Connecting an external monitor to a smartphone. Let's have fun like a child

If the computer is broken and you have a working TV or have a TV, you can always connect your phone to it and use it for its intended purpose - watching movies and photos, planning things on the calendar, viewing correspondence, etc. In this case, the gadget must support this function and have There is a special video output, but even if it is there or not, the problem can be solved. Find out how to connect your phone to a monitor in this article.

How to display an image from a phone on a monitor?

If the device is not equipped with an interface cable, you will need a special adapter. Today there is no single standard for outputting video and audio signals to TVs, so much will depend on the brand and manufacturer of the smartphone, the display resolution of the monitor and phone, and other factors. The most popular software technologies include:

1. HDMI. Does not require external power supply and has a free micro-USB port with the ability to connect peripherals. However, the device body must have a separate connector for this.
2. MHL. There are three types of such cables. The first combines the functionality of HDMI and micro-USB, the second directly connects the HDMI output of the TV to the MHL output of the phone, and the third is a combined option.
3. Miracast. No additional transmitters are needed to connect this device. A built-in Wi-Fi module is sufficient. The main thing is that this equipment is compatible with this model of smartphone and monitor.

Now it’s clear whether it’s possible to connect the phone to the monitor. However, those who are interested in whether it is possible to use a phone as a monitor should also turn to special software produced by smartphone manufacturers for their devices. Although there are also universal applications, for example, MyPhoneExplorer, installed from the market.

Most modern mobile phones with the Android or iOS operating system have powerful hardware, providing the user with the functions of a full-fledged PC, and are also equipped with advanced cameras, which turns them into a real machine for producing amateur photos and videos. Of course, all this simply requires the ability to connect to a TV in order to show your vacation photos and videos to family and friends.

However, not every user knows how to connect their favorite gadget to their home TV. If there are no problems with household players - the connection is made via an HDMI cable, then you cannot plug it into a smartphone. Even with a modern Smart TV (a TV with Internet connectivity and various built-in applications), setting up the ability to transfer content from a smartphone or tablet to the big screen is not so easy.

Which is better: cable or Wi-Fi?

Today, not many people remember that most smartphone models had a not so high-speed Wi-Fi module, and manufacturers, seeing the need to transfer content to TV, equipped their devices with a special video output chip via HDMI.

1. Connection via Micro HDMI

For example, the LG 2X smartphone had a separate Micro HDMI port on the top edge for these purposes and allowed everything that happened on the smartphone screen to be broadcast to the TV in original quality.

2. Connection via MHL

Later, manufacturers of even inexpensive models of smartphones and tablets based on MTK processors began to introduce the MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) standard into their devices - allowing them to take a video signal directly from the Micro USB data transfer and charging port. True, this required a special MHL adapter. Thus, the user was able to watch any video content from his smartphone, including photos and videos taken on vacation, as well as play games on the big TV screen.

The downside of this adapter was that in order to transmit the signal, it was necessary to connect a separate 5 V power cable to it in order to amplify the signal transmitted to the large screen. But at the same time, the smartphone did not receive power and was discharged quite quickly. In addition, at the maximum image quality of 1080p, lags are observed during broadcasting.

Currently, there are practically no inexpensive mobile devices - smartphones and tablets supporting MHL technology - on sale. If this function is vital for you, you should choose a device from very old models, including the Galaxy S5.

Some older flagships, for example the Z2 Tablet, implement the MHL 3.0 standard, which allows you to broadcast images from a smartphone to a TV in 4K format (3840x2160 pixels) at a frequency of 30 frames per second. MHL 3.0 is compatible with Blu-Ray audio formats - True HD and DTS HD MA.

Alas, but the last Samsung flagships, starting with Galaxy S6, do not support the MHL standard.

