Apple tv - HDMI to RCA

[ajc1985]

Hi there,

I have just installed speakers on my deck, and they are wired to an amplifier conveniently next to my apple tv.

Unfortunately, the amplifier only has analog inputs. As we all know, the Apple TV now only outputs digitally.

I thought I would be able to get around this by connecting Apple TV to the amp by an HDMI to RCA able. No such luck, it seems. When I try to send music to the TV, it does not appear to be able to output to the speakers.

Any ideas on whether my thinking is possible, or does anyone have a reasonably priced alternative solution?

Thanks for your comments/advice.

AJC.

 

[Mac... nificent]

HDMI is digital. RCA is analog. You'll need more than a simple "cable" to convert one from the other. Like it or not this will cost you money.

 

[Boyd01]

I assume the AppleTV is actually connected to a TV of some sort? Does the TV have analog audio outputs, such as RCA or headphone jacks? If so, you could make the connection that way. Of course, the TV would have to be on for that to work.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

There are plenty of HDMI-to-analog-stereo converters on Amazon. And that's the way to go if you want to make that connection. Good ones can be had for about $25-$40. Here's one...

And yes, it would have been nice for Apple to have (kept) an analog-out option on TV in some form (they had analog-out in the first generation). It's likely the love of "thinner" made analog get ejected after the first generation, but there was plenty of room on the "2" and "3" (and "4" too) for a 3.5mm jack which would have then only required a cheap cable to cover your need. Since TVs are based upon the iDevice hardware platform, that circuitry option is likely already in there, so the added materials cost was probably just the 3.5mm jack to give an analog signal a way out of the box (and including the very same iDevice software code already in all of the other iDevices to route it out).

Not only does your case need analog but just about all of us with zone 2 receivers need analog too. With TV2 & 3, most of us probably brought a toslink (optical digital to analog) converter. With 4, Apple kicked out the toslink output too so we get to buy another adapter if we need this feature (and this time, we can't even rationalize that hardware ejection for "thinner.")