Wii Channels FAQ v1.55 Created by: Jason Chandler (GameFAQS Username: JaydeWiz) Date: May 12, 2007 Places I have given permission to host this FAQ: --As of May 12, 2007-- GameFAQS.com CheatCC.com Supercheats.com Thank you for your cooperation. :) ------------------------ Table of Contents ------------------------ 1. Version History 2. Introduction 3. Overview of the Wii a. What Is It All About? b. Unique Features c. Controller Attachments 4. Setting up the Wii a. Initial Set-up b. Ways to Connect to the Internet 5. Specific Channel FAQ a. Disc Channel b. Mii Channel c. Photo Channel d. Shop Channel e. Forecast Channel f. Internet Channel (Final Version) g. News Channel h. Everybody Votes Channel 6. Misc. Information a. The Message Board b. Contact Information c. Where I Do and Don�t Want to See This FAQ ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 1. Version History ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- May 12, 2007 -- v1.55: Included details on how the "How Tuned in Are you?" section works in the Everbody votes Channel. April 20, 2007 -- v1.5: Added some extra information to kind of flesh out some of the sections. Also added some info on the final Internet Channel. February 22, 2008 -- v1.4: Added some information on the new Everybody votes channel. It's not a very "deep" channel, but I added what I thought might be some decent information. February 12, 2007 -- v1.3: Not a major update. Just added some info on the News Channel. There isn't really a whole lot to the News Channel that isn't too hard to notice, so the section is somewhat small. Also added that Google video works with the Wii as well. (Thanks to FalconRover for pointing it out.) January 09, 2007 -- v1.2: After seeing this posted on GameFAQS for the first time I decided that I needed to edit a little bit of the post-corrected formatting. Also fixed a few typos here and there. I also added a bit more information to various sections. Most notably, I mentioned the existence of "Orb" to use with the internet browser. I also noticed I listed the incorrect time for the VC updates. It is actually 9AM PST, not 12PM PST, as I originally had. January 06, 2007 -- v1.0: This is the first version. Basically, the update consists of everything you see written, as before v1.0, there wasn�t anything. At this point in time, I do not know what updates will be needed in the future, save for fixing erroneous information, and adding the News Channel when it comes in, unless someone emails me with some more information I can add. ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 2. Introduction ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- This is essentially a guide of the functions and general �how it works� items pertaining to the Wii Channels. I�ve also included a section on what the Wii is, and how to set it up, in case you, the reader (henceforth referred to as �you�) have either just gotten a Wii, or are considering purchasing one and want to know more about it. The Wii Channels are what you are faced with when you first start up the Wii. Each one offers different functions depending on its �theme.� ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 3. Overview of the Wii Part a: What Is It All About? ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- The Wii, simply put, is Nintendo�s newest gaming system. Released for the first time in North America on November 19, 2006, the Wii went in a direction completely different than the consoles of both Sony and Microsoft. (The PS3 and the XBOX 360, respectively.) ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 3. Overview of the Wii Part b: Unique Features ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- The Wii boasts graphics better, but not leaps and bounds over, than the previous Nintendo console, the Gamecube. However, what the Wii lacks in graphical sophistication, it more than makes up for in sheer game play. Gone are the days where the term �gamer� referred simply to a group of socially inept nerds sitting in their basement playing videogames. The Wii has been designed to be picked up and played by anyone who enjoys playing a game. Kids, adults, boys, girls, mothers, fathers, and even grandparents can get in on the fun and enjoyment of playing a videogame once again, harkening back to the days of the NES, where gaming as a group was the goal. How does the Wii achieve this you might ask? Well, it�s all in the remote. The Wii Remote, or �Wiimote,� is a drastic change from conventional controllers. While it still has the familiar A and B buttons of old, as well as a directional pad, the greatest innovation is the Wiimotes motion sensing capabilities. Button mashing is a thing of the past. If you want to swing a sword, then just flick the Wiimote as you would a sword. Want to swing that baseball bat in Wii Sports? Go right ahead. Stand up, grip the Wiimote, place it on your shoulder, and swing for the fences. The controls are so intuitive because the motions the remote represent are the same as the real life motions. The Wii has an internal memory of approximately 512MB. If you wish to have more memory (which you will), the front flap of the Wii conceals a slot to insert an SD card for more memory. Nintendo sells their own brand of SD cards, but I have found that as long as they are SD cards, they will work. I used a 512MB SD card that I�ve had for a few years ago with no problem. The Wii is also backwards compatible. It has the ability to play every Gamecube game without any modification. There are two areas on the top of the Wii (providing it is sitting vertically) that house slots for up to 4 Gamecube controllers as well as 2 Gamecube memory cards. ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 3. Overview of the Wii Part c: Controller Attachments ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- If you look on the bottom, when held upright, of the Wiimote, you will notice what appears to be a connection port. This is where you insert the attachments for the Wiimote. Current attachments are the nunchuck and the classic controller. Nunchuck: The nunchuck simply looks like a small attachment with an analog stick and two extra buttons. This analog stick, coupled with the two extra �Z� and �C� buttons give even more flexibility in control. For first person shooters, such as �Red Steel� and �Call of Duty 3,� the analog stick moves your character around, while aiming with the Wiimote can turn your character or help aim. Classic Controller: This device resembles a Super NES controller with a few extra buttons. This device plugs into the Wiimote and allows the player to play older games on a controller that feels more reminiscent of the controller used to originally play them. ***Note that certain vintage games can make use of the Wiimote as well as the Gamecube Controller.*** ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 4. Setting Up the Wii Part a: Initial Setup ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- When you first open the box to your Wii, setup is actually pretty simple. Simply hook up the AC adapter, AV cables and plug in the sensor bar. Following the instructions included with the manual makes setting up the Wii a virtual breeze. Thus, I do not feel like I need to go into any great detail on this matter. ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 4. Setting Up the Wii Part b: Ways to Connect to the Internet ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- There are several ways to get the Wii to connect to the internet. Keep in mind that the Wii has a built in wireless transmitter, so there isn�t a whole lot that needs to be messed with on the Wii physically. Nintendo USB Wi-Fi Connector: This little device plugs into an open USB port on your PC. The program that is installed allows the device to interface between the Wii and your PC, essentially using it as a gate allowing your Wii access to your PC�s internet connection. To set it up, first install the drivers contained in the CD and run the program, making sure to plug in the connector before running the program. On the Wii, go to �Wii Settings� in the Wii�s main menu. On the second page of settings options, there will be a choice called �Internet.� Clicking on this button will bring up a list of more choices. Click on �Connection Settings.� From there, click on one of the three choices, then click on �Wireless� then �USB connector.� The Setup will then ask you to grant permission for it to connect. (This is to be done using the program on your PC.) After that is completed, the Wii will initiate a test connection, and if successful, will download any updates that are needed. Wireless HotSpot: If you are using a Wi-Fi broadcasting device to connect to the internet, simply repeat the steps above until you get to the choice between �Search for connection� or �USB connector.� This time, click on �Search for connection.� The Wii will try to detect any wireless broadcasting devices in range. If it finds the correct one, simply select it and the Wii will use that one. ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 5. Specific Channel FAQ Part a: The Disc Channel ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- The Disc Channel is the simplest Channel to describe. If there is already a Wii or Gamecube CD in the drive, clicking on this channel will present you with the option of either going back to the main Channel menu, or loading the game. Keep in mind that you do not have to already have a game in the drive when you click on this channel. It will simply sit there until you put in a CD, or choose to go back to the main menu. ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 5. Specific Channel FAQ Part b: The Mii Channel ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- Ah yes, the Mii Channel. In this channel, you can create Miis, or avatars if you will, to use in various Wii games. (As I am in North America, currently Wii Sports is the only game out that utilizes them, but more are coming, specifically �Wii Play.") After entering this channel, you will be presented with, if this is your first time, an empty "Mii Plaza." There are several buttons on either side of the screen. The top, left corner button takes you back to the Wii Menu. Underneath that will be the �Edit Mii� button. If you click on this button, then move the cursor over an existing Mii and press the A and B buttons, you can pick it up and drag to this area. After doing that, it will enter the Mii creation screen if you wish to edit or change something about that particular Mii. Next is the �Create New Mii� button. This is the entire reason for the channel. Clicking on this button takes you to the Mii creation system. You are first asked what gender the Mii is going to be. After choosing a gender, you are giving the option of either making one from scratch or choosing a look-alike. If you choose �make one from scratch,� you can finally create a Mii yourself. You are given several options. Most of which are self-explanatory. Running along the top of the screen are the different things you can edit on your Mii. (Head shape, hair, eye shape/color, height/�weight� etc.) The option at the top, left most corner allows you to name your Mii, and choose a favorite color. The favorite color turns into the Mii�s shirt, as well as its hat, if you chose that from the list of hair options. Setting the Mii�s birthday doesn�t seem to have any significant, if any, impact. The creator is of course, your chance to put your name as the maker of the Mii, in case your Mii wanders off onto someone else�s console (explained later). �Mingle� allows you to set this Mii as being able to appear on other�s consoles or not. Setting a Mii as a �favorite� doesn�t have a clear effect. Some believe that it causes them to show up in games in Wii Sports more often, while others think it makes them more readily go to another�s console if �mingle� is set to �on.