It’s so important to take advantage of the interconnectivity of our devices, so today, we’ll see how to connect a laptop to TV via HDMI. There are many scenarios in which you might want what’s on your laptop to be displayed on a larger screen. You probably want to see your work on a larger scale, or maybe it’s just the extra clarity or crisper display that your brand new High-Definition TV gives.
There are several ways to connect a laptop to a TV– both wired and wireless means. However, our focus would be on connecting it to TV through HDMI. One significant advantage of using HDMI to connect a laptop to a TV is that you don’t have to bother about separate connections for video and sound.
Steps to Connect Laptop to TV via HDMI
Step #1
To connect your laptop to a TV using HDMI, you need to make sure, first of all, that your TV has an HDMI port available. Also, you must make sure that your laptop has an HDMI port of its own. Finally, you need an HDMI cable which you’ll use to connect both devices.
Step #2
Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the HDMI input on your laptop. Depending on your laptop, this might be located on the side or back of the system.
Step #3
Plug the other end of the cable into an HDMI input on your TV. The port is also located on the side or at the back. Most TVs have multiple HDMI inputs, so it’s essential to note the port into which you’ve plugged your cable.
Also, note that in plugging your cable, you don’t need to bother about which end goes where; the ports on the TV and laptop are the same shape.
Step #4
After a physical connection is established between both devices, you need to select that input on your TV. With remote control, switch your input to HDMI. On TVs with multiple ports, you’ll need to ensure that the input you select is identified similarly to the port where you plugged in the cable, e.g. HDMI 1, HDMI 2, HDMI 3, etc.
Step #5
You’ll finally need to make sure that your laptop transmits a signal to the TV. You’ll do this on Windows by pressing the Windows key + P. A list of options would appear on the sidebar.
You should choose either Duplicate, Extend or Second Screen Only. If you select the option of PC Screen Only, your laptop would be connected to the TV but would not display.
On a Macbook, you press Option + F1 on your keyboard to open Displays preferences. Select your TV in the list of display devices; you should see the Use as option. Pick if you want to duplicate your display, extend it or use the TV screen only.
Why Doesn’t It Work When I Connect Laptop to TV via HDMI?
If it doesn’t work when you connect your laptop to TV via HDMI, the first thing you should do is switch off the TV while connected to the laptop and put it back on.
Next, make sure you’ve all the necessary settings on your laptop and TV, as explained in the steps above.
If, after doing that, it still doesn’t work, check either your cable or the ports. The HDMI cable you’re using could go bad by some of the wires getting cut inside, and you could also have rusted or broken connectors.
If your HDMI cable is all good, check if the HDMI ports on your laptop and TV are okay. Either of them could get bad by rust or any other mechanical faults.
Is HDMI the Best Way to Connect Laptop to TV?
Using a High Definition Multimedia Interface or HDMI to connect a laptop to TV is arguably the best way to magnify your laptop screen. First, the “HD” stands for High-Definition, which means that HDMI can give you resolutions while connecting that other forms of technology don’t have.
Also, with HDMI, you don’t have to bother about a different means of transmitting audio and video signals as with many forms of connection. HDMI automatically transmits audio along with visual signals to your TV. You can also read 10 Ways To Fix Sound Not Playing Through HDMI.
When you throw in a high refresh rate, more incredible speeds and high popularity, you can see why HDMI is regarded by many as the best way to connect a laptop to TV.
How Else Can I Connect Laptop to TV?
There are several other ways you can connect your laptop to TV; before the advent of HDMI, many of us connected our laptops to TVs via VGA cables. Newer Macbook devices make use of USB-C ports for external display connections. You could also make use of wireless connections such as Screen Mirroring to display your laptop screen on a TV.
