If you are tired of seeing the tiny screen of your laptop, maybe it is time to shift to the bigger screen of your television. It will allow you to enjoy a better screen viewing experience while you are sitting and relaxing on your couch. You can use it to enjoy a video, attend meetings, play games and even enjoy a video chat with the enhanced experience of using an HDTV screen.
In fact, there are a lot of people who nowadays use their televisions as the display very often. Some companies also prefer making presentations on television screens. If you also want to use your television for the display but are confused about how to get your laptop connected, then you are at the right place. Read on to know how to get your laptop, and connected to your TV and all their connectivity.
Is It Possible To Connect A Laptop To Any TV?
Contrary to what some people believe, most devices can be connected to a television. Most HDTV’s nowadays come with the feature of WiFi Direct. You can use this feature to connect your television to other devices such as laptops and smartphones. In this article, we have mentioned different methods which you can use to connect your laptop to your television and enjoy the immersive display of your laptop. We have mentioned a method for a Windows laptop, a MacBook as well as a Chromebook. Besides, we have also mentioned another wired method that can be used universally. In fact, reading this you will realize that getting them connected is actually a lot easier than one might think.
What Is The Difference Between Mirroring And Extending?
While a lot of people may think that mirroring and extending the laptop screen are the same things, there is a difference between the two. While mirroring refers to displaying the same screen, which is your laptop screen, on the television. In other words, both the devices will show the same screen. On the other hand, screen extending is a different technique in which you display some content, that is from your laptop on the television. For example in screen extension, you can display a youtube video on your television, while you can work on an excel sheet on your laptop. This is a bit more complicated process. In this article, we will be talking about how you can mirror your laptop screen to your TV.
Connecting Your Laptop To Your TV Wirelessly
Here are three different methods which can be used to connect your laptop to your television. The first one is for those who use a Windows Laptop, the second for MacBook users and the third one is for people using a Chromebook.
Method 1: Wifi Direct For Windows Users
To use this method, first of all, make sure that both your laptop and Television support this feature. While most of the laptops which are manufactured these days have this feature, it is always best to confirm. If you are uncertain about whether the laptop you use allows for this feature or not, then you can check it online by searching for the features which are supported by the processor of your laptop. Similarly, you can check if your television supports this feature. This feature is also often known as Miracast.
Once you have made sure that both of the devices support this feature, you can follow the instructions which have been provided below to get them connected.
- Switch on the television and press the home button present on the remote control
- Go to the application and then select WiFi Direct Mode
- Next, switch on your laptop
- Open Control Panel from the start option
- Click on the option “Network and Internet”
- Now select “Connect to a network”
- You will be able to see the list of available devices near you to which you can connect. You will be able to see the SSID of your televisions. In the case of televisions from Sony, you will be able to see something like- DIRECT-xx-BRAVIA. If you are confused about the SSID, you can check it on your television
- Select the device you want to connect to and then click on “connect”
- A security key window will appear. Enter the WPA key which will be displayed on your television. Please note that this WPA key is case sensitive so enter the exact code which is shown on the television screen.
On entering the correct WPA key, your television will get connected to your laptop. Now you will be able to enjoy the HD display of your laptop for various reasons.
Method 2: AirPlay For MacBook Users
While the above method only works for those people who have a Windows laptop, for those using Apple computers or MacBooks there is another method. In this method, you use AirPlay to connect your laptop to your TV.
For this method, you need to have an Apple TV or a TV from other manufacturers which support AirPlay 2. If you are not sure if your TV has these features or not, you can search for it on the internet. On the other hand, you can also check for it on the manual provided with the television. Once, have confirmed that this feature is supported, you can follow the steps which have been provided below to get your Macbook connected to your television.
- First of all, ensure that both your television and laptop are connected to the same WiFi connection.
- Switch on your MacBook
- Next, open the website or the page which you want to display on your television.
- Go to video playback options and choose the options screen mirroring
- A list of available devices to which you can mirror your screen will be displayed
- Now select the television to which you want to mirror your screen to
- Click on “Connect” and the screen will be displayed on your television screen
Once you’re done working and would like to terminate your Mac mirroring session, choose Stop AirPlay from the AirPlay menu. Your Mac will discontinue mirroring and your TV might become accessible again instantly.
Method 3: Chromecast using Google Chromebook
If you use a Chromebook, then you can use a Chromecast to mirror the screen. For this method, users will need a Chromecast. To connect them using Chromecast, you need to follow the given instructions:
- Initially, the Chromecast needs to be connected to an HDMI port in the television.
- Choose HDMI input where you have plugged in the Chromecast using your remote control.
- Switch on your laptop and open Google Chrome
- Click on “Cast”
- When you are connecting the device to your television for the first time, you will have to complete the setup. To complete the setup just follow the instructions which are shown on the television screen.
- After completing the setup process, you will be able to see the option “Cast devices available”, on the right side of the screen. Click on it.
- You will be able to see the list of all casting options which are available to you.
- Choosing the option Internal Display will enable you to mirror your entire screen.
You are all done, now you can open up Netflix and enjoy your favorite show on your television. Alternatively, you can also watch videos on Youtube.
What To Do If None Of These Methods Work?
Three methods have been mentioned above for three different types of laptops that you might be using. However, it is possible that your television might not support any of these. Probably, it won’t support these if it is an old version.
Does it mean that you cannot get your laptop connected to your television? No, these were just wireless methods. There is still a method that is bound to work irrespective of the model of your television. This method is that of using a wired connection. While there are a few cons of using the wired connection, this method will still work.
Cons Of Using A Wired Connection
You might wonder why we are saying that wireless connections should be preferred over wired ones. Here are some of the cons of using a wired connection to get your laptop connected to a TV:
- You will have to keep your laptop within the range of your wire
- Moving the laptop while not disturbing the connection of your TV would be quite a challenge
- You might require an adapter to get them connected
- Televisions that are mounted on walls will have the wires visible and will look bad
Pros Of Using An Hdmi Port To Connect Your Laptop To Your Television
After reading the list of cons, you might think that there is not much utility in getting your laptop connected to a television. However, this is an old technique that also has some benefits. Here are some of the advantages of using a wired connection.
- Wired Connections can be used and are supported for all televisions.
- The lag time is very less when you are using a wired connection
- Wired Connections are often more reliable
- The picture quality is also better when you are using a wired connection for getting your laptop connected to a TV
- This method is also considered the easiest one
How To Use An HDMI Port To Connect Your Laptop To Your Television?
You can use this method to connect your laptop to any Television, even the ones which are not smart TVs. You will need an HDMI port for this method. For those who are unfamiliar with what an HDMI port is, it is just a cable that is connected to different devices to get them connected. Both the ends of an HDMI port are the same so it does not matter which end you connect to which device. Follow the instruction which has been provided below to set up the connection.
- Connect one end of the HDMI port to the port for the input of HDMI on your laptop.
- Connect the other end of the HDMI port to your television
- Now, using your remote(for the television) choose the HDMI port to which you have connected the cable.
Conclusion
Connecting a laptop to a Television can have a lot of benefits and you can use it for various purposes. In fact, once you get them connected, you will be able to find a lot of reasons to use the Television again and again. You should give this one try.
Besides, you can also pair them up with some other accessories which can make the overall experience even more enjoyable. You can use a keyboard and mouse to make the PC on TV option a lot more convenient.