Kathmandu, May 5th, 2020
You will often find yourself asking how to connect your laptop to your TV at least once in your lifetime. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you exactly how you can connect your laptop to your TV. You will be able to surf your favorite YouTuber, watch Netflix, or revisit your wedding videos on a big screen.
Let’s start.
How to connect a laptop to a TV with an HDMI cable
This is the easiest and the simplest way to connect your laptop to a TV. Both your Laptop and TV needs to have an HDMI port. An HDMI cable can handle both audio and high-resolution video, so it’s great for streaming your favorite TV shows.
Turn on both devices and connect them using an HDMI cable. Then just select the correct HDMI input on your TV with the help of the remote control and you’re good to go.
Some laptops have a micro HDMI port or a mini HDMI port in which case a regular HDMI cable may not work. You might want to buy a different cable or just buy in an HDMI adapter which should cost much less.
So here’s a quick step by step review to connect a laptop to a TV with an HDMI cable
- Connect the laptop to the TV with an HDMI cable.
- Turn on both devices.
- Select the correct HDMI input on the TV with the remote.
In case the connection is not established automatically, go to
Settings>System>Display and select “TV”. After that, press your windows key + P and select the “Duplicate” option.
If you’re wondering how you can connect your laptop to your TV without HDMI, let’s start here.
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How to connect a laptop to a TV with a VGA cable
If you have an older laptop and TV, you’ll likely find a VGA port on both of them. VGA only deals with the video signal, which means you will need a separate cable to handle the audio.
Turn on your TV and laptop and then connect them using a VGA cable as well as a 3.5mm audio cable. Then press the Input button on your remote (could also be called Source or AV) and select the PC or RGB option from the list.
So here’s a quick step by step review to connect a laptop to a TV with a VGA cable
- Connect the laptop to the TV with a VGA cable.
- Connect the two devices with a 3.5mm audio cable.
- Turn on both devices.
- Select the PC or RGB input on the TV with the remote.
In case the connection is not established automatically, go to Settings > System > Display and select “TV”. After that, press your windows key + P and select the “Duplicate” option.
What if your laptop and TV have different ports?
Let’s say, for example, that your laptop only has an HDMI port and your TV has an old VGA port. In this case, you’ll need an HDMI to VGA converter to get the job done.
Once you have the converter, plug the HDMI cable into your laptop and the VGA cable into your TV. Then plug the other end of the VGA cable to the converter to connect the two devices. The last step is to select the PC or RGB input on your TV with the remote control.
So here’s a quick step by step review to connect a laptop to a TV if they have different ports.
- Plug the HDMI cable into your laptop.
- Plug the VGA cable into your TV.
- Next, plug the VGA cable into the converter to connect the two devices.
- Turn on the laptop and TV and select the PC or RGB input on the TV with the remote
In case the connection is not established automatically, go to Settings > System > Display and select “TV”. After that, press your windows key + P and select the “Duplicate” option.
How to connect a laptop to a TV wirelessly
If your TV is wall-mounted, like most modern TV setups these days, then physically connecting a laptop to it can be difficult. But even if your TV is on a desk, you might prefer the less cluttered appeal of going wire-free.
You will need a media streaming device. The most popular one is Google Chromecast. Once you set it up, you can mirror Chrome tabs, your videos and files stored locally on your laptop, and your desktop to the TV.
Just launch the Chrome browser on your laptop, click the menu icon (three vertical dots) in the upper-right corner, and select the “Cast” option. Then just select the content you want to cast via the “Sources” drop-down menu and click on the Chromecast you want to cast it to.
Use a USB Flash Drive instead!
If the whole idea behind connecting your laptop to your TV is for an experience of watching your photos or videos or movies, just use a USB Flash Drive. You won’t even need the cables or a media streaming device.
Transfer the content from your laptop to a flash drive. Then plug the USB flash drive into your TV. Select the USB input on your TV. Select the files you want to view and hit play.
So there you have it -The best ways to connect your laptop to your TV to watch your content on a big screen.