How to connect a laptop to TV using HDMI

How to connect a laptop to TV with HDMI and more: watch movies and video from a laptop on a TV

If you have the right cable or hardware then it's easy to watch iPlayer or any other video from your laptop on your TV. We show you how to connect your laptop to a TV.

Connecting your laptop to your TV is actually very easy: all you need is the right cable, lead or streaming hardware and you'll be watching content from your laptop on your television in no time. We'll take you through how to connect your laptop to a TV in this step-by-step guide which includes wireless, HDMI, VGA and other methods. See allLaptop tips and tutorials.
You don't have to spend a small fortune to get all the features of the latest smart TVs. One cheap and easy way to get the internet on your TV is to connect it to your laptop. Doing this lets you stream catch-up TV from services such as BBC iPlayer, Sky Go and Netflix through your laptop onto your big TV screen, or even projector.

What cables do I need to connect my laptop to a TV?

In order to connect your laptop to your TV you are going to need to take a look at what ports are available on both your laptop and TV. This easiest way to connect the two is with an HDMI cable. Unless your laptop is really old, or was a super-budget model, it should have an HDMI output. Virtually all TVs made in the last six years or so also have HDMI ports. (The HDMI port is highlighted in red below.)

Another popular way to connect a laptop to a TV is via a VGA cable and a 3.5mm audio lead(which connects to your laptop's headphone port) - one cable each for video and sound. Only use this method if one or both of your devices doesn't have an HDMI port. The Vble is the best and easiest way, as cables are cheap and provide the best quality HD picture and sound. It only requires one lead too, as HDMI handles both video and audio.
To connect a laptop to a TV using a HDMI cable, all you need to do is plug the cable into your laptop and then one of your HDMI ports on your TV. If you're using an up-to-date version of Windows, all that you should need to do is ensure your laptop is switched on, and your TV is set to the correct HDMI channel, the laptop should automatically configure to give you the best settings from here. (See also How to speed up a slow PC)

If for some reason it does not automatically select the right setting, you simplGA port is labeled as PC IN on the image below.

Connecting a laptop to a TV via a HDMI cay need to go to Control Panel > Display > Adjust Resolution - from here you will see two drop down boxes. The first thing you will need to do is toggle the Display drop down to ensure that your TV is selected, next you need to ensure that the Resolution drop down box matches the settings that are correct for your TV.

1.    Turn your laptop and TV on.
2.    Connect your HDMI lead to both your TV and laptop (any order).
3.    Select the correct HDMI input on your TV (usually by pressing the AV button).
4.    If your laptop does not automatically output its screen to the TV, go to Control Panel > Display > Adjust Resolution and select the TV in the Display drop down box.