram as Additional GPU/CPU Ram )"

The basic (embedded) frame buffer is the same - but the GPU may be able to use external memory as well? Probably not for the frame buffer though. Also mentions that the Wii is "locked" at 32-bit colour (GC was 18bit colour).

So I think you are right, not enough frame buffer memory for 720p. May also not be fast enough(?) to sample the frame buffer to achieve proper 720p?

When you consider that the Wii only has to push around 300k pixels / frame (versus 2m for full 1080p!), you can see that a reduced fill rate is still very effective - and can mean a lot more effects can be implemented.