iLoungeiLounge
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn RSS
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn RSS
    iLoungeiLounge
    • News
      • Apple
        • AirPlay
        • iCloud
        • iTunes
        • HealthKit
        • HomeKit
        • HomePod
        • iOS 13
        • Apple Pay
        • Apple TV
        • Siri
      • AirPods Pro
      • Apps
        • Apple Music
      • Rumors
      • Humor
      • Technology
        • CES
      • Articles
      • Web Stories
    • iPhone
      • iPhone Accessories
    • iPad
    • iPod
      • iPod Accessories
    • Apple Watch
      • Apple Watch Accessories
    • Mac
      • MacBook Air
      • MacBook Pro
    • Reviews
      • App Reviews
    • How-to
      • Ask iLounge
    • Daily Deals
    iLoungeiLounge

    Review: Kanex ATV Pro HDMI to VGA Adapter for Apple TV

    By Jeremy HorwitzMay 14, 2021 5:13 pm UTC

    Until Kanex released ATV Pro ($59), your options were very limited if you wanted to hook a second- or third-generation Apple TV up to a projector or computer monitor: an HDMI port was the only means of getting video out, so if your display didn’t have HDMI, the latest Apple TVs were non-starters. ATV Pro was expressly designed to address this issue, particularly for schools without budget dollars to buy new projectors: it serves as a bridge between Apple’s $99 media players and any older monitor or projector with a VGA port, routing video through the classic VGA pins and stereo audio through a small 3.5mm port.

    Review: Kanex ATV Pro HDMI to VGA Adapter for Apple TV

    There are no extra frills in the ATV Pro package: all you get is the adapter, which roughly matches the look of the Apple TV by blending glossy black plastic with non-slip gray rubber bottom surfaces. One end plugs into the HDMI port on the Apple TV—or another HDMI-equipped device—while the other has both the aforementioned VGA video and 3.5mm audio ports. ATV Pro’s output is VGA- and stereo RCA-compliant without the need for a power adapter; you just need to supply the additional cables yourself. Most VGA monitor or projector users will likely have the video cable already sitting around, and the audio cable costs only $1-$2 these days.

     

    Review: Kanex ATV Pro HDMI to VGA Adapter for Apple TV

    Review: Kanex ATV Pro HDMI to VGA Adapter for Apple TV

    Not surprisingly, there’s little to say about ATV Pro’s performance other than that it works. We experienced only a single issue when first connecting it to the Apple TV and a video projector, and that was an odd underscan-like misalignment of the picture that saw part of the left side chopped off—resetting the projector immediately cleared this up and properly aligned the image. The Apple TV’s user interface, as well as streamed iTunes Store and AirPlay content worked perfectly through the projector thereafter, with full color and 720p/60Hz output, thankfully without any of the VGA-related unauthorized content warnings we saw when using Apple’s iPad VGA Adapter in the past. AirPlay Mirroring also worked with the iPhone 4S and recent iPads, with the same sort of performance we’ve seen with regular HDMI output.

     

    Review: Kanex ATV Pro HDMI to VGA Adapter for Apple TV

    Review: Kanex ATV Pro HDMI to VGA Adapter for Apple TV

    Calling ATV Pro “too good to be true” would be a bit over the top, as the $59 asking price isn’t exactly cheap, and the functionality it enables isn’t revolutionary: it’s just an audio-video adapter designed to improve the versatility of a device that was deliberately limited in connectivity options. That said, Kanex’s solution does what it’s supposed to do, and to the extent that it may save schools, some businesses, and other users the need to spend hundreds of dollars to replace otherwise working monitors just because they lack the HDMI port necessary to enjoy Apple TV or AirPlay content, it’s a good option. Nicely designed and entirely fulfilling its promise of sharing iOS and Apple TV media on VGA screens, ATV Pro is worthy of our general recommendation.

    Our Rating

    B
    Recommended

    Company and Price

    Company: Kanex

    Website: www.Kanexlive.com

    Model: ATV Pro

    Price: $59

    Compatible: Apple TV

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Jeremy Horwitz
    Jeremy Horwitz
    • Twitter

    Jeremy Horwitz was the Editor-in-Chief at iLounge. He has written over 5,000 articles and reviews for the website and is one of the most respected members of the Apple media. Horwitz has been following Apple since the release of the original iPod in 2001. He was one of the first reviewers to receive a pre-release unit of the device, and his review helped put iLounge on the map as a go-to source for Apple news.

    Latest News
    Enjoy $80 Off on the Latest 10.2-inch iPad
    iOS 17 will introduce Friends and Family iCloud Keychain Password sharing
    iOS 17 will show warning for unsolicited nude photos
    Apple Pay Father’s Day promo goes live
    Provide Rugged Armor Protection to Your AirPods Pro For Only $13
    Adobe adds generative AI to Adobe Express
    New changes for Maps, Podcasts, and Music to arrive in fall
    Apple disapproved nearly a million Apps due to privacy violations
    Table of Contents
    • Our Rating
    • Company and Price

    iLounge logo

    iLounge is an independent resource for all things iPod, iPhone, iPad, and beyond. iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes, Apple TV, and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc.

    Contact Us: [email protected]

    Tel: +1302-208-9669

    iLounge, 2810 North Church Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 19802, United States.

    • Contact Us
    • Submit News
    • About Us
    • Forums
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    This website is not affiliated with Apple Inc.
    iLounge © 2001 - 2023. All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.