Although smart TVs are fantastic, you may wish to connect your laptop to your TV instead. This connection can help you exhibit a slideshow, view a film you’ve saved locally, browse the web on a large screen, and more.
And yes, you can link a computer to a TV wirelessly, however, a regular HDMI cable is the best way to do so and share the computer’s view. Switch the TV source to the proper HDMI channel after connecting one end of the cable to the port on your laptop or computer and the other to the port on the back of your TV.
Additionally, since HDMI transmits both sound and video, you will be able to hear whatever is being streamed through the speakers on your TV.
So, nothing should get in your way as long as you’re using a regular HDMI cable to connect your laptop to the TV.
Even still, we’d like to share a few problems you may encounter on the quest to connect your laptop and TV.
No free HDMI port on the TV
If every HDMI port is currently in use, an HDMI switch can be used to convert one port into many. The good news is that they are relatively cheap and easy to get.
The HDMI IN ports can then be used to connect various HDMI-linked devices after you have connected the HDMI OUT port to the TV using an HDMI cable. With specific HDMI switches, a remote control is also included, and you can switch among them using the button on top.
Missing HDMI port on the computer
Full-size (commonly known as Type-A), Mini, and Micro are the three sizes of HDMI connections. The HDMI port on your computer or TV is likely a full-size connector. However, HDMI isn’t an option on every computer.
A USB-C to HDMI cable can be used to connect it to the TV when you have a more recent model of the device, which may have a USB-C connector instead.
Additionally, you may buy adapters that change the DVI, DisplayPort, USB-C, and full-size USB 3.0 connectors on your laptop to HDMI. This option may be simpler if you already have a regular HDMI cable on hand.
Consider purchasing a USB-C hub to add more ports if you choose to use USB-C and your laptop only has one port, which is right now occupied or needed for charging.
You’ll need to use a VGA connector to connect your laptop to the TV if it doesn’t have any of these more recent connections. You must select a cable with a 3.5mm audio connector because audio cannot be carried through VGA.
Short HDMI cable
You might need to buy an extra-long HDMI cable if your TV is placed on the wall or if you want to keep your laptop close to you so you can use it while it’s connected. You can also get an angled HDMI extension if it’s close to the wall and challenging to access.
No pictures showing?
There shouldn’t be any settings on the PC that need to be changed for the picture to appear on the TV when you connect your PC to a TV. However, if it’s not displaying properly, you should check the HDMI connection. If it’s still not displaying, you could try these approaches;
Tap Windows Key + P. There should be a sidebar that appears with the options Laptop Screen Only, Duplicate, Extend, and Second Screen Only for displays. Use of Duplicate or Second Screen Only is advised.
You can also Right-click the desktop and select Display Settings. Hopefully, this will resolve your issue.
In case there aren’t two screens, your laptop hasn’t picked up the TV. This may imply that the HDMI connection is malfunctioning, so make sure it is connected properly and possibly try a new cable or port.
Once you see the second screen appearing under Display Settings, go down to Multiple Display Choices. You can select in this option whether to mirror (duplicate) your laptop screen, expand these screens (so you can show different information on each display), or display simply on the TV (which is often screen number 2).
No sound?
You must make sure the PC is set up properly. Select Sounds from the menu that appears when you right-click the volume icon in the Taskbar at the bottom of your Windows display. Make sure the Digital Output or HDMI option is chosen as the default under the Playback tab.
Whether you do not see these options, right-click in that window and check to see whether any disabled or disconnected devices are present. Update the sound card drivers if it’s still missing. You can do this by visiting the official website of the company that makes your sound card.
Wirelessly connect your laptop to a TV
You can ‘cast’ content from one device to the other using several devices that can act as a link between your computer and TV through an approach known as “screen mirroring”. While casting and screen mirroring sound the same, they are quite different in how they function. This is because one method streams material from an app, whereas the other precisely duplicates the screen of your laptop.
So many ways such as Wireless Display, Wi-Fi Direct, and Miracast, can all be used to connect your laptop to the TV. You just have to ensure that both devices support the technology you choose to utilize.
We recommend trying out, the Roku Express media streamer.
It connects via HDMI to your TV and enables you to download apps for a variety of catch-up TV and movie subscription services.
Conclusion
Using the information in this article, you may quickly and easily connect your laptop to your TV, regardless of whether you require a larger screen, are giving a presentation, or are searching for a simpler way to share photographs and videos with friends and family.
