How to Use a TV as a Second Computer Monitor

Connect the computer to the TV

Find your computer's video output port. Nearly every computer has at least one video output port:

Windows

HDMI – Six-sided port, tapered at one end. Transmits both images and sounds.

DisplayPort – Like a USB port but with one corner squeezed. Transmits both images and sounds.

VGA – Blue trapezoid with many holes inside. VGA only transmits images. You need to use a separate cable (such as an A/V cable) to transmit audio.

Mac

HDMI – Usually found on Macs manufactured between 2012 and 2016. It is also found on the back of iMac computers.

Thunderbolt 3 (also known as "USB-C") – Located on the sides of modern MacBooks and on the back of iMacs. The USB-C cable cannot be connected directly to the TV, but you can purchase a USB-C to HDMI adapter.

Find your TV's video input options. The video input section is usually located on the side or back of the TV. Nearly every modern TV has an HDMI port. If your TV has such a port, make it a priority to use it.

DVI, VGA, and A/V are other common input ports.

Determine whether you need an adapter. If both your computer and TV have the same type of port (such as HDMI), you won't need an adapter. If not, you'll need a [computer port] to [TV port] cable or adapter (for example, USB-C to HDMI).

In some cases, such as USB-C to HDMI or VGA to HDMI, you can use a single cable instead of an adapter.

Buy all the cables and adapters you need. You can usually buy cables and adapters at tech stores like Best Buy or online on sites like Amazon and eBay.

Plug one end of the cable into the computer. The cable needs to be plugged into your computer's video output port.

Plug the other end into the TV.

If you buy an adapter to connect two separate cables, you will now plug the computer cable into one end of the adapter and connect the other end of the adapter to the other cable, then plug that remaining cable into the TV.

Connect the audio cable if necessary. If you connect your computer to your TV using HDMI to HDMI or DisplayPort to HDMI, you don't need an additional cable to transmit audio to the TV. In other cases, such as connecting from a VGA port to an HDMI port, you will have to use a separate audio cable to transmit sound from the computer to the TV.

Use a standard 3.5 mm stereo cable to connect the audio output port on your computer to the audio input port appropriate for the video input being used. The audio output port on a computer is usually blue and has an icon that shows it sends the signal out.

Turn on the TV. Press the Power button (On/Off).

Choose the right input. Use the remote to turn on and switch the TV to input mode transmitted by the computer. This option is often clearly stated, such as "HDMI 1" or "1".

You can also use the Input or Video button on TV to toggle between supported input options.

Wait for the computer screen to appear. Once the computer screen appears on the TV, you can proceed to adjust the display settings to set up the TV screen as desired.

Change display settings on Windows

Open Start. Click the Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen. The Start menu will open.

Open Settings. Click on the gear icon located at the bottom left of the menu.

Go to System . This is a computer-shaped icon located on the Settings window.

Click the Display tab . This option is on the left side of the Display window.

Scroll down to the "Multiple displays" section. This section is near the bottom of the page.

Click the "Multiple displays" drop-down box. A menu will drop down.

Click Extend these displays . This is an option in the drop-down box. The TV screen will act as a continuation of the computer screen (instead of simply displaying it again).

Use your expanded TV screen. When you move the mouse over the right edge of the computer screen, your mouse will run across the TV screen and at this point, you can continue to use the computer as normal.

All content on the computer screen remains the same as before expanding the display.

View TV as a monitor located directly to the right of your computer screen.

Change display settings on Mac

Open the Apple menu. Click the Apple logo located in the upper left corner of the screen. A menu will drop down.

Click System Preferences… (System Preferences). This option is near the top of the drop-down menu. The System Preferences window will appear.

Click Displays . This is an icon shaped like a computer screen in the middle of the System Preferences window.

Click the Displays tab located in the upper left corner of the window.

Change your TV's resolution. Check the "Scaled" box and then choose a resolution.

You cannot select a resolution higher than the TV's built-in resolution (such as 4K).

Change screen ratio. Click and drag the "Underscan" slider located at the bottom of the page to the left to show more content on the TV or to the right to enlarge the screen.

Thanks to that, in case the image on the TV is too big or too small, you can adjust the Mac screen to fit the TV.

Click the Arrangement tab . It's at the top of the window.

Uncheck the "Mirror displays" box. Thanks to that, the TV will not simply display what is on the Mac screen.

Skip this step if the box above is not already checked.

Move the TV screen icon if necessary. It's usually a larger rectangle at the top of the window, to the right of the Mac desktop icon. You can click and drag the TV icon to the right if needed.

The desktop icon with the white bar at the top is your Mac's desktop icon.

Use an expanded TV screen. Move the mouse beyond the right edge of the computer screen to bring it over the TV screen. Here, you can continue to use your computer as usual.

All content on the computer screen will remain the same as before expanding the screen.

Kareem Winters

Update 07 November 2023