iPod AV Connection Kit #MA242LL/A Review
01/11/2006 - Updated 02/05/2006
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The box is about 5 3/8" (136 mm) x 4 3/8" (111
mm) x 5 3/8" (136 mm) high. It is illustrated with
photos of the Universal Dock, AV cable, USB dock connector
cable and remote control. On the back of the box, it shows
what iPods will work with this connection kit, which is
all of them I think. The bottom of the box reveals that
it was "Designed by Apple in California". Was
that the box or the kit? And it says "Dock Made in
China". Hmmm... seems like everything is made in China. |
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To remove the "inner" box, you sort of have to
turn the box upside down. It just makes it easier. The
inner box opens, similar to a clamshell, and reveals the
remote control, dock and a stack of dock adapters. |
| What's inside |
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The entire package includes:
1 - Universal Dock (MA242LL/A)
1 - Remote control (MA128G/A)
1 - 60" (1.5 M) AV cable (M9765G/A)
1 - 44" (1.1 M) USB dock connector cable (M9569G/A)
1 - USB power adapter(M9837LL/A)
1 - iPod mini dock adapter #3
1 - iPod 20 GB U2 dock adapter #4
1 - iPod 40 GB dock adapter #5
1 - iPod with color display 20 GB 30 GB U2 dock adapter #6
1 - iPod with color display 40 GB 60 GB dock adapter #7
1 - User's Guide booklet (in 4 different languages)
1 - One-Year Limited Warranty booklet (in 7 different languages) |
| Dock adapter for the nano |
The dock adapters included with the kit did not include
one for the nano. Probably because the newer iPods, starting
with the nano and then the video, comes with their own
adapter. Luckily I saved the box that the nano came in
because I had no idea, at the time, what that plastic thingy
was. You can find out about the Universal Dock adapter
here:
Learn
about iPod Universal Dock |
| Universal Dock |
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The Universal Dock measures 3 1/8 " (80 mm) x 2 5/16" (59
mm) x 5/8" (16 mm) high. It weighs in at about 4 1/2
oz. (128 g) on my postage scale. The front has a round
infrared window for the remote control. The back is where
all the connections are made: line out (for the AV cable),
30 pin dock connector (for the USB dock cable, to provide
power) and S-video out. On the bottom is a rubber (I think
it's rubber) skid proof pad. |
| Remote Control |
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The remote control measures 1 1/4" (32 mm) x 3 1/4" (83
mm) x 5/16" (8 mm) thick, which is similar in size
to the iPod shuffle. It weighs about an ounce (28 g). At
first sight, I couldn't figure out if it used batteries,
or not. There's a small round indentation at the bottom
right. When using a small pointed object, such as a headphone
plug, the bottom pops out, exposing the battery. The battery
that was installed is a Panasonic #CR2032 and it is about
the size of a US nickel (3/4" dia - 19 mm). |
| Checking the fit |
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Placing my nano on the Universal Dock was easy when using
the dock adapter. The location of the dock connector on
the nano is on the left side, so the recess in the dock
adapter (that the nano comes with) accounts for that. You
can use it without the adapter, but that would require
careful positioning of your iPod with the dock. |
| The Power Supply |
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For some reason, Apple lost it here. Their USB power supply
is not power strip friendly and will occupy one outlet.
The only nice thing I can say about this power supply is
that it doesn't occupy two outlets (I've had some bricks
that did). |
| Using the AV Connection Kit |
Plugging the AV cables to my surround sound home receiver
was pretty straight forward (especially after doing it
a number of times). What I did was plug the cables to the
front jacks on the receiver, which is labeled "Video
3". Then proceeded to plug the USB power to the power
strip (here is where the Kensington
StereoDock was the winner).
Plugging the nano into the dock for the first time, turned on the
nano. Then, with the remote, I can play/pause when playing songs,
even though the nano was on hold. The Apple dock apparently produces
more volume than the Kensington
StereoDock so, when switching from TV to the dock, and vice versa,
you don't have to adjust the volume on the receiver.
Contrary to what Apple says on their website, regarding nano accessories, "This
kit includes everything you need to connect your iPod nano to your
home stereo or television so you can share your favorite tunes and
snapshots with friends and family." is untrue. I've notified
Apple about their claim, and it appears that they have corrected
the information on their website. |
| Conclusion |
The iPod AV Connection Kit gives you a lot of things
that previously you had to purchase separately. Although
not entirely a bargain, you will save money buying the
kit (than if you were to purchase each item by themselves).
At the moment, the iPod nano will not display
photos/slideshows on the TV set. I've downloaded
the latest updater, iPod Updater 2006-01-10,
and restored my nano with it. I was hoping that
the new nano software 1.1 may include this extra
menu where you can select TV On or Off. Sadly,
it (the software) did not. On Apple's website,
this article: Some
iPod accessories won't work with iPod nano,
there's a paragraph that points out:
"No Video Out
iPod nano does not support video out through the dock connector or
the headphone port. iPod nano is not compatible with the Apple iPod
AV Cable designed for iPod with color display (and iPod photo)."
Well, the paragraph is not entirely true. The AV Cable does work
with the iPod nano, but only with the audio. Now I'm not sure if
it is a hardware, or software, limitation.
:-)
Gary Kawamura |
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