Griffin iPod-to-TV Cables

What's the difference between Apple's own iPod-to-TV video cables and Griffin Technology's component and composite cables? For reviewer Chris Maxcer, it all comes down to grip -- the Griffin cables are just easier to clutch in your hand when you want to connect and disconnect from a TV. All other things being equal, who wants to deal with hard-to-handle cables?


Getting video out of your iPod and onto a television screen is often both easy and difficult at the same time. It's easy because Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) Consolidate Mac Servers. Run Windows Server on your Mac. Watch a Demo or Download a Trial. Latest News about Apple proprietary cables are plug-and-play, and hard because early iPod-to-TV options were somewhat easier -- some early models of iPods would deliver TV out via the iPod Universal Dock and a cheap S-video cable. When Apple ditched the iPod Universal Dock's S-video port and replaced it with the Apple Universal Dock, it also created a divergence of support for video out among the various devices.

In addition, Apple started using some sort of authentication chip in its $49 Apple Composite AV Cable or Apple Component AV Cable, which meant that inexpensive third-party iPod video cables failed to function with newer iPods -- or iPhones, for that matter. As far as I can tell, Apple hasn't ever explained why its cables need special authentication chips -- is it about quality control or simply about control?

Either way, until now, newer iPod and iPhone owners could only choose Apple solutions for getting video from their iPods to the television screen.

Enter Griffin Technology

Griffin Technology now has two products to compete with Apple's own wares: the Griffin Composite iPod to TV Cable and the Griffin Component iPod to TV Cable.

They work great, but don't get all excited just yet: They cost US$49.99. So you can forget about a cheaper non-Apple option. Oh, and the reason they work great? They, too, contain an authentication chip -- they are "Made for iPod" and certified by Apple.

Back at the Beginning

Both sets of cables look like a Medusa-head mess. The composite cables have five different ends and the component seven. They come with a USB Griffin PowerBlock plug-in power adapter, which lets you power and charge your iPod while pushing video out. The cables are easy to use -- all you have to do is start matching cable ends with various ports. The cables connect to the iPod via a 30-pin Dock Connector, and the TV component and composite ends are all color coded, so it's just a matter of connecting the set to your particular TV.

The cables have a high-quality shielded copper core, which reduces line noise and interference, and the light gray cables are made with heavy-duty, kink-free PVC cable jackets. They are six feet long and compatible with the iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano (4G), iPod nano (3G).

The picture quality is surprisingly good. The composite cables rival basic DVD quality, and the component cables offer a slightly better picture, though the difference is hard to detect when viewing iTunes TV shows and movies. Home videos shot and encoded at various levels of quality might reveal differences more easily. For most, the decision will be more about making the iPod-to-TV experience easy, and the fewer cables on the composite model not only let you plug into old-school tube TVs with ease, but they also often simplify connections to newer flat screen TVs that have easy-access side or front composite ports.

Better Than Apple?

On one hand, these cables are basically the same as Apple's. The overall quality appears to be similar, though Apple's have thinner cables, a smaller power plug, and cool industrial design on the TV plug ends.

On the other hand, Griffin's cables are far easier to use. The composite and component cable ends connect to your TV easier than Apple's models, which are hard to shove on and even harder to pull off. Plus, Griffin's cable ends boast a grippy Griffin logo that provides traction for your thumb and forefinger when you want to disconnect. Think I'm being facetious about this feature? I'm not -- it's a key reason why I'd recommend Griffin over Apple in this case. Apple's cable ends are so hard to remove that I took a hacksaw to the ends, then jammed some needle nose pliers inside to pry them apart. They now look terrible but function much better. With the Griffin cables, there's no need to modify them at all.

What About the iPhone?

While the iPhone isn't listed as a compatible product, in my tests an iPhone 3G Latest News about 3G worked just fine. Upon connecting the cables, a warning prompt popped up on the iPhone screen, giving me the option to turn on Airplane Mode to avoid interference or ignore the mode and proceed. Either option worked well, and I didn't experience any interference.

Griffin's support Linux MPS Pro - Focus on Your Business - Not Your IT Infrastructure. $599.95/month. Click to learn more. site provides a bit of illumination on the matter: "Neither cable has been approved by Apple for use with the iPhone 3G. Although we cannot claim compatibility, in our testing, the iPhone does work with them. You will get the 'nag screen' that asks whether you'd like to put the phone in Airplane Mode. However, you do not have to put the iPhone in Airplane Mode to use the A/V cable."

I'm guessing Griffin's doesn't have a license to claim the cables are made for iPhone ... or Apple isn't offering the license for some reason.

So, which should you buy? If Griffin could just drop the price a bit, it would be a no-brainer. As it is, it's a pretty much a toss-up -- but seriously, the Griffin cable ends are easier to use, so they get the nod.