Apple Presentation System
| Apple Presentation System | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Apple Presentation System retail box (photo: Apple Rescue of Denver) | |
| Manufacturer | Focus Enhancements, for Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Computer-to-television scan converter |
| Release date | 1994 |
| Interface | DB-15 Macintosh video input; composite (RCA) and S-video outputs |
| Compatible | Macintosh models and PowerBooks with Apple 13/14-inch RGB or VGA video output |
| Weight | 10 oz (about 280 g) |
| Power | External adapter, 9 V DC, 800 mA maximum |
| Part number | M2895LL/A |
The Apple Presentation System is a converter box that displays a Macintosh screen on a television or records it on a VCR. Apple sold it from 1994, at first as one of the multimedia kits for the Macintosh LC 630, Quadra 630 and Performa 630. Unlike the Apple Video System and Apple TV/Video System, it is external and works with any Macintosh that has a suitable video output.[1][2] The box is the Focus Enhancements L•TV Portable Pro, and Focus Enhancements, not Apple, provided its technical support.[3][4]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Input | Macintosh video, DB-15 |
| Outputs | Composite NTSC or PAL colour video, 1 V p-p, 75 Ω, RCA connector; S-video |
| Colours | 1, 2, 4, 16, 256, 32,768 or 16,777,216, as set on the Macintosh |
| User options | Flicker reduction, stabilise mode, horizontal squeeze, vertical shift |
| Television | Any size of television monitor; a television receiver without video input needs an RF modulator (not included) |
| Software | Screen Squeeze control panel, for an underscanned picture with the whole desktop visible |
| Power | 9 V DC, 800 mA maximum, from an external supply |
| Modes | Presentation (mirrors the Macintosh monitor); television only; video record (VCR in place of the television) |
The box contained the converter, a user's guide, a DB-15 to DB-15 video input cable, an S-video cable, a composite video cable, the Screen Squeeze software, an adjustment tool, the power supply and an Interactive Multimedia CD.[4] Focus Enhancements' answers give the cables as 10 feet long and the converter's weight as 10 ounces, and say there were separate NTSC and PAL versions, the buyer receiving the one for their country.[3]
.jpg)
Compatibility
[edit | edit source]The converter takes the computer's own video output, so it does not slow the computer down, and it shows as many colours as the Macintosh delivers.[3] Focus Enhancements' notes on which machines and monitors work:[3]
- It works with any Macintosh or PowerBook with VGA or Apple 13/14-inch RGB video output, including the PowerBook 160, 165, 165c and 180, the Macintosh LC, Performa 400 to 600, Centris and Quadra models, and the IIci and IIsi. It does not work with the PowerBook 100, 140 or 170, or with the LC 575 and Performa 575/576, which have no VGA output.
- Mirror mode, with the same picture on the television and the Macintosh monitor, needs an Apple 13- or 14-inch or VGA monitor. The Macintosh 12-inch RGB, Portrait, 16-inch Color, Two-Page Monochrome and 21-inch Color displays do not work with it, and Multiple Scan displays work only at 640 × 480.
- It can drive one television and one Apple 13/14-inch or VGA monitor, not two Apple monitors. Two televisions can be run, one from the S-video output and one from the composite output, or by daisy-chaining sets with video in and out.
