Car Audio to Finally Get iPhone 5 Video Adapter

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A Car audio adapter was sadly omitted from Apple’s new selection of video adapters for the  iPhone 5, iPad mini and new iPad 4.  Apple is providing adapters for cameras and TVs, but alas, not for car radios and monitors.  But in January, we will see the first such adapter from an aftermarket company.

iPhone 5 adaptor
iPhone 5 uses a new Lightning dock connector with digital audio and video output

iSimple (Aamp of America) will display at the Consumer Electronics Show, an adapter that is able to extract video from the new Apple devices and send it to a car radio or screen, using the composite video format required by most car AV devices.

Scott Rothstein, Senior Product Manager was mum on the details but said the adapter will work with most car radios and car video monitors.

As CEoutlook readers know, with the iPhone 5 and newest iPads, Apple switched the video output to digital from analog, creating the need for special adapters to work with many existing products.

iSimple is the first company to claim it will offer a composite video solution for car audio equipment. We’ll have to wait until CES for more details.

iPhone 5 Audio Kits

While iSimple is the only company to step forward on iPhone 5 video, we’re seeing more kits in the works to adapt car devices to iPhone 5 audio.

Many of today’s car kits that give you command and control over music from your iPhone via the car radio, don’t support iPhone 5 audio and control.  Some Audiovox Driven by DICE kits are an exception.

At the SEMA show in Las Vegas this week, PIE is showing a prototype kit with USB digital audio that will play music on your iPhone 5 through the car radio.

iSimple has also just began shipping a USB digital version of its analog GateWay car kit system.  Called the Connect, it also adds full Bluetooth audio streaming and it works with any Android or iOS device including the iPhone 5.

Price tags for the new iPhone 5 Audio kits are expected to be about the same as the earlier kits.  Even though the digital USB connection required is more expensive, the solution lets you use the cable that comes with the phone, so there’s no need for a special cable as in earlier kits.  This will help keep the cost down, said Rothstein.

The iSimple Connect started shipping in late October at $229. By comparison its existing analog GateWay carries a $189 price tag, but it doesn’t include Bluetooth, as does the new Connect, so the pricing is even, featurewise.

The Connect gives you either a direct audio or Bluetooth audio connection to phones and tablets with command and control. You also get 5 inputs to connect other devices to the car radio.  It also let you connect a USB drive to the radio.

Source: CEoutlook

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