� Once you are satisfied with your Mii, you can exit using the button in the lower left-hand corner. You are given the option to �save and exit,� �don�t save and exit,� or �cancel.� ***I don�t think there is an exact number, but current estimates show that the Wii can hold over 1000 Miis!*** Once you are back at the Mii Plaza, the next button, under the �Create a new Mii� button, is the �Erase Mii� button. This is rather self-explanatory once again. After clicking this button, select a Mii with A and B and drag it to the button. It will confirm that you want to delete the Mii, then delete it if you select yes. The Question Mark button shows button commands for navigation. I didn�t cover them in this FAQ since the Help button specifically says what they are. Over on the right side of the screen is another button entitled �Mii Parade.� Clicking this button will take you to another screen similar to the Mii Plaza. If you have connected to the internet and have exchanged Wii codes with other people (known as friend codes, in honor of the DS namesake), any Miis that have wandered onto your console, by virtue of them being set to mingle on the other persons console, will show up here. If you see a Mii you like, you can hit the �Send to Mii Plaza� button and, as always, select the Mii with the A and B buttons and drag it to the afore-mentioned button. If you do not like a certain Mii, and want it to no longer show up in the parade, you can delete it using the �Delete Mii� button. Also from here, you can set the speed at which the Miis walk across the screen, as well as set global travel settings for your Miis as well as others�. What this does, is if you set the travel settings to "on," it will allow your Miis to "travel" from your console to the consoles of people who you have added to your friends list. This does not remove them from your console, so don't worry. Back at the plaza, you will notice a button resembling a Wiimote. This will allow you to store a Mii onto your Wiimote, if you wish to carry the Mii to a friend�s house and use your Mii on their console. Using the same A and B button combo, select which Mii you want to put on the Wiimote and select which slot you wish to put it on. ***The Wiimote can store a total of 10 Miis.*** The final button is the �Send Mii to a Friend� button. Clicking on this button will bring up your address book, with the nicknames of the friends you�ve added. Select the friend who is to receive your Mii, then drag the Mii to the top of the screen to the envelope. The system will verify the recipient, then sends the Mii on its happy little journey to your friend�s console! Finally, at the bottom of the right side of the screen, you will notice a button shaped like a whistle. Clicking on this button brings up a panel with which to organize your Miis (either by gender, shirt color, name, or favorite status). Sometimes while they run into their places, a Mii will even fall down! Well, that�s it for the Mii Channel! It offers near limitless combinations for coming up with some crazy-looking Miis! For ideas, or to see some that have been made by other people, you can try the following websites: Famousmii.com: Offers a few famous people Miis along with a guide on how to create them. There is also a forum that contains additional Mii Guides. Rather small at the moment, but I expect this to grow in size rapidly! Miiplaza.net: User-submitted Miis are shown here, with pictures. While the Miis shown do not have step-by-step guides as famousMii.com does, you can still figure out how to make the Mii just by following the picture. ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 5. Specific Channel FAQ Part c: The Photo Channel ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- The next channel on our list is the Photo channel. If you have an SD card with .jpg files on it, either from a digital camera or just saved onto it from your PC, you will be able to view them here. There is also an option to view a photo from the message board, if someone has sent you one. Conversely, if you are viewing a picture from an SD card, you can post it on the message board. Things to note here, as there isn�t a whole lot to mention in this channel that isn�t blatantly obvious, is that when you select to view your photos on the card as a slideshow, if there are any .mp3 files saved to the card, you will be able to have them play in the background of the slideshow. Also, the photo channel is able to play certain movie files. .Avi files seem to be the format everyone agrees the Wii can play. There is a converter out on the internet named Red Kawa. I am hesitant to point it out because while it does convert the movie file into something the Wii can use, it converts the movie file in such a way that it is completely decompressed, astronomically increasing the file size. Not only that, but the one video I got to fit onto a card to play in the photo channel was out of sync and was essentially a slideshow more than it was an actual movie. If a better converter is pointed out to me, I will update this FAQ and post it here. Until then, finding out which video format works might be hit-or-miss. If you select a photo, while viewing it, you are able to click on the word �Fun.