Filed under: Accessories, iPod Family, Multimedia, Video
iPods all run video out
I completely missed one of the biggest changes made to the various iPods today-- they're now all capable of video out. Apple is selling Component and Composite video cables right now, and listing them as compatible with the new Nanos, iPod Classic, iPod Touch, and even the iPhone.Does that mean video out is being added to the iPhone via a software update? If it's been available on the iPhone before, I've never heard of it. Then again, the composite video cable is listed as compatible with iPod Video, so this ability has been around at least since earlier this year, even if the quality isn't very good.
But the iPod Touch's bigger screen does mean a better resolution. Are you willing to spend $50 for the cable just to watch your iPod on the big screen? Might come in handy for sales presentations and the like, but there are so many other ways to stream things to your TV at home that it doesn't seem like that big a draw to me.
Note: The picture is actually the Viewsonic Viewdock, not the AV cable. But it does pretty much the same thing.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Joseph said 6:12PM on 9-05-2007
Actually, you don't need the incredibly over priced cables from Apple, at least not the composite.If you take the cheapy ones that you can get for your camcorder, all you have to do is rearrange the plugs. Just move each plug to the right, so the Red becomes the video, the Yellow becomes left channel and the White becomes right channel. Saved me $40
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5cents said 6:12PM on 9-05-2007
Well, not all the ipods can do video out. Shuffle's get no love.
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techn0phile said 6:14PM on 9-05-2007
Well of course it's worth $50 (or much less with different cables) to watch your iPod on the big screen. Why do you think people are spending $300 for Apple TV's? I've wondered why many more people don't do this instead of an Apple TV. I've been doing it since the Video iPod's came out. In comparison to the bottom line, it makes the Apple TV of little value.
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Alex said 9:56AM on 9-08-2007
where did you find that the iphone supports video output?
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Angela said 6:39PM on 9-05-2007
@1, you're absolutely correct! I've been using my 5G 30 gig one as a makeshift video player for awhile, and the quality is excellent, even on a 56" widescreen tv.
Save your $$ and just use the cables most of us already have at hand!
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jo jo the dancer said 6:46PM on 9-05-2007
Sorry, not anymore Joseph.
Both cables now connect via dock connection and the stereo jack only provides audio out. Regarding he component cable "output to television is supported by iPod nano (third generation) and iPod classic at 480p or 576p resolution, and by iPod touch at 480i or 576i resolution.", but there is also an icon for the iPhone. The composite cable has icons for all of the above in addition to the iPod w/color display and iPod w/video. The iPhone tech specs page does not state anything about video out capabilities, so I'm not certain about it's compatibility with the cables, unless it's just because they will work as a charger (and for any iPod with a dock connector and their icons aren't listed?)
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embrion said 6:55PM on 9-05-2007
http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2005/11/18/video-ipod.html?page=2
the same advice as the first post.
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Angela said 6:45PM on 9-05-2007
More choices here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000M9JO4M/ref=pd_cp_e_3/104-3038496-5347962?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_r=130VSBGMJWQWMK91K4EC&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=250314601&pf_rd_i=B000EAGKIM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CEG6TI/ref=pd_cp_e_2/104-3038496-5347962?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_r=0FHKDQ8FVWEN3TC0JMA6&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=250314601&pf_rd_i=B000M9JO4M
Do a search--they're just video cables, people!
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Rubbinz said 6:51PM on 9-05-2007
I already own the universal dock with S-Video out, no need for any other cables.
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noza said 7:01PM on 9-05-2007
Component Video seems like total overkill for an iPod that outputs at
less than SD resolution (320x240). Perhaps (crossing fingers) this
indicates a hardware path for a future upgrade to HD?
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wei said 7:04PM on 9-05-2007
component is always better looking than composite, even with low-resolution sources. so it's definitely a plus. i probably won't be getting one as this sucker costs $49. c'mon apple, i've already pledged 399 toward the touch.. can't i have a cookie?
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Berylium said 7:24PM on 9-05-2007
@9 (noza)
The iPod 5.5g officially supports 640x480 video output even though it's screen is only 320x240. Even the original 5g models could support higher resolutions than 320x240 so long as the attempted resolution's pixel count didn't go over a certain limit. iPods do not yet support anamorphic video output and can only playback h.264's baseline profile.
-Berylium
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Francisco said 7:30PM on 9-05-2007
Just noticed that the Apple Component AV Cable shows on its compatibility list the iPhone.
It seems that it is (will be) supported!
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mark said 7:33PM on 9-05-2007
@noza - what most people don't realize is that the 5G ipod will play higher resolution than it's own screen will display. I've done it myself, and the output to an HDTV is perfectly watchable. Better, in my opinion, than what's available for sale on iTMS.
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20051028114426640&query=handbrake
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Facundo said 7:55PM on 9-05-2007
What about menu's? would they be displayed on the TV with the new iPods?
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MajorMauser said 8:43PM on 9-05-2007
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=CC6E8917&nplm=MB128LL/A
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james r said 11:26PM on 9-05-2007
So does this mean you will be able to play the youtube player on your T.V. via the Touch's Wifi? So many questions... Oh yea, did they say when the Touch is going to be in Apple stores for demos?
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Jason said 12:26AM on 9-06-2007
So, the old Apple iPod A/V Cable doesn't work on the new iPods? That's a shame. I think I got mine for $14 (actually cheaper than the average composite A/V cable), and the 640x480 videos look great on a standard def TV.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=1EA08367&nplm=M9765G/B
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chadmoore said 12:43AM on 9-06-2007
Do you think it's a typo that the touch and iphone have worse (480i and 576i) resolution than the classic and nano (480p and 576p)?
I'd have expected the higher resolutions coming out of the higher end devices. Weird.
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Jason said 1:24AM on 9-06-2007
@chadmoore:
My thoughts exactly. Why would the more expensive models be limited to interlaced video?
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