At first I did not think it would work automatically. Yet this is the case. You plug the iPad on the TV or video projector with this cable, for example, launches Youtube for ipad and ipad automatically detects the TV and sends the video. 2 small details: - It works with iphones 4-5 but does not work with an iPhone 3GS. - It works with the big apps like YouTube, but if you use other streaming platforms, they may not be detected.