Anyone using a HDMI to component cable?

Question

Anyone using a HDMI to component cable?

Using an Apple TV 2

My TV doesn't have HDMI - I see cables for sale, but not at the Apple store. Anyone use one so I know it will work?

Thanks

Posted on Mar 18, 2011 10:38 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 29, 2017 2:43 AM in response to Timothy B Hewitt

I know this thread is old, but I just recently ran into this problem. I have an old 19" Insignia LCD (NS-LCD19F) television that is being used in my wife's study at home. This tv has no HDMI, but it does have a component, a composite, a coaxial and a VGA port. I wanted to attach an Apple TV 3 to it, but since there was no HDMI I had to purchase a HDMI to one of those four ports converter. I ended up buying a HDMI to component converter to take advantage of the televisions 720p. I bought a Portta PETHR HDMI to YPbPr Component Converter.

Now this product has a useless manual as it just tells you to attach the HDMI device to the HDMI port of the converter and the television to the component port. It also tells you to plug the power adapter to the converter. There are no switches on this thing. So of course it doesn't work right out of the box. You have to tweak it or actually you have to set up the Apple TV to get this to work. As soon as I attached everything as instructed and set my tv to component, I saw the Apple logo on the screen and then nothing but blue. After doing some research online, I discovered that I had to set up the Apple TV to a resolution that my Insignia tv could handle. So of course the dilemma was I couldn't set up the Apple TV on this tv since I couldn't see the home screen.

I thought all I had to do was to use a television that could handle the Apple TV without the converter and setup the resolution to 720p. I attached the Apple TV to my HDMI tv in the living room and set it up for 720p. When I reattached it to the converter and Insignia tv in the study, all I got was a blue screen again. I tried several resolutions and nothing seemed to work. I was about to return this product.

I then decided to just check if, in fact, this product was defective by attaching it to the component ports of the HDMI tv in the living room. It actually worked! I set up the Apple TV to 720p and then reattached it all to the Insignia tv. This time it worked. So the solution was to not simply set up the Apple TV to 720p, but to make sure when you do it's attached to the converter. So now it works great on the Insignia. My wife is now able to use the Apple TV in her study.

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Answer 2

Mar 19, 2011 5:10 AM in response to Timothy B Hewitt

Cables alone will not connect your Apple TV to a component only TV, you will need some sort of hardware converter. The problem with using such a device is that component doesn't carry HDCP which is necessary to play protected content from the iTunes store and without HDCP compatibility such content cannot be played.

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Answer 3

Mar 19, 2011 11:28 AM in response to Winston Churchill

Thanks Winston

I don't need protected content, just netflix.

Can anyone answer the original question - Are you doing this? Have you tried and it didn't work? DId it work?

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Answer 4

WaltAZ

Level 1

0 points

Mar 19, 2011 1:08 PM in response to Timothy B Hewitt

I am interested in the same thing. Just want to steam Netflix and photos to my TV which does not have HDMI connection. Wondered if you have any converter device that works?

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Answer 5

Chenks

Level 5

7,435 points

Mar 19, 2011 1:11 PM in response to WaltAZ

there is no guarantee that, even if it did work, it would continue to work due to it being an unsupported connection method.

whether netflix uses HDCP is a question you need answered, if it does then a simple cable won't work.

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Answer 6

Mar 19, 2011 1:58 PM in response to WaltAZ

I was guessing that others would have the same need. I'm hoping someone has tried this with a quality cable (and it works).

It's nice to have folks chime in - But someone who has tried this would be really helpful.

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Answer 7

Mar 19, 2011 2:29 PM in response to Timothy B Hewitt

It won't work. The HDMI spec is pure digital. Component video is pure analog. The cables work with devices specifically made to accept an analog signal routed through an HDMI port. These devices are extremely rare, and if you have one, your user's manual will clearly state as much. Unfortunately, because there are a few such devices on the market, there are now "HDMI to Component" cables being marketed in various outlets, and the sellers of these products often do not appear to realize that they will work with only a very small, limited class of devices. Don't buy one just to try out; unless your manual says it will work, it WILL NOT. These cables will not work with the AppleTV 2.

Like Winston said, you need a digital to analog converter.

Message was edited by: Martin Pace

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Answer 8

Jon Walker

Level 6

19,467 points

Mar 19, 2011 3:02 PM in response to Timothy B Hewitt

Can anyone answer the original question - Are you doing this?

Yes, using the "converter" option. Or rather I can do this and have for test purposes but now have enough HDMI HDTVs in the home to not be forced to do this if I choose not to do so.

Have you tried and it didn't work?

As indicated above I tried it. Normally, the only time the converter I have won't currently work is if the target TV does not support 720p input. No one has yet mentioned the fact that unless you purchase a "broadcast level" device, these converters do not include any scaling capabilities. If your particular TV only supports 1080i component input, then even the converter will will not work because the component output is still at 720p as output by the TV2.

DId it work?

Once again, it did.

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Answer 9

Mar 20, 2011 12:33 AM in response to Jon Walker

Coolio!

Thanks for a 'hands on' reference.

I guess it's a new TV... No wait - Out the window with the ATV2. Oh well...

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Answer 10

Mar 20, 2011 2:49 AM in response to Timothy B Hewitt

You mentioned that your TV does not have HDMI in. Neither does mine, but it does have a (slightly older) DVI digital input. The problem is that it is video-only, and the sound has to be input separately. So I bought an HDMI switch from Monoprix that provided me with analog audio and I brought the video to the TV with an HDNI-to-DVI cable. If you have DVI in then this is a possibility.

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Answer 11

Ziatron

Level 5

4,186 points

Mar 20, 2011 9:14 AM in response to Timothy B Hewitt

You need a HDMI to Component Video converter,

The HDfury3 may be the best converter.

I find Component Video to look better than HDMI and no annoying HDCP handshake problems.

HDMI is NOT about picture quality, but rather about copy protection.

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Answer 12

Mar 20, 2011 9:43 AM in response to Ziatron

No, HDMI is about interface protocol for digital video as it's name suggests, HDCP is about copy protection, as it's name suggests.

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Answer 13

May 12, 2011 5:50 PM in response to Timothy B Hewitt

I bought an Apple TV 2 without realising that my tv does not have HDMI. I have connected it to DVI and have picture and no sound. From the previous postings it appears that I need an HDMI switch. What additional cables do I need to go with that?

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Answer 14

May 13, 2011 3:31 AM in response to The Santi

It's not an HDMI switch that you need it's an HDMI adapter with an audio and DVI port, then the DVI can go to the DVI port on the TV and the audio can go to the audio ports (if you have any)

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Answer 15

Feb 24, 2012 5:24 AM in response to Winston Churchill

I have the HDMI to DVI adapter for just video and have checked out cables available at some stores and no one can help me with the audio part. My sound system will not accept the Optical Audio so so far I have been out of luck for the audio part!! Do you know how I can get my hands on a HDMI to DVI with audio or adapter with audio? Any specific one I can look for online? Thanks!

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