� Doing this gives you three options: Mood, Doodle and Puzzle. Choosing mood takes you another screen and gives you options to do photo-wide color changes (Brightness, black-and-white, etc.) If you happen to do this to a movie file, the music/sound playing will change as well, or so I have heard. Doodle gives you the option to draw on the picture, and gives you various �stamps� to place on the picture as well, such as a pair of lips, different �lens flare� items and sunglasses. If you click repeatedly on the button that selects what stamp to use, different variations will appear. ***To increase or decrease the brush size, or the size of the stamp, move the Wiimote closer to or farther from the screen, respectively.*** Selecting the Puzzle option takes you to an area where you can turn a photo into a square-piece jigsaw puzzle. You are only able to choose 6 pieces at first, but once you complete that (it�s not hard, trust me), you can choose between 6, 12, 24 or 48 pieces. I�ve heard you can select 96, but I have not done it myself, so I do not know the conditions to obtain that option, nor do I know if it�s even true. ***You can also make a puzzle of a movie file. While the only movie file I used so far was the one that turned into a slide-show (not the Wii�s fault; I played the original, converted file on my PC, before it had been sent to the Wii, and it was the same way.) This adds a bit of difficulty to the equation, since you are now working on a puzzle that constantly changes.*** ***Also, on the screen where you are given the options of Mood, Doodle or Puzzle, you will notice a small, black cat walking along the top of the screen. If you are able to catch it, by clicking on it, it can give you hints and tips about the Photo Channel. In a future update, I might post a list of what all cat says. If someone wants to email them to me, feel free.*** ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 5. Specific Channel FAQ Part d: The Shop Channel ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- This is yet another fairly straight-forward channel. Clicking on this channel takes you to the main screen of the Shop Channel. Provided you have a connection to the internet, you can log onto the shop channel and browse various goodies. Once you connect, and select the �Start Shopping� button, you will notice two sections: �Virtual Console� and �Wii Ware.� The Virtual Console is where you go to download the currently released old-school games Nintendo has made available. Currently there are roughly 38 games available from 5 systems: The NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, TurboGrafix-16, and the Nintendo 64. Nintendo regularly uploads new games (currently every Monday, sometime in the morning. I believe it is 9:00AM PST.) The only thing is, however, that no one is quite sure what games are coming at which particular time until either right before, or right after, they are added. ***For information on which Virtual Console games have been released, and which ones are currently slated to be released, please visit Wikipedia�s Virtual Console entry using the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Virtual_Console_titles_%28North_America%29 Keep in mind that the ones that are on the way have no release date.*** The games are �paid for� in Wii Points. You can either buy a Wii Points card from a local retail store (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, EB Games, etc.) or simply purchase them directly from the Shop Channel using a credit card. 1 Wii Point is equal to $.01, so 100 points is $1.00 making the games worth the following amounts: NES Games --- $5.00 TurboGrafix-16 Games --- $6.00 SNES and Sega Genesis Games --- $8.00 N64 Games --- $10.00 ***When purchasing points online through the Shop Channel, you can only purchase points in increments of 1000, 2000 and 5000 points.*** When a new game is downloaded from the Virtual Console, it is added to the main Channels menu as its own channel. Each game is its own separate channel, so if you download a lot of games, your channel menu can get rather cluttered. You are able to store downloaded games onto an SD card if you need more room. However, you will need to copy them back on to the Wii if you wish to play them. You cannot run them directly from the SD card. If you really run out of storage space, you can delete a game from the SD card or the system�s memory. The Shop Channel keeps track of what games you have already downloaded. You will not have to pay to re-download a game once you pay for it. If something happens to your Wii and you get a new one, or somehow your download history gets lost, Nintendo will be able to help you out, so don�t think you have to pay for them all over again. Keep in mind that you can ONLY play a VC game on the Wii that you orignally downloaded them to. You cannot put a VC game on an SD card and transfer it to another console to play. It will not work. ***In case you�re worried, it doesn�t seem like Nintendo actually stores your Credit Card Number anywhere on the shop channel, as you have to enter it in every time you purchase more Wii Points. If someone wants to verify this for me, again, feel free.*** The Wii Ware section is where new Channels will be downloaded, once Nintendo makes them available. To date, the only channel available through the Wii Ware section is the trial version of the Internet Channel (More info below). Using the shop channel, you can also link your Nintendo.com username/password to your Wii Ship Channel purchase information. At the present time, I do not know exactly what that enables. If someone can fill me in, I would appreciate that. The Channel also allows you to keep track of what you have downloaded, and your current point balance, so you always know what you have available to spend, and what you don�t need to purchase again. ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 5. Specific Channel FAQ Part e: The Forecast Channel ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- One of the newer Channels added to the lineup. (It was released around the 18th of December. I don�t remember the exact date.) This channel is exactly what it says: a weather forecast channel. This channel was available through a Wii System update and did not need to be purchased or downloaded through the Shop Channel. If you have updated your Wii since the middle of December, then you have this Channel. When you first start this channel, you will be asked to input what country/state/city you live in. Not every U.S. city is in the database, so just pick the one that�s closest. I got lucky in that Pensacola was there from the get-go. Don�t fret though, as over the past couple weeks I have noticed that more and more cities seem to be added from time to time, so it�s only a matter of time before (I hope) all but the most unheard of cities are added. After setting up your home location, you will see a screen that lists the �current� weather. I use the term �current� loosely, as the Forecast channel doesn�t update every minute of every day, and the most recent information on what the current weather is can be anywhere from 30mins to 4 hours old, depending on when you catch it. I can only assume at this point that it will eventually get better. You will be presented with options that allow you to change your home town, if needed. (the �Settings� button in the top, right-hand corner.) At the top- and bottom- middle of the border buttons, you can scroll through other weather-related information such as the UV index, current weather, today�s high, tomorrow�s high, tomorrow�s forecast and a 5-day forecast. ***If you are looking at today�s weather, and click on the icon on the right side, you can bring up a daily breakdown of what the weather was like for the day. Doing the same thing for tomorrow�s weather gives you a daily breakdown of the forecasted weather as well.*** ***More of an Easter Egg than anything else, if you move the cursor over the weather icon in either today�s or tomorrow�s weather, you will hear rain if it�s a rain cloud icon, or rain + thunder if it�s a thunderstorm icon.*** Also on this screen, you will notice, in the bottom, right-hand corner of the screen, a button that says, �Globe.� Clicking on this button takes you to the niftiest part of this Channel. A globe will appear, showing you all the cities in the database worldwide. You can rotate the globe, zoom in, zoom out, and view worldwide weather all at time same time. Clicking next at the top of the screen cycles trough the same kind of information as the previous screen (the day�s high, tomorrow�s high, etc.). ***I personally think the globe has the coolest music. It�s so fitting for what it is. There does however, seem to be two different types of music that plays in the forecast channel. One is mellow, and the other is more upbeat. I am currently unaware of anything that triggers one song to play as opposed to the other, so I believe which one plays is determined randomly.*** ***Take a look at the stars behind the globe. It�s a real star map. I�ve been able to identify Orion, Draco, and the Pleiades. I am sure there are others, but I am not quite as good at spotting constellations as I should be, plus the globe itself obscures most of the sky.*** ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 5. Specific Channel FAQ Part f: The Internet Channel (Final Version) ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- The Internet Channel is the Wii�s Internet browser, in case you couldn�t tell. The final version of the Internet Channel was released in the first half of April. The browser can be downloaded from the Wii Ware section of the shop channel for a cost of 0 Wii points ($0.00). Yes, you read right, the Internet Browser is free. However, if you wait until after June to download it, you will have to pay to download it. It will cost 500 Wii Points ($5.00) to download. Keep in mind that no matter how you download it, whether you get it for free, or pay 500 points if it�s after June, you do not have to pay anything else. There is no per-month subscription, there is no other fees associated with using the browser, save for the cost of your PC being on the internet, since the Wii is essentially piggy-backing off your PCs internet connection to begin with. The final version of the Internet Channel is more functional, but it still lacks java support, much to the dismay of users. However, the zooming capabilities are vastly improved, as there are mutilple levels of zooming (by pressing the + and - buttons). Also, and this is the most requested fix from the Beta version, the toolbar can be hidden. The browser can either be set to auto-hide the toolbar, or it can be set to hide the toolbar with the press of the 1 button. The Internet Channel still supports flash, so flash videos and flash games do work. Using a flash game is kind of hit or miss since most of them rely on a keyboard, which the Wii does not currently possess. Youtube does in fact work, and the movies do play. I have heard reports of certain movies not playing, but I believe they are the exception, not the rule. ***Some of the sites that offer flash services that work for sure are as follows: youtube.com wiicade.com myspace.com gamefaqs.com According to FalconRover, Google Video seems to work as well. If anyone knows of any other sites that still work as they should, please let me know, and I will add it to the list. And what I mean by that is sites that play flash movies/games. I don�t mean for you to send me every website on the internet that loads properly.