Connecting your Android to the TV

Phone to TV solutions

How to Connect an Android Phone to a TV?
Android phones with their traditionally larger screens are perfect for those wanting to view their photos, play their games and watch movies on the go. But let's face it, all of these activities are so much better on a big screen.
Naturally if you had access to a television you'd watch your movies on there in crisp HD rather than squinting at your ,albeit big-but not quite big enough, Galaxy S3. In fact moving beyond the realms of entertainment and considering your mobile device as the powerful business tool it is,if you're a power user chances are that many of your files, presentations and notes are stored somewhere on your Android or in the cloud. But again if you're going to share that content it's unlikely that your gaggle of Tokyo businessman is going to crowd around a phones screen!
There's a solution for your Android to TV (and other screens) that we've been lucky enough to try in recent weeks. MHL has a phone friendly solution that not only makes it very simple to connect your Android device to an HD enabled screen, but also enjoys massive support from many large manufacturers such as .
The MHL phone to TV link connection has sold millions of units already, and if their blurb is to be believed by the end of 2012 200 million MHL enabled products will have shipped, because of its ability to connect your phone to your TV. This is our experience of using the HD Link to connect our Samsung Galaxy S3 to an HD enabled television.

Android Game being played on a television

Firstly it must be noted that this is a wired solution, but the cables needed are quite long enough to pair your Android with a television and have room for mobility. We connected to a 1080i LG 42 inch television and a Beko 20 inch 720p TV and in both cases it was remarkably easy and any limitations on picture quality purely on the part of the TV. The package came with an adaptor to make the S3's slightly differently sized mini USB cable fit , but many generic devices with a mini USB connection won't need this extra adaptor, the Meetmhl website lists all the currently compatible devices. From the phone the USB cable runs straight to the television HDMI port. However the adaptor must still be connected via the enclosed power pack to an electric socket. The clear disadvantage of this is that it is yet another cable to use, but on the plus side your phone will be charging at the same time.
What can actually be viewed on the TV Screen?
The primary question a reader of Gametrender will be asking is "Can I play Android games on my TV?" The unmitigated answer is "Yes!" Naturally this was one of the first things we tried and we were vastly impressed by how Angry Birds Space looked on a 42 inch screen. Real Racing 2 was equally lush and one of the easier games to play because the tilt controls meant that there was no need to look where our fingers were fumbling on the S3. On the other hand even though Dead Trigger also looked amazing on a larger display the experience was slightly marred by the need to keep on looking at where the virtual controls where. With DHLink becoming very popular there should be a definite call by game studios to make virtual buttons easier to use when not looking at the actual mobile phones screen. The only game which disappointed was Waveblazer, being a less budgeted Android title the graphics weren't as polished as the others so they  showed up quite pixelated on the television. Of course this is an actual lack of quality on the part of the games graphics and not the hardware.
Of course it's not just games though as anything on your mobile screen and the sound is sent via HDMI to the television. YouTube videos played fantastically, the net was a joy to surf and my private photo and video gallery really came to life on a larger screen. Business applications like Slideshows and presentations would also work fantastically and really make Android devices using MHL enabled sharing a massive asset to the professional user on the move.
The gear itself is robust and well made and the experience really transcends the limits of a small screen. Plug and play is certainly the name of the game here with no intermediate software or setup . So in a nutshell any HD ready television or screen can be plugged into and used to view your Android phones display. A must for business and entertainment purposes when a small screen is simply not good enough.
Follow the link to the MHL site to find out where to purchase the easiest Phone/TV linking solution:
http://meetmhl.com/