Gear4 has just about every base covered when it comes to accessorising and improving the functionality of an iPod, and has recently released a rough and ready solution to sending stored video to the big screen.

The VideoBuddy is effectively a stripped-down version of the ProControl AV in that it offers a similar RCA output for media without the need for a docking stand or the convenience of a remote control.

The small, portable device is finished in gloss black and simply features a dock-connector for attaching to a player and a volume control on-board, along with the necessary composite output.

It's certainly a tidy solution in that it complements the design of the iPod without adding unnecessary bulk, and while it's a little too thick to align tidily with smaller devices such as the iPod Nano, we don't have too many complaints here.

While the VideoBuddy can also send audio to a stereo, this is effectively the same as wiring up an iPod via the headphones port, so the main appeal here is clearly for video and photo viewing. Setting it up is straightforward since the TV-out mode is automatically enabled when the VideoBuddy is connected. From here it's simply a case of plugging the 1.5m RCA cable supplied into an appropriate auxiliary input on a big screen and selecting some content to play back.

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We found the device to be fast and responsive in terms of establishing a connection and we were suitably impressed by how video appeared on a TV, though this obviously depends to a large extent on the quality of the encoding. It's about as good as could be expected, though, and we can see a clear advantage in being able to view photos using the iPod's slideshow capabilities.

In addition to this, those with an iPod Touch will be able to view YouTube video that's streamed wirelessly to the player. While all of the newest iPod models are supported including the 4G Colour, Classic and 2G/3G/4G Nano, it's worth noting that there's no ‘official' support for the iPhone as yet.

So simple and straightforward is the operation of the VideoBuddy that there's not much to fault with the product. The main issue we imagine most people will have is that the 1.5m cable supplied is unlikely to reach between a TV and a comfy sofa, which means you'll be getting up to select content unless you purchase a longer cable or suitable extension.

At the end of the day, the VideoBuddy is simply a way to add a video-out to your iPod for an extra £30. It could be argued that Gear4 has missed an opportunity to bring a bit more to the table in terms of features, but in providing this straightforward solution it certainly succeeds in providing something that many people are likely to want.