Do-it-yourself iPod projects

Play back iPod videos on your TV

Skill level: Easy

What you'll need:
• iPod type: iPod with video
• Hardware required: A/V cable

Connect your iPod to your TV with a cable
The simplest and most direct route is to get a cable that plugs into the iPod and the TV. You use the iPod's controls to start and stop play and use the iPod's screen to navigate the menus and set up the video. The iPod's menus don't appear on the TV screen, but as you're holding the iPod, this isn't a problem.

Your first option is to get Apple's iPod A/V Cable ($20). Slide the 1/8-inch connector into your iPod's headphone port, connect the yellow, red, and white connectors on the other end of the cable to the corresponding RCA plugs on your TV, and you're in business. If you have an iPod Universal Dock, you can connect the iPod A/V cable to the dock's line-out port instead. You can then keep the A/V cable plugged in when you remove the iPod from the dock.

Connect your iPod to your TV with a DIY cable
The iPod A/V Cable is stylish and handy, but you may feel it's not worth $20; the Belkin cable gives you twice the value per foot but costs the same overall. For a less expensive alternative, find a standard A/V cable with three RCA plugs at one end (coded red, white, and yellow) and a 1/8-inch A/V plug with three bands at the other end.

To set up your iPod for playback, plug the 1/8-inch connector into your iPod's headphone port, and then plug the yellow, white, and red RCA connectors into the RCA jacks on your TV in this non-color-coded way:

Set the iPod to output the signal to the TV
To set your iPod to output the signal to the TV, follow these steps:

1. Scroll to the Videos entry on the main menu, then press the Select button to access the Videos screen.

2. Scroll to the Video Settings entry, then press the Select button to access the Settings screen.

3. Set the TV Out setting to On if you want the iPod always to output the video to TV, or to Ask if you want the iPod to prompt you first. Ask is usually more convenient, as you don't need to switch the setting when you want to play the video on the iPod's screen. The disadvantage to Ask is that you have to deal with the iPod's prompt--TV or screen?--each time you play a video.

4. Make sure your iPod is set to output the right kind of TV signal for your TV: NTSC or PAL. NTSC is primarily used in North America and Japan, while PAL is used in most European countries.

5. For the Wide-screen setting, choose On or Off to suit your TV or your tastes.

6. Press the Menu button to return to the Videos screen.

Start the video playing
To play videos on your iPod, follow these steps:

1. If the iPod is not already showing the Videos screen, scroll to the Videos entry on the main menu, then press the Select button.

2. Scroll to the appropriate category (for example, Movies or TV Shows), then press the Select button to access it.

3. Scroll to the item you want, then press the Select button to access and start it playing.

You can fast-forward through the video file by pressing the Fast Forward button, and rewind by pressing the Rewind button, but these controls are comfortable only for moving short distances. To move farther, press the Select button to display the scrub bar, and then scroll to scrub forward or backward. When you reach the point you want, press the Select button to hide the scrub bar again.

Tip: When you're playing short videos, you may not want to start each of them playing separately. To make your iPod play them for you, create a video playlist in iTunes, add the videos to it in the order you want, then synchronize your iPod. You can then set the playlist playing from the Video Playlists entry on the Videos screen.