HDMI Standards?

Belly

Belly

Belly

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Hi, could someone please advise me if HDMI has more than one standard.

I’ve bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab S, I bought a Samsung HDMI MHL adapter so I can screen mirror to my TV.

I set up the tablet, adapter and connected it to my older Sony Bravia KDL-40S55. The tablet kept saying that it could NOT connect, to remove the HDMI Cable and try again. I did this. I tried all (3) HDMI ports. I also connected the adapter to the HDMI lead which runs my Sony DVD player (just in case the HDMI lead wasn’t working). No luck.

I then used the same procedure on my slightly newer (bedroom) Panasonic TX-L26X10B and it worked immediately.

The only thing I can think of is that the older Sony Bravia has an older HDMI standard.

Any advice would be appreciated
 
Is the MHL powered by USB?

If so, try another powered source in case you're relying on the Sony's USB port for the power..

Worth a shot.
 
Thanx

No it was powered from the mains using the Samsung Charger/connector lead.

When the thing was set up and I could see a logo on the tablet, I disconnected the charger lead and the logo disappeared indicating that the power was getting through
 
There are different standards (Currently 1.4 i think), however i would've expected it to still work to be honest as they're usually various grades for certain date volume (3D, 4K etc)

I assume all the HDMI ports work with other devices?
 
Yes they do work. (I just retried them all) I have sky+HD Wifi box in one port, DVD in the other. The third (on the side) is empty but I connected the DVD lead to it and it worked OK.

Strange hey?

I don't like the TV much (except the picture). The EPG is useless, only shows 10% of programmes, when I scroll to another page and come back, some of those which were shown are AWOL. There is no independent volume control for my cordless earphones so I have to use them through other connections and the sound is unfiltered. My old Sony CRT was a much better buy. Pity I can't reclaim it from the tip!
 
There are different standards for HDMI and for MHL. However, it's mostly to do with feature support such as 3D, Audio Return Channel etc with HDMI and with MHL its mostly about 4K, HD audio, data channels and how much remote control there is on the latest version (HML 3.0) compared to versions 1 and 2.

In theory, the TV should provide enough current to power the MHL connection. It's still a good idea to have a charger plugged in for the source device though. After that, then it's a question of the HDCP handshake happening correctly. That's where the Sony seems to have tripped up.

This could be something as simple as the TV needing to be updates so that it recognises an MHL device as a legitimate source. There's some anecdotal evidence of people having ussies with the HDMI ports on other Sony TVs. Have you had a look to see if there's an option for the TV to search for an oer-the-air update?
 
There are also 2 different MHL connections I can't remember the specifics off the top of my head one is wired with 11 pins connected and the other only 5 IIRC, most devices will handle both but some only work with 1.
 
Thanx guys, Lucid I think you have hit the nail on the head.

Unfortunately the TV doesn't have anyway of checking on the air.

I contacted Sasung to ask about the small barrel shaped item which was enclosed within the HDMI MHL adapter (cylindrical, about one inch long, half an inch in diameter). It obviously fits over the lead but there is nothing about it in the instructions and I wondered if it was area related. I actually attached a photo. I also asked them about the Bravia NOT working but that the Viera did.

Typically they answer questions I didn’t ask (so I never found out what the barrel shaped item actually did).

The reply stated, incorrectly, that the HDMI MHL adapter could only be used with Samsung Smart TVs! If she’d read what I had written she would have understood that it does work with non-Samsung TVs but NOT all of them.

I had a quick google search and contacted Sony through their support site. I’m awaiting their reply.

Thanx again
 
Which MHL adapter is it?

There are 2 types, the 11-pin version which the majority of new Samsung devices uses, and the 5-pin version which other manufacturers and older Samsung devices use. I suspect the Galaxy Tab S requires the 11-pin version.
 
Thanx Orcvader

I'm pretty sure I have the right one in view of the fact that it works OK on one TV (Panny) but NOT on the Sonny.

The Tablet recognises the HDMI Cable present on the Sonny but won't connect (handshake?). As soon as I plugged the adapter into the Panny what was shown on the tablet was shown on the TV. I didn't get time to read that a HDMI Cable was attached it just went ahead and displayed.

http://blog.clove.co.uk/2014/02/05/mhl-adapter-samsung-galaxy-need/

I've got the 3rd generation and looking, with an untrained eye, the plugs on the MHL adapter and the supplied tablet charging lead look more or less identical when staring into the holes.

I've been googling and people are having issues with Sony regarding miracast inasmuch as they advertise the models as miracast compliant but then only their own (Sonny) products are usable, something they neglect to tell/inform potential buyers. Well who would have thought that, hey?
 
Well I got an answer from Sony Support:

Dear Belly,

Thank you for your e-mail, we apologize for the inconvenience.

In regards to your enquiry, please note that unfortunately, this TV model does not support the MHL feature and it is not possible to mirror your smart device via HDMI with this model.

Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reply to this email.

So that's it. Thanx for all your advice.

NB: Strangely enough I thought the HDMI MHL adapter gave the TV MHL feature, otherwise one would obtain a direct link (Samsung mini lead to full grown HDMI) and just plug it in. I live and learn.
 
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