How to Connect My Dell Laptop to My TV

Owning a Dell laptop computer makes it easy to enjoy various types of media. Whether you're surfing the Internet, watching movies or listening to music, it's all accessible from a device no larger than a briefcase. But it's exactly this compact size that may make viewing content intended for larger screens a little difficult. The good news is there are ways to connect your Dell laptop to your home television screen, and you don't have to be tech savvy.

Plug the end of the digital visual interface (DVI) adapter into the outlet on the side of your Dell laptop. You'll know where it goes because the prongs of the DVI adapter are unique to one port on the computer.

Plug one end of the video graphics array (VGA) connector into the DVI adaptor and fit the other end into the appropriate outlet in the back of your television.

Go to the main menu on your Dell laptop and choose "System Preferences" from the main file menu. Then click "Displays" and then "Detect displays." Your computer will detect the connection, and your computer's display will be on the television screen.

Plug the stereo adapter in the headphone jack in your computer.

Connect one end of the composite/phono plug (RCA) cables to the stereo adapter and the other end to the A/V inputs in your TV.

Play music or video on your computer to check if the audio is coming through the television. If it is, your Dell is hooked up to your TV.