by There are many reasons why you may have to connect the laptop to the TV. It could be to mirror the screen to stream the video, or it can be to extend your laptop’s screen to get better accessibility while working. Many people use this feature to enjoy what they are doing. The advantage that this process offers is that you can use the massive size of the TV to your advantage. Imagine having a wireless keyboard and a mouse while your laptop is connected to the TV. It would offer an unmatched screen area.
Before we tell you about connecting the laptop to the TV, we would like to educate you about the difference between mirroring and extending the screen. During the mirroring, you are creating a duplicate screen. Whatever is available on your laptop will be available on the TV as well. Whereas, during the screen extension, you will be extending your laptop screen, acting as a dual monitor set-up. You can switch to any view just by pressing a button. Let us now proceed and learn more about connecting the laptop to the TV.
Wired vs Wireless Connection
There are multiple ways to connect the laptop to a TV, but they all can be segregated between a wired and wireless connection. The wireless connection offers you higher flexibility, but the quality of video or stream may get compromised. The wired options are pretty seamless, and you get a better quality along with a reliable connection.
#1. HDMI Connection
The easiest and the best way to connect the laptop to a TV is using the HDMI connection. Most of the laptops have an HDMI port. Also, the TV that you are using would indeed have an HDMI port. In many cases, you would have connected devices like a set-top box, Fire Stick or Chromecast to your TV. So, you can remove those devices and plug in the HDMI cable to your laptop. If your TV has a free HDMI port, then you can also use a secondary HDMI cable and connect your laptop to that. After that, click on the screen extension option to use the TV. Please note that some laptops may have micro HDMI or Mini HDMI ports. You can use those ports with your existing HDMI cable with the help of an adapter.
#2. USB-C connection
Many brands have omitted the HDMI port and the display port from the laptop to make them thinner. They have replaced the HDMI port with a USB-C port. You can even use the USB C port to connect the laptop to the TV. There are cables available to make the connection. Also, you can find the USB-C to HDMI adapters that can help you make a compatible connection. This process is easy, affordable and reliable. At the moment, most of the MacBooks & Surface Books are manufactured with a USB-C port.
#3. Thunderbolt Port or Display Port
If you are using an Apple device, it is most likely that you will have a Thunderbolt port. In the older generation windows laptop, you will have a serial display port. You can also make use of those to connect to the TV. The process remains the same as connecting with the HDMI cable, but the cable may differ. You may also need specific adapters to make the connection compatible with the HDMI. Alternatively, if your TV supports USB input, you can also explore that option for connecting the laptop to the TV.
#4. Apple Computer – Wireless Connection
If you have an Apple Ecosystem, then you will be able to connect the devices wirelessly too. Connecting the MacBook to TV would need Apple TV. You can use AirPlay in this case. With this, the laptop screen can be mirrored or extended. There are also multiple options available on App Store for such connection. You need to turn on the AirPlay on Apple TV, select the device and enter the code to connect the MacBook to the TV.
#5. Chromecast
If you have a smart TV, it is most likely that the TV is built with an in-built Chromecast. The Chromecast has evolved as a very popular option for casting content on the screen. In such a case, you can wireless connect your laptop to the TV. All you need to do is, have the laptop on the same Wi-Fi network and open the streaming application you like. On the top right side, you will find a cast button. Click on it, and you will be able to cast the contents within a minute. You should note that this method is only useful for streaming the laptop’s content to the TV. You can’t use this method to get an extended display.
#6. MirrorCast
If you don’t have a Chromecast on the TV, then the next closed option related to the Chromecast is the mirror cast or a similar option that your TV is loaded with. Now, there are many streaming applications that you can use to connect the laptop to the TV in this case. The only thing that you need to ensure is that your laptop and TV should be on the same Wi-Fi network. To enable the mirror cast on your TV, go to the settings and click on the connected device. Add the device to the TV, and this will complete the process for you.
#7. Display Adapter
If you are looking for a wireless connection and none of the options listed above works for you, you should explore the wireless display adapters. These are plug and play devices that are available in the market. One portion of the device is connected to your laptop, and the second one is connected to the TV. Microsoft also sells such wireless display adapters, but it is highly advisable to check the compatibility associated with your operating system and the laptop. These devices are not expensive, and they also come with a warranty to support the customer.
Final Verdict
These are all the different ways to connect your laptop to your computer. If you need to connect the laptop to a TV for work, you can use a display adapter or even use any other mode of wireless connection. However, if you want to connect the laptop to a TV to stream content, it is better to opt for a wired connection because of the heavy video files. We hope this article helps you in meeting the objective. If you still have any questions about connecting the laptop to the TV or facing any issues during the connection, you can drop a comment, and we will help you out.
