How to Stream From a Laptop to a TV With No Delay
By Shea Laverty
As more entertainment media becomes available online, the ability to stream content from a laptop computer to your television becomes increasingly valuable. If you're looking to stream without any delay in audio or video, your best bet is to utilize a direct HDMI cable connection between your television and laptop. HDMI not only streams seamlessly, but also retains high-definition picture and sound quality, allowing you to stream HD content as it was meant to be seen and heard.
Step 1
Connect an HDMI cable to the HDMI-out port on your laptop.
Step 2
Connect the other end of the cable to an HDMI-in port on your television.
Step 3
Turn on your television and switch to the appropriate input channel.
Step 4
Hover your mouse in the lower-right corner until the Charms bar appears, and then click "Devices."
Step 5
Click "Second Screen," followed by either "Duplicate" or "Extend." The former duplicates your laptop's screen on the television, while the latter makes the television display the Desktop view as an extension of the original monitor.
Step 6
Click the "File Explorer" icon from the Desktop view on either display.
Step 7
Click "Desktop" from the File Explorer window, and then click "Control Panel | Hardware and Sound | Display | Adjust Resolution."
Step 8
Select the second monitor, click the "Resolution" drop-down menu to open the resolution adjustment slider, and then adjust as necessary so the desktop displays correctly on your television.
Step 9
Operate your laptop as normal if using "Duplicate," or drag windows you wish to view on the television from the Desktop view on the laptop to the Desktop view on the television if using "Extend."
References
Tips
- If your laptop or television don't support HDMI, find a compatible cable for your devices and connect the two devices. Depending on the cable type, you may need a separate audio cable, as many cable types -- like component, DVI and VGA -- are all video-only solutions.
- While some computers automatically begin displaying the desktop on the screen, some may disable the secondary display by default. In either case, adjust the resolution through the Resolution menu in order to properly fit the desktop to your television and get the most from your big-screen experience.