Is my CRT TV compatible with Apple TV?

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Level 1

75 points

Is my CRT TV compatible with Apple TV?

I have a Toshiba 24" (model 24AF42) television with a component video input. It is 3:2, but it displays widescreen DVD's properly. Would it be compatible with Apple TV? It apparently has 525 lines of resolution, if that's helpful.

17" 2GHz G5 (Power PC) iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.5), iLife 8.2, iWork '08, iPod Classic 60GB

Posted on Oct 10, 2008 4:40 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 11, 2008 7:58 AM in response to bassresponse

Well, there's no guarantee but it should work fine. Just in case, make sure that where you buy the Apple TV you are able to return it if it doesn't work.

When you hook it up and turn it on for the first time you will be presented with a choice of resolutions to select from. In your case you'll want to select 480p. That should do it!

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Answer 2

bassresponse Author

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Oct 11, 2008 9:22 AM in response to Gino Cerullo

Thank you, that's a great suggestion about making sure I can return it.

I found the model of my TV on the Toshiba Canada website. Here it is:
http://www.toshiba.ca/web/product.grp?lg=en&section=2&group=521&product=592&cate gory=

It doesn't say "enhanced definition" anywhere on the webpage. I do have the hard copy of the manual for it. On the options for the Colourstream Input (that's what Toshiba called or used to call its Component Video Input), it has an option for DVD or DTV, the latter being a DTV receiver, which I'm not sure what that is. I would try both of those options though to see if one of them works. And as you also suggest, I would set the Apple TV to 480p.

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Answer 3

tmartine

Level 3

995 points

Oct 11, 2008 2:27 PM in response to bassresponse

the appleTV will show up fine on any TV with component or HDMI but the TV needs to be either widescreen 16:9 or have a setting for widescreen... if it doesn't everything will looked squished horizontally... looks like everyone in the movie went on a diet.

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Answer 4

bassresponse Author

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Oct 11, 2008 2:33 PM in response to tmartine

Thanks for this. As I would be using ATV also for displaying photos from iPhoto, and home movies that I have in iTunes, it looks like ATV won't work very well for me on my CRT TV.

Thanks to both of you for clearing this matter up.

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Answer 5

Rudegar

Level 10

179,976 points

Oct 11, 2008 2:47 PM in response to bassresponse

many newer non widesceen tvs have settings to change the picture aligments to show
widescreen content without stretching though but of cause with black bars in top and buttom

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Answer 6

tmartine

Level 3

995 points

Oct 11, 2008 2:54 PM in response to bassresponse

i looked at the manual for the 27 inch model of your TV... couldn't find the 24inch model's and couldn't see a way to set it to show widescreen (16:9) properly... think you may be out of luck.

http://support.toshiba.ca/support/ceg/manuals/

Message was edited by: tmartine

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Answer 7

bassresponse Author

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Oct 11, 2008 3:09 PM in response to tmartine

Thank you for your replies.

I just remembered the ColourStream setting (for the Component Video Input), that has an option of DVD or DTV. I looked up in my Owner's Manual and it suggested DTV could be a DTV receiver. Then I googled DTV receiver and Apple TV was the top result under 'shopping'. However, DTV receiver in general refers I think to a digital tuner.

Just now I set my TV ColourStream setting from DVD to DTV, and then put in a Full Frame 4:3 DVD into my DVD player and ran it through. It covers the whole screen on my TV - no black bars. I would think that if the DTV setting forced a 16:9 ratio, that there would be black bars on the right and left sides or at the top and bottom, I'm all confused now, but there should be black bars and there's not.

Thanks for your help anyways. I will have to wait until I can afford a new HDTV before I can get an Apple TV.

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Answer 8

Oct 11, 2008 3:22 PM in response to bassresponse

I'm all confused now, but there should be black bars and there's not.

A 16:9 picture could be shown on a 4:3 screen by letterboxing and as you suggest you would then expect to see black bars at the bottom and top of your screen. But it could also be acheived by zooming or cropping the sides of the picture, actually you'd be surprised just how little you miss by zooming most shots are centred on the subject.

If you are not quite sure what's happening (it can sometimes be difficult to be sure whether a picture is displayed properly or not) look for something round like a clock, the moon, sun, football or a wheel, but be sure they aren't viewed at an angle.

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Answer 9

Oct 11, 2008 3:24 PM in response to bassresponse

A test you can try is to plug a DVD player in to the Component video ports and play a widescreen DVD movie with the colorstream mode turned on/set to DVD mode. If you get the black bars on the top and bottom so that the video is not stretched top to bottom then you should be fine. If the video is distorted, stretched, then your TV is probably not capable of supporting the Apple TV's video modes.

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Answer 10

bassresponse Author

Level 1

75 points

Oct 11, 2008 3:41 PM in response to Gino Cerullo

Thanks for replying, Gino. I've been watching DVD's for years on this TV, and I have the black bars on top and bottom of widescreen movies. On fullscreen 4:3 movies there are no bars, it fills up the screen.

But the setting for that is on my DVD player. It specifically has 3 options- Standard 4:3, Letterbox 4:3, and Widescreen 16:9. I have it set to Standard 4:3 on my DVD player, and that makes fullscreen movies display with no black bars, filling the whole screen and widescreen movies display with black bars.

I think Winston is on the right track, too. If I did connect an Apple TV to my TV using the Component Video Input, it would display with the right and left sides of widescreen movies cut off.

I wouldn't be watching widescreen movies from my Apple TV, though. Maybe eventually when I upgrade my TV, but for now what I want to use Apple TV for is for displaying my photos from iPhoto, watching movies I've created in iMovie, and watching a few (30 or so) music videos I have purchased from ITMS. And of course playing my iTunes music library.

Does anyone know how the Apple TV menu would look on a 4:3 ratio TV? If I'm going to be scrolling through my iTunes library, using menus etcetera, I don't know if the menu or submenu text would be cut off. I also don't know if my photos would display properly. The digital photos are all in 4:3 ratio, I haven't taken any pictures in widescreen mode on my camera yet.

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Answer 11

Oct 11, 2008 4:11 PM in response to bassresponse

My thinking was that the Colorstream set to DVD or even DTV mode would be able to automatically sense whether the signal source was 4:3 or 16:9. My Sony can do that on the component video inputs but my TV is a 'HDTV ready' 4:3 CRT. It will automatically adjust depending on whether it is receiving 4:3 or 16:9 signal or I can manually adjust it from the menu.

In the end you'll never know until you buy one and try it out or someone with the exact same or similar model Toshiba TV says it does or doesn't work.

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Answer 12

bassresponse Author

Level 1

75 points

Oct 11, 2008 4:26 PM in response to Gino Cerullo

No, I definitely remember seeing TVs advertised that were HDTV-ready when I bought this one, but this one wasn't one of those that was advertised or specified as HDTV-ready.... I think you're right, Gino, I won't know unless I try it out with the Apple TV whether it will display to my satisfaction or not.

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