Want to enjoy multimedia content from your mobile device on a TV screen? Here's how to connect your laptop to your TV . Don't miss it!
Connect laptop to TV
The latest advances in technology allow us to enjoy, more and more, multiple benefits from the comfort of our home. An example of this is the possibility of playing audio, video and images from different devices, such as: laptops, smartphones, tablets, USB sticks, among others, through our television screen.
Want to know how to connect your laptop to your TV ? Here we'll show you how to do it using connection cables, as well as wireless and WiFi networks.
Cable connection
The available wired connection options include HDMI, VGA/RGB, and DVI. Below you will find instructions on how to connect your laptop to a TV via HDMI, VGA/RGB, and DVI.
In our article about communication ports, you'll find more information about these types of connections and more. There you'll learn everything from the definition to the detailed characteristics and functions of each one.
HDMI
In the first case, which is the option used most frequently and produces the best results, it is necessary to have an HDMI cable, in addition to both units having ports for this type of connection.
So, once you have checked compliance with these basic requirements, the next thing to do is connect the cable to the HDMI output of the portable unit, be it a computer or a mobile device, and in turn connect it to the HDMI input of the television.
Under normal conditions, if the TV is on, it automatically recognizes the new HDMI cable installation, and immediately switches to this input source. If this does not happen, you have to make the manual selection from the TV menu.
Similarly, in the case of the output connector, whether it is a desktop computer or a laptop, we can configure the configuration from the control panel by accessing the screen options, in such a way that we are allowed to connect a second monitor or projector. It is also possible to execute key combinations through which we can activate the HDMI output.
The main advantage of this type of connection is that it makes it possible to transmit audio and video simultaneously. And in case of not hearing the sound, there is always the possibility of checking its configuration by checking the sound card settings.
At this point, it is important to note that some TV models have more than one HDMI connection, which does not represent a problem since it is enough to choose a single connection among all the possible ones.
On the other hand, if we do not have an HDMI cable, but rather a VGA / RGV cable, the procedure is similar, as we will describe below.
VGA / RGV
A VGA / RGV connection is of the classic type with 15 pins, and both devices are required to have an input and output, respectively. However, some TV models do not have a VGA / RGV / PC input, in which case it is necessary to incorporate a VGA / RGV to HDMI adapter.
After installing the adapter, the next step is to access the TV menu to select the PC / RGB option.
Another important aspect to consider is that this type of connection is only capable of transmitting video from the computer to the television, and not audio. Therefore, an additional cable is required to connect the latter.
In this way, to connect the audio we need a 3,5 mm Jack cable on the output connection side and possibly also on the input side. This is mainly because, depending on the model of the TV, it is sometimes necessary to have a red and white RCA cable for the latter.
However, whatever the case, the procedure is to connect the cable in both connections. For the output, we must locate ourselves from the computer in the connection for the headphones or speakers, while for the input, we must go to the back of the TV and connect the cable to the Audio-In inputs, that is, where the connection is 3,5mm jack or red and white RCA, as appropriate.
Next, we must access the TV Settings menu and configure the audio input from there.
VDI
Finally, if the cable we have is a DVI, but the TV does not have that type of port, we must install a DVI to HDMI adapter. In this regard, the procedure is exactly the same as described above.
Similarly, at this point it should be noted that the DVI cable does not transmit audio either. Therefore, it is necessary to take the same considerations that were mentioned in the section on the VGA / RGB connection.
Wireless connection
These types of connections include wireless systems with an HDMI port and desktop multimedia players.
The first method is to plug a wireless device or multimedia receiver into the HDMI port on your TV and into the USB port on your computer or laptop. In this way, it is possible to transmit the information from one side to the other. However, it is fair to say that the playback of the content is not of good quality, as the audio and video signals often do not match.
For its part, the second form, which involves desktop multimedia players, such as: Apple TV, refers to the connection of an HDMI device to the port of the television, which in turn connects to the USB port of the computer over a wireless WiFi network.
Applications
Having reviewed the various options for connecting a laptop to a TV, we will now mention the main applications used to play multimedia content on your television screen, including some that allow you to connect your laptop to a TV wirelessly , as well as those that allow you to connect your laptop to a WiFi TV :
Windows Media Player
Here the first thing is to download and install Windows Media Player on our computer. Then, we open the application and go to the Library. There we select the Stream option, followed by Stream Media or Other Streaming Applications.
In this way we can access the content of our computer or laptop from the television, this through DLNA.
This method also works by locating ourselves on the multimedia content that we want to reproduce and right clicking on it. Next, we select the option Transmit to device. The list of media available for transmission immediately appears on the screen. By accepting, it is now possible to start playing the content.
chromecast
The first step is to open the Chrome application and go to the options icon. There, we select the Send option. In the screen that appears below we can connect directly with Chromecast.
Next, in the connection bar, we select the Send option again. The Share tab options menu is immediately displayed. In it, we select where it says Send desktop.
Once we have completed these steps, we can view the complete desktop of our computer or laptop on the television screen, with which we can access the multimedia content playback options.
After choosing the option that best suits us, we can preview what will be seen on the screen. If we agree, we click Share. With this begins the reproduction of the chosen content.
Nero Streaming Player
With this application we can play photos, audio and videos from our Smartphone or tablet and view them on the big screen on our Smart TV. Its main characteristic is that it does not need cables for its connection, but it can work directly from a wireless WiFi network.
Similarly, it allows the phone to function as a remote control, since through it you can perform different actions, such as: rotate photos, enlarge images, adjust volume, stop content playback, among others, which are applied directly on the TV screen.
Its operation is quite simple if both devices are connected to the same WiFi network. In this way, we only have to open the application from the phone and select the photo, audio or video that we want to play. Then, in the lower right, we press where it says TV to start the transmission.
Nero MediaHome
By using this media server it is possible to reproduce, by connecting to a local area network, multimedia content, such as: images, audios and videos, stored on our computer.
In this regard, it is important to note that all users connected to the same network will be able to access said content, having the opportunity to create a unified multimedia center. To use this tool it is necessary to share folders with multimedia files and start the server.
The first step to share files and folders is to access the Share menu in the main application window, and from there perform the following sequence: Share> Local folders> Add shared resource> Browse folder> OK.
While to start the server we must comply with the following steps: Start server> Security information> Accept> Status> Device. It is important to note that, in each of the stages, the process is quite intuitive. Therefore, it is very easy to select the recommended options.
plex
This application has been gradually displaced by other tools, such as: Chromecast. However, it maintains its benefits.
The main requirement is to check that the units that we are going to connect belong to the same local network. The next thing is to create our user directly from the official page of the application. As confirmation, a message is sent to us at the email address we provided at the time of registration.
Then we must download the Plex Media Center application on our computer, we can also do this from the previous web page. Next, we open it and log in.
Upon entering, we must then create our library, which will contain the content that we can later share.
At this point, it is important to note that we also need to download and configure Plex Media Center on our Smart TV, since without this it will not be possible to synchronize the content. Therefore, we will not be able to access them when we want to view them through our television.
Screen share
Screen Share acts as a remote screen through a WiFi-type wireless connection, which allows duplicating the content of computers, tablets and mobile devices on our television.
The main requirement to be able to opt for this method is to verify that both the input unit and the possible output devices are also compatible with Miracast or Intel Wi-Di.
Based on the above, it can be said that the main disadvantage of this way of connecting a laptop to a WiFi TV is the vulnerability it presents to signal intermittency due to the volume of networks and radio units that are around us.
Another important factor to consider is the need to check that the television has the HbbTV function switched off.
Apple TV
This useful tool allows us to listen to music, as well as view photos, movies and videos from our iTunes media library, comfortably from our television.
For its installation, it is only required that we connect the Apple TV to our equipment through an HDMI cable. In addition, in the settings menu we must enter the WiFi wireless network key of our house. In this way, thanks to wireless technology, we can enjoy content in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov format found on our mobile devices, be it iPad, iPod or iPhone.
Additionally, through the Arplay program we can double the size of the screen. For that, once we have connected both the iOS device and the Apple TV to the WiFi network, we access the Start menu, go to the option Activate duplication and check the corresponding box.
In this regard, it is important to point out that it will be impossible to reproduce the content if the devices are not connected to the same wireless network.
For more information on this topic, I invite you to read the article on how to connect to a network.