Connect your laptop to TV with HDMI

How to connect a laptop to a TV

Over time, a compact laptop screen proves insufficient for entertainment, work, viewing files. For more comfort in this regard, it helps to connect the laptop to the TV. As a result, you can view content in better quality on a much larger screen, and use your TV as a monitor. However, not everyone knows how to make the connection between the two devices.

How to Connect a Laptop to a TV through HDMI

One instead of ten. that’s the advantage of HDMI for transmitting high-definition video and audio signals. While some eight years ago only TVs, players, game consoles with the SOURCE engine, and media centers of the latest generation were equipped with this connector, these days it has become a standard. Any modern device for multicontent playback without HDMI looks like an exhibit in a museum, because since its introduction in 2003, this protocol for transmitting high-definition signals, combining quality and saving space, has surpassed other standards.

Advantages of Connecting a Laptop to a TV with an HDMI Cable

The indisputable advantage of this cable when connecting two devices is the high quality of the simultaneous transmission of video and audio, while other types of connection are inferior to it. Connect a PC (Lenovo, Asus) to any of the popular home devices. Philips, Sony Bravia, Toshiba. is possible in two main ways: with a cable and without wires.

Watching any content on the big screen in comfort is easy if you connect a large plasma screen via a cord. You can make the signal clear without watching a YouTube video. Attach the plug securely, provided the two devices to be connected have an HDMI jack. If at least one of them doesn’t have such a port, you’ll have to use other connection standards:

  • Through a rectangular connector with beveled corners VGA (there is such a port on the back of each device). It’s easy to send images to a regular (analog) TV, but not sound, so you’ll need an extra cord for the audio signal.
  • RCA input is available on all new TVs, but you can not connect a laptop “through the tulip”, because this connector is a rare phenomenon in them. But if even a PC has a place for a yellow plug (composite video), you will have to connect headphones for the audio signal.
  • You can do without HDMI if you use a USB port and cable. The TV must be equipped with this connector, and the laptop must have the ability to connect new equipment, otherwise you will not be able to watch video. There is another option. to connect via USB adapter, but for this you need to buy a set of Q-Waves Wireless USB AV. It is connected to the electronic device with a big screen via a VGA or HDMI port, and the adapter itself is inserted into the PC. This device works with a limited range, so the TV and laptop must be close.
  • Without cable, you can connect your laptop to the TV via WI-FI, if the latter supports this connection and has an adapter for wireless connection.

Variety of HDMI cables

For playback of computer content at the highest level of quality, when the connection is subject to certain requirements or limitations, it is possible to use different types of HDMI cable:

  • Standard. Is the simplest type and has a low bandwidth. For home devices, this type of cable is optimal, unless high demands are placed on video and audio quality. These properties are significantly affected by cable length, how well the plug is secured, and what kind of video card is installed on the PC.
  • Standard with Ethernet. This is an advanced type of cable that allows two-way data transfer, but as long as both devices support Ethernet HDMI technology.
  • High Speed. Cable type that provides maximum resolution, bandwidth, and universal characteristics. It can connect absolutely any home devices.
  • High Speed with Ethernet is a high-quality, high-speed cable with the extra function of transmitting data using Ethernet HDMI technology.
  • Standard Automotive is a cord designed for use in vehicles. The essential difference between this type of cable and the previous ones is its resistance to vibration, because special connectors firmly fix the connection. Even the newest kind of HDMI cable is protected against sudden changes in temperature and high humidity.

To connect your laptop computer to the TV set

  • Make sure it has the proper connectors. To connect the laptop to the TV, each of them must have the appropriate connector, otherwise you will have to look for alternative connections.
  • Connect the HDMI cable to the connectors of the laptop and TV, preliminarily disconnecting both devices from the power source. Insert the plug, turn on the PC and the electronic device with a large screen for further setup.
  • Set your TV to the correct source through the menu settings, using the remote and selecting the appropriate item, which appears in the drop-down list as HDMI.
  • Adjust your TV and laptop screens to get the best picture for you.
  • The hardware method involves simultaneously pressing the keys on the laptop fn f4 (on Lenovo, in others it is the button with the TV image on the quick bar), followed by selecting one of the four options to connect to the blue screen. To activate the appropriate mode just press the Enter key and select the desired item.
  • The software way to connect the two devices involves setting up through the laptop display and the desktop, where by right-clicking on the mouse you must find the line “Screen resolution”. Go to the “Multiple Screens” section, and there select the optimal playback mode from the drop-down menu list.
  • Manually adjust the sound if the image appears but the sound does not. On the notebook via “Start”, find the “Sound” tab, and then “Playback”. In it, using the right mouse button, you should find two lines: “Show Disconnected Devices” and “Show Disconnected Devices” and check the box next to each. Then disable the PC speakers in the “Loudspeakers” tab to allow the audio to go through the cable to the TV. The sound will become audible there.