3. Connection via SlimPort

The main competitor to MHL almost immediately became the SlimPort (Mobility DisplayPort) standard. But it was implemented mainly in devices from LG and Samsung. It provided a higher quality picture, because... the broadcast occurs without signal decoding, which eliminates lags during image transmission. In this case, a special microUSB-HDMI adapter did not need to be connected to a power source. Although the adapter has such a port, it is intended to power the smartphone itself, which is very convenient for long-term demonstrations of video content or games. Maximum quality The image transmitted to the TV screen is the same - 1080p.

Among the disadvantages, we note the high quality requirements for the HDMI cable. If you have a cheap one, then noise and even a lack of signal may appear.

This technology has been implemented in devices such as the LG G2, as well as the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 Tablet (2013), and the LG G Pad 8.3 tablet.

It's a shame that the company's modern flagship is equipped with a data port USB Type-C, does not support SlimPort technology and does not have the ability to connect wired to a TV.

4. Wirelessly stream content to TV

Unfortunately, manufacturers did not see any prospects for cable connections and focused on wireless standards for transmitting content to a TV. Its main advantage is that there is no need to fuss with wires - to send photos or videos to a large TV screen, you just need to organize their pairing using the OS via Wi-Fi, either directly or through a home router.

The disadvantages of this connection are: very low quality of the displayed image on the TV screen due to strong compression and the inability to broadcast videos and everything that happens on the smartphone display, for example, broadcasting a game.

However, manufacturers did not completely deprive the user of the ability to watch videos from a smartphone and offered special wireless adapters. Let us immediately note that these devices cannot provide decent display quality for either photos or videos. Artifacts, lags and low resolution - and this is all on modern 4K TVs.

Whatever one may say, there is currently no alternative to a cable connection if you are interested in high picture quality and the absence of lags. Unless you dump your photo and video materials on HDD and do not connect it directly to the TV.

So, what do we have for today? wireless connection to TV?

5. Connect via Wi-Fi Direct

Wi-Fi Direct technology is implemented on all Smart TVs equipped with a Wi-Fi module. It is also available on most modern smartphones. Its essence is to connect devices to each other without the mediation of an access point. The phone is then recognized by the TV as a multimedia device, not a storage device. To organize the connection, you need to activate it on your smartphone Wi-Fi mode Direct, and on the TV the Share mode. On devices with any OS version, it is located in the wireless connection settings.

With this connection, you can only use the Photo Album application on your smartphone to view photos. You won't be able to watch the videos. The display speed, especially of large images, is very slow.

6. DLNA: classic for Android

DLNA is one of the most common wireless standards. Most TVs that can connect to wireless networks, supports it. Operating room users Android systems will be needed special application BubbleUPnP so they can stream music and photos from their smartphone to their TV.

The image resolution depends on the receiving device, but in most cases for new TVs it is 1080p.

Unlike Miracast and Airplay (we'll talk about them below), DLNA does not provide universal content display - it only transfers music, photos and some video file formats.

7. Chromecast: simple but expensive streaming

For those who want to organize wireless broadcasting of media files from mobile phone under Android control on TV most in a simple way, you should seek help from or Google.

In this case, you are also upgrading your TV device if it did not have a network connection function.

By default, Chromecast adds a large amount of media content to the TV, YouTube and the Chrome browser.

8. Miracast: AirPlay competitor

Android supports Miracast since version 4.2, Windows Phone- from version 8.1. This wireless standard originated from Intel's WiDi (Wireless Display) and was intended as a competitor to AirPlay. But Miracast has not yet been able to implement its plans: there is a delay when broadcasting images from mobile device It looks too big on a big screen.

Despite the 1080p resolution, due to a large number of artifacts, the picture on the TV does not look very good. However: many new smart TVs support this standard.

To connect mobile devices to your TV, you will need a special adapter. It comes in both the new Lightning connector and the old 30-pin one.

According to the results of a study by the Panic.com portal, it turned out that the Lightning adapter does not transmit a native image in 1080p format, but converts it from a lower-quality HD.

Because of this, artifacts sometimes appear in the image when transmitting data.

