Connect AppleTV to old TV (no HDMI)

[fstfrwrd]

Hi, we've got an older TV that has no HDMI.

How do I connect my apple TV to it? (I've heard people got it to work properly, so can anyone help me out please?)

Thanks

[mchalebk]

Originally Posted by fstfrwrd

Hi, we've got an older TV that has no HDMI.

How do I connect my apple TV to it? (I've heard people got it to work properly, so can anyone help me out please?)

Thanks

What connections does it have? HDMI is not the only way to connect. Component works also.

[newappleboy]

Component cables definitely work. I'm using them on my current TV (new TV in a couple months will finally have HDMI). There are more cords involved, but it definitely still works.

[fstfrwrd]

Originally Posted by newappleboy

Component cables definitely work. I'm using them on my current TV (new TV in a couple months will finally have HDMI). There are more cords involved, but it definitely still works.

I used those red-white-yellow thingies. the audio L & R are in the right place, and I put the yellow video cable in the green plug on the back of the aTV and now i get a black & white image ...

any way to solve this?

[newappleboy]

Originally Posted by fstfrwrd

I used those red-white-yellow thingies. the audio L & R are in the right place, and I put the yellow video cable in the green plug on the back of the aTV and now i get a black & white image ...

any way to solve this?

Unfortunately I don't know enough about it to be sure. You may also want to check what settings the Apple TV is displaying on. Chances are your TV isn't HD, so if it's trying to display in that format it could definitely be a source of problems.

[cmichaelb]

Originally Posted by fstfrwrd

I used those red-white-yellow thingies. the audio L & R are in the right place, and I put the yellow video cable in the green plug on the back of the aTV and now i get a black & white image ...

any way to solve this?

You need a component cable, you are using a composite cable which only has 1 video connector- component has three.

You should see to the left of the green plug a blue and red also, all three need to be connected.

If your TV doesn't have a component hookup, I would suggest trying to find a converter of some sort that takes the three video plugs (red, blue, green ) and combines them into one (yellow) video plug.

[Thom_Edwards]

Let me make sure I am understanding this... If my non-high definition TV has component connections, then tv will work? Also, assuming now it does work, does it have the normal "black bars" at the top and bottom of the screen when showing wide-screen media?

I love the concept of the tv, but haven't found the need (or real desire) to get an HDTV--my Samsung square-screen is still doing just fine for my needs. I would love to get one, but haven't because all this time I thought it required an HDTV to work. Please tell me I am ignorant and I should go get one right now!

[newappleboy]

Originally Posted by Thom_Edwards

Let me make sure I am understanding this... If my non-high definition TV has component connections, then tv will work? Also, assuming now it does work, does it have the normal "black bars" at the top and bottom of the screen when showing wide-screen media?

I love the concept of the tv, but haven't found the need (or real desire) to get an HDTV--my Samsung square-screen is still doing just fine for my needs. I would love to get one, but haven't because all this time I thought it required an HDTV to work. Please tell me I am ignorant and I should go get one right now!

Yes, your non HDTV will work perfectly. I hate that one of the requirements of the Apple TV is listed as a widescreen TV because it just isn't true. I've been using my old school square TV for quite some time. Go for it.

[sandman42]

Apple's spec page for the TV doesn't say that it can only be used with HD TVs (as is commonly believed), but it does say that the TV is only intended for use with widescreen TVs. It will work with non-widescreen TVs, but the image will be distorted as all output is formatted for widescreen. There is no video setting on the TV for standard aspect ratio (4:3) TVs. Some newer 4:3 TVs have a 'widescreen mode', but most people report poor image quality using this with their TVs.

As others have said, though, the TV only connects via HDMI or component video (Red, Green and Blue video connectors, plus red/white audio or optical audio, etc) it does not connect via composite (single yellow video connector, plus red/white audio). Unfortunately, I believe that adaptors that convert a component signal to composite are prohibitively expensive. If the OP's 'older' TV is non-widescreen and doesn't have component connections, the TV may not really be feasible without upgrading the TV.

[fstfrwrd]

Originally Posted by sandman42

Apple's spec page for the TV doesn't say that it can only be used with HD TVs (as is commonly believed), but it does say that the TV is only intended for use with widescreen TVs. It will work with non-widescreen TVs, but the image will be distorted as all output is formatted for widescreen. There is no video setting on the TV for standard aspect ratio (4:3) TVs. Some newer 4:3 TVs have a 'widescreen mode', but most people report poor image quality using this with their TVs.

As others have said, though, the TV only connects via HDMI or component video (Red, Green and Blue video connectors, plus red/white audio or optical audio, etc) it does not connect via composite (single yellow video connector, plus red/white audio). Unfortunately, I believe that adaptors that convert a component signal to composite are prohibitively expensive. If the OP's 'older' TV is non-widescreen and doesn't have component connections, the TV may not really be feasible without upgrading the TV.

My 'older' TV is widescreen.
Can you give me a link of such a convertor?

[sandman42]

Originally Posted by fstfrwrd

My 'older' TV is widescreen.
Can you give me a link of such a convertor?

I'm surprised that your widescreen TV doesn't have component inputs, but I don't doubt you. Out of curiosity, what brand/model is it? At any rate, here's a link to a convertor. I wish I knew why they're so expensive!

[tdhurst]

Originally Posted by fstfrwrd

I used those red-white-yellow thingies. the audio L & R are in the right place, and I put the yellow video cable in the green plug on the back of the aTV and now i get a black & white image ...

any way to solve this?

Dude, no. Component has red and white for audio, and red, green and blue for video.

