Xiaomi’s modern smartphones have evolved into powerful multimedia centers capable of storing huge libraries of movies in high resolution. However, mobile screens, even flagship ones, are often too small for comfortable family viewing. Connecting a gadget to a large screen through a USB cable is a salvation when there is no access to Wi-Fi or maximum quality of the picture without compression is required.
Many users mistakenly believe that video transmission requires a Miracast-enabled Smart TV or DLNA. This is not true. Direct cable allows you to stream content even to older TV models that do not have Internet access. The main thing is to prepare the file system and choose the right cable.
In this article, we’ll look at all the nuances of wired connectivity, from choosing a cable to setting up codecs. You’ll learn how to make a TV see movie folders and why it can ignore files larger than 4GB. We’ll eliminate wireless methods and focus solely on a stable wired connection.
Choosing the Right Cable and Preparing Ports
The first thing that you're going to have to deal with is the TV's lack of response to your smartphone. 90 percent of the time, the problem is the cable. The standard cables that come with budget models are often just for charging and don't have data lines. You need a Data Transfer-enabled cable.
Pay attention to the connectors. If your Xiaomi smartphone is equipped with a port USB Type-C, and the TV has only classic USB Type-A, you will need an adapter or Type-C to Type-A cable. USB 3.0 (usually blue) read speed will be higher, which is critical for heavy reading. 4K-file.
⚠️ Warning: Do not use damaged cables with inflections. Unstable contact can lead to voltage surges, which in rare cases will disable the smartphone power controller.
The length of the cable also matters: Standard cables up to 1.5 meters long provide the best signal transmission. When using extension cords over 2 meters, the TV may stop seeing the device or the playback process will be constantly buffered. For long distances, it is better to use active USB-feed-in.
- 🔌 Use the original Xiaomi cable or certified analogue with data labeling.
- 📏 The optimal length of the cable should not exceed 2 meters for stable operation.
- 🔵 Connect to the ports. USB 3.0 on TV to play high bitrate video.
Setup of Xiaomi smartphone for data transfer
Once the devices are physically connected, the smartphone defaults to charging mode. To see the files, you need to manually switch USB mode. This is a standard Android security procedure, preventing unauthorized access to data when connecting to other people's chargers.
Immediately after connecting the cable, lower the notification curtain on the smartphone screen. You will see the message "Charge through" USB» or «USB-Connection. Click on this notification to open the menu. You'll see a list of use cases. USB-linkage.
You need to select MTP, which is the protocol that allows the TV to see the folder structure of the smartphone as an external drive, and Photo Transfer (PTP) mode is not suitable, since it hides video files from the TV media player, showing only images.
☑️ Connection check
If the mode selection menu does not appear automatically, go to the developer settings. → The phone. → Press "Version" MIUI" 7 times. Then in the advanced settings, find the Configuration item USB by default and select File Transfer.
File system and format limitations
Even with the right cable and MTP mode, the TV may not see files. The reason is because of the file system. Most TVs only support FAT32 and NTFS file systems. If your smartphone is formatted in exFAT (which is often the default on new Xiaomi), the old TV may ignore the disk.
The FAT32 file system does not support writing and reading files larger than 4 GB. If you downloaded a movie in high quality (Blu-ray Rip) and it weighs 25 GB, the TV simply will not be able to open it even if it sees the file, in which case only conversion or use of NTFS will help.
| File system | Max. File size. | Compatibility with TV | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAT32 | 4GB | High (99%) | For old TVs. |
| NTFS | No restrictions. | Medium (Smart TV) | For 4K movies |
| exFAT | No restrictions. | Low. | Only new models. |
| EXT4 | No restrictions. | Absent. | Don't use |
To check the current file system, go to the Explorer app on your smartphone, find internal memory or SD-If you want to change, use a computer to format, because MIUI It does not always allow the internal memory to be formatted into NTFS data-free.
How to format in NTFS without losing data?
Use of third-party media players
Embedded TV players often have a limited set of codecs. They may not open modern audio compression formats such as DTS or AC3, or support MKV containers with specific subtitles, in which case the image is there and the sound is not, or vice versa.
The solution is to install an advanced player on the smartphone itself, which will take over the decoding, or use server applications if the TV is still connected to the same network (although we are considering the use of a computer). USB, Sometimes hybrid methods are more effective. However, with a strict USB-It is better to broadcast the already decoded stream.
It is recommended to install on Xiaomi application VLC for Android MX Player.These players have their own codecs and can stream video to an external screen through USB-debugging or simply opening files, which are then broadcast by Android on TV if supported HDMI Alt Mode (rarely for public sector employees) or MTP-TV-side protocol.
- 🎬 VLC Player: Reads almost all video and audio formats without converting.
- 🔊 MX Player: Great work with subtitles and sound settings.
- 📂 X-plore: A powerful file manager with built-in DLNA-server (if you switch to Wi-Fi).
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If the picture twitches when playing, try in the player settings on the phone to turn off hardware acceleration or, conversely, turn it on if the smartphone processor is weak.
Problems with sound and codecs
A common situation is that video is coming, but there is no sound. It's because of licensing restrictions. TV manufacturers often don't pay for Dolby Digital or DTS decoders. Xiaomi's smartphone can stream in a format that TV simply can't read.
In your smartphone settings, go to Settings → Sound and Vibration → Output (the path may vary depending on the version of MIUI). Try changing the output format from Automatic to PCM or Stereo, which will force the phone to convert sound on the fly to a universal format that any TV can understand.
⚠️ Attention: When switching to PCM surround 5.1 or 7.1 It can be stereoized. It needs support to have a full surround sound. ARC/eARC and the corresponding audio system.
Also check the settings of the video player itself. In the MX Player, go to the decoder settings and make sure that hardware decoding (HW+) is selected. If the sound is lost in this mode, switch to software decoding (SW), although this will increase the load on the battery.
Alternatives: When USB is not working
There are times when wired connectivity is not possible due to a port failure or lack of cables, and in such situations, it is worth considering alternatives that may give even better results, such as using a USB-C to HDMI adapter.
This method allows you to display the image directly, bypassing the software limitations of MTP. However, support for video output via USB-C is not available in all Xiaomi models. Usually this feature has the flagship series Mi and Xiaomi Pro. Budget models of the series Redmi and Poco often do not have this capability.
You can check the support by plugging in the adapter and seeing if the signal appears on the screen. If the screen is black, the USB port on your phone does not support video output, in which case you can rely on wireless technology or an MHL cable if it is supported (in older models).
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Direct USB (MTP) connectivity is the most versatile method, working even on TVs without a Smart TV, but it doesn’t support video transmission directly, just reading files.