Connect Computer to TV – Viewing your Computer on the TV Screen
Connect computer to tv without the hassle. It is often frustrating to view pictures or movies on our small computer screens when we’ve invested money an a larger HDTV. But with several ways to connect computer to TV you can have a better time seeing the movies you bought online or sharing pictures of your vacation with your loved ones. In the past, ways to connect computer to TV were very impossible as you needed large hardware to do so. But with the advent of digital technology for the television, these ways to connect computer to TV have become easier and the choices now are wider. With these ways to connect computer to tv, you can not only see the images on your TV screen but have the audio heard as well.
Checking the Hardware to Connect Computer to TV
To determine how to connect computer to TV you need to understand the video and audio input and output of both the computer and the TV. Look at the back of your computer and TV. There are ways to have adaptors for different types of connections, but the easiest way to connect computer to TV is if they both have the same type of input and output. A list of the different types of outputs and inputs are shown here:
- S-Video – a common feature for most TV’s although not all laptops have them. These jack ends are circular in shape and the connectors are either 4 pin or 7 pin. Both the computer and TV must have the same number of pins for this to work.
- VGA – this is the port used by most computer screens and laptops. While not a standard for TV screens, most if not all HDTV’s have VGA ports on them. You can directly connect computer to TV with these.
- HDMI – This is the standard connection for HD players and TV’s. The picture quality is better and videos and movies in HD can be better seen through this technology.
- DVI – Digital Video Interface, which is a common output for the graphics card of laptops or computers for HD use.
- Component Video – This has three separate connectors for the video signal and is colored Red, Green and Blue respectively. It is also a commonly found connection in most video players and TV’s but not in computers or laptops.
- Composite Video – It is a common input/output signal for most video devices. This send the video signal through one pin or jack (commonly called an RCA) which is colored yellow. It is commonly found in video players and TV’s.
Videosecu PC to TV converter
Your graphics card on your laptop or computer can often dictate how you can connect your computer to TV. Several cables are compatible with each other and will be discussed below.
Cables and Other Hardware to connect computer to tv
Cables are the next step to connect computer to TV. With direct same type cable to cable connections, you can easily connect computer to TV. If you have different output types, you need not worry as several cables can be adapted to the other form. VGA and S-Video adaptors are available so you can connect computer to TV if they have these different types of ports. Likewise HDMI and DVI cables can often be adapted to fit one another.
For the last resort, signal conversion to connect computer to TV will usually work for any situation. These devices which are also electronic in nature, convert the video signal from the computer to one that the TV can read. With this way you can connect your computer to TV easily.
Take note that signal conversion as well as adaptors may not always work and can also result in poor picture quality. This has both to do with the computer, the TV and the signal loss due to conversion. Direct and same type connection is always best to connect computer to TV.
Resolution Issues
Resolution issues can also be present when you connect computer to TV. For non digital or HD TV’s, the resolution problem may become more apparent. This is because the screen size of the computer is different from most TV screens. While HDTV’s and the computer or laptop can automatically detect the best resolution and adjust, there are some older models which can’t do this.
This usually results in poor to no image quality on the TV. You can try manually adjusting the settings of your screen resolution in order to have the best fit for your TV.
If you are still having problems when you’ve connected computer to TV try looking at the function keys of your laptop. Often these will have shortcuts you need to press along with the Fn key to change the output of the video from your laptop.
So go ahead and connect computer to TV and have fun seeing your files on the big screen!
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