Tech Toy of the Month: Kanex ATV Pro

The iPad is becoming an increasingly popular device to give presentations with. When combined with the small, lightweight Apple TV plus an HDTV, the iPad is an excellent tool for Powerpoint or Keynote presentations. By wirelessly transmitting the presentation from the iPad to the Apple TV, it simplifies the setup of a presentation as compared to using laptop. However, most venues still make use of projectors and most projectors use the analog VGA connector rather than the HDMI connector that the Apple TV uses to connect to an HDTV. That has limited the ability of many people to use their iPads for presentations. However, now a new inexpensive adapter allows the use of the Apple TV with standard projectors.

The Kanex ATV Pro is an HDMI to VGA adpater designed to allow the Apple TV (or any device with an HDMI port) to connect to a projector (or any device with a VGA port). The device is extremely simple. It requires no external power adapter, software, or configuration. By using the Kanex ATV Pro, the Apple TV can connect to virtually any projector. Through the use of AirPlay technology, the iPad – or iPhones or newer Macs running the new 10.8 Mountain Lion operating system – can wirelessly transmit presentations, photos, video and/or audio through to a projector. The need to have a laptop nearby the projector is eliminated. This could allow churches and other venues where the projector is mounted high on a ceiling to take advantage of iPad presentations.

If all that wasn’t good enough, the Kanex ATV Pro is only $59. Previous digital-to-analog adapters have been much more expensive. While the device is fairly new, reviews so far are favorable and the Kanex brand has generally marketed good products before. So if you have wished you could connect an Apple TV to a projector, this may be the device you have been wishing for.