HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctly)

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dochielomn
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Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:16 am

Re: HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctl

Post by dochielomn »

They had that exact cable. Problem was when they upgraded to new iphones/ipads making this cable no longer valid. Originally they bought a lightning pin to 30 pin adapter but that adapter doesn't support video/audio. So, hence this thread. I don't think they'd want to spend more than $100 in order to get this to work. Or spending more than $100 for some sort of converter isn't worth it to them/me for the limited amount of use.
kevm14
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Re: HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctl

Post by kevm14 »

I'm sure they still have their old devices. They could just use them for travel and use that cable. Cheapest and easiest solution.
dochielomn
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Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:16 am

Re: HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctl

Post by dochielomn »

I don't think they do. Part of apple is trading in your old device to get a discount on newer devices. I think only Sarah's brother still has an older ipad with the 30 pin connector.
kevm14
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Re: HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctl

Post by kevm14 »

Then the next best solution is get the HDMI cable for the new iPad and bank on HDMI being pretty damn common, in general.
dochielomn
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Re: HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctl

Post by dochielomn »

"So Sarah's family has the new ipad mini with the lightning connection. They also had the old original ipads with the 30 pin connection. With the old ipad, they had bought a cable that connected the ipad to a tv via composite inputs (worked fine for any/all video/audio). Their TV is older and doesn't have HMDI inputs and the component inputs are in the back and the TV is very big and makes it tough to move to get to the back, but they have a composite input right in front so this is the main reason I'm going to talk about composite here. Anywho, with the new ipad mini lightning, apple sells a cable that connects with the lightning port but it's HDMI only. As I said, their TV doesn't do HDMI. So what I thought I could do was find a HDMI to Composite video converter."

That's the original post that started it all. So. they have the HDMI cable but i'm trying to connect it to their older tv at home (as well as ensuring that if/when they travel to some place like the Berkshires, which they go ever year for at least 1 week if not 2 full weeks that they have an option to connect to TV's there that don't always have an HDMI connection as well).

This is also why I'm curious if I can turn a composite input into an HDMI input as well and how much that would cost.
dochielomn
Posts: 216
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:16 am

Re: HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctl

Post by dochielomn »

So I think this is what i'm gonna attempt to do. Ed, made the comment if the ipad had a VGA cable to it which the lightning does have (cost is like $50). So, when I go to NY this weekend, on Saturday, we'll stop by an Apple store and I'll purchase the cable there. I had already bought Sarah's family a VGA to Composite converter to connect an old laptop to their tv and i know this device works. So I'll connect the VGA cable to the VGA to composite converter and see if that will send Netflix and iTunes downloaded movies to the tv and see if this is the solution. If it doesn't work, I always have the option of returning that Apple VGA cable back to the store.
Fast_Ed
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Re: HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctl

Post by Fast_Ed »

This idea is genius!!
kevm14
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Re: HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctl

Post by kevm14 »

The only issue you would theoretically have is an HDCP issue going from protected digital content to VGA (which supports none of that DRM stuff).

I know I would personally go the extra mile and try to maintain HD output (assuming the source is HD, which Netflix and iTunes movies probably are). Plus you would maintain audio output, which may be possible.

For that, I would have HDMI output available (covers most situations these days) - this is probably fairly cheap. And I would see if I could go HDMI to DVI as the TV supports HDCP over DVI (and possibly audio, too), which may just require an HDMI to DVI adapter. Then you'd have everything covered. HD outputs when it is supported and composite for all other situations.

Here's an HDMI to DVI adapter: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=1 ... 1&format=2

More research required though. And with the composite setup you will need to get audio into the TV some other way.

Also, I admit confusion with the lightning connector versus the thunderbolt thing. Thunderbolt is the one that accesses the hardware at a low level.
dochielomn
Posts: 216
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:16 am

Re: HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctl

Post by dochielomn »

I'm aware of the audio problem but I'm guessing that the ipad has to have an audio out port that i would just use an audio feed directly into either the tv or their surround sound. I know when hooking up a laptop to their tv via the VGA to Composite converter, I took care of the audio there.

As for what i said I was gonna do, the reason i'm going to go that method is simply because i can just drive back to the store and return the cable if it doesn't work with the HDCP. I buy the cable, test it for all situations, and if it doesn't work, then I can physically return it as oppose to mailing it back to a vendor and waiting to get re-imbursed. The apple store is like 20 min away from where Sarah lives so it's not that far of a drive. I'll post over the weekend and see if maybe I can end this thread if my way works, :).
dochielomn
Posts: 216
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:16 am

Re: HDMI to Composite Converter (yes, you read this correctl

Post by dochielomn »

Ok, so I bought the lightning to VGA cable from Apple today and connected it to Sarah's ipad mini and then took that and connected it to a VGA to composite converter (that I had previously bought for Sarah and her family to connect a laptop to their tv) and got mixed results. I was able to see Netflix data on the tv but when trying to play something downloaded from iTunes, I was told that I couldn't send that data. And since I think Sarah's family would primarily want to download iTunes movies, I think I'm going to have to return the cable tomorrow and continue my search on this topic. Only reason to keep it would be to use some VGA connector/converter to get the HDCP data to be able to be viewed on the tv (which only has component, DVI, or composite inputs). But also note, Sarah's family does have the HDMI Apple cable that I'm pretty sure when directly connected to an HDMI input (they have a TV in the kitchen area that has HDMI but it's much smaller), will send iTunes data, but I'll have to double check that as well.
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