Today’s Xiaomi Mi TVs have become powerful multimedia hubs, but their screens are often too small to view content from mobile devices. Users often face the need to quickly show a presentation to colleagues or show family photos on a large screen in the living room. Fortunately, the Android TV ecosystem provides a variety of native tools to solve this problem without buying expensive equipment.
In this article, we will look at all the current synchronization methods, from wireless protocols to wired solutions, how to configure the screen broadcast in a few minutes and what nuances each of the ways of connecting hides, and we will look at both built-in system functions and third-party utilities that may be needed in difficult situations.
The right method depends on your goals: do you just need to duplicate the smartphone interface, or do you want to run a video file in the background? Understanding the difference between Miracast and DLNA will help avoid delays and desynchronization of sound. Let's explore each option in detail.
Wireless screen duplication via Miracast
The fastest way to display a picture is to use the built-in wireless display feature, which is supported by most modern Android smartphones and Xiaomi TVs, a technique that allows you to fully clone the image from your smartphone to the big screen in real time, which is ideal for displaying games or navigating menus.
To get started, make sure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. On the TV remote, find the button with the image of your smartphone or go to the signal source menu. Select the option "Wireless Display" or "Screen Mirroring."
⚠️ Note: When using Miracast, the smartphone battery can discharge faster than usual, since the Wi-Fi module operates in high load mode.
On your phone, lower the notification curtain and look for Translation, Smart View, or Projection. The name may vary depending on your smartphone model. After searching for available devices, select your Xiaomi TV from the list. The image should appear almost instantly.
If you plan to use this feature often, it makes sense to add a broadcast widget to the main screen of the phone, which will save time and avoid wandering through the deep settings menu, the quality of the picture depends on the stability of the router signal.
Broadcasting via Google Home and Chromecast
Xiaomi TVs are powered by Android TV, which means built-in support for Google Cast technology. It's a more advanced Miracast that allows you to not just duplicate the screen, but transfer content directly from apps. Google Home is used to manage this process.
Download and install the Google Home app from the Play Market Store. Once launched, the program will automatically detect the TV on the local network. Click on your device icon to open the control panel. Here you will see the "Translate screen" button.
This is especially useful when you want to show content from applications that don't have a built-in "Cast" button, and it creates a virtual bridge that transmits video streams with minimal latency, but it requires good Internet speed to work comfortably.
💡
To reduce latency when streaming games through Google Home, make sure the router is running at 5GHz instead of 2.4GHz.
Importantly, when streaming via Chromecast, the phone can be used as a remote control, so you can switch tracks, pause videos, or adjust volume without interrupting playback on the TV, freeing up the smartphone for other tasks.
Viewing photos and videos via DLNA
If you want to show a photo gallery or run a downloaded movie, using DLNA is the most efficient solution. Unlike screen duplication, here the TV reads the file from the phone itself, unloading the smartphone processor. To do this, Xiaomi TV often preinstalled a media player or Media app.
On the smartphone, you can use a standard file manager or third-party applications such as VLC for Android or BubbleUPnP. Open the desired file, click on the broadcast icon (rectangle with waves) and select the TV. The file will start playing on the large screen.
The advantage of this method is that picture quality does not suffer from the compression that is characteristic of streaming the screen. The TV decodes the video itself using its hardware power, which is especially important for high-resolution 4K files.
| Protocol | Phone load | Image quality | Best application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miracast | Tall. | Depends on the signal. | Games, presentations |
| Google Cast | Medium | High. | Streaming, YouTube |
| DLNA | Low. | Original file | Movies, photos |
With DLNA, the phone is not locked and can be used for calls or correspondence, and video on the TV will play regardless of the user's actions on the mobile device, making it ideal for home theaters.
Use of translation applications
In some cases, the built-in tools may not work well or support certain file formats, and specialized applications from the Google Play store come to the rescue, a popular solution being Web Video Caster or TV Cast.
Install the app you select on both your TV and your smartphone. Most of these programs require you to install the server part on your TV. TV to work properly, after pairing through QR-code IP-Address, you get extended access to media library management.
Why do you need third-party apps when there are built-in features?
These tools often allow you to stream content from browsers where the built-in Cast button is blocked by the site. They emulate the playback device, convincing the site that the video opens on a compatible gadget. DRM-Protection for Local Content.
However, be careful with free versions of these programs, as they may contain intrusive advertising. Paid versions usually offer HDR support and a more stable connection. Before buying a subscription, check the reviews on the relevance of working with your version of Android TV.
Connection via HDMI cable and adapters
When wireless connectivity is impossible or maximum quality is required without compression, cable connectivity comes to the rescue. For Xiaomi smartphones with a USB Type-C port, there are special Type-C to HDMI adapters. It is important that your phone supports MHL or Alt Mode technology.
Connect the adapter to the smartphone, and HDMI-You can connect the adapter to the TV, and the system automatically switches to an external signal source, and unlike wireless methods, there's no delays or compression artifacts.
This is essential if the Wi-Fi network is overloaded or there is no Internet connection, and it also allows you to broadcast images from phones that have a wireless projection function blocked by the operator or manufacturer, in which case it is better to serve power through a separate cable, since video broadcasting is energy-consuming.
☑️ Checking before buying an adapter
Note that not all budget smartphones support video output via the charging port. Check the specification of your device on the official website or in the instructions. If there is no support, the cable will not work, and you will have to use wireless methods.
Solving Connection and Delay Problems
Even when you set it up properly, you can have problems, like desynchronizing the sound, pulling the image, or not being able to find the device, and most often, it's because of the router's settings, and make sure that the router doesn't activate AP Isolation client isolation, which prevents devices from seeing each other on the network.
If the picture is slowing down, try lowering the resolution in your phone settings. Sometimes it helps to reboot the Wi-Fi module on both devices. Also check if the router has a speed limit for certain devices or if guest mode is not on.
⚠️ Note: If the TV and phone are in different subnets (e.g., one connected to the main network) SSID, and other to the guest, detection of devices may not be possible.
For advanced users, the ADB debugging method is available. If standard methods don't work, you can try to force the command line broadcast service to run by connecting to a TV over the network, which requires a PC and basic knowledge of working with the terminal.
💡
The stability of wireless broadcasting is 90% dependent on the quality of the Wi-Fi signal and the absence of interference in the air, not just on the power of the TV.
In difficult cases, resetting network settings on your TV will help. Go to Settings → Network and Internet and select Network Settings Reset.This will delete all stored Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth settings, but often solves problems with detection protocols.