TV Out on iPhone 3G

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TV Out on iPhone 3G

So I bought the Apple Composite AV Cable so I could watch my iPhone movies and tv shows on my old style tv (I don't have HD). I've plugged it up, matching all the right colours and tv settings but my cable won't put the video on my tv (I get audio fine). When I plugged the cable in my phone it said the accessory was not made for iPhone even though the box & the Apple salesperson said it would work. How do I get video from my iPhone to play on my tv.

P.S. I do have TV Out turned on in my phone's settings & I've tried on both NTSC & PAL settings. I'm also not using a dock. My phone is connexted to the cable straight to the tv. Someone please help!

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Dec 17, 2008 11:33 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 17, 2008 11:48 AM in response to carletonboi

you have the yellow red and white right? What are you trying to play? Should be set to NTSC.

Message was edited by: Dynamite DJs

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Answer 2

carletonboi Author

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Dec 17, 2008 2:34 PM in response to Dynamite DJs

Yeah, the composite cable is the red, yellow, and white cord for the old tube televisions (non-HD). I actually called up Apple Tech Support and they told me it was a glitch with the iPhone. Apparently I shouldn't connect the cable to the iPhone while it's off, otherwise it won't work. However, if I connect the cable up while the phone is still on, my video will play and I don't get any error messages. It's a weird glitch but luckily my cable now works and I can watch my videos (with audio) from my iPhone 3G and iPod Classic.

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Answer 3

Dec 19, 2008 9:56 PM in response to carletonboi

Hi,
I just bought the Composite AV Cable. I was excited because I watched YouTube videos of people plugging it in, touching the YouTube application and Presto!... but nothing is showing on my digital flatscreen TV.

Facts:
- I have a 3G white iPhone
- Airplane Mode is OFF
- It's set to NTSC not PAL
- I matched up all the colors; yellow, red, and white then double checked with my TN owner's manual. Gives 2 sets of choices and I tried both.
- TV is set on channel 3
- I unhooked the DVD player from the TV so there is zero interference
- The video plays on the iPhone, but when I plug in the $50 Composite AV Cable to the iPhone the video stops and goes back to selection mode. TV remains blank.
- Tried a video (in the ipod application) and the video plays, but then stops when I plug in the cable

The only thing I can think of doing now is trying another TV. But mine is fairly new.

Please help. I've spent 4 hours troubleshooting.
Thank you.

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Answer 4

carletonboi Author

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Dec 20, 2008 11:37 AM in response to CherylCharming

So as far as I know, the Composite AV Cable (and the Component AV Cable as far as I know) only allows TV Out on the iPhone and iPhone 3G in the iPod application. As far as I know, you cannot watch YouTube from your iPhone 3G on your television set. The cable only works for video podcasts, videos, and movies purchased through iTunes (or at least converted in to an iPhone 3G-compatible file and then placed on your iPhone 3G using iTunes).

Sorry about that. I have heard others on various forums saying what I've just said above. Hope that helps. I got my cable to work but again, I only use it with video files from my iPod application on my iPhone 3G.

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Answer 5

Dec 20, 2008 12:29 PM in response to carletonboi

There are a bunch of videos on Youtube showing how people are connecting the Composite cable to the iPhone to their TV and it works. Here is but one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qoo1i0HVLN0

I really don't care about watching Youtube on my TV. I made a PowerPoint presentation and changed it to a MP4 (I think that's the right terminology) and it plays on my iPhone (I learned to do it some several links from people that are actually doing PP presentations this way). It just won't play with the Composite cable. I also tried a video purchased through iTunes and again...it will play on the iPhone, but as soon as I connect the cable it stops.

This is frustrating.

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Answer 6

Dec 20, 2008 1:07 PM in response to carletonboi

Okay! I got it to work!

With my remote control for the TV I changed the "input" to AV1 (where I have the cable connected on the TV.

It shows my videos and YouTube videos with sound.

The PowerPoint presentation I changed to a MP4 in iTunes works great! I only have to use the play and pause to change slides.

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