Apple disables TV Out in new iPods
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Apple giveth, and Apple taketh away.
In a move that's bound to confound and anger iPod users, it seems the company has disabled the TV Out feature on the new iPod nano and iPod classic, rendering nearly all third party TV docking cables and stations useless.
I first noticed this when setting up my new iPod classic. In the Settings menu, the TV Out option was frozen in the "off" setting. I thought perhaps the iPod had to be connected to a TV out dock or cable in order for the setting to be changed, so I didn't think any more of it until I went to watch my Seahawks highlights—purchased through the iTunes store—on my TV via the DLO HomeDock Deluxe II.
Nothing. So, that's $150 down the drain with no warning or explanation from Apple. Thanks, guys.
Official word is that the TV Out in the new iPods will only work with accessories that include an Apple authentication chip. Of course, Apple's docks and cables include this chip. Chances are very good, however, that the third-party cables and docks you currently use do not.
What's the reason for this? I can't really say, as I have yet to hear any sort of official explanation from Apple. It most likely wouldn't be a digital copyright issue, as Apple encourages people to download and watch videos on the iPod. No reason, then, to refuse people the ability to watch those videos on a TV after they're paid for.
Moves like this can, however, drive people to Apple products. If you've been burnt like this before, would you risk buying another third-party product or stick with Apple products to ensure compatibility? The only TV Out products of which I know that currently work with the new iPod nano and iPod classic are the $49.00 Apple Component AV Cable and the $49.00 Apple Universal Dock, and those aren't even available until next month.
Is it, then, to drive sales of AppleTV? Any video you can transfer to your iPod, after all, can be played through AppleTV.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, so I doubt Apple is purposely trying to kill off third-party devices and make you give Apple more money. Most likely, there's something in the new chipsets that's causing this to happen, and Apple just didn't care to or was too lazy to correct the issue. This will work out well for Apple-authorized third-party developers, too, as they'll now be moving more products once they've got the Apple authentication chip in their devices. Be sure when shopping for such products that you do your homework first to find out if the cable or dock is compatible with your iPod.
So, that just leaves us, the people who actually buy this stuff, to figure out if it's worth it to lay down more cash in order to use the iPod the way Apple, you know, actually wants us to use it. Steve Jobs and Apple may be making this concept of a "digital hub" easy to use, but they sure aren't making it cheap.
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