How to Connect a Laptop to a TV

Sooner or later most households want to see a laptop on the television. It might be holiday photos for the whole family, a presentation you want to rehearse at full size, a video call with relatives or a film that only lives on your computer. The good news is that nearly every modern laptop and TV can talk to each other. The trick is knowing which connection you have, and which setting to change once the picture appears.

Step one: look at the ports on both devices

Before buying anything, check the sides of the laptop and the back or side panel of the television. The connection you can use depends entirely on what is there.

• HDMI. A flat, slightly tapered socket. If both devices have one, this is the simplest option, and it carries picture and sound together.
• USB-C. Many slim laptops have dropped full-size HDMI. A USB-C port can send video only if it supports display output, which is often marked with a small display or lightning symbol next to the socket. Your laptop's manual or spec sheet will confirm it.
• Older sockets. VGA and DVI still turn up on older machines. They carry video only, so sound has to travel separately, through the laptop speakers or a separate audio lead.

Note the input labels on the TV as well, such as HDMI 1 or HDMI 2. You will need them in a moment.

The wired route, step by step

1. Switch on the TV and the laptop.
2. Plug one end of the lead into the laptop and the other into a free HDMI input on the television. If your laptop only has USB-C, use a USB-C to HDMI adapter or a lead with USB-C on one end and HDMI on the other.
3. Press the input or source button on the TV remote and pick the socket you used.
4. Give the laptop a few seconds. Most machines detect the new screen on their own and show something straight away.

A wired connection is usually the steadiest choice for films and sport, because nothing depends on the home network having a good evening.

Going wireless instead

Many smart TVs accept a laptop screen without any lead at all. On Windows, press the Windows key and K together to open the Cast panel, which lists compatible displays nearby. On a Mac, the screen mirroring control in Control Center shows televisions and streaming devices that support Apple's own wireless standard. Some TVs need screen mirroring switched on in their settings menu first.

Wireless is convenient for photos, documents and video calls. Expect a little delay, though, which can make fast games or live sport feel slightly out of step. Both devices also need to be on the same home network.

Choose how the TV should behave

Once the picture appears, decide what the TV is for. On Windows, press the Windows key and P to see the options:

On a Mac, open System Settings, then Displays, and choose whether to mirror the built-in screen or use the TV as an extended display.

When something is not quite right

There is a picture but no sound

The laptop may still be sending audio to its own speakers. Click the speaker icon in the taskbar or menu bar and pick the television as the output device. With VGA or DVI, sound will not travel over the video lead at all.

The image looks soft or cut off

Open the display settings and set the TV to its recommended resolution. If the edges of the desktop disappear, look for a picture size or aspect setting on the TV, often called something like "just scan" or "screen fit", which stops the set from zooming in slightly.

Motion looks jerky

Check the refresh rate in the advanced display settings. Our explainer on what refresh rate means for TVs and monitors covers which numbers matter and why a lead or port can limit them.

Nothing appears at all

Try another HDMI input, reseat the lead firmly at both ends and restart the laptop with the lead already connected. If you are using USB-C, confirm the port supports video out; a charging-only port will never show a picture. Updating the laptop's graphics driver can also help when a recent system update has changed how external screens behave.

A small upgrade with a big payoff

Connecting a laptop is one of the cheapest ways to make an ordinary television more useful, and it pairs well with the way living rooms are already changing. If you are curious how internet-delivered channels fit into that picture, our piece on why IPTV is becoming the heart of smart living rooms is a good next read. Once you have done the connection once, the second time takes about as long as finding the remote.