How to hook up your Nintendo 64 – HDMI
This page will show you the various ways to get your N64 up and running using the Hyperkin HDMI cable!
Nintendo 64
Ports and Connections
NINTENDO A/V OUT:
This port is used for the Nintendo HDMI Cable. We carry all N64 Cables over in the Trog Store!
N64 AC ADAPTER:
This is the power supply port for the Nintendo 64 unit. You plug the whole giant unit right here. We carry all N64 Power Supplies over in the Trog Store!
METHOD #1 – RCA Connection
What you will need:
Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
HDMI cable
Nintendo 64
AC Power Supply
USB Power
Cube
This method will give you an awesome chrisp picture on your HDTV.
STEP #1 
Plug the Nintendo HDMI cable into your N64.
STEP #2
Attach the other end of the Nintendo HDMI cable to your TV. You could have multiple options available like on the diagram. You can place it in any one that is not in use.
The Hyperkin HDMI Cable has a box it that requires power. It may or may not get enough power when plugged into the N64. When the N64 is powered on look at the box on the HDMI cable to see if the power light is on. If it is not on, then you will need to add the Micro USB cable that is included with the HDMI cable and plug it into a separate power source. The power source needed is a standard USB power cube like the ones used with cell phone chargers.
NOTE: This little USB Plug is not included with the HDMI Cable. You can use one that you have laying around the house, or we have them available by themselves and combined with the HDMI pack.
NOTE: In most cases I have foudn the USB power supply necessary.
STEP #3
Plug the USB Charger into the wall outlet.
NOTE: This little USB Plug is not included with the HDMI Cable. You can use one that you have laying around the house, or we have them available by themselves and combined in a pack.
STEP #4
Plug the Micro USB cable into the USB Charger plugged into the wall. This is the standard USB sized plug at the other end of the Micro USB cable.
STEP #5
Set the switch on the HDMI box to either 4:3 or 16:9 to set the ratio. Do this before you power on the system. You can find out more about the ratio settings below.
STEP #6 
Plug the N64 Power Supply into the back of the N64.
STEP #7
Plug the N64 Power Supply into the wall.
STEP #8
Plug in a game and turn on the game system on, even if you don’t see it on the TV yet. You should see the power light on the N64 light up (a good sign) and the power light on the HDMI cable. Doing this first will help you the right TV settings. When you’re searching for the right TV Input and you see the game, you’ve got it right!
NOTE: If you don’t see the RED LED on the HDMI cable lit up, then plug in the Micro USB cable included if you haven’t done so already.
STEP #9
Turn your TV to the appropriate VIDEO SOURCE. You probably have several INPUTS available from VIDEO 1 2 & 3 and so on. In the diagram above you would need to change your TV to HDMI 1. To change to these different video signal options, you usually have an INPUT or SOURCE button on your remote or television.
STEP #10
Now go play some Super Smash Bros in HD!
How the new HDMI Cable works:
Being able to connect your classic console to new HDTV's using a HDMI cable was not possible for a long time. These systems were released long before HDMI and HDTV's were ever thought of. That being said, some clever engineering has now made the unthinkable, possible. Let me show you what to expect when hooking your retro system up to a HDTV using HDMI.
Aspect Ratio
You may have heard about aspect ratio of TV's. 4 by 3 (written 4:3), 16:9, widescreen, standard definition and so on. I wont go to much into it but will give you a quick overview.
At the end of the classic CRT / Tube Television era, widescreen was starting to become the thing. As such there were a few high-definition, widescreen CRT's right before flat screens took over the world. Before that, every TV was in 4:3 ration. The 4 refers to the width of the screen and the 3 to the height. So 4:3 is a little wider than it is tall. For example, for every 1 inch of height you would have 1.33 inches of width. New HDTVs have a ration of 16:9. This works out to 1.79 inches wide for every 1 inch in height.
So why does this matter? Because almost every game system was built to display in a 4:3 ratio until around the original XBOX and Playstation 2. There are a handful of titles for the SEGA Dreamcast and original SONY Playstation that support widescreen, but not many. And when you're talking about the SNES or SEGA Genesis, you can forget about it. When you connect a retro system up via HDMI it will not show you more of the map for instance than you could see before on a 4:3 TV. It will have "black bars" on the left and right of the 4:3 image, which gets centered on your 16:9 TV. This is completely fine and normal, but there are some options if you want it to fill the screen.
Widescreen 16:9 vs. Standard 4:3
Mario - on good-ole 4:3 tube TV
Mario - on Widescreen TV
Normal, Full and Fill Screen
When presented with an old 4:3 signal, most new widescreen TV's give you a few options on how to display it. The first method is to maintain the aspect ratio and leave the image 4:3. This will have the black bars on the right and left of the image.
The next method is the stretch the image. The TV will take the 4:3 image and stretch it left and right to fill the screen. This will distort the image some. So Sonic or Mario will appear fatter and circles will be more like an oval. After playing for a few minute you will probably not notice.
A third option often available is to Fill the screen. This will not stretch the image, but instead enlarge the whole image until it reaches the left and right sides of the TV. In doing this it will end up cutting off the top and bottom of the screen. So this method should almost never be used as you are often unable to see scores, lives, platforms or whatever else if off screen.
Normal - on 16:9 widescreen TV
Full - on 16:9 widescreen TV
Fill - on 16:9 widescreen TV
Check out our Nintendo 64 products in the store
-
SNES, N64 & GameCube – AV Cable RCA
$8.99 -
Super Nintendo, N64, GameCube – S-VIDEO AV Cable
$9.99 -
Nintendo 64, N64 – Power Supply
$13.99 -
256KB Memory Pack for N64
$9.99 -
3-In-1 HDMI Cable for GameCube, N64 and SNES
$34.95 -
N64 “Captain” Premium Controller – Gray
$19.99 -
Game Case for N64 (3-Pack)
$8.99 -
Resealable Bag for N64 Cartridge (200-Pack)
$28.99 -
Joystick for N64 Controller (GameCube Style)
$11.99 -
Controller Cable Replacement for N64 (Gray)
$5.99 -
Controller Silicone Replacement Pads for N64
$4.99 -
USB Charger Wall Plug – 1A – 5V
$3.99
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