HDMI, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, Smart TV – these names often appear when looking for answers on how to connect the phone to the TV.
Smartphones, TV sets, laptops and tablets and dozens of similar devices are things without which it is impossible to imagine the modern model of work, performing many daily tasks, and spending free time. For this reason, it is worth knowing how to fully use the potential hidden in modern equipment, e.g. how to connect the phone to a TV set. This is not always easy, especially considering the huge number of options available in the latest generation devices or the occasional use of some of their functions. This can also be done with older devices, which we write about in a separate guide .
Despite the permanent presence of mobile phones and TV sets in households or in the workplace, not everyone is able to connect both devices on their own without first checking the Internet! In our guide, we dispel all doubts about how to connect the phone to the TV set. It does not matter whether we want to connect a Xiaomi smartphone with an LG TV, a Samsung phone with a TV receiver from Panasonic or Philips.
Contents
How to connect the phone to the TV? The main ways
Depending on the TV and phone model you have, there are several main options for connecting them: traditional connection using an HDMI cable, connecting via USB, as well as wireless options: via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct and Smart TV.
For example: if you have a modern LG smartphone, but with an older generation Philips TV, the devices will most likely be connected via an HDMI or USB cable. Slightly newer models will also offer wireless Bluetooth connectivity, and the youngest of them – also Smart TV and Wi-Fi Direct, which are now standard in modern TV sets and smartphones.
Back to tradition. How to connect the phone to the TV using HDMI?
Using an HDMI cable ( High-Definition Multimedia Interface ) is one of the traditional methods of connecting a phone to a TV set. There are different types of HDMI cables on the market that offer different quality of audio and video transmission.
Among them we can distinguish, among others standard HDMI cable (which transmits an image with a resolution of 720p and 1080i), better quality High Speed HDMI (transmits an image with a resolution of 1080p and 4K) and Ultra High Speed HDMI (transmits an image with a resolution from 4K to 10K).
Larger devices – such as televisions – are equipped with a standard HDMI plug, while smaller devices – e.g. telephones – they have their smaller counterpart, the so-called micro HDMI. After connecting the properly selected cable to both devices, select HDMI as the signal source in the TV menu. Ready!
It is worth remembering that apart from a certain inconvenience, which may be the limitation of the distance between the phone and the TV resulting from the cable length, the smartphone consumes large amounts of energy while transmitting via the HDMI cable. During the transmission of data from the phone to the TV, it is good to connect the smartphone to charging immediately (e.g. on an induction charger).
No HDMI. How to connect the phone and TV via USB?
It also happens that some models of smartphones and TV sets have only micro USB ports, which makes it impossible to connect them to the HDMI cable. If both devices have built-in USB ports, the method of connecting them using a cable with USB plugs is the same as for an HDMI cable and plugs.
What if one of the devices has a USB port and the other has HDMI? The case is not doomed to failure – you only need to get an MHL adapter, which on the one hand connects to the micro USB port on the phone, and on the other – to the HDMI input on the TV set.
In the TV menu, select the signal source called “MHL”, then the smartphone image will be displayed on the screen. As in the case of connecting with a traditional HDMI cable, also in the case of the MHL adapter, you should take into account the fast rate of loss of phone energy. Importantly, some models of adapters allow users to simultaneously transmit video and sound and charge the phone.
How to connect the mobile phone to the TV via Bluetooth?
The first of the ways to wirelessly connect a smartphone to a TV set described in the article is Bluetooth technology. While newer ways to connect different devices to each other are now available, Bluetooth is still very popular with electronics users.
When using it, the condition for its proper functioning is not too large distance between the devices – usually it should not exceed a distance of 5 meters. Pairing the phone and TV requires, first of all, activating the Bluetooth option on each of them, selecting the option to search for other devices and connecting with the selected one. After successfully pairing the phone and TV, the image from the smartphone should be visible on the TV screen.
It is worth remembering that televisions often allow you to connect several different devices via Bluetooth – transmission from the phone does not preclude pairing the receiver with, for example, speakers.
How to connect a mobile phone to a TV via SmartTV?
We can send the sound and picture from the phone to the TV screen, having a modern TV with the Smart TV function. In this case, the process can make it much easier to have two devices from the same manufacturer. Through special applications created for them, it is enough, for example, to bring the phone close to the TV to start the video or photo transmission.
In the case of Smart TV, however, it is crucial that both devices are logged into the same Wi-Fi network. What if we have an LG phone and a TV with the Samsung logo? When Wi-Fi is on, find the option to share or transfer an image in the phone’s menu (names may differ depending on the company).
After selecting it, a list of available devices will appear – after selecting the TV you are interested in, they are paired, as a result of which the image from the phone appears on the TV screen.
Wi-Fi Direct and connecting the phone to the TV
Another possibility of connecting the phone to the TV is offered by the so-called Wi-Fi Direct, as long as the TV has a Wi-Fi login function. This function is characteristic for the vast majority of Smart TVs.
The process of connecting the smartphone to the TV is analogous to using Bluetooth – both devices must be connected to Wi-Fi (unlike Smart TV, they can be two different networks). In the TV menu, find the possibility of connecting other devices, and after the list of available devices appears and the phone is selected, the image from the smartphone will appear on the TV screen.
Read Also: How to reset the remote control?
Transmission of the image from the phone to the TV without secrets
Technology is undergoing dynamic development, and the skillful use of its facilities sometimes requires effort to obtain relevant information. Connecting a smartphone and a TV set is possible not only in the case of the latest models, but also the slightly older ones – so nothing prevents you from enjoying movies and photos from the phone on the TV receiver screen.
About Post Author
