Samsung Galaxy S4 HDMI Adapter Problem [Troubleshooting Guide]

One of the features the Samsung Galaxy S4 proudly brings is its capability to display anything on its screen to an HDTV (High Definition TV) through its HDMI port. However, not everything is smooth-sailing because there were reported cases of HDMI Adapter issues.

The way I see it, there are a few possible causes of the problem:

  • The HDMI adapter has not been properly connected to the TV.
  • You’re trying to share DRM-protected contents.
  • Temporary device problem.
  • Software update is needed.

Troubleshooting

The Samsung Galaxy S4 should be able to port its display to an HDTV without any problem. If it fails to do so, these are the things you need to do:

#1. Soft-Reset the phone. There are times when conflicts between apps and services develop and since you don’t know which function causes the problem, the best thing to do is to reboot the phone. However, some electronic components inside the phone may still store some static electricity that holds data, you need to discharge it by taking the battery out. Here’s how you do a soft reset:

  1. Turn the phone off.
  2. Pop the back panel up.
  3. Remove the battery for 30 seconds or a minute.
  4. Replace the battery.
  5. Turn the phone on.
  6. Now check if the phone can port its display to an HDTV.

#2. Check for DRM-protected content. If you have a movie that plays just fine on your phone  but not on your HDTV, verify if you’re not sharing a content protected with Digital Rights Management copy protection. If this was the issue, you cannot really do something about it. There are some developers, however, who will tell you how to share DRM-protected contents to other devices but we will not provide such contents. Please use Google to find those tutorials, there are a lot of them.

#3. Trace HDMI connection to TV. For average users, the connection may be a bit complicated that is why there is a possibility that the problem is caused by faulty connection. Therefore, you need to trace the connection or set it up again to make sure things are in their proper places.

  1. Connect one end of a universal HDMI cable into the HDTV Adapter.
  2. Connect the other end to the HDMI port on your TV. If your TV has multiple HDMI ports, you may use any of the ports. Ensure your TV input settings have the right HDMI port selected. See your TV owner’s manual to get more information.
  3. Connect your Travel Charger to an approved power source.
  4. Connect the HDTV Adapter connector into the Power/Accessory Interface port on your device. This is the same port you normally use to connect your Travel Charger. The TV screen will instantly display what is on your device Home screen.

#4. Update software. There were reports from users who have encountered this problem and were able to fix it by updating to the most recent firmware. Try to check for updates from time to time so everything in your phone will be run compatible with each other.

Email Us Your Problems / Questions

We are open to your questions, problems and suggestions. Email us at [email protected] if you have any. Please include as much detail as possible so that we could find solutions that really work. A screenshot or two would definitely help so if you can manage to get some and attach them to you email that would be awesome.

But please know that we may not be able to respond to every email we receive. Be assured, though, that we read every single bit of them even if others appear to be spams.

4 Comments

  1. I have Samsung DVD Player & Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 plugged into the same HDMI port on the back of a Sharp LC32D33X, the Samsung DVD player appears on the screen but switch to my Galaxy phone or Table, it’s a no show, then switches back to the DVD player.

    Please HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. I have Samsung DVD Player & Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 plugged into the same HDMI port on the back of a Sharp LC32D33, the Samsung DVD player appears on the screen but switch to my Galaxy phone or Table, it’s a no show, then switches back to the DVD player.

    Please HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. Although useful I am still unable to get my galaxy s5 to display on my tv. If you could have any other suggestions on how I could fix this I would appreciate it thank you.

  4. I have a menotek mhl adapter and 5pin to 11pin adapter with s4 galaxy 16gb but not working. I an an IT professional. Do you know what the problem might be? Android 5.0.1 2yr old Verizon phone.thx

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