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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > iPhone, iPad & iPod > You don't need to buy Apple's AV cable

You don't need to buy Apple's AV cable
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uuuuut
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Oct 21, 2005, 10:18 PM
 
I was just messing around with the AV cable that is with my camcorder (3 RCA to 1/8" mini) and tried plugging it into the TV/iPod.

Even though apple says "other AV cables are not compatible with iPod with color display", it's a lie. The only thing that makes the other cables incompatible is that Apple changed the colors on the Red and Yellow RCA plugs.

Plug the red one into your video in and the yellow one into your audio and it works perfectly.
     
IFLY2HIGH
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Oct 22, 2005, 06:32 PM
 
Very sweet observation! I must say, it looks good too...
( Last edited by IFLY2HIGH; Oct 22, 2005 at 07:31 PM. )
- Eric
     
brianb
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Oct 22, 2005, 09:49 PM
 
Apple didn't really change the colors on the cable, but you have a cable that has been manufactured to another company's spec.

The conection is refered to as a Tip - Ring - Ring - Sleeve. Some companys put video on the tip and right channel audio on the first ring. While some will put Right channel audio on the tip and Video on the first Ring. Panasonic is one company I know that puts the video on the first Ring.

Either way you are correct in all you have to do is swap the colors of the RCA ends when hooking up to your TV. You can also buy these cables at Radio Shack or any other big electronics box houses.
Quicksilver 867, 700mhz iBook, 1st Gen iPod, iSight, Newton 2100, and a 128k Mac. All operating and used on a constant Basis
     
SoBayJake
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Oct 24, 2005, 04:50 PM
 
Originally Posted by uuuuut
I was just messing around with the AV cable that is with my camcorder (3 RCA to 1/8" mini) and tried plugging it into the TV/iPod.

Even though apple says "other AV cables are not compatible with iPod with color display", it's a lie. The only thing that makes the other cables incompatible is that Apple changed the colors on the Red and Yellow RCA plugs.

Plug the red one into your video in and the yellow one into your audio and it works perfectly.
Any chance of getting a part number at Radioshack? I stopped by the other day, but didn't have too much time, and the guy behind the counter said "we don't have anything like that." And I didn't have much luck on radioshack.com finding a cable that would do video as well.

I'm going to try a different RadioShack tonight tho.

-Jake
Too many Apple/Mac products to even bother listing!
     
brianb
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Oct 24, 2005, 05:09 PM
 
Radio Shack Catalog Number: 16-3686

AV replacment cable 16.95 on the website


http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=family
Quicksilver 867, 700mhz iBook, 1st Gen iPod, iSight, Newton 2100, and a 128k Mac. All operating and used on a constant Basis
     
misc
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Oct 24, 2005, 07:09 PM
 
Keep in mind that some AV cables may have the video a higher gauge cable than the audio channels.

"And after we are through, ten years in making it to be the most of glorious debuts."
     
dbourne
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Oct 25, 2005, 01:09 AM
 
The Apple cords are $20 and the colors are right ;-)
     
icruise
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Oct 25, 2005, 03:00 AM
 
I had an AV cord from my camcorder and lo and behold it works just fine with the iPod, as long as you plug the red cord into the video port. Makes you wonder if there was any real reason for Apple to change that around, or if they're just trying to get people to buy their cables...
     
Railroader
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Oct 25, 2005, 03:17 AM
 
Glad to know this. I plugged in the A/V cable that came with my Canon DV camera and was disappointed it didn't work. I never thought to switch the component plugs around. I thought maybe Apple used a different length 1/8" plug or something else proprietary.

Thanks for the info!
     
Salsa
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Jan 29, 2007, 03:43 PM
 
Thanks for the tip. I have an iPod a/v cable around here someplace, but I've been using the camcorder cables made by Monster with other devices because they make great cables. Anyway, I wasn't getting video on the DVD player in my car. That tip helped a lot. I also tried swaping the inputs before, but it didn't work, so I swapped back. It turned out that the rubber case around my iPod didn't leave enough room for the plug to get all the way down the headphone jack.
     
generationx
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Feb 6, 2007, 02:50 AM
 
Well you may look for a third party iPod AV cable and don't need to pay for $20 for it. This cable from Liv3.com cost only US$7.95. Check this out.

Liv3 iPod Video 30GB / 60GB 3rd Party AV Cable

     
   
 
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