Hi there! I'm back with a tip on how to wow the room and show content from your handheld Apple device! You see, as communicators, the smartphones and tablets we carry with us are incredibly versatile devices. And it's really easy to connect your iPhone or iPad to a video projector in a conference room if you want to display photos, videos, or presentations from your device.

I do a lot of presentations associated with my 4-hour smartphone video production workshop for public information officers and communicators. That involves not only projecting PowerPoint or Keynote presentations from a laptop (I use Keynote on a MacBook Pro), but it also includes shooting and editing demo videos on my iPhone or iPad.

Think about the times when you wanted to show something to the group from your iPhone or iPad during a meeting, presentation, or conference. It's actually easy to do - you just need the right connector!

Most conference room projection systems use a VGA connector (watch the video above to see what it looks like). And iPhones and iPads either have a Lightning connector on the bottom, or an older 30-pin connector.

So to connect your device to the projector, here's what you need:

-If you have an older iPhone or iPad (iPhone 4, 4s, or iPad generations 1, 2, 3), you'll need a VGA-to-30-Pin adaptor cable.

-If you have a newer iPhone or iPad (iPhone 5, 5s, 6, 6 Plus or iPad generation 4 or newer (sold starting in November, 2012), you'll need a VGA-to-Lightning adapter.

The video above shows you exactly how to connect it. Note that, in the video, I focus on the VGA connection. This is the most common type of connector that you'll see in a conference room setting. However, some newer video projection systems are being provided with an HDMI connector interface, like the one on your HDTV at home. While this is indeed state-of-the-art, I have seen a few upgraded conference rooms that ONLY offer an HDMI connection. This is actually a big disadvantage to presenters, because there are lots and lots of laptops still being used that don't have an HDMI output on them - they only have VGA.

It also means you need one more adapter cable if you want to be ready for all presentation situations you encounter. If you want to connect your iPhone or iPad to a projection system that has an HDMI connector, you'll need to get an HDMI-to-Lightning adaptor or HDMI-to-30-Pin adapter to connect your newer iPhone or iPad to the system.

I hope you found this helpful. If you keep your adapter(s) with you, you'll be ready for any presentation situation involving your iPhone or iPad!

Have YOU had any experience (or issues!) showing content from your smartphone or tablet? Let me know about it in the comments below!

And if you'd like to stay in touch with me and receive periodic updates, tools and tips, just click right here!

When I shot this video for you, I had just completed a two-day workshop with Media Survival Group that we were conducting for a client. To find out more about Media Survival Group's two-day Homeland Security-approved Joint Information Center/Joint Information System training, or their media techniques and on-camera training, please click here!

Blog

Kerry Shearer