*** Since the Wii does not have a keyboard, when clicking on a text box, a panel will pop up showing a keyboard and, using the remote, you can highlight the �keys� and type stuff in, much like the panel when you name your Mii. There is a dynamic dictionary that comes with the �keyboard� that tries to save you a little bit of typing time if you feel compelled to use it. Simply highlight the word and it will add it to whatever you�re typing. While the browser does not have the ability to save and recall a long history log of sites you have been to, it can travel back and forward through pages you�ve visited. While I am not sure how many it keeps track of, it at least saves you from typing in every single page over again. Cookies are another thing that the browser supports. This at least saves you from having to log in repeatedly on pages such as GameFAQs, or any other site where it needs to remember who you are. The browser can also save favorites by clicking on the button with the star at the bottom of the screen. It can add whatever page you are currently on as a favorite, or load up a page you currently have saved. I do not, at this time, know what the limit is on the number of favorite pages you can have. I would assume it is quite a few, since I don�t think they take up that much room in memory. With the fact that the Wii stores cookies from websites you have visited, people often wonder how you would get rid of that kind of stuff. In the Wii menu, if you go to the data management screen and select the data stored on the Wii, you will notice that the web browser has its own block of save data. If you delete this, it will clear out everything and start the browser off fresh. Keep in mind that this is the block of data that is stored along with the other Wii game data. There is a separate data management screen that stores the actual channel itself, and deleting that data will delete the entire channel, causing you to have to download it again. Another thing about the browser is that initially, the text looks very small. If you have trouble reading it, which isn�t a big surprise, you can use the + or � buttons on the Wiimote to zoom in or out. You can zoom in or out multiple times, so you can find the proper size to suit your needs. ***One thing you can do, to give the Wii some kind of music and video playback ability, is to download a program called Orb. (Yes, onto your PC.) If you get this program, you can have it running on your PC, and if you browse to the site on your Wii, you can stream music and videos stored on yout PC's hard-drive and have them play on the Wii, since Orb can convert them into a flash stream, which, nicely enough, the Wii can handle.*** ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 5. Specific Channel FAQ Part g: The News Channel ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- The News Channel was released on January 26, which was actually a day earlier than anticipated. (Way to keep us on our toes, Nintendo!) The News Channel is rather simple. After loading, you are presented with several choices for news articles. Right off the top of my head, they are: International, National, Science/Health, Business, Sports, Arts, and Technology news. (Why Science and Technology are two different catergories, I don't know.) Once you select a catergory, you will be shown a list of various articles to read. Simply clicking on one of them will bring up the actual article. While you are reading the article, you can press the + and - buttons to resize the text in order to make it easier to read. Also, if you are reading an article that shows the globe off to the side, you can click on the globe to bring up a globe similar to the Forecast Channel Globe. As you spin the globe and look around, the News Channel sorts all the news articles on the globe based on what city the article is from. As you zoom in and out of the globe, you can see the news article icons move toward their respective cities. **It's rather hard to miss, but the cat is back from the photo channel. You can see him during the loading screen. This time though, he doesn't seem to want to run away from your cursor. If you click on him, he'll give you more tips about the News Channel. Someday I will post a list of the things I can find that he says. ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 5. Specific Channel FAQ Part g: The Everbody Votes Channel ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- This Channel was released as a surprise to everyone. It was released around the 14th of February. This channel allows you to voice your opinion on a variety of questions, such as: "Which is more romantic, chocolate or flowers?" "What color is better? Red or Blue?" When you first load up the channel, you'll be asked to register a voter. I believe you can have up to a total of 6 voters registered. The channel uses a Mii you choose to represent you. (It uses the ones that you've made in the Mii Plaza.) Once you register your Mii, you will be asked to verify what region (state) you live in. What state you live in influences (I think) what questions you are given the opportunity to vote on. After you get good and registered, you will be presented with a number of questions. I believe only three show up at a time, along with a timer showing how long they will be available for you to vote. Once you click on the question you'd like to vote on, you will be taken to a new screen. You will see a giant circle, half of which is purple, and the other half is green. These