How to Connect a Laptop Mic to TV Speakers
By Jeff Grundy
When using the microphone in your laptop to record or video chat, you normally don’t need to hear your own voice through the speakers in the computer. However if you want to use the microphone for speaking to an audience, singing or any other task where you need to hear your voice amplified, the speakers in the laptop may not produce adequate sound levels. If you have a TV with stereo speakers and an audio input, you can connect the laptop to the television to get sound that is more robust from the microphone.
Step 1
Power off the television.
Step 2
Connect the mic to the "Microphone In" port on the laptop if not using the built-in microphone.
Step 3
Press "Windows-I," and then click "Control Panel." Click "Hardware and Sound," and then select "Manage Audio Devices" under the Sound header.
Step 4
Select the "Recording" tab, and then highlight the device name of the laptop's integrated microphone or the external mic if using one. Click the "Properties" button.
Step 5
Click the "Advanced" tab in the Microphone Properties window. Click the check box next to the "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" option in the Exclusive Mode section to remove the check mark. Click the "Apply" button and then "OK."
Step 6
Highlight the device name of the microphone if it doesn’t have a green check mark next to it, and then click "Set Default." Click the "Apply" button and then "OK."
Step 7
Plug the 3.5mm end of the audio cable set into the "Headphone" jack on the laptop. Connect the other end of the cable set to the RCA plugs on the rear or the side of the TV labeled "Audio In" or something similar. When connecting the audio cables to the TV, note the name of the video input next to the RCA jacks (i.e. Video 1 or AUX Video.)
Step 8
Power on the TV. Use the remote control to select the input source used to connect the laptop and the TV. Adjust the volume on the TV to an appropriate level.
Step 9
Speak into the integrated laptop microphone or the external mic. When speaking into the microphone, you can hear your voice over the speakers in the television.
References
Warnings
- Information in this article applies to Windows 8 and WIndows 8.1. Procedures may vary with other versions of Windows.
Writer Bio
Jeff Grundy has been writing computer-related articles and tutorials since 1995. Since that time, Grundy has written many guides to using various applications that are published on numerous how-to and tutorial sites. Born and raised in South Georgia, Grundy holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.