Sunday tip - use plain old RGB cables with your iPod video
Category NoneUPDATE: As Steve points out in comments, this works with iPods made prior to July 2007, with the 35mm jack at the top.
I recently read a blog entry (nobody you know) that lamented the fact that you had to buy a fancy shmancy Apple device to watch your iPod videos on TV. Well two things were wrong with this.
One is, there are plenty of third party docks that let you do this. I own the Apple branded one, and also the DLO Home Dock Deluxe. Both stink. Neither one works well, and both have unstable and quirky remotes.
The second thing wrong with this is the little-known fact (I assume little-known, as there's not much published on it) that you can in fact use plain old RGB cables like those pictured here to play your iPod video on any TV with inputs. I travel with these cables, and many TVs in both the US and Europe have RGB inputs. I've even found them in about 75% of hotel TVs. Sometimes they are blocked (you can't get the input to switch to it), sometimes the remote lets you switch, sometimes you just have to tune to a particular station.
So how to? First, acquire the cable. It will look like this photo on the output end, and have a single jack on the end that plugs into your iPod. You can get this at any electronics store, department store with an electronics section, or in the US at the hardware, pharmacy, grocery, or massage parlor. Seriously, they're easy to find. Next, here's the trick, NONE of the cables goes into the same color on the TV set. For some inexplicable reason (not really, the reason is that Apple wants you to buy their docks!) Apple sends the video signal over the Red cable. Following is the correct pairing when you plug into the TV:
Plug RED to input YELLOW
Plug YELLOW to input WHITE
Plug WHITE to input RED
Next, in video setup on the iPod, select the correct settings for your location. PAL and NTSC are the TV options...in the US, use NTSC, in Europe use PAL. I always tell the iPod to ask me if the TV is connected.
Voila, a low-cost, very portable solution to watching your iPod videos on TV while you travel. I even use this at home when I get mad at the stupid remotes. Enjoy...
Comments
>>and have a single jack on the end that plugs into your iPod
does that jack plug into the iPods ear phone connector or where you plug in the USB cable?
Posted by Gerald Mengisen At 02:55:50 AM On 04/07/2008 | - Website - |
Depends on the iPlod you have.. the newer 80 and 160GB classics and Newer Nano's (pre July 2007) need a special Apple AV cable that plugs into the USB connector. Prior to July 2007 you can use the 35mm jack at the top. There are loads of 3rd party cables for the pre July 2007 35mm jack. However I got bitten by this with my 160 gig Classic xmas present the 35 mm doesn't work.
Steve
Posted by Steve McDonagh At 05:39:05 AM On 04/07/2008 | - Website - |
Thanks for your reply. I have a 5th generation 60GB iPod. So I'll give the 35mm jack a try (I found it hard to believe when I saw such a cable in a store; I always thought 35mm were for audio only).
Posted by Gerald Mengisen At 01:08:06 PM On 04/07/2008 | - Website - |
Posted by Technical At 10:36:31 AM On 05/29/2008 | - Website - |