Zune How-Tos

How To: Connect your Zune to your TV/stereo (without the A/V kit accessory)

One of the cool things about Zune is its ability to connect to your TV, where you can display slideshows, listen to music, or even scan through stations on the Zune's FM radio.

But maybe the price tag for the Zune A/V kit is giving you pause. That kit comes with a connector cable, dock, and wireless remote. But if all you want to do is connect your Zune to your television, there's a cheaper way.

Here's how, with thanks to Erica from O'Reilly Digital Media.

You'll need a standard AV cable - a splitter with a four-conductor mini-phone plug at one end and three RCA plugs at the other (pictured). These are common, you may already have one as they come with many camcorders and other consumer electronics.

Assuming your TV has the standard yellow/red/white RCA jacks, connect your Zune as follows:

Insert the 1/8th-inch mini-phone plug into the headphone jack on your Zune.

Insert the red RCA plug in to the yellow jack on your TV. Insert the yellow RCA plug in to the white jack on your TV. Insert the white RCA plug in to the red jack on your TV. Got that? None of the jacks will match the color of the plugs that are in them.

Power on your TV and, if needed, set it to get its signal from the RCA jacks.

Power on your Zune if it is not already on. In the main menu, navigate down to settings → display. Set tv out to on.

At that point the TV will start to display your Zune menus. Use the controls on the Zune to navigate through your menus and access your videos, slideshows, music, or radio.

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