two colors correspond to the colors of the possible responses. Simply drag your Mii onto the color of the choce you wish to make and it will ask you if you wish to cast your vote. If you choose yes, you will then be asked to "predict" the outcome. This means you are to choose the answer you think will get the most votes. Once a few days pass, and the votes have run their course, you will be able to access your results screen. (Really, you can access it whenever you want to, but there's no point if none of the votes have results yet.) The first window/page shows you how many votes you've participated in, and how many you correctly predicted. Below that is a percentage of the votes you've correctly predicted. The next window shows you how far you are from popular opinion. What this represents is how often you vote with the majority. How correctly you predict the outcome of votes is irrelevent. All that matters is you vote with the majority. (Voting with the side that wins, not correctly guessing the side that wins.) Thanks to God Striker8 for info on how that works! The third window shows you a breakdown/rating of various aspects the system has scored you on based on your votes. As reported from God Striker8: "The 'How Tuned In Are You?' section of the Voter Data works like this: Each question is classified into differnt catergories. They are Thoughts, Personality, Surroundings, KNowlege, and Experience. For example: The 'Have You Gone on a Vacation Overseas?' question is catergorized into experience. If you vote "yes" it will go up. If you vote "no" it will go down. Again, I got this from us.wii.com. so it is 100% reliable." Another nifty feature of the channel is the ability to suggest a poll for Nintendo to put on the channel. Simply type out your question, the two choices, and send it on its way. Keep in mind that submitting a poll does not gaurantee it will show up, but it's always fun to do. Keep in mind you can only submit one poll per day. They also become the propery of Nintendo, and you release all the rights...blah blah blah. Well, That's about all there is to say at the current time, other than saying the music of this channel is very catchy, and it's a good way to keep the channel from getting too boring too quickly. If anyone finds anything interesting, and would like me to put it here in the FAQ, please email me and I will put it in. Thanks! ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 6. Misc. Information Part a: The Message Board ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- This really isn�t a channel, per se, but since it is a feature of the Channels, I figured I�d touch on it. When you are at the main channels menu screen, you will notice a button on the right side of the screen with an envelope on it. If you click this, you will be taken to the Wii message board. From here, you can leave messages for others who use your console, or send messages to other people over the internet. When you reach the message board, you will notice a button that allows you to create a new message. If you look at the address book after clicking on it, you will notice on the cover your �Wii Console Number.� This is the number that others use if they wish to send you a message on your console. If you click on the register button, you will be able to add a friend�s Wii # and nickname, which will allow you to send them a message. Keep in mind that before you can send the person any messages, they must also register your # on their console as well. When you recieve a new message, the disc light will glow blue. This is to let you know you have a message waiting. As of now, I can only think of two ways to get this glow to "stay on." 1.) Register your email address in the address book, and email yourself a message. 2.) Tell a friend in your address book that you REALLY want them to send you a message. ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 6. Misc. Information Part b: Contact Info ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- If you wish to send me a message telling me that I left something out of this FAQ (which is possible), or make a correction, or offer a suggestion, feel free to email me at [email protected]. I don�t take kindly to flaming, so if you�re going to email me just to say something stupid, I�d prefer that you didn�t. I�ll give thought to any suggestions you send me, so don�t think I won�t pay attention to them. If you�d like to give me some kind of identifier, I�ll even give you credit for giving me some info for the FAQ. "John Stevens" is fine, but if you want to go by EliteHaxxor333, I can live with that as well. ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 6. Misc. Information Part c: Where I Do and Don�t Want to See This FAQ ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ---- If for some strange reason you really like this FAQ and wish to link to it, or put it on your website, that is alright with me. I�d ask though that you send me an email saying that you are doing it, just so I can have a little heads up. If I happen to say no, I would appreciate respecting my decision and not being ignored. If you wish to save this to your computer to use at your own leisure, I don�t have a problem with that either. I�d just ask that you save it as it is. Don�t save just half of it so you can run around saying how you thought of everything or whatnot. I know I can�t control what people do, but at least I�ve gotten it said. ---- ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< Well, that�s it for now I suppose. Thank you for reading this and I hope it helped out, even if only in some small way. ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< Copyright 2007 Jason Chandler