Your red-white-yellow thingies are composite video/audio and are not compatible.

[fstfrwrd]

Originally Posted by sandman42

I'm surprised that your widescreen TV doesn't have component inputs, but I don't doubt you. Out of curiosity, what brand/model is it? At any rate, here's a link to a convertor. I wish I knew why they're so expensive!

It's a pretty old Bang&Olufsen

[renninge]

Originally Posted by tdhurst

Dude, no. Component has red and white for audio, and red, green and blue for video.

Your red-white-yellow thingies are composite video/audio and are not compatible.

Of course they are compatible with the Red/White/Yellow...
all you need to about $10 of HDMI/DVI adapters from ebay.
with the procedure described here: http://www.appletvhacks.net/2007/10/...-video-output/

I've been using my AppleTV (2.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2, 2.1) since January using this.
Works perfect. Only downside, everytime it reboots you need to do the 10sec procedure.

[emt1]

Originally Posted by renninge

Of course they are compatible with the Red/White/Yellow...
all you need to about $10 of HDMI/DVI adapters from ebay.
with the procedure described here: http://www.appletvhacks.net/2007/10/...-video-output/

I've been using my AppleTV (2.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2, 2.1) since January using this.
Works perfect. Only downside, everytime it reboots you need to do the 10sec procedure.

I can confirm this works (just did it). Used a HDMI to female-DVI adaptor. I had to short circuit pins 14 and 16 on the female side with a paper clip to get this to work.

[renninge]

Originally Posted by emt1

I can confirm this works (just did it). Used a HDMI to female-DVI adaptor. I had to short circuit pins 14 and 16 on the female side with a paper clip to get this to work.

I never had to do paper clip anything, I got both a HDMI-DVI and DVI-VGA connector, cost about $10 total on ebay.

remember you have to do this everytime you reboot the Apple TV, so I'd rather stay away from paper clips...

[Sipheren]

I havent been able to find out how to use the new AppleTV with my older TV, I only have Component, SCART, S-Video and Composite available.

Can someone link me to the cables I need as Google isn't turning anything up.

Thanks

[Yvan256]

Originally Posted by Sipheren

I havent been able to find out how to use the new AppleTV with my older TV, I only have Component, SCART, S-Video and Composite available.

Can someone link me to the cables I need as Google isn't turning anything up.

Thanks

I'm sorry to say this is the least expensive option I could find.

[Sipheren]

Originally Posted by Yvan256

I'm sorry to say this is the least expensive option I could find.

Yeah I found those, I think it will be easier to just buy the old AppleTV, my TV doesnt support 1080p so should be fine.

Cheers

[Xandros]

I remember this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlhIexkjfuk

Might be the most cost effective, if "unofficial" method.

[Irishman]

Originally Posted by fstfrwrd

I used those red-white-yellow thingies. the audio L & R are in the right place, and I put the yellow video cable in the green plug on the back of the aTV and now i get a black & white image ...

any way to solve this?

Um, that is called composite cable. That yellow video cable cannot pass through an HD signal. Period.

As you've learned, it doesn't work on the ATV either. Here's why: you're only connecting it to one of three color channels it expects to receive. That's why your color is jacked up.

Does your TV have the red green and blue connections on it? If so, use that (it's called component video, and it does support HD signals).

[Irishman]

Originally Posted by fstfrwrd

It's a pretty old Bang&Olufsen

Buy a new TV and be done with it.

Especially with the analog sunset coming.

EVERYTHING will be HDMI anyway, because movie studios can do DRM through it.

[sandman42]

Originally Posted by Irishman

Um, that is called composite cable. That yellow video cable cannot pass through an HD signal. Period.

As you've learned, it doesn't work on the ATV either. Here's why: you're only connecting it to one of three color channels it expects to receive. That's why your color is jacked up.

Does your TV have the red green and blue connections on it? If so, use that (it's called component video, and it does support HD signals).

Originally Posted by Irishman

Buy a new TV and be done with it.

Especially with the analog sunset coming.

EVERYTHING will be HDMI anyway, because movie studios can do DRM through it.

You may not have noticed that you're replying to posts that are over two years old. This is an old thread that was resurrected yesterday to address connecting the new TV to older TVs, now that the new one no longer supports component video.

Incidentally, just to clarify (and as stated above), the TV -- at least the old one -- does not require an HD TV, just a widescreen one; it can support 480 resolution. Also, there is a fairly simple hack (again, for the old one) that makes the TV output a composite signal from one of the three component connectors, and that signal can be carried by any RCA-RCA cable (such as the yellow one). This isn't possible on the new TV due to no component output. This is all addressed in previous posts on this thread.

[Irishman]

Originally Posted by sandman42

You may not have noticed that you're replying to posts that are over two years old. This is an old thread that was resurrected yesterday to address connecting the new TV to older TVs, now that the new one no longer supports component video.

Incidentally, just to clarify (and as stated above), the TV -- at least the old one -- does not require an HD TV, just a widescreen one; it can support 480 resolution. Also, there is a fairly simple hack (again, for the old one) that makes the TV output a composite signal from one of the three component connectors, and that signal can be carried by any RCA-RCA cable (such as the yellow one). This isn't possible on the new TV due to no component output. This is all addressed in previous posts on this thread.

And I hate necroposting

Oy...

but, who wants to watch only SD on an ATV? Old OR new?

[colbyotte]

I just bought the new Apple TV, but I dont have an HDMI port on my TV. I do have a DVI with 2 audio Jacks, Component, Composite video jacks.

What are my options?