Connecting a Galaxy Tab 3 to a HDTV television.

Factual Questions
1

I have a Galaxy Tab 3 8.0", and I’d quite like to mirror it onto my TV (so I can use the SkyGo Tablet app, if it matters.).

I went and bought one of these yesterday, as my tablet is specifically listed as compatible, and since my TV is older, I had read that I needed to get one with a power socket as the TV isn’t going to supply power to the tablet through the cable.

So, I plug it in… and nothing. I’ve read that what should happen is that it should recognise that it’s been plugged in, and ask if I want to Mirror it to the tv. This doesn’t happen, and when I go to the settings and “scan” for a device to mirror to, it comes up with no devices.
I’m thinking I might have a duff adaptor, because when I plug everything in, I would expect the device to start to charge itself through the adaptor, but it doesn’t. But I thought I would ask here to see if anyone else had this trouble.
Anyone got any ideas?

The TV, btw, is a Toshiba Regza, about 5 years old.

2

I dunno; but yesterday I saw such a set-up working, with a Tesco Hudl tablet connected to a TV by a mini-usb/hdmi cable ( which cost £3 off eBay, whereas Tesco charges £15 for a Belkin cable ) and it just did work automatically.

You have to set the TV to the correct hdmi port in advance with your remote, of course ( HDMI1 or HDMI2 etc. ).

3

The adapter may or may not be fine, but it’s not compatible with your device. MHL can be implemented over standard 5-pin MicroUSB connectors (as the adapter you link describes) but later Samsung devices (at least from the Galaxy S3 onwards, and including your Galaxy Tab) use an 11-pin connector of a similar shape. So you’ll want to look for one of those, such as this I suppose.

Incidentally this means that someone with an S2, S3 and Nexus 4 who wishes to connect them to an HDMI screen needs three separate adapters (5 and 11-pin MHL and Slimport), all of which outwardly look like a normal MicroUSB connector. So it goes.

4

You’re quite right. Despite all I did to get the right one for my device, I still managed to get the wrong one. Thanks for your help!

5

It’s not there yet, but I think the developer will be adding screen mirroring to the AllCast app, which can then connect to your TV with a Chromecast device.

6

Cite:

it’s a “work in progress”