Modern smartphones have high-resolution screens, but even the best display of a mobile device is not comparable to the diagonal of a home theater. Owners of Xiaomi equipment often face the desire to show friends photos from their last vacation or run a movie on a large screen without connecting wires. Fortunately, the Mi Home ecosystem offers many scenarios for wireless multimedia transmission.
There are several proven ways to do this, each with its own characteristics and limitations: The most stable connection is provided using a single Wi-Fi network for both devices, which is a critical condition for the operation of most wireless protocols. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods, from built-in Android functions to the use of specialized applications.
Before you start setting up, make sure your TV is connected to the Internet. If you plan to use cable connections, check for appropriate ports on the back of the device. A variety of methods allows you to choose the best option for watching videos, and for showing presentations or games.
Use of the built-in screen broadcast function
The fastest way to display an image is to use the native feature of the Android operating system or the MIUI shell. Miracast technology is built into most modern gadgets and does not require the installation of additional software. On Xiaomi Mi TVs, this feature is often called “Wireless Display” or “Screen Mirroring”.
To activate the mode, you need to lower the notification curtain on your smartphone and find the icon "Translation", "Smart View" or "Projection". Once you turn on the search, the phone will start scanning available devices within the network range. When the name of your TV appears in the list, just click on it to pair.
Sometimes the system can request confirmation of connection directly on the TV screen. Use the remote control to agree to the request. The delay is minimal, but it still depends on the load of the wireless channel.
💡
If the broadcast is interrupted, try restarting the router – this often frees up Wi-Fi channels and stabilizes the connection.
It is worth noting that when broadcasting the entire screen of a smartphone, the battery can discharge faster than usual, this is due to the active operation of the Wi-Fi module and the graphics processor that encodes the video stream in real time.
Google Chromecast Technology for Multimedia
Android TV owners can take advantage of Chromecast’s built-in support, which differs from mirroring in that it only broadcasts content from a particular app, not the entire screen of a smartphone, allowing them to continue using their phone for calls or correspondence without interrupting the video playback on the big screen.
To get started, make sure your smartphone has a Google Home app installed or Google Play services. Open a supported app like YouTube, Netflix or Google Photos, and find the stream icon — a rectangle with waves in the corner. Click on it and select your Xiaomi TV from the list.
- 📺 Broadcasting occurs directly from the Internet, saving the battery charge of the smartphone.
- 🎮 Image quality is automatically adjusted depending on network speed.
- 📱 Playback control (pause, rewind) is available directly from the phone.
It’s important to understand the difference between protocols: if Miracast creates direct communication between devices, Chromecast uses a router as a data intermediary, which makes the latter method more stable for streaming high-resolution video.
Connection via HDMI cable and adapters
When wireless connectivity is unstable or maximum picture quality is required without compression artifacts, the best solution is a physical connection. For modern Xiaomi smartphones with a Type-C port, you will need a special USB-C to HDMI adapter. Make sure your phone supports video output through this port (MHL or SlimPort technology).
The connection process is very simple: insert the adapter into the smartphone charging connector, and connect the standard HDMI cable to the adapter itself. The second end of the cable is inserted into the free port on the TV, then you need to switch the signal source to the TV, pressing the Input button on the remote and selecting the appropriate connector, for example, HDMI 1.
This method is ideal for gaming because of the low input delay (Input Lag) and allows you to stream images from applications that block wireless content transmission due to DRM copyright protection.
⚠️ Note: Not all budget smartphone models support image output via USB-Before buying an adapter, check the specification of your model on the official website of the manufacturer.
If the image does not appear automatically, check the resolution settings in the smartphone menu. Sometimes you need to manually set the refresh rate of 60 Hz or change the aspect ratio.
Use of DLNA applications and media servers
Apps that use DLNA protocol are great for viewing local files stored in the phone’s memory. Xiaomi TVs often have a built-in media player that can see files on the common network, but it is more convenient to use third-party client applications. A popular solution is Xiaomi Mi Remote or universal players like VLC and BubbleUPnP.
The principle is that the TV acts as a renderer and the phone as a controller, so you pick a video file in the app on your smartphone, you pick the output device, and the TV downloads and plays stream on its own, and that reduces the load on the phone's processor.
The advantage of this method is that you can control playback from a phone that acts as a remote control, so you can pause the video, change the volume, or choose subtitles without getting up from the couch.
☑️ Checking readiness DLNA
Some video file formats may not be supported by the TV's built-in decoder, in which case the smartphone app may try to switch to transcoding or live screen broadcast mode.
Comparison of connection methods
To make it easier for you to choose the best option, we have prepared a composite table of characteristics of different methods of image transmission, each method has its strengths depending on the use case.
| Method | Delay. | Quality. | Battery consumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miracast | Medium | High. | High-pitched |
| Chromecast | Low. | Adaptive. | Low. |
| HDMI cable | Minimum | Maximum. | Charging. |
| DLNA | Low. | Original | Medium. |
As you can see from the table, cable is the undisputed leader for gaming, while Chromecast is the most convenient way to watch movies from online services. The wireless screen mirror (Miracast) remains a universal, but more energy-consuming solution.
💡
The choice of method depends on the task: HDMI for games, Chromecast for movies, Miracast for screen demonstration.
Troubleshooting and troubleshooting
Even if you follow all the instructions, there can be technical difficulties. Often users complain that the phone can't see the TV. First of all, check whether both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Sometimes routers divide the network into 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and the devices may be on different subnets.
If the image twitches or is low resolution, try moving the router closer to the TV or reducing the load on the network by turning off downloads on other devices.
- 🔄 Reboot the router, TV and smartphone.
- 📡 Make sure that the TV is not on the "Guest network" mode".
- 🛡️ Check the settings of antivirus or firewall on your phone.
In rare cases, the problem lies in outdated software. Go to the settings of the TV through the Settings menu → About TV → System update and check for new versions of the firmware.
⚠️ Note: When using public Wi-Fi networks (in hotels or cafes), broadcasts may be blocked by network security settings that prohibit communication between customers' devices.