How to Know if You Can Cast From Laptop to Tv
If y'all're getting bored or annoyed with your laptop's tiny screen, peradventure you should attempt using your big TV as a monitor instead in the new year. Information technology's nifty beingness able to sit back on your sofa and surf the web, play PC games or stream video from apps not available on your Tv. Or maybe you only want a bigger view for video chatting.
Using your Television as a monitor has downsides besides. Text might be also small to come across, input lag might ruin your gaming scores, and while the burrow may seem comfortable, information technology may turn into a neck ache when put into service equally an office chair. And then there's the mouse, trackpad and keyboard to worry about. But going PC-to-TV works well in many situations, and the best role is that it'due south cheap (or free) depending on what gear you already accept.
Mirroring vs. extending
Mirroring means putting the same content on both your laptop's screen and the Television. It's more common and generally easier than screen extending -- where yous see different content on both, making the Telly an extension of your laptop's screen. Extending is useful for things like having a YouTube video running on the Television receiver while yous're working on a spreadsheet on your laptop. Information technology'south a bit more involved but notwithstanding possible depending on your equipment. Generally we'll be talking about mirroring in this article.
Read more than:All-time TVs and laptops for 2021
The easiest way: Wired HDMI
The near basic PC-to-TV connection consists of running a wire from your estimator to the HDMI input on your TV. If you lot take an older TV and an older laptop, there are options similar VGA, but that's basically the Night Ages at this betoken.
Laptops and PCs have a bunch of dissimilar connections, so which wire or adapter yous'll need to run depends on what computer you have. If you're not sure, check the manual or Google the model to make up one's mind its specs. Here's the rundown.
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From top to bottom: HDMI, DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort connectors.
Sarah Tew/CNETTotal-sized HDMI: If yous're lucky, your laptop has a full-sized HDMI output, so y'all tin can apply a standard HDMI cable to run to your Idiot box.
Mini- or micro-HDMI: These smaller versions of HDMI only demand an adapter, or a cable that has a regular HDMI at the other end, to connect directly to your TV.
Thunderbolt, DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort:All of these usually work with HDMI as well. Thunderbolt is constitute on many laptops. The showtime ii versions of the connector were the same equally Mini DisplayPort, so Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI cables or adapters should work. Newer versions use the aforementioned connectors as USB-C (see the side by side section). Full-sized DisplayPort is common to Windows PCs. Over again, you'll demand an adapter or cablevision with this type of connectedness on one stop and HDMI on the other.
USB-C port: Many modernistic laptops have only this kind of connectedness. Usually you'll simply need an adapter (USB-C to HDMI) and it volition piece of work fine, but sometimes it might not work at all. MacBooks from the concluding few years should work, equally will Microsoft Surface laptops and many others. Annotation that USB-C uses the same physical connection every bit Apple'sThunderbolt 3. Check your calculator'south specs to double-check what connector/adapter yous might need.
A USB-C-to-HDMI cable, and the various devices that it's possible to connect.
HDMI LicensingMore wired tips: There are so many varieties of laptops out there, nosotros can't brand a blanket statement that a particular adapter will work for your PC. If you're not sure, Google your brand and model earlier you buy whatsoever kind of adapter.
Besides, in some cases the quality might exist diminished. You as well won't likely get HDR or 4K resolution, for example, then if you desire the best image quality for videos, you should use a different method to get the videos to your Goggle box, like a Roku or Blu-ray role player.
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Wireless connections
There are a few options to skip the wires completely. Again, information technology depends on what computer you have, as well as the capabilities of your TV (or the streaming device connected to your Tv set).
If you accept an Apple tree estimator: The easiest way is to utiliseAirPlay. Only you'll need a device that supports it, namely:
- Apple tree Idiot box
- Apple TV 4K
- A TV that's Air Play 2 compatible, namely a 2019 TV from Samsung, Sony, LG or Vizio.
If yous have a Windows PC: There's something chosen Miracast, though information technology's not equally widespread as "all recent Apple products" like AirPlay. Your Windows laptop should have the tech born. On the Television receiver side, devices that support Miracast include:
- Roku streamers
- A handful of TVs (hither's a list)
- Wireless brandish adapters that plug into your TV
The Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter looks like just a cable, only has the wireless receiver inside, powered past your TV's USB port.