10. Wireless data transfer via AirPlay

Third generation TV set-top box from Apple is currently the most convenient solution to display content from an iOS mobile device on a TV.

The connection between the iPhone/iPad and the streaming box is quick and easy, and the image quality is very good thanks to support for 1080p format.

The delay is about half a second, so sometimes you can even play not very busy games.

Modern smartphones do an excellent job of many tasks that previously required a computer. Therefore, it is not surprising that users are faced with the problem of connecting their mobile device to big screen. For example, to a monitor or TV.

If you are also interested in this question, then you have come to the right place. Here you will learn how to connect your smartphone to your TV.

Connecting a smartphone to a TV via HDMI

If you want to display an image from a smartphone to a TV, then the easiest way to connect is to connect via HDMI cable. When connecting via an HDMI cable, your smartphone must have a micro HDMI input (as in the photo below).

If there is such an output, then to connect your smartphone to the TV you also need a micro HDMI - HDMI cable (cable photo below).

One side of this cable needs to be plugged into the smartphone, and the other into the TV. After this, you need to switch the TV to the mode of receiving a signal from the HDMI cable.

As an alternative, instead of a micro HDMI to HDMI cable, you can use an adapter from micro HDMI to HDMI (photo of the adapter below).

This adapter must be connected to the micro HDMI output on your smartphone. After which the smartphone can be connected to the TV using a regular HDMI cable.

Connecting a smartphone to a TV via MHL

If your smartphone does not have a micro HDMI output, then there is another option that will allow you to connect your smartphone to your TV using HDMI interface. Check out technical characteristics your smartphone. It may support MHL technology (a technology that combines HDMI and USB interfaces).

If your smartphone supports MHL technology, then to connect to your TV you will need an MHL adapter from micro-USB to HDMI (sometimes this adapter is called an MHL cable, photo below).

This adapter must be connected to the micro-USB connector of your smartphone. After which the smartphone can be connected to the TV using a regular HDMI cable.

Connecting a smartphone to a TV via SlimPort

SlimPort is practically an analogue of MHL. Like MHL, this technology combines HDMI and USB interfaces. If your smartphone does not support MHL, then it is possible that it supports SlimPort. In this case, to connect your smartphone to the TV you will need a SlimPort adapter. In particular, this technology is supported by such smartphones as Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7 (2013) tablet.

The connection process is exactly the same as when using MHL. You need to connect a SlimPort adapter to the micro-USB connector on your smartphone. After which the smartphone can be connected to the TV using a regular HDMI cable.

Connecting a smartphone to a TV via WiFi

There are also technologies for connecting a smartphone to a TV via WiFi. The most popular technology of this type is Miracast. It is supported by all Android smartphones, as well as most TVs with SmartTVs. In addition, there are special Miracast adapters (photo below). These adapters provide support to any TV with an HDMI input.

The process of connecting a smartphone to a TV via Miracast is a bit like the process of connecting two devices via Bluetooth. First, you need to enable Miracast in your TV settings and in your smartphone settings. After this, on your smartphone you need to select the TV to which you want to transfer the image and confirm the connection on the TV. As a result, the image from the smartphone will begin to be displayed on the screen of your TV.

In addition to Miracast, there is also WiDi technology. This technology completely replicates the capabilities of Miracast. Therefore, there is no need to consider it separately.

Connecting your smartphone to your TV via AirPlay

If you have an Apple smartphone (that is, an iPhone), then you can connect it to your TV using AirPlay technology. The principle of AirPlay is exactly the same as Miracast. Using AirPlay, you can transfer images from your smartphone screen via Wi-Fi, that is, without the use of wires.

But this technology is practically not supported by TVs. Therefore, you will most likely additionally need an Apple TV set-top box (photo below), which can work with this technology.

Do you want to show your photos or video footage to your friends and family, but don’t want to huddle in front of a small mobile phone screen? Connect your smart device and enjoy high-quality images on the large display. How to do this - read the article. We looked at 10 popular ways to connect a mobile phone to a television screen.

Some methods are suitable for Android gadgets, some for iPhones. Read on to choose the appropriate option. The article describes both connection methods that involve the use of USB cables and wireless options.

MicroHDMI

MHL cable

This cord is another option that allows you to synchronize your smartphone with your TV screen. MHL is a combination of the function performed by HDMI (for example,), which is responsible for carrying high-quality audio and video signals, and micro USB, which recharges the smartphone battery.

1. Classic - involves the use of an adapter cord that has three wires: HDMI-in - for connecting to a TV screen, USB-in in micro format - for connecting to a power source and USB-out of the micro type - for a mobile phone. The downside to this synchronization method is the extra wire.
2. Connecting directly – HDMI-out on TV + MHL-out on mobile phone. This connection method is convenient, however, it is not compatible with every TV.
3. Exclusive - created by Samsung, which is available to users as a separate adapter or as an addition to some products. Exclusive - there are additional contacts with 11 pins, while the standard has only five. It is important to consider that the number of pins in the devices must be the same, otherwise an additional adapter will be needed to connect the devices.

MHL 3.0 (for 4K)

Important: the adapter must be selected accordingly, for example, MiniDisplay-Port to HDMI.

Essentially, this is an interface standard designed to output signals to monitors, known to the user as Display-Port. The prefix “mini” indicates that this is a smaller copy of it, allowing you to use the corresponding connector for mobile gadgets.

Slimport

Slimport was offered to users of smart devices by Analogix, based on the development of DisplayPort.

This standard works on an almost identical principle to the well-known MHL: support for 7.1 multichannel sound, UltraHD and 4K playback. To connect to external image sources, DisplayPort or HDMI and a USB microslot on the user’s gadget are used.

Important:Direct connection of a mobile phone to a TV is not possible in all cases, so the user is recommended to stock up on an additional adapter.

Individual features of “slimport”:

• No external power supply.
• USB host capability: connecting additional devices to the adapter.
• free of any patent fees, unlike HDMI.

Chromecast

Chromecast is a development from Google that allows you to display images from a mobile gadget, for example, on a TV screen.

What to do:

• connect your phone to the HDMI connector located on the TV;
• provide power supply via network or USB port;
• install the appropriate extension on your phone;
• indicate the code (will appear on the screen after installing the extension);
• allow network access.

The advantages of using the Chromecast service are to increase the speed of interaction with the hosting of smart TVs.

DLNA

DLANA is a technology for exchanging media data (between devices that support this technology), provided that the interacting devices are connected by a network connection.

Attention!Owners of smartphones released by DLNA are known as "SMART SHARE". Samsung calls this technology AllShare, and they called this shell VAIO Media Server.

How to synchronize a DLNA service with a smartphone (using example):
You need to make sure that all devices have an Internet signal
⇓
Launch “Gallery”
⇓
Select any of the available files
⇓
Click "more"
⇓
Select a player that matches the brand or specific model of the TV.

After user actions, the selected photo will appear on the television display automatically. This applies to any files stored in the smartphone's gallery.

Note: if the task could not be completed, then the user will need to download a shell compatible with the device brand. As a rule, the name of the shell is identical to the additional software.

Miracast

Based on the development of Wi-Fi Direct, Miracast is an excellent option for connecting smart devices to television wirelessly.

Peculiarities:

• Wireless connection: if the TV does not have a Wi-Fi receiver built into it, you can use a separate adapter by connecting it via the HDMI port.
• The video resolution threshold is 1920x1200: if the quality of the broadcast image is higher, the system will “adjust” it to its own standard.
• Dolby AC3 sound quality – for 5.1 multi-channel playback.

There are some drawbacks here: not every gadget supports Miracast connections, and besides, this standard is not compatible with 4K quality, while “smart” mobile phones can take such images.