The good news is, Samsung’s got you covered there, too. Starting with their Galaxy S3 models, they integrated a screen mirroring feature into all their subsequent models; be it a Galaxy S smartphone or a Galaxy Note 2 or later. With the screen mirroring feature, you can convert your Samsung Smart TV or–with a little bit of effort–any other HDTV into a blown up version of your Galaxy’s screen. In other words, you can share your smart device’s screen with your TV. It’s the perfect way to watch Netflix movies, online videos and pictures with family and friends. The coolest part is, if, the connection between your device and the TV is fast enough, you can play games on the TV using your Android phone as the controller. In this post, I’ll discuss the different ways you can mirror a Samsung Galaxy screen on a Television.
Mirroring Your Galaxy Screen to a HDTV
First, I’ll show you how to share your Samsung Galaxy screen with an HDTV. You have two options to beam your Galaxy screen to your TV: wired or wireless.
Wired Screen Mirroring Setup
Step1: Some of the major benefits of going the wired route is the stable connection, the HD video quality, and surround sound. Whereas, the wireless connection is prone to laggy video and subdued sound, making the wired method the perfect recipe for watching movies and playing games. However, there is one drawback to the wired setting; your device is only as free to go as far as the cable’s length. You can find a detailed guide for mirroring an S4 to your TV, here. For all other Samsung Galaxy Deices here’s how you setup the wired mirroring: Step 2: Connect the MHL adapter’s micro USB cable to the micro-USB port on your Samsung Galaxy device. Step 3: The MHL adapter needs power to run. You have two options. Either you can let it siphon power from your Samsung Galaxy device–which will deplete your device’s power very quickly–or, you can connect a wall charger into the adapter power dock (recommended). Step 4: Now, plug in one end of the HDMI cable into the MHL adapter connected to your Samsung device and the other end into the HDMI port of your HDTV. Step 5: For the best audio, go to “Settings” in your device then click on the “My Device” tab. Next, click on “Accessory/Audio Output” and select “Surround”. Step 6: Sit back, relax and enjoy screen mirroring on your HDTV.
Wireless Screen Mirroring Setup
There is a special kind of happiness when all your tech goes completely wireless, giving you a different kind of freedom. That’s the feeling you will get with this wireless setup for mirroring your Samsung Galaxy screen to your HDTV. This setup uses Samsung’s Screen Mirroring feature to beam the display of the device to the HDTV. Step 1: Firstly, you will need to invest in a wireless hub. You can buy Samsung’s Allshare Cast Wireless Hub for a whopping $80. Step 2: Connect the Wireless Hub to your HDTV with the HDMI cable. Once connected, the red indicator light on the Hub should turn red after a few seconds. If not, then press the reset button on the back of the Hub and wait for it to turn blue. You have linked your Hub successfully with your HDTV. Step 3: Now, enable the screen mirroring feature in your Samsung Galaxy device. You can do this instantly by using two fingers to pull down the main screen from the top; this opens the controls menu that houses the Screen Mirroring feature. Click on Screen Mirroring to enable the feature. Step 4: Once, enabled your Samsung Galaxy device will start scanning for compatible devices and will list the Hub you connected to your HDTV earlier. Just tap the name of the device on the scanned list and Voila! You have successfully mirrored your Samsung Galaxy Screen to your HDTV. Step 5: Let the games begin. However, wireless mirroring is not an exact science. Some users have no trouble whatsoever with making the feature work wirelessly, while others have to jump through hoops to get a stable, lasting connection. In that light, Step 5 is more like – May the odds be ever in your favor.
Mirroring your Samsung Galaxy Screen to a Samsung Smart TV
If your Samsung Smart TV is circa 2013 and newer, then beaming your Samsung Galaxy screen to your TV will be as easy as 1, 2, and 3. Step 1: Dive into your Smart TV Menu via the Menu button on the remote. Then go to the Network tab and select Allshare Settings. Next, select Screen Mirroring and then press Enter. Step 2: Next, go to the Settings app for your Samsung Galaxy device. Then, click on Connections and enable the Screen Mirroring feature. After the device has scanned for compatible devices, click your Smart TV’s name from the list to establish the link. Step 3: Get some popcorn–if you’re watching a movie–and enjoy! Screen mirroring with your Samsung Smart TV (2013 and newer) is the easiest way to beam your Samsung Galaxy screen. However, if you have a Samsung Smart TV that’s older than 2013 then you will have to go the Allshare-Cast-Wireless-Hub way. Wow, that was a mouthful to say.
Honorary Mention: Screen Mirroring via Miracast
You can also use a Miracast wireless display adapter instead of the Allshare Cast Wireless Hub to beam your screen wirelessly. However, not only does your Samsung Galaxy device need to be Miracast compatible, so does your HDTV. In this case, you can use one of the many Miracast wireless display adapters now available in the market. All you will have to do is plug in the HDMI adapter into one of your TV’s HDMI input ports and the USB into the USB port of your TV, where it will get its power. Android OS 4.2.1 and above support the Miracast feature, so all you have to do is enable the Wireless Display in your Samsung Galaxy device settings. You can do this by going to the Settings menu of your device, tapping on Wireless Display and moving the toggle for Wireless Display to ON. Once on, it will scan for nearby Miracast devices, which will show your HDTV. Simply, click on your HDTV’s name to create the wireless link. Because Galaxy S3 and Note 2 run on Android OS 4.1.2, you will have to invest in a Miracast Wireless Display Adapter such as the NetGear Push2TV PTV3000.
Conclusion
Screen mirroring is a revolutionary feature in Android devices. It opens up so many exciting possibilities for its users if done correctly. Granted, it’s not perfect yet but, it has only one way to go, and that’s UP! After all, if it worked perfectly, Sony and Microsoft will start to see their PSP and Xbox sales dwindling. If you’ve tried either of these methods for screen mirroring, don’t forget to share your experiences and/or questions with us in the comments.
