What is MHL connection? How to use MHL connection to output images

MHL is a technology standard that supports projecting content from  phones  and  laptops  to TV screens with higher picture and sound quality. In this article, I will share some information about MHL connection and how to use MHL connection to output images. Let's see it now!

1. What is an MHL connection?

MHL connection or  Mobile High-Definition Link  is an industry standard with an interface that transmits audio and video from a device to an external monitor. Nowadays, MHL is widely used to export content from mobile phones and  tablets  to HDTV.

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The MHL connection also supports image output with a maximum resolution of Full-HD 1080p, supporting standard 7.1 surround sound. During use, MHL can also charge the device's battery and is developed on the basis of  Transmission - Minimized Differential Signaling  (TMDS) technology.

2. Features of MHL

MHL is not only popular for playing video and audio content, but also has the following features:

- Directly output what's on your mobile device's screen to an external monitor.

- Allows you to output and charge the device at the same time, so you will no longer worry about the battery running out in the middle. This is also the most prominent point compared to the MHL connection.

- Can use the same physical port with micro  USB , no need to have a separate HDMI port, saving space on  mobile devices .

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- Transmit uncompressed images up to 1920 x 1080p with the fastest frequency of 30Hz (MHL 1.0) or 60Hz (MHL 2.0).

- Supports 8-channel (7.1) uncompressed surround sound transmission.

- Full support for HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) technology to help protect the copyright of digital content being watched.

3. Information about MHL . connection

MHL is not bound by a specific hardware connection because when transmitting, all signals received and received are handled by MHL technology.

During use, the external monitors will provide power to the handheld devices. The output of MHL is done via a single cable, the HDTV remote can also be used to control mobile devices.

An MHL connection can output images directly to another device that has a port that is directly compatible with MHL. At that time, you only need a cable with two ends, microUSB to plug into smartphones and HDMI to plug into TVs.

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However, the number of monitors that support MHL directly into the HDMI port is not much, instead you can use an intermediate adapter to be able to output images through the normal HDMI port. The adapter will have chips to convert the MHL signal to HDMI compatible, and usually you have to power the adapter for it to work.

Currently, MHL appears most commonly in the form of integrated into the 5-pin microUSB port and by the method of using an adapter. This method applies to many smartphones and tablets from  Samsung , HTC, Sony, LG, Pantech, Onkyo, Huawei,.

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However, there are two products that use MHL through the 11-pin microUSB port, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. When you plug the Samsung MHL-HDMI adapter into these two devices, you can both output images and sound, and use the USB port on it to copy data. In addition, the device can supply power directly to the HML-HDMI adapter, not requiring a separate power source like LG or HTC adapters.

4. Information about the MHL . chip

MHL is controlled by MHL chips developed and manufactured by Silicon Image. For MHL 2.0, these chips include  SiI8240 MHL transmitter  (for phones, tablets,  cameras ,  laptops  for signal transmission) and  SiI9617 MHL-to-HDMI Bridge  (for docks or adapter between the mobile device and the TV).

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The aforementioned chips support 1080p image output, support 3D image display, and are capable of providing power to operate or charge devices during movie playback with twice as fast as MHL 1.0. According to Silicon Image, SiI8240 is the first MHL transmitter to support 1080p 60Hz resolution, helping devices transfer images at 60 frames per second to external displays. The SiI8240 has a pin that is compatible with the MHL 1.0 SiI9244 chip so that manufacturers can easily integrate it into their products.

5. Requirements needed to use MHL

When using MHL, you need to comply with the following requirements:

- The source device and the display device must be connected to MHL.

- MHL cable.

- Audio (music), video, photo or other media supported by both devices.

Note :

- In some cases, you can use an MHL to HDMI converter if the display device does not have an MHL connection.

- You should check the user manual or specification data for the source device and display device to ensure that the file type is supported.

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6. How to use MHL to export images

Via adapter

To use MHL on current mobile devices, you can apply via the adapter as follows:

- A genuine MHL-HDMI adapter.

- A MicroUSB  or USB cable  to supply power to the  adapter .

- An MHL-compatible device and a TV with an HDMI port.

- Full-size HDMI cable (the type of cable that you connect from your laptop or set-top box to the TV).

- When you have finished the connection, your phone or computer will immediately notify you the connection has been established. The image from the screen on your device will be streamed to the TV.

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Use MHL to output images via adapter

Direct Plug

If your monitor or TV already has an HDMI port that is compatible with MHL, then you only need to buy an HDMI - MicroUSB cable with built-in MHL. Then you can plug one end into the phone, the output plugs into the TV and you can use it. However, this type of cable is not yet popular in the market, so it is more difficult to find than an adapter.

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Hopefully, after reading this article, you have information about MHL connection and how to use MHL connection to output images. Thank you for reading the article, see you in the next post!

Marvin Fry

Update 05 September 2021