Description: This article contains some of the most frequently asked questions about the MHL Standard from Winter 2019.

Q: What does the acronym MHL represent?
A: MHL stands for Mobile High-Definition Link. MHL is a technology that allows you to connect your phone, tablet, and other portable electronics to your TV and other supported displays.

Q: How does MHL work?
A: Essentially one end of an MHL cable will plug into the micro USB port on your phone or tablet while the other will plug into an HDMI port on a television or monitor. Your phone's screen will then be mirrored on the external screen.

Q: Are there any special features to MHL?
A: Versions 1 and 2 support 1080p uncompressed HD video and 8 channel audio. Since MHL is improving, the new MHL 3.0 includes support for 4K video, enhanced 7.1 surround sound with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, multiple simultaneous displays, and more. It's also backwards compatible with MHL 1 and MHL 2.

Q: Why would I connect my phone to the TV?
A: With MHL you can unchain your media from your phone or tablet and easily display videos, games, photos and more on a big screen. You can use your TV for applications you get on your phone or tablet, such as watching movies on Netflix and surfing the web, even if the TV isn’t a Smart TV.

Q: Does MHL work for all TVs?
A: Yes, though you may need a special adapter for some TVs. Any HDMI TV can work with an MHL to HDMI adapter. Since MHL is simply mirroring the screen of your phone, it's compatible with any and all apps.

Q: Do I need an MHL cable or the MHL adapter?
A: If your TV supports MHL, then you only need an MHL cable. For standard HDMI TVs, you need an adapter.

Q: Does my device support MHL?
A: A list of supported devices can be found on the MHL website: https://www.mhltech.org/devices.aspx.

Q: Does MHL have any costs associated with it?
A: No. Once you purchase the adapter you can start using it. Unlike other options, there are no activation charges or monthly subscription fees.

Q: Do I need anything more than an adapter?
A: No. There is no app to download and no configuration is needed, just the MHL cable or the MHL adapter.

Q: Why doesn’t my Samsung device work with the adapter?
A: Several Samsung products require an additional conversion tip that connects to the adapter - adapters are also available with this 11 pin tip.

Q: My device isn’t listed in the compatibility list, what options do I have?
A: There are several options that offer streaming from your phone. One option is Google Chromecast which connects to HDMI on the TV and uses wifi to connect to your phone.