How to Connect My Desktop to My TV to Watch Netflix (13 Steps)
By Dan Stone
You can watch Netflix on a TV through your desktop computer by configuring the television as a monitor. In the simplest configuration, you connect the TV and computer using a single HDMI cable. Both devices must use a mutually supported connection type, and you can set up the TV as an alternative primary monitor or a secondary screen.
Connect a PC to a TV As a Secondary Monitor
Step 1
Connect the VGA or HDMI cable to an available video port on the computer.
Step 2
Connect the other end of the VGA or HDMI cable to a open video port on the TV.
Step 3
Connect one end of the 3.5 mm audio cable to the green audio jack on the back of the computer, and connect the other end to the TV.
Step 4
Turn on the TV and the computer.
Step 5
Right-click on your computer desktop and select "Screen Resolution."
Step 6
Click on the drop-menu next to "Multiple displays" and select "Extend these displays." Click "OK."
Step 7
Switch to the computer's port type as the video source, open Netflix in a Web browser and move the browser window to the television to watch Netflix on your TV.
Connect a PC to a TV As a Primary Monitor
Step 1
Connect the VGA or HDMI cable and the 3.5 mm cable to the corresponding ports on the TV.
Step 2
Disconnect the monitor cable from the computer.
Step 3
Connect the free end of the TV's VGA or HDMI cable to the display port on the desktop computer.
Step 4
Connect the free end of the 3.5 mm cable to the computer's green audio jack.
Step 5
Turn on the TV. The computer will automatically configure itself to use the TV as its display.
Step 6
Switch to the computer's port type as the video source and open Netflix in the Web browser to watch Netflix on your TV.
References
- Microsoft Windows: Beyond the Basics
- Microsoft Windows: Connect Multiple Monitors to Your PC
- PC World: Decide Between VGA, DVI, and HDMI for Your Monitor Connection
- PC World: How to Set Up Multiple Monitors in Windows 8
- Computer Hope: How to Display a Computer IMage on a TV or Projector
- Tech Radar: How Do I Connect My Laptop to My TV
Tips
- Use a peripheral graphics card video port if applicable. If the computer has a peripheral graphics card, the video ports can be found in the expansion slot ports. The text on the back of the TV should specify which ports the 3.5 mm jack works with. Computers with an integrated video card on the motherboard may feed the audio through the HDMI port, making the 3.5 mm cable unnecessary.
- If the desktop computer only has DVI video ports, you can use a DVI-to-VGA or DVI-to-HDMI adapter to convert the connection cable to the TV's compatible standard before performing the first step of either process. The adapter connects to the DVI port on the computer.
- If your desktop computer supports multiple monitors, configuring the TV as a secondary monitor is a convenient solution; otherwise, you will have to manually switch between the TV and monitor. The computer must have an open video connection port -- VGA, DVI or HDMI -- to be the screen as a secondary monitor.
Writer Bio
Dan Stone started writing professionally in 2006, specializing in education, technology and music. He is a web developer for a communications company and previously worked in television. Stone received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a Master of Arts in communication studies from Northern Illinois University.