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The treadmills at my gym have 30-pin iPod connectors so you can control it and watch video on the treadmill screen. However, the new iPods don't have the old 30-pin connection, but have the smaller lightning connector.

Converter cables are pretty cheap, but I'm concerned that the video playback won't work through the converted cable. Some googling doesn't see to give a clear answer, and I'm not sure if anybody has actually tried it, but I'd like to clear it up before I order the converter cable and try it myself.

Has anybody connected an iPod Nano to a treadmill and been able to successfully play back video?

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I picked up an official Apple Lightning -> 30 pin adapter (that set me back $40), and I couldn't get the treadmill to play video from my iPod Nano. The treadmill recognizes that I've plugged in an iPod, but then when I try to browse, it doesn't show any of the video that's loaded on the device, and I can't play anything on the monitor. I've confirmed with an iPad that the treadmill works and plays video just fine from older devices, but it doesn't work with Lightning and an adapter.

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  • Lightning does not have a video signal (those adapters have a small computer that converts MPEG video on the fly).
    – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen
    Commented Jul 7, 2021 at 11:19
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I have also NOT been able to play video from a 7th generation Nano to an elliptical trainer at my gym (24 Hour Fitness; I've forgotten the name of the elliptical), using an official Apple lightning -> 30 pin connector. My 5th generation Nano works fine with it. A pity, because the 7th gen Nano is a really nice little thing, and I was kinda ready for a new one...

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If you purchase an official Apple adapter it should transmit everything fine; 3rd party ones from eBay or similar likely will not.

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  • This doesn't really answer my question - I was hoping somebody could actually confirm if it worked or not, rather than just what "should" happen. Also, eBay may be something else, but I doubt there's any difference between the $40 official adapter and the $7 one from a reputable seller on Amazon. In either case, I'm hoping for confirmation rather than speculation about what works.
    – SqlRyan
    Commented Dec 28, 2013 at 15:12
  • The only way someone could confirm is if they actually go to the same place and have a cheap adapter. There is very much a difference between the official adapters and the $7 knock-offs on Amazon; my cheap one I bought will NOT do video, and only does audio because it plugs into the headphone/mic port, it IS NOT sending the proper data through the Lightning port. That is why I specify that there could be a problem with a knock-off.
    – Collin Grady
    Commented Dec 28, 2013 at 22:11
  • I did pick up an official lightning -> 30 pin adapter, and it definitely doesn't work as expected. It turns out the treadmill actually wants to connect to my ipod and browse it, not just mirror video. I've read a few places that those adapters are fine for iTunes, but don't transmit video. Regardless, I'm out of luck.
    – SqlRyan
    Commented Feb 14, 2014 at 17:53

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