Composite or Component AV cable for iPhone?

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Level 3

541 points

Composite or Component AV cable for iPhone?

What is the difference between these two cables? I have a 6 year old Sony Trinitron 36" tv. It's not a flat screen but it has the usual audio/video connections. Does it matter which cable I buy? Do these cables allow you to watch a movie or video stored on the iPhone on your tv?

Macbook Pro Core Duo 2; Airport Extreme Base Station "n", Mac OS X (10.4.10), Powerbook G4; iPod nano (2nd gen); iPhone 8G

Posted on Feb 10, 2008 2:10 PM

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Answer 1

Jason L

Community Specialist

Feb 10, 2008 2:29 PM in response to Bluesygirl

Hey Bluesygirl,

Yes, these cables allow you to output the audio and video to a TV. This article describes the cables and differences in detail:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300233

Most people will buy the Apple Component AV Cable if they are only going to use it with a TV that has component connections. The Apple Composite AV will be compatible with a wider range of TV's, especially older TV's.

Jason

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Answer 2

Bluesygirl Author

Level 3

541 points

Feb 10, 2008 2:35 PM in response to Jason L

Thanks for the info link but it doesn't give that much information about the differences between the cables used with an iPhone. Both say "480i/576i" in the footnote for iphone. What does that mean? Still not sure what cable would be better to get.

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Answer 3

Bluesygirl Author

Level 3

541 points

Feb 10, 2008 2:43 PM in response to Bluesygirl

Okay I just found information on the web that answers my question. My TV does have component video in/out. But unfortunately the TV weighs a TON and I can't access it easily. I do have composite connectors on the front. Is the picture quality with component that much better than with composite?

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Answer 4

Apppple

Level 1

0 points

Apr 28, 2008 5:43 AM in response to Jason L

Hi Jason,

I’m wondering if you lend a helping hand.

I just bought the component av cables for my ipod nano 3rd gen. I want to watch a movie saved on my ipod on my TV... my problem is I can’t a visual all I get is the audio. How annoying.

I currently have the cables attached to my TV this way...

VIDEO END

Red is in the red port
Blue is in the white port
Green is in the yellow port

AUDIO END

Red is in the red port
White is in the white port

Any tips or tricks you can share would be great.

Cheers.

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Answer 5

Apr 28, 2008 6:40 AM in response to Apppple

Sounds like you have a component cable but trying to plug it into composite TV?
Colors should match. Do you have ports that match the cable colors somewhere on the TV?

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Answer 6

Apppple

Level 1

0 points

Apr 28, 2008 4:46 PM in response to Scott Squires1

Thanks for your reply.

If a composite TV is one that has only red, yellow and white ports then I have a composite tv. Plus the colours dont match so yep i think your on to it. Thanks again for your help. I just hope JB-HI will let me exchange an already opened box for the right cables - the composite cables...

Cheers,

JE

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Answer 7

Apr 30, 2008 4:54 PM in response to Apppple

I bought the component cables for iPhone too. I have never been able to get them to work. Composite - yes. Component - no. I stopped trying and don't even carry them with me anymore.

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Answer 8

Apr 30, 2008 5:45 PM in response to Bluesygirl

Composite video is a composite of all the video signals into 1 yellow cable.
Component video splits each video component into 3 cables: red, green & blue.
Both have left & right audio in their own white & red cables.

Composite is much more common, and is therefore better if you plan to take your cable with you (on vacation to plug into the hotel TV, etc.)

Component video is meant to provide a better quality picture, but since the video source is a compressed video from an iPod or iPhone, I don't know if the component video would look any better than the composite video.

(I have both connections on my TV at home - I literally stood in the Apple store with the component cable box in my left hand, the composite box in my right hand, and me doing my best to not block any aisles trying to decide which to get. I bought the composite (yellow, white, red) cable, and was glad I did when I plugged it into a hotel TV and watched a movie on TV with it.)

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