- The Performa 5200 series needs the Apple External Video Connector, M4099LL/A.[2]
A seller's listing quoting the L•TV manual adds that the converter works with all Macintosh display cards and built-in video except the Macintosh IIci's built-in video.[5] That conflicts with Focus Enhancements' answer to Apple, which lists the IIci as compatible.[3]
Troubleshooting
[edit | edit source]| Symptom | Cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Bus error at startup when the Screen Squeeze control panel loads (for example on a Macintosh LC II) | Screen Squeeze 2.1 needs the Display Manager, present with System 7.5 or the Display Enabler[6] | Use Screen Squeeze 2.0 or 2.2, or install the Display Enabler |
| Blurry picture on a Performa or Power Macintosh 5200, 5300 or 6200 series computer | Screen Squeeze version[6] | Use Screen Squeeze 3.0d11, available from Focus Enhancements |
| No picture with the DOS Compatibility Card showing a DOS or Windows screen | The converter expects a 640 × 480, 67 Hz Macintosh signal; the card sends 640 × 480 at 60 Hz VGA timing[7] | Not supported |
| Black-and-white picture on a PAL television from a PAL unit | Some PAL units were configured wrongly during manufacture[8] | Apple's note says such units must be repaired by an authorised technician; Focus Enhancements handled them under warranty |
| Weak or poor picture on a long cable run | Signal loss in long composite or S-video cables[9] | Keep cables under about 50 feet, use good-quality cable, or add a video distribution amplifier |
Documentation
[edit | edit source]Neither Apple's Service Source 2.0 CD (1996) nor its 2.5 CD (1997) has a chapter for the Presentation System; Apple's specification note states that Focus Enhancements supported the product.[4][10]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Apple Computer, Apple Facts, October 1994, section on the Macintosh LC 630, Quadra 630 and Performa 630 series and their multimedia kits, and options list, https://vintageapple.org/applefacts/pdf/Apple_Facts_9410_10.94_October_1994.pdf (retrieved 2026-10-04). Source for: the Presentation System for showing a presentation on a large television, mirrored in real time, or recording it on videotape; software, cables and video converter box.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Apple Computer, "Apple Video, Video/TV, and Presentation Systems (2/97)", Tech Info Library article 18523 (TA34375), updated 17 February 1997. Archive.org item APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL60496.zip (retrieved 2026-10-04). Source for: M2895LL/A; software, cables and converter box; works with any Macintosh with VGA or Apple 13/14-inch RGB output, including PowerBooks, the LC, Performa 400-600, Centris and Quadra; the Apple External Video Connector M4099LL/A for the Performa 5200 series.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Apple Computer, "Apple Presentation System: Frequently Asked Questions (7/95)", Tech Info Library article 16738 (TA32905), created 11 November 1994, updated 6 July 1995. Archive.org item APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL60496.zip. Answers supplied by Focus Enhancements. Source for: the Presentation System (M2895 and M2895LL/A) is the L•TV Portable Pro; compatible computers and monitors; mirror mode; NTSC and PAL versions; cables 10 feet; weight 10 ounces; two televisions; PowerBook, LC 575, IIci and IIsi compatibility; the connection diagram; PC and Windows use with VGA output.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Apple Computer, "Apple Presentation System: Specifications (7/95)", Tech Info Library article 16637, created 31 October 1994, updated 31 July 1995. Archive.org item APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL60496.zip. Specifications provided by Focus Enhancements. Source for: computer and television compatibility; colour depths; user options; video outputs; screen format; Screen Squeeze; power supply; modes of operation; packing list; support by Focus Enhancements.
- ↑ Apple Rescue of Denver, product listing "Apple Presentation System - LTV Portable Pro", https://applerescueofdenver.com/products-page/macintosh-to-powerpc/cables-and-adapters-macintosh/apple-presentation-system-ltv-portable-pro/ (retrieved 2026-10-04). Quotes the L•TV Portable Pro manual's requirements; lists the box contents.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Apple Computer, "Apple Presentation System: Screen Squeeze Known Issues (6/96)", Tech Info Library article 16563 (TA32742), created 19 October 1994, updated 25 June 1996. Archive.org item APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL60496.zip. Source for: the bus error with Screen Squeeze 2.1 on the LC II; Display Manager requirement; versions 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 and 3.0d11; blurry image on 5200, 5300 and 6200 series.
- ↑ Apple Computer, "Apple Presentation System: Won't Work w/DOS Compat Card (9/95)", Tech Info Library article 18555 (TA34404), created 7 September 1995. Archive.org item APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL60496.zip.
- ↑ Apple Computer, "LTV Portable Pro: Some Units Do Not Produce PAL Signal (1/95)", Tech Info Library article 16968 (TA33104), created 5 January 1995. Archive.org item APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL60496.zip.
- ↑ Apple Computer, "Composite/S-Video: Maximum Cable Length (3/95)", Tech Info Library article 17419 (TA33490), created 23 March 1995. Archive.org item APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL60496.zip. Source for: no defined maximum length; cables shorter than about 50 feet advised; good cables of 100 feet or more possible; video distribution amplifiers.
- ↑ Apple Service Source 2.0 CD-ROM set (1996) and v2.5 CD-ROM set (1997), Main CD file listings, archive.org items apple-service-source-2.0-cd-rom-set-1996 and apple-service-source-v2.5-cd-rom-set-1997: no Presentation System manual in either.