MicrosoftIf yous accept a Chromebook: Computers that run Google'south Chrome Os can transport content to a TV wirelessly likewise. To employ information technology you'll need:
- Chromecast
- Chromecast Ultra
- Smart TVs with "Chromecast built-in," mainly Vizio but too some other brands.
- Nvidia Shield
- Sony TVs that run Android TV
Casting from a Chrome browser: If you don't have a Tv set device with AirPlay or Miracast compatibility you lot tin can withal mirror your screen from the Chrome browser on any laptop. Information technology works with any of the devices from the Chromebook list above. Only content on the browser will exist visible, and certain websites won't work.
You tin can too "bandage" content from a variety of mobile apps, similar Netflix or YouTube, to near smart TVs. This isn't screen mirroring, only if you lot're simply looking to become some content from your phone to a bigger screen, this is an easy manner to do information technology.
Google Chromecast lets you mirror your Chrome browser page on any Idiot box for $35.
Sarah Tew/CNETIf your intention is to play games, the lag from a wireless connection is probably going to prohibit any fun with games that require fast and authentic clicking, like with first-person shooters and racing games.
Accessories
If you lot want to up your game a bit, consider a few optional accessories. A wireless keyboard or mouse tin go a long fashion toward making your PC-on-TV experience easier. Here'due south a couple inexpensive options.
Wireless keyboard
Logitech K380
Sarah Tew/CNET
Put your laptop someplace to accuse, and simply keep a small, light keyboard on your lap. Nosotros like the Bluetooth Logitech K380 non to the lowest degree for its long battery life, only likewise its ability to toggle between devices, similar from your laptop to your tablet.
Wireless mouse
Logitech M590 Multi-device Silent
Logitech
There are a lot of wireless mouse options, but I like this 1 because it'due south comfy, and more than importantly, quiet. Instead of click-click-click, it sounds more like a light tapping on a table.
Settings tips
Your TV and your laptop's screen are probably different resolutions. In theory this won't be an consequence, but if you're finding text difficult to read, or overall the prototype looks poor, make certain the laptop'southward output matches your TV'due south resolution.
It'due south piece of cake to practise on both Windows and Mac. If you lot're likewise trying to send sound, that might need to be switched on as well, either past clicking the speaker button in the lower right on Windows, or in Organization Preferences on Mac.
On the TV side, make sure you lot disable your Television set'southward overscan. Information technology might be disabled automatically, merely if the edges of your desktop are cutoff, dig deep into your Television set's menus for something like "size" or "zoom." If y'all're gaming, likewise see if your TV has a game mode. This should assist reduce input lag, the delay between you pressing a button and that action showing up on screen. It's also a skilful idea to lower the sharpness control. I hateful, in general this is a practiced idea, but here specifically information technology should assistance y'all make out fine details better, like text.
A Television set'southward sharpness control usually only increases artificial edge enhancement, masking fine details and adding noise. Note the "halo" around the objects in the version on the right.
Geoffrey Morrison/CNETSpeaking of text, if you're trying to work from your couch it's likely that despite the extra screen size, text is still likewise pocket-sized. If that'southward the case, yous tin can suit text size on Windows and Mac. You tin besides utilize the zoom controls in certain apps, like Chrome browsers.
If y'all're not getting an prototype on screen at all, endeavour unplugging the HDMI and plugging it back in (with the Television on), and if that doesn't work, leave it all plugged in but plow the TV off then on. This is trite advice for a reason: information technology solves and then many bug.
Practiced luck, and if you have whatever favorite PC-to-Idiot box tips, let usa know in the comments.
Got a question for Geoff? Beginning, bank check out all the other articles he'south written on topics such as why you lot shouldn't buy expensive HDMI cables, TV resolutions explained, how HDR works and more.
Still have a question? Tweet at him @TechWriterGeoff, then check out his travel adventures as a digital nomad on Instagram and YouTube. He also thinks yous should check out his all-time-selling sci-fi novel almost city-sized submarines and its sequel.
How to Know if You Can Cast From Laptop to Tv
Source: https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/how-to-connect-your-laptop-to-your-tv-wirelessly-or-with-hdmi/
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