Can video stream from USB port on cell phone to TV via HDMI?

[rjsurfer]

I can use my Chromecast to have streaming video sent to my TV from my phone via it's Hotspot option, no problem, but there is a data limit
on the Hotspot.

Can I stream movies directly through the phone's USB port to the HDMI port via some cable option?

Ron

[MrWizard]

The cable is only between the phone and the tv
It is still cellular data over the cell net work, to get to your phone

If you drive your car in the city streets and not on the interstate
It still burns gasoline

There are two issues at work here
And that is how your data is allotted by your cell plan
Amount allotted via phone display use
And limited via hotspot use
Everything you do on the phone uses data
Every text, every picture, every weather report, every app, every email
With today's 4glte . Phones even voice phone calls use data, it's just counted as minutes instead of data

If you have a surplus of 'phone display data'
You want to use that instead of the limited hotspot data

If you have a limited data total, instead of phone display surplus
Going via cable does not help you

More and more phone plans have large to near unlimited 'on phone data allowance' or some kind of video service included
And limited hotspot data allowance

So sending the phone display to a larger screen aka TV, avoids using the hotspot data, it still uses data just not the limited hotspot allowance

In brief , cabling may allow you to shift the data use to the part of your plan that is not so limited
Depends on the plan and what you are cabling

[deltabravo]

Tom_M wrote:
You can, but you will still be using the same amount of data.

If you are sending the data over a cable, not over the airwaves, how it is possible consume data on your cell phone plan?

[rjsurfer]

MrWizard wrote:
in most cases, FoxFi does not use the phones built in hotspot app

on the samsung S-5 , it sets up a VPN style situation in the phone
that masks the data as phone use data, instead of showing as Hotspot data

the key here is too use a third party APP (there are several) and Not the built in hotspot feature provided by your carrier, which identifies the data usage

As you mentioned they maintain a net server that acts as a VPN. A few years ago they went down and there was a lot of unhappy people, Foxfi users thought Verizon had somehow compromised the Ap but finally Foxfi owned up to there issue.

Ron

[MrWizard]

in most cases, FoxFi does not use the phones built in hotspot app

on the samsung S-5 , it sets up a VPN style situation in the phone
that masks the data as phone use data, instead of showing as Hotspot data

the key here is too use a third party APP (there are several) and Not the built in hotspot feature provided by your carrier, which identifies the data usage

[beemerphile1]

I'm curious how the provider knows if the phone is streaming or working as a hot spot.

I have Total Wireless which forbids using your phone as a hot spot yet I do on a rare occasion. Not to watch tv but to do banking on the Chromebook.

[rjsurfer]

OP back,

Ok, a solution! I forgot about Foxfi, that Ap will allow my wife's cell phone (Galaxy S-5) to run as a Hot Spot undetected over any network. So no more worries about going over Hot Spot limit. I can have Roku or Chromecast working on that local network, no restrictions. I haven't used it in a year or so but it fired right up
And worked like a charm.

The only problem with foxFi is its limited range of cell phones and networks it will work on, you can root around their web site and get the list. If memory serves me correct none of the later phones will work, cell networks got wise to it's operation.

Ron

[GordonThree]

rjsurfer wrote:
OP back,

Just checked advanced specs on the phone and the mini USB doesn't have video out....which I'm assuming is necessary to get video through a HDMI cable to TV.

Ron W.

Looks like that K20 is pretty locked down. Both HDMI output, called SlimPort, and screen mirroring (casting) called Miracast or SmartScreen are disabled on the phone.

[MrWizard]

knowing and understanding are not always the same thing

if he is hotspoting the Roku , he is not 'streaming' on the phone

this is the key 'factor' to the situation

watching phone video stream on the TV is 'casting' or 'mirroring'

watching a roku channel using the phone as a wifi hotspot is entirely different

cabling a roku ? to the phone is not going to reduce the amount of data used to watch an HD video stream

if he is using the roku to watch Hulu

he can use the hulu app on his phone to watch a 480p stream at reduced data useage and 'cast' that to the TV with an adapter at the TV

is there a roku app ? for phones ? which might help

his phone plan is a key in this situation
and the only thing he has said is that he has a 15gig hotspot data useage, and he is trying to eliminate hotspot useage

if he has unlimted 'on phone' no hotspot use
he needs to stop using the roku, and stream it on the phone

[rjsurfer]

OP back,

Just checked advanced specs on the phone and the mini USB doesn't have video out....which I'm assuming is necessary to get video through a HDMI cable to TV.

Ron W.

[GordonThree]

Why does everyone assume the OP doesn't know how his mobile plan works? The data is data argument doesn't hold true for every carrier and every plan.

My carrier AT&T somehow keeps track of how much hotspot (tethering) data I use, and how much mobile data I use, on the same phone. I assume they track MAC address but not 100‰ sure.

After 15gb on my hotspot I get a warning text message that my service may be slowed down but doesn't get slowed down. (Yet)

[MrWizard]

if your using a roku, then you are not streaming video from the phone
you are using the phone as a hotspot for the roku

you need to download and app to 'mirror'/'cast' your phone to the TV
and stream video using the phone

this still depends on your 'phone plan' having 'video service streaming' FREE as part of your plan

with out the free video streaming , nothing you do is going to reduce data usage

[JaxDad]

rjsurfer wrote:
OP back,

My phone plan doesn't limit normal data but it limits the Hot Spot data to 15G, then drops it to a useless 600kbps.


Ron W.

Have a read HERE.

[rjsurfer]

OP back,

Just checked advanced specs on the phone and the mini USB doesn't have video out....which I'm assuming is necessary to get video through a HDMI cable to TV.

Ron W.

[rjsurfer]

OP back,

My phone plan doesn't limit normal data but it limits the Hot Spot data to 15G, then drops it to a useless 600kbps.

My phone is a LG k20 with a traditional mini USB plug.

So I'm using a Roku Box and Chromecast to get video to the TV, but they will only work when attached to local wifi network. Hence the need for Hot Spot and when your watching HD movies that 15 G doesn't last long.

Just came back from Walmart and they didn't have the right cable.

Ron W.