Review of Wii Wireless Sensor Bar

The Wii requires a "sensor bar" above or below your TV screen, so it can tell where on the screen you're pointing your remote controller.The Wii comes with a wired sensor bar that will work great for most homes.Don't buy an extra wireless sensor bar unless you actually need it.

To help you decide, it's really useful to understand how this device works.The name "wireless sensor bar" is actually quite misleading in 2 specific ways.

I at first assumed the "sensor bar" was communicating with the Wii console -- that a wired sensor bar sends communications over the wire, and that a wireless sensor bar sends information wirelessly to the console.After all, it's a sensor bar, so it must be sensing something and communicating that information, right?

Wrong.In fact, the sensor bar is nothing more than a fancy flashlight.All it does is turn on some infrared lights with specific spacing and orientation.In fact, it's your Wii remote controller that senses the infrared lights and transmits this information wirelessly to your console, which can then calculate where you are pointing the remote and display a little icon on the screen.

So, misconception #1:the "sensor bar" doesn't sense anything, it's just a little flashlight.Misconception #2, the word "wireless" often means "wireless communication", but in this case, the "sensor bar" is just a dumb device that can't communicate in any way, so the wire is just for power.

So you have 2 options:

* Use the fancy flashlight that you've already purchased, as it came bundled with your Wii, which is powered by a wire connected to your Wii.

* Buy a second fancy flashlight powered by a battery.

OK, with those misconceptions out of the way, you can make a much better choice about whether or not wireless is right for you.For example, don't fret about wireless network interference -- this device doesn't cause any.Likewise, don't worry about having a hard time setting up the "wireless sensor bar" with your Wii -- it doesn't require pairing or any extra configuration at all, it's just a flashlight.

Personally, I normally groove on everything wireless.I adore my Mac wireless mouse.I use only wireless peripherals for all my computers.I have a wireless home network.But in this case, I definitely prefer the bundled, wired "sensor bar".I have too many devices that need batteries as it is, but I was mostly bothered by the 2nd on/off switch.

Let me explain that last comment.You can turn on and off your Wii system with a single, remote controlled button click, just like a TV remote control.Grab any game controller (which of course is wireless and remote) and click the power button from any seat in the room, and the system powers itself on -- plus, that game controller is now designated controller #1.Hold the power button on the remote for several seconds and the system turns itself off -- and all the game controllers you were using are smart enough to power themselves off as well.Sweet!I vastly prefer this over the GameCube, which had to be powered on/off by pushing a button on the console itself.

Unfortunately, the "wireless sensor bar" breaks this elegance.Every time I wanted to play the Wii, I'd sit down, grab the nearest remote, click the power button -- and it would fail to work properly because the wireless sensor bar wasn't turned on.Nor was it able to turn itself on wirelessly, it's just a flashlight, it can't receive wireless commands in any way.So I'd get up, walk to this device, turn it on, and then be able to play.Turning off, same thing -- now I have to turn off 2 items instead of 1.Worse still, the 2nd on/off switch on the "wireless sensor bar" is near the TV, so you have to physically get up and walk around the coffee table, etc. etc., or just leave the flashlight on and have your batteries run down.

Yes, it's a minor complaint.But given that you've already paid for a "sensor bar" that works great, why pay extra for one that doesn't work as well?

There are undoubtedly good reasons to get this device in specific circumstances.If your screen is huge or unusually far away, or if you have a cabling nightmare behind your entertainment center and loathe the thought of adding one more unnecessary wire, you may need or prefer this device over the one that comes with your Wii.I'll defer to other reviewers who can explain what circumstances make this device useful.But for a typical living room setup, with a normal sized TV 5-15 feet away, the wired sensor bar that comes with the Wii works great.

And P.S.:ditch the coffee table, you'll enjoy your Wii more without it.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Wii Wireless Sensor Bar