How Do I Connect My Computer To A TV Via HDMI? How To Output Sound And Image Using A Wire?

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-18 12:09

As a result of pairing a personal computer with a TV, the latter will function as a monitor. This is most important for those who want to play video with maximum quality for comfortable viewing on a large screen. If one user can watch, for example, a movie on a PC, then it will be inconvenient for the company. It is for this reason that many are interested in how to connect a computer to a TV via an HDMI cable, and what features this method of pairing devices has.

Cable selection

Initially, it should be noted that the main purpose of the described type of wire and connectors is the operational transmission of audio and video signals with the maximum level of quality. In order to choose the right cable in each specific case, you should know what its varieties exist. These are the following HDMI cable options on the market today.

1. Standart and Standart with Ethernet.
2. High Speed and High Speed with Ethernet.
3. Standard Automotive.

Each of the listed species looks different and has certain characteristics. First of all, we are talking about the transmission speed and signal quality. When choosing, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the TV, so if the device supports all existing formats, including 4K and 8K, then an HDMI conductor will also need an appropriate one (series at least 2.0). In addition, the list of criteria includes the following important points.

• Material , from which the cord is made, directly affecting the performance of the conductor.
• Connector processing method . There is an opinion that the best option is gilding, which effectively protects against oxidation. It should be borne in mind that this material can interfere with the passage of the signal due to increased resistance. Also, gold is not durable. Cables with titanium nitride plated connectors are now in demand.
• Transmission (transmission) range of signals . Manufacturers guarantee high speed and consistent sound and picture quality with a cord length of up to 10 meters. If this parameter exceeds the specified value, then a signal amplifier is required.
• The quality of the outer sheath of the wire . In most cases, we are talking about a PVC layer, which is a fairly strong material, but not characterized by high levels of flexibility. This will be the best option for home use, and in other cases, it is recommended to opt for a nylon braided cable.
• Connector type, which is one of the most important characteristics . So, if you want to connect a regular PC and TV, you will need a series "A" connector. If you need to synchronize car devices, then you should choose the "E" series. In situations with tablets or smartphones, you will need wires with connectors of categories "C" and "D".
• Index and series , the choice of which is determined by the parameters of the transmitted signal.

To choose the right HDMI cable, you should pay special attention to the surface condition when buying it ., on which even minor kinks and creases should be absent. Otherwise, the risk of damage to the wire cores increases. For many, cost is a key criterion. Basically, you can buy an inexpensive cable to connect your computer to your TV. However, it should be noted that for 3D mode you will need a cable of version 1.4 or higher.

Connection methods

First of all, it is worth paying attention to the requirements for the connection in question. So, it is possible to connect a PC to a TV if the following conditions are met:

• the presence of an HDMI output in the PC;
• the presence of the corresponding input on the TV board or the presence of adapters;
• the presence of an HDMI wire of the required series;
• support for the same expansion by paired devices;
• fully functioning PC operating system Windows 7 and higher.

Among other things, the length of the conductor should be chosen correctly. Now you can buy wires, the length of which reaches 20 meters . However, in such situations, it is important to consider the risk of degrading the quality of the transmitted signal. In some cases, it is necessary to move the TV to the wall, which in itself can complicate the connection of the PC. Most often, there is not enough space to connect the connector. But this is not a reason to search for a new location for equipment.

To date, a whole list of adapters is available that will help you find a way out of a difficult situation . Most often, you can get by with an adapter with a left or right output. Another fairly common option is the use of so-called swivels. These are swivel adapters that can rotate 360 degrees.

Such a hinge connection has managed to prove itself from an extremely positive side due to its versatility.

To a TV with HDMI output

First of all, before connecting the computer to the TV, you must de-energize both devices. Otherwise, there is a risk of damage to the HDMI interfaces, which will make it impossible to receive a signal from the PC. Also, the danger of failure of the TV card or computer video card is not excluded.

If there is an appropriate input, the procedure for connecting both