iPhone Firmware 2.2 SDK Reveals Undocumented TV-out Features
Well-known iPhone developer and blogger at Ars Technica, Erica Sadun has discovered that the updated MediaPlayer framework in the recently released iPhone firmware 2.2 Software Development Kit (SDK) offers an option to export video-out live to a connected TV screen.
Theoretically the undocumented feature will allow third-party iPhone apps to send video out through the dock connector to an external screen.
Erica Sadun explains:
"The MPTVOutWindow class allows your iPhone to send its video to a connected TV rather than to the built-in screen. Intended to be used with movies, the unpublished class creates a live video feed that is sent out through the iPhone's connector port. End-users will need to buy a video adapter or cable to use this functionality."
She has even created a prototype iPhone app and later updated it with control screen and camera feed to demonstrate the iPhone video-out feature. This is what she has to say about the prototype:
"Supports two screens: one provided by the video-out cable, the other on the iPhone itself. Buttons pressed on the iPhone affect what happens on the video-out feed—in this case, flipping the display from landscape to portrait and back."
You can checkout the video of the prototype in action below:
Greg "go2" Hartstein has also developed an impressive prototype to demonstrate some of the possibilities of the video-out feature as seen in the video below. He explains:
- The first example simply uses the phone trackpad as a controller.
- The second mirrors the phone window and the Video output.
- The third extends the phone "desktop" onto the TV screen.
It will be interesting to see what iPhone developers or for that matter Apple will be able to come up with using this undocumented TV-out feature.
What do you think?
[via Ars Technica, Greg Hartstein's homepage]
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This would be great if it means I will be able to watch my movies from my iPhone on a TV. This is one of the features that I have been waiting for on the iPhone so hopefully it gets implemented soon.
Posted by: jdkarr01 | November 30, 2008 at 06:30 PM
Can't you already watch your movies from your iphone to your tv??
I'm more excited to see if the album artwork via tv out feature comes out as a result of this or possibily even the entire iphone desktop which can show you in coming caller id etc etc..... now that would be super cool.
Posted by: salim karim | November 30, 2008 at 10:05 PM
I would rather like to be able to run Powerpoint presentations Fron my iPhone
Posted by: websee | December 01, 2008 at 01:36 AM
Per the first comment, a lot of car audio/dvd systems (i.e. Pioneer AVIC) with the screens do not support watching movies stored on your iPhone. They do for older iPods. This would be huge for owners of these systems and would be ideal if it would allow the access with the current USB cable connections.
Posted by: jadge | December 01, 2008 at 01:03 PM
I had that problem with my cable. The standard cable doesn't work for tv out, you have to purchase an iphone cable which set my back a few $$$s
So do get things straight does this mean that developers will be able to develop apps with tv out features in the current 2.2 software update or will we have to wait for the next update?
Posted by: salim karim | December 01, 2008 at 08:42 PM
Key note on the iphone would be amazing...!
Posted by: philter | December 02, 2008 at 03:42 AM
Guys, I see that you all have your iPhones displaying videos on your TV's. I simply want to play music through my TV and can't!
I've used the lead from my video camera to try and connect the two. 1 lead out of iPhone and 3 into TV. It's a Samsung TV and I have left it on the 'source' that the video camera uses and just whipped out the camera and plugged in my iPhone. Message "No Signal" is presented.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Posted by: JamesGargan | December 03, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Men!!!!
With the device you could use the iPhone/iPod Touch as a Wii!!!! And whatever it means that....
The iPhone could be easily turn into a control with enough coding...And I think that was the main intention since the beginning...
Apple is just putting some expectation just to sit and wait what can be done with external developers (without a pay of course)...
Posted by: Héctor García Peña | January 02, 2009 at 06:47 PM