MHL is getting better. The standard, which stands for Mobile High-Definition Link, lets you easily connect your smartphone or tablet to a TV. The standout feature in the first couple of iterations was that the MHL connection provides both audio-video and power, ensuring that your phone doesn’t go dead while it’s connected to a TV.
Today, the consortium behind the standard announced MHL 3.0, which includes a bandwidth boost that’ll allow for better quality video and a number of other cool features.
The new version doubles the bandwidth of the data connection, allowing for 4K video at resolutions of up to 2160p at 30 frames per second. On the audio side of things, we’ve got 7.1 surround sound. The power that can be provided has also seen a substantial boost, up to 10W. With all these pieces in place, MHL should be well capable of supporting the highest quality video we’re likely to see in the next few years.
Another cool addition is multiple display support, so in the future it should be possible to hook up your device to a a couple of displays using one cable. MHL isn’t just for A/V any more either. The new standard should also support connecting peripherals like touch screens, keyboards, mice and game controllers to your phone.
With the specification bumps and interesting new features, we should continue to see MHL included on more phones and TVs from here on out. MHL support is already found on a wide range of Android phones from the biggest names in the industry, including Samsung, HTC, Sony and Huawei, but we should see the standard appear on more low and mid-range models too.
We’ll have a range of MHL 3.0 adapters once the specification has been published and accessories have been made. If you’re interested in trying out MHL now, feel free to have a look at current selection of MHL cables and adapters, which are predominately for Samsung smartphones and phablets.
For more information on the MHL standard, check out their official announcement email, or our past MHL posts here on the Mobile Fun Blog.
Of course, feel free to ask any questions or make any comments you like in the appropriate section below. Thanks for reading and have a good one.