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How to connect your laptop or MacBook to a TV
Martin has more than 10 years of experience and has tested more than 1,500 TVs, soundbars and speakers - few people know more about AV
A laptop, PC or MacBook with plenty of hard-drive space is perfect for storing your photos and videos – but when viewing them, you can't beat a big, high-resolution TV screen. We'll show you how to connect them.
Almost every TV has wi-fi, which makes connecting a laptop easy. Even if your TV isn't as smart as the latest sets, connecting your laptop with a HDMI cable is simple, too. As well as displaying content on your hard drive, your TV effectively becomes a monitor once a laptop is connected. You could browse the internet, play games and use software on a bigger screen.
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Connecting a laptop to a TV: the essentials
- A variety of methods exist for connecting a laptop, PC, or MacBook to a TV for viewing photos and videos on a larger screen, including using wi-fi, USB and HDMI cables.
- Windows laptops can use wireless features like casting and screen mirroring to display content on a TV, assuming both devices are on the same network, and TVs might require additional software to support these features.
- For MacBooks, Apple AirPlay and AirPlay 2 allows for wireless connection to Apple TV or AirPlay-supported TVs, with options to mirror or extend the display.
- If wireless options aren't unavailable, HDMI cables can be used, transmitting both video and sound. Adapters are available for laptops without HDMI ports.
- You can often mirror a PC screen onto your TV using a TV streamer, such as a Roku or Amazon Fire TV Stick.
How to connect a laptop to your TV wirelessly
Unless you have an older TV, you should be able to cast content to it from a Windows laptop or PC once they're on the same network. You can also use your TV as a display so your entire desktop appears on your TV, rather than just specific pieces of content.
How to cast from a Windows 11 laptop to a TV
Casting is when you wirelessly send a piece of content, usually an image, video or audio file, to display on another device.
- Right-click the content you want to cast.
- Select Cast to device from the menu.
- Select your TV from the options. You might see some other devices here too, such as games consoles, Blu-ray players and other computers.
Some file types won't be supported by your TV and you'll see an error message on your computer screen if that's the case.
How to display a Windows 11 laptop on a TV with screen mirroring
Unlike casting which displays once piece of content, screen mirroring is using your TV screen as a monitor allowing you to display whatever's on your laptop screen on your TV. It goes by a few names, but if you see screen mirroring, Miracast or Chromecast then you're on the right track. Some TV brands also have their own bespoke software, but they should be recognised by your laptop or PC.
- Press Windows + I on your keyboard and you'll get the settings menu. Then select Devices from the menu, followed by Bluetooth & other devices.
- Next, select Add Device followed by Wireless Display or Dock.
- Now you'll see a list of devices your PC can connect to, one of which should be your smart TV. Select it and you'll start seeing your PC on your TV screen.
Older TVs may not have software that supports being used as a second screen for your PC or laptop. If that's the case, you should check your TV's app store for screen mirroring apps.
You'll have the option to duplicate (mirror) the screen onto your TV, or use it as a second screen.
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How to connect a Windows 10 laptop to a TV with screen mirroring
- Right-click the bottom-right corner of your screen and select Open action centre.
- In the action centre, select the box labelled Connect.
- The computer will search for wireless displays. Look for one that matches the brand and model number of your TV.
- Select your TV, once the computer has found it.
- The computer or TV may ask for a Pin to complete the connection. It will be displayed on one device and you'll need to enter it into the other.
Your TV should now display what's on your laptop screen. You can choose whether you want the TV to duplicate the screen (mirroring), or extend the display if you want to carry on using your laptop screen as well.
How to connect a MacBook to your TV wirelessly with Apple AirPlay
Apple uses AirPlay to link devices together to stream media from MacBooks. To get your MacBook screen to display on your TV wirelessly, you'll also need an Apple TV device or a TV with Apple AirPlay or Apple AirPlay 2.
- Click the AirPlay icon on the MacBook's menu bar.
- Select the Apple TV or TV you want to connect to from the dropdown menu.
- Select the Apple TV input on your TV to start displaying your MacBook's screen.
- Once connected, you can select either Mirror Built-in Display, which will set the resolution to the same as your MacBook; Mirror Apple TV, which use your TV's maximum resolution; or Use As Separate Display if you want to carry on using your MacBook screen and use the TV as an extra display.
How to connect your laptop or MacBook to your TV with HDMI
If your TV doesn't support wireless screen mirroring, you can still connect your laptop or MacBook the old-fashioned way.
How you do it will depend on the ports on your TV and laptop. Ideally, use an HDMI cable. This transmits both video and sound, which is handy if you're watching a video or want to listen to music through your TV.
Some older laptops don't have HDMI outputs. If yours doesn't, look for a VGA port instead. VGA only transmits video, and newer TVs don't have VGA inputs, so you may need an adapter.
Some thinner laptops don't have HDMI outputs either, but most will have a USB port. You can buy adapters for USB ports to allow you to connect HDMI leads. These are widely available from Amazon and ebay, and you don't need to spend a fortune, just make sure the adapter supports the resolution of your laptop and your TV.
How to connect a laptop or MacBook to your TV with a TV streamer
If your TV doesn't support casting or screen mirroring, you can link it to your laptop with a TV streamer, such as a Fire Stick or Roku plugged into one of your TV's HDMI inputs.
The setup to enable screen mirroring differs depending on the device, but usually you'll find an option in the settings.
- Fire Stick - go to Settings then Display & Sounds and you'll see Enable Display Mirroring.
- Roku - go to Settings then System and select Screen Mirroring.
These devices should now show up as options to mirror your PC screen.
Chromecasts were a good option, but Google stopped making them. If you still have one then you can click the three dots in the corner of a Chrome browser to cast to your TV.
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