Use Your TV as a Second Monitor for Your Computer

Connecting a computer to a TV used to be a fairly complex process, but the advent of HDMI has made things a lot simpler. With an HDMI port on your computer and an HDMI port on your TV, you essentially just need to connect the two with a cable and you're off and running. If you don't have an HDMI port on your computer, you'll likely need to use an adapter to connect to the TV.

Steps

Windows

  1. Look for available display ports on your computer. Before you can consider using a TV as a second monitor, you'll need to determine if your computer has any open ports available to connect it to. On desktops, the ports are located on the back, while laptops may have them on the back or on the sides.[1]
    • An open HDMI port is the most ideal, as setup for HDMI is relatively straightforward and most modern widescreen TVs support HDMI. HDMI looks like USB, but a little longer and with notched ends.
    • The other possible port you can use is a DVI port. This looks like a traditional parallel port with lines instead of pins on the right side. If you have a DVI but no HDMI, you can connect to your TV but you'll likely need an adapter.
  2. Look for available, matching input ports on your TV. Once you know the ports you have on your computer, you can check the ports that are available on your TV. You'll find the input ports on the back or along the side of the TV.
    • An open HDMI port on the TV and an HDMI port on the computer will result in the easiest connection with the highest quality.
    • There's a small chance that your TV will have a DVI input, which will allow you to connect to a DVI port without any adapters. Most TVs don't have this port.
    • You won't be able to easily connect your computer to stereo A/V (three prong) or component (five prong) inputs without multiple adapters.
  3. Obtain a cable that can connect your computer to your TV. If you have matching open ports, you'll just need a regular cable to connect the two. For example, if you have an open HDMI port on your computer and your TV, just get a standard HDMI cable that will reach without straining.
    • If you have mismatched connectors, such as a DVI port on your computer and an HDMI port on your TV, you'll need an adapter or special cable. You can get cables that have a DVI plug on one end and an HDMI plug on the other. You can also get adapters that turn DVI ports into HDMI ports.
  4. Plug the cable into the computer and TV. HDMI cables can be simply plugged in, much like USB. DVI cables will need to be screwed in to secure them using the thumb screws on each side of the connector.
    • Both HDMI and DVI connectors can only be inserted one way, so don't force the connection.
  5. Connect an audio cable if you aren't using HDMI. If you are connecting your computer to your TV using HDMI, you don't need any extra cables to send audio to the TV. If you're using a DVI or other connection, including DVI-to-HDMI, you'll need to use a separate audio cable to send audio from your computer to your TV.
    • Use a standard 3.5mm stereo cable to connect the Audio Out port on your computer to the Audio In port that matches the input you're connected to on the TV. The Audio Out port on your computer is usually green, and may have a symbol indicating that it is sending signal out.
  6. Switch your TV to the correct input. Use your TV's remote to turn it on and switch to the input that you connected your computer to. The inputs will usually have labels, such as "HDMI 1."
  7. Press .⊞ Win+P on your computer to open the Projector menu. This menu allows you to select which connected monitor you want to display your screen on.
    • If this doesn't work, open the Start menu and type "displayswitch." Press ↵ Enter to open the Projector menu.
  8. Select how you want to use your TV from the Projector menu. You'll have several options to pick from:
    • PC screen only - This is the default option where your computer's monitor is the only display.
    • Duplicate - This will show the same image on your computer's screen and the TV.
    • Extend - This will extend your desktop so that it spans both screens.
    • Second screen only - This will make the TV the only display.
  9. Right-click the Volume button in the system tray and select "Playback devices." This will allow you to set where you want your computer's sound to be played.
  10. Select your TV from the list of playback devices. It may just say "Digital Audio (HDMI)." It should say "Ready" underneath it.
  11. Click the "Set Default" button. This will make your TV the default playback device whenever it is plugged in. Any sounds your computer makes will now come out of the TV speakers.
  12. Open the advanced display settings to adjust your TV's orientation. If you are extending your desktop so that both your monitor and the TV are being used, you can adjust the virtual positioning of the TV so that you can easily move the mouse and windows between the two. For example, if the TV is to the left of your computer, you can reposition it virtually so that when you move the cursor off the left side of your computer screen it appears on the right side of the TV screen.
    • Right-click on your desktop and select "Display settings" or "Screen resolution."
    • Click and drag the box representing your TV in the layout until it's in the position you want. If you don't know which one is your TV, click "Identify" and then match the number displayed on the screen.
  13. Adjust the resolution on your TV in the Display Settings menu. By default, your TV will likely automatically pick the correct resolution, especially if you connected via HDMI.
    • Open the Display Settings by right-clicking your desktop and selecting "Display settings" or "Screen resolution." Click "Advanced display settings" if you don't see the Resolution menu.
    • Select your TV. If you aren't sure which screen is which, click "Identify."
    • Choose the resolution from the drop-down menu. Most modern TVs display at a resolution of 1920x1080.

Mac

  1. Find the video ports on your Mac. Different Mac computers will have different video ports available. The ports you have will determine what you need to connect to your TV. Most Mac computers will have one of the following ports:[2]
    • USB-C - This port can be found on the newest Mac computers. You'll need a USB C-to-HDMI adapter, but it will transfer sound and video.
    • HDMI - This port can be found on many newer MacBook computers. It looks like an elongated USB port with notches on each side, and may have "HDMI" printed above it. This is the most ideal port, as you won't need any special adapters and HDMI transfers both video and audio.
    • Thunderbolt - This port is a little smaller than a USB port and will have a lightning bolt icon. Thunderbolt supports both Thunderbolt and Mini DisplayPort adapters. A Thunderbolt-to-HDMI adapter can transfer audio.
    • Mini DisplayPort - This port looks the same as a Thunderbolt port, but the icon is a small rectangle with a vertical line on each side. It only supports Mini DisplayPort adapters.[3]
    • Micro-DVI - This port is slim, and slightly larger than a USB port. It has an icon with a box with two vertical lines, much like the Mini DisplayPort. It only supports Micro-DVI adapters.
  2. Identify the open input ports on your TV. Once you've identified the port or ports on your Mac, you'll need to see what ports are available on your TV. Ideally, you'll want to connect to an open HDMI port, especially if you have an HDMI port on your Mac as well.
    • If you don't have an HDMI port, look for a DVI port. This will result in the next best image quality, but will require a separate audio cable.
  3. Obtain an adapter (if necessary). If you have a Thunderbolt, Mini DisplayPort, or Micro-DVI port, you'll need an adapter that will convert the port into an HDMI port. If your Mac has an HDMI port and your TV has an HDMI port, you won't need any adapters.
    • If your TV has a DVI port and no HDMI port, you'll need a DVI adapter instead.
  4. Connect your Mac to your TV. After plugging in the adapter (if necessary), connect your Mac to your TV using an HDMI or DVI cable.
  5. Connect your audio (if necessary). If you're using anything other than HDMI-to-HDMI, you'll need a separate cable to connect your Mac's Audio Out port with the TV input's Audio In port. A standard 3.5mm stereo cable should work in nearly all cases. Make sure you're plugging the audio into the correct Audio In port on your TV (it should match your video input).
  6. Switch your TV to the correct input. Turn your TV on and use the remote to switch to the input that your Mac is connected to. The input should be labeled on the TV itself so that you can easily switch to the correct one. If your TV has multiple inputs of the same type, such as three HDMI ports, make sure you select the correct one.[4]
    • Typically, you'll see your desktop extended automatically onto the TV screen.
  7. Click the Apple menu and select "System Preferences" to change your display settings. You'll find the Apple menu in the upper-right corner of your Mac's computer screen. You'll be using these menus to adjust the orientation of your TV, as well as to choose how you want to split the display.
  8. Select the "Display" option in the System Preferences menu. This will open the display settings.
  9. Click the "Arrangement" tab. This will allow you to adjust how your second screen is being used.
  10. Drag your screens around to match their physical placement. This will make transitioning your mouse between screens much more natural. For example, If your TV is mounted above your computer, place the virtual TV screen above your computer's in the Arrangements tab.
    • You can drag the little virtual menu bar between your two screens to set where the desktop menu bar appears.
  11. Check the "Mirror Displays" box if you want to duplicate your display. By default, your desktop will be extended to your TV. If you'd rather show the same thing on both your computer and your TV, check the "Mirror Displays" box.
  12. Return to the System Preferences menu and select "Sound." This will allow you to set where the sound from your computer is played.
  13. Select the "Output" tab and select "HDMI." This will set your TV speakers to play sounds from your Mac computer.[5]
    • If you connected via the audio out port on your Mac because you aren't using an HDMI connection, select it instead.



Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/laptop/how-connect-laptop-tv-hdmi-summary-update-3280787/
  2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201736
  3. ↑ http://www.cnet.com/news/confusing-mini-displayport-with-thunderbolt/
  4. ↑ http://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac/how-to-connect-apple-macbook-laptop-to-tv-3591712/
  5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/kb/PH19036?locale=en_US
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