Nintendo Wii Pixelation Void

I wish video problems didn't bother me, but this one was too obvious to miss.

I've been playing Mario Kart (as usual), and I noticed some pixelation issues.
I was getting vertical pixels, on every screen, for any game. =/

*ring ring*

(me) Hi I'm getting vertical pixelation issues on every screen.
(me) I suspect that there's something wrong with the video card
(nintendo rep) Alright can I get your Wii serial number pls?

*gives number*

(nintendo rep) Well you no longer have the system on warranty.
(nintendo rep) You can send it in for repair, but it will cost you $75.
(nintendo rep) And it could take 11-15 business days to solve the problem

Doh $75!? 11-15 days?
I decided that the $75 was a better price then buying a new one.
But now that the Wii's gone, I'm finding myself wondering what I'm going to do.

Should I start playing poker again?
Should I start practicing the guitar again?
Should I play more DDR again?
Perhaps I should start looking for Wii Fit again?

Probably a little bit of all of that.

I did some googling and found that 2% of Wii's have this problem, and would eventually degrade over time.

Here's a Youtube link of the problem:


I also suspect that leaving the Wii on standby is a BAD idea.
My gf and I recall that the Wii can get very hot when left in standby.
The fan doesn't seem to turn on when its on standby...
And that's probably why the video card has problems.

WORDS OF WISDOM: Turn your Wii completely off (power light changes to Red) every time you stop playing.
It may prevent video card degradation...

We'll see how much I can accomplish in the next few weeks...
It'll probably be as productive as when I stopped playing Everquest and World of Warcraft.

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Current Fav Games: Temporarily NOT Mario Kart Wii