Sitting on a couch, a person occasionally wants to mirror their Android phone to their (larger) TV display. Without WiFi, Bluetooth, or any other configuration garbage. We just want to plug-in the phone to an adapter (which charges our phone) on our lap, and mirror the phone screen to the TV. Use our phone, see it on the TV, and the phone charges. Can this be done with an older XT1541 phone?
Not easily. Two main roadblocks:
- not all phone usb-c ports have physical capacity to transmit video. USB-C 2.0 supposedly cannot. USB-C 3.1/2 supposedly can. The XT1541 unfortunately only has USB 2.0.
- not all phones with 3.1 USB's have the Display Port (DP) alt-mode firmware to seamlessly screencast via the USB charging port. Motorola phones that had both were manufactured with Motorola's proprietary "Ready For" configuration. Ready For was short-lived, probably only 2017-2022, possibly due to DCMA overreach. Current Motorola phones lock screencasting to WiFi-only Google Chromecast (now "Google Streaming").
XT1541 is a mixed bag
The 2022 XT1541 lies on middle ground. It was produced during Motorola's "Ready For" years, but did not receive a 3.1 USB-C port or the DP alt-mode firmware. However, its firmware does allow non-Google screen mirroring. Its screencast options (see pic below) are described by the phone as WiFi and/or Ethernet.
The icon circled in red is the XT1541 screen sharing indicator. "Ethernet" is displayed, part of a longer scrolling message: "No Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection". Thus it's clear there is some way to screencast using Ethernet by Cat5 or 6. But how?
Secondly, can the USB-C 2.0 port transmit video? HD 1080p video only requires 5-10Mbs, and 720P 2-5Mbs. Since a USB-C 2.0 can handle 480Mbs, we should easily be able to screen mirror with it. There's no apparent need for a USB-C 3.1 (5-10Gbs), used in the "Ready For" configuration.
solutions
The Ethernet mystery so far remains, but we can at least establish a potential list of mirroring options for the XT1541.
- WiFi, with or without Google Streaming $80. WiFi dongles such as Miracast or similar, run $40. They screen-mirror via home WiFi like Google Streaming, but don't require the home WiFi network be internet connected. Google Streaming does require it (creepy).
Enable the screencasting using the icon seen above, described again in this video. - Wired Ethernet. t it via ethernet with a usb-c 2.0 to ethernet adapter cable.
- The optio of some people recommend, the hybrid Nyrius transmitter ($70), looks possible but is not a workable option. The Nyrius requires a phone have the DP alt-mode firmware. Since the XT1541 is not "Ready For" it lacks DP alt-mode firmware.
Option 2 is the only working solution so far, unless a person also desires Google Streaming (Option 1) in addition to mirroring their phone. The XT1541 can mirror via Google Streaming if the WiFi is connected to the internet (Google Streaming requires it), which is, again, highly inadvisable. Even a non-connected WiFi network is easily compromised by security agencies and criminals -- don't make it worse by connecting the network to the internet simply to phone mirror via Google Streaming.
will connect to a non-internet connected WiFi network and mirror the phone's screen.Option 4 is currently in-work. Watch this space. It seems slightly tricky and possibly TV-model dependent. If it's possible, this will be the most secure and convenient solution, all in one.
Option 4 (cont)
This is intriguing. First the XT1541 only has a USB-C 2.0 connector, that is 480Mbs. It's unclear how it would do the video. But it is definitely listed in Motorola's screen sharing options.
We'd need a USB-C to Ethernet adapter. No problem, $15 on Amazon. And I believe a 480Mbs USB-c 2.0 can move video: even 720P only requires 2-5Mbs. But thirdly, once the video hits the router, with both the TV and the XT1541 connected, how does the TV detect the video signal arriving from the phone? This seems to be the real question. Configuration.
