HDMI adapter for iPad (Apple 39€)

[mhog]

Just bought it because I wanted to watch some of my apps (Animoog, Alchemy, Figure, Garageband and others) on a bigger screen. Some videogames and video/pictures, too, with family and friends of course. Well, it just... sucks! On my 19inch lcd tv, the result is an ipad inside the tv screen... and it is smaller than the original ipad screen, LOL! Let alone when "vertical", 'cause it resembles an iphone Practically all you get is... the same small ipad screen "mirrored" on a 19' tv. In case of a bigger screen (32 inch) you get the same small area with big black columns around! I spent all that money for this sxxt?! NO FULL SCREEN?!! I thought it was like when you plug a notebook or a playstation, a dvd player... or even a cheap photocamera (when you want your friends to watch your pics. I mean: in "full screen" size, not its small 5' display mirrored on tv!). Apple is not clear at all about this. They claim "watch this and that on big screen, 720 and 1080p"... But the truth? All you get is an ipad screen inside your TV! On bigger displays it's almost the same result: black bars all around and people that have to get closer and closer, as if they were nearsighted What the hell of a junkproduct is that?! Very disappointed. Or am I missing smth?! Any help/suggestion/different experience? (Ipad2, iOS 7.1 NOT jailbroken).

[haj]

Informative, thanks for the report. IIRC I've heard Apple TV also doesn't work well in this regard?

[BiancaNeve]

Apple TV in mirror mode usually has black bars because the Ipad display isn't widescreen.

When you're watching movies which usually play on the ipad with bars at the top and bottom they play full screen on a widescreen TV.

Apple TV isn't that good for live music playing though as there can be a bit of lag over the wifi.

[mhog]

So all you get is a small ipad screen shown on the tv display, "because the iPad is not widescreen"???! That is stupid, typical "Apple" (expensive things but poor results). What the hell of a useless technology! Even my 50€ "made in China" 10 inch netbook when plugged on a tv is full screen! Everything is "full screen" nowadays: from playstation, to dvd players, to photocameras etc. I am very disappointed. I had no need to buy a 39€ "adapter" to watch some mp4 movies "with family" and friends "via iPAD". For that, just enter a chinese shop and buy a 20€ dvd/dvx player (even my 15€ old mp3/mp4 player can do that!). What a bummer, I just wanted to play my apps and watch pictures saved in my ipad on a bigger display.

[Aural Chaos]

It's partly a function of the app itself isn't it? Something designed to play movies is going to have a full screen mode, while Animoog or whatever is going to be windowed.

[setAI]

does your TV have a "full pixel" zoom setting? that should blow it up

[mhog]

does your TV have a "full pixel" zoom setting? that should blow it up

So, you mean I should bustle with my TV zoom setting while the iPad is connected?! As far as I can see, nowadays everything is automatically "zoomed" to the right aspect ratio when plugged via HDMI or such. This "no full screen, because iPad has an aspect ratio of 4:3" is annoying, because: (1) I have had photocameras, (junky chinese) tablets and netbooks, mp3/mp4 player and such which original "aspect ratio" is not even 4:3 but... a square or smth , yet when connected to the TV were autmatically zoomed (16:9 or everything else, depending on the screen); If not, the "zoom setting" are an option included (in the device); (2) the (cheesy) iPad commercials always talk about "comfort", "just push the button and voilà", "friendly technology", "perfection", "easy" and such. They make you believe you just have to buy the original VERY EXPENSIVE 39€ adapter and you can watch your ipad apps, pictures, books etc. on a big TV screen. That is not true, actually it is just a way to "watch movies in 720/1080p" (buying them via iTunes or importing mp4 via "syncronize", which is a pain in the ass). Nothing else. I mean: 39€ for a white piece of junk?! You can buy the same "adapters" in chinese shops for 3-4€! With 39€ nowadays you can buy a good dvd/mpg/mp4/avi/dvx player, usb included and HDMI out!!!

My question is: what about Android and Windows tablets when connected to the TV? They behave the same? If yes, sorry. If not (they get automatically zoomed), I feel... cheated.

[mhog]

It's partly a function of the app itself isn't it? Something designed to play movies is going to have a full screen mode, while Animoog or whatever is going to be windowed.

Today I downloaded some 720p mp4s from youtube and saved in the "videos" iPad folder. Played on TV (from iPad): they are "full screen" (no black bars around). Perfect 16:9 aspect ratio. Should I scream "wow, fantastic"?! 39€ for such an "incredible" feature?

The rest (apps, games, books, pics, documents, youtube, safari, kvr etc.) on TV appears smaller than the original 9,7 inch ipad display Let alone when "verticalized" (vertical games, Propellerhead's Figure, pdf, vertical pictures, books etc.)... it resembles an iphone

[Breeze]

Don't quote me on this, but I remember reading or seeing on YouTube a few years ago that with a jailbroken iPhone and a video adapter it was possible to expand apps and the "desktop" to the entire video size just like it can with movies. For whatever reason, this seems to be a limitation built into iOS and imposed by Apple, despite the hardware being capable of it.

Sometimes there's practical reasons for this kind of limitation, like battery life or controlling component stress and heat generation in the unit. Other times it's just pure market manipulation. It's typically hard to tell the difference.

[PsYcHo SaMuRai]

Interesting.
I have the HDMI adapter and play movies from my iPad 2 and iPod 4 to my LCD TV with no problems. It fills the screen.
I just open the video I want on the iPad then plugged in the adapter and hit play. It doesn't work with all apps but it does work for video such as YouTube, Amazon, Netflix and the built in Quicktime player...for me, ymmv.

I'm using an iPad with OS 7 and iPod 4 with OS 6.

[martygras]

Same here. No problem on a 46" Samsung LED. The iPad image is huge.
The tv has several "screen modes" easily accesible from the remote so you can take advantage of broadcast tv that shows movies in letterbox and other formats etc. This comes in handy with Netflix whether you're watching a recent release or an old tv series like MST3K.

[dformd]

hey mhog;
just thought you may be interested in an app I purchased last night;
it's working splendidly for me so far:
Reflector
http://www.airsquirrels.com/reflector/

[BertKoor]

My question is: what about Android and Windows tablets when connected to the TV? They behave the same?[

My BlackBerry Playbook tablet has no 32-pin connector, but industry-standard mini-USB and mini-HDMI connectors
I only needed to buy a mini-HDMI cable (about $15 I think) and since the screen is wide (1024x600px) it fits widescreen fullscreen TV very well!

[siriusbliss]

iPad using Airplay on AppleTV will display full-res HDMI - unless your source media is lower-res or cropped to begin with.
Has nothing to do with iPad resolution - especially if it's a retina iPad.

I've had great results with this using a Panasonic HDMI projector at work for presentations as well.

G

[kaeila]

this is going to piss people off
sorry
but an unjailbroken IOS product is like
being at a smorgasbord but jailed to only be able to eat the salad bar