Many don't know how easy it is to connect a computer to a TV. Having a large screen, like a TV, connected to a computer makes it much easier to watch media, listen to music, play games, or just edit photos and videos on a larger, more comfortable screen.
Steps
Step 1. Locate the outputs your computer has
- Most new computers have a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output built into the computer. In the photo you can see the picture of an HDMI output, it is thinner than a USB port.
- VGA Output: The VGA output is rectangular, with 15 pins.
-
DVI Output: The DVI output is rectangular and has 24 pins.
The VGA and DVI outputs are similar, count the pins to be sure which one it is; both require a specific adapter to connect them to the TV
- S-Video Output: The S-Video output is circular, and can have 4 or 7 terminals.
Step 2. Find out which inputs the TV has
In the illustration for this step you can see the image with colored arrows to identify the types of inputs a TV is generally equipped with. Check which of these is present in yours. Purple arrow: HDMI input. Red arrow: S-Video input. Orange arrow: Component (High Definition) input. Green arrow: RCA input.
Step 3. Get the right cable for the various connections
- If your computer and TV both have an HDMI port, then an HDMI cable is all you need.
- If your computer has a VGA or DVI output, and your TV has HDMI or Component inputs, then you need a specific cable for that connection (see illustration).
- If your computer has a VGA or DVI output, but your TV doesn't have an HDMI or Component input, then you need an adapter. There are three types of cable that can act as an adapter, the first is RCA (Red, Yellow, White), the second is Component (Green, Blue, Red), the third is an HDMI adapter cable. Choose the one suitable for both the output (VGA or DVI) of your computer and the input (RCA or HDMI Component) of your TV.
- If your computer and TV both have an S-Video port, then you need a simple S-Video cable. If your computer has an S-Video output but your TV doesn't have one, then you need a computer adapter.
Step 4. Connect the cables to the computer and television
Step 5. Turn on the computer first and then the TV, and select the correct input in the TV settings
Sometimes the computer may automatically change the resolution settings to fit the TV. If the image looks abnormal, please follow the instructions below to adjust the display settings.
Step 6. Open the Windows Control Panel and click on "Display"
Step 7. On the left side of the window click on "Change Display Settings"
Step 8. Click on the "Display" drop-down menu and choose "Multiple Monitors", or just the other "Monitor", ie the TV you just connected
* If you want the desktop screen to appear only on the TV and not on the Computer monitor, then go to the "Multiple Displays" drop-down menu and choose the "Monitor" you prefer to use. To understand what it is, click on the "Identify" button, the number that identifies the "Monitor" will appear on the screen.
Step 9. Select the right resolution:
click on the "Resolution" drop-down menu, and choose the highest resolution allowed by the TV (it is a technical data that you can easily find on the internet). If you have an HD TV, then the resolution to choose is the highest resolution that appears in the menu. If you want to change the advanced settings of an INTEL (R) HD graphics card, please follow the instructions below …
Step 10. Select the screen output available on:
INTEL (R) HD Graphics from the "Display" drop-down menu.
Step 11. In the lower right part of the Desktop select the INTEL (R) Graphics icon and click on "Graphics Settings"
Step 12. Click on "Display" and adjust the screen resolution until you find the one that best suits your TV
Advice
- Make sure you have set the same type of input on your TV as you used for the connection. On the remote control there is certainly a button that allows you to select the various inputs of the TV.
- If you can't get the connection to work with a certain cable (eg HDMI), try a different one (eg mini HDMI or DVI).
- If your computer has a high-end graphics card, it may have an HDMI mini connector (not pictured above). In that case you will need to get a mini HDMI to HDMI adapter.