How to Connect a Laptop Without an HDMI Output to a TV

You want to connect your laptop to your TV to play a movie or use some applications on the big screen? Almost every laptop has a special port that allows you to connect the device to your TV, projector or monitor. However, it’s not always HDMI.

Today’s TVs usually have HDMI ports, so the most common type of cable should be connecting our laptop to the TV. However, if you don’t have an HDMI port on your laptop, don’t worry. all is not lost. You can still connect your laptop to the big screen, you just need to use another port, which is certainly in the device.

At first glance it may seem like you don’t have an HDMI port, but it’s worth taking another look at your laptop. If you have a small ultrabook, chances are there is a smaller HDMI port next to the USB ports, aka. Micro HDMI. We can easily confuse it with a normal USB port.

If you find such a port, all you have to do is buy a Micro HDMI HDMI adapter at Allegro or your local computer store, which will allow you to connect a regular HDMI cable to your TV through that port.

connect, your, laptop, hdmi

Examples of Micro HDMI HDMI adapter suggestions on Ceneo.pl

If our laptop does not have HDMI / micro HDMI, it may have a DisplayPort port. It is usually identified by the letter D. It transmits picture and sound, such as HDMI, to another device.

In this case we can equip the DisplayPort HDMI cable, through which we connect our laptop to a TV with HDMI input.

Examples of DisplayPort HDMI cables on the Ceneo.pl

DVI is a fairly standard port that most often connects your desktop computer to your monitor. You can also find such a port in laptops, and it is usually in white.

Some televisions have DVI inputs, so in these cases we do not need to buy any adapters. just a normal DVI cable. However, if your TV set does not support DVI, we can buy a DVI to HDMI cable. It costs about a dozen zlotys. However in this case we should remember. unlike the above mentioned ports, DVI does not support sound, so we will transmit an image from the computer to the TV screen, but the sound will be played through the speakers in the laptop.

Examples of DVI-DVI cables on Ceneo.pl

DVI to HDMI cable examples on Ceneo.pl

The oldest port, most often marked in blue. Widely used in older computers to connect CRT monitors. However, it successfully handles higher resolutions, so we can use it to connect a laptop to a TV.

The situation is much the same as with a DVI cable. Some TVs have a VGA port, so all you need to do is to buy a VGA to VGA cable and connect your laptop to the TV. However, if you do not have this port on your TV, we will need to buy a VGA-HDMI adapter (this one, however, costs more than 50 PLN, because VGA is analog technology and HDMI is digital).

Alternatively, if our TV has a DVI input, we can buy a small VGA-DVI adapter (cost about PLN 4) for a laptop, so that we can use a DVI cable to connect the laptop to the TV using the VGA port.

We connect the laptop to the TV through the HDMI cable

If you are interested, then I will show you by the example of a laptop Asus K56CM, and a slightly outdated LG 32LN575U TV, which, by the way, we have connected to Wi-Fi in this article.

So, one end of the cable plug into the HDMI connector on the TV. They are signed. There can be more than one. Does not matter which one you plug in.

Plug the other end of the cable into the HDMI connector on the laptop.

Or, to the video card on your system box. If you have a desktop computer.

Most likely, the image on the TV will not appear immediately. In the settings, you need to select the signal source. On LG TVs, you must press the INPUT button on the remote control.

And use the joystick on the remote control to select the desired HDMI, to which we connected the cable. For me it is HDMI2. It will be active. If your TV is not LG, there should also be a button which can be used to switch the signal sources. If it does not work, write in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев, we will figure it out.

That’s it, you should see the image from the laptop on your TV.

In the Комментарии и мнения владельцев Dimitri told me that you have to change the device name for the selected HDMI-input on your TV. Because it changes some of the parameters that can affect the quality of the image. So I recommend that you do it.

In the HDMI input selection menu (as pictured above), press the red button on the remote control. In the menu on the TV it is the item “Change the device name”. In the menu that appears, select the HDMI input, in which we connected the laptop and below select “Laptop”.

Finished with the connection. Already you can use and enjoy the picture on the big screen. And I will also show you how you can adjust the image output on a laptop, consider a possible problem with the output picture and sound. When the sound after connection will not come from the TV, and from the speakers of the laptop.

How to connect a laptop to a TV through HDMI

To connect your laptop to the TV via HDMI interface does not require professional knowledge or help from a specialist. All you need to do is carefully follow our simple recommendations and you will get quality video with multi-channel sound. So what you need to do?

Connect the TV to the laptop with an HDMI cable

To do this, you will need a “HDMI to HDMI” cable of the right length, that is, with the same connectors on both ends, without requiring the use of any adapters. If you want to enjoy 3D content on your TV or watch 4K video, then buy a cable with HDMI 1 or higher.4.

Be sure to disconnect both devices from the power supply before plugging the cable into the sockets on your TV and laptop. But do not just press the off button, but specifically unplug the plug from the outlet to reduce the chance of port burnout. There can be multiple HDMI connectors and they can be located in different places on the device (back, side), but they are always labeled and look different so you can’t go wrong.

After connecting devices to the mains (first turn on the TV, then the laptop) the TV screen does not always appear automatically. You will probably see a message like: “The signal is weak or no signal”, “The cable is not connected”, “Check the cable connection and the signal source settings”. In this case it is necessary to make additional settings.

Set up your television and notebook

TV Settings. On your TV remote control, find and press the Source, Input, or HDMI button (depending on the brand). In the OSD menu that pops up, find the number of the HDMI port you connected to and press Enter (OK) to select it. Your TV should now display a mirror image of your notebook computer’s desktop.

Laptop settings. You can set up your notebook for optimal multimedia performance with both hardware and software. In any case, before conducting the configuration, make sure that the sound and video card laptop installed the latest drivers, which it is desirable to download from the official website of the manufacturer. In addition, the graphics adapter must support high quality digital audio HD Audio.

Hardware way. Pressing the Fn button and one of the function buttons with the monitor image (usually F3 or F8) on the laptop keyboard simultaneously, we select the TV screen usage: duplicate screen, extended screen, external monitor. It is preferable to choose the duplicate screen mode, as it is more convenient to perform all the necessary settings.

The software way. This is a more flexible and efficient method of setting. Right-clicking on a free space on your desktop brings up a context menu, select “Screen resolution” (for Win7) and goes to the screen settings menu. Here we can choose to use the TV screen that suits us, and set the desired resolution.

For WinXP, you should select “Properties: Screen. “Parameters”. If you choose to duplicate (clone) the screen, the resolution on the laptop video card should be set no higher than the resolution supported by the TV screen.

If after an attempt to connect your laptop to the TV through HDMI interface there are certain problems with the video display, then you will have to enter the laptop video card settings menu, by clicking the right mouse button on the available space on the laptop desktop and selecting the item we need. You can also fine-tune the resolution, frame rate, aspect ratio, and color scheme to suit you.

If the materials of this article do not help you to solve your question, ask him on our forum.

What do you need to connect your laptop to the TV through HDMI

Before we proceed to the consideration of how to connect the laptop to the TV through HDMI, make a list of necessary devices. You only need three things:

Synchronizing your TV and laptop is a simple process. You only need to buy a cable that will allow you to duplicate the image on the big screen. It very rarely comes standard. Cost inexpensive. You won’t need the software to connect your TV laptop. So you don’t need any special skills either. Simply follow the instructions.

Some TV’s and laptops are not equipped with HDMI interface, but this is very uncommon. In these situations you need to buy an adapter for other connectors.

Signal source is not selected

When connecting a laptop via HDMI, you must correctly specify the signal source on the TV set, otherwise the image from the laptop desktop will not be transmitted. Locate the source control button on the remote.

If your TV has two HDMI ports, you should choose the one you connected your laptop to. If your laptop is connected to HDMI2, choose HDMI2.

Wireless connection

Separately, I would like to note that some of the newer brands of laptops have the ability to connect to the TV wirelessly. It uses the Intel Wireless Display function and drivers that are present in the hardware by default, if you have not reinstalled the system.

It is worth noting that in this way the image is transmitted together with the signal. The only thing but. the second device must have the Smart TV function or you will need to buy a special stand.

But for the time being only the top models have such functionality. It will not be superfluous to know how to connect your laptop to the TV through HDMI and VGA, other connectors, to correct the image. You can do it all by yourself, so you can watch video, take pictures, or play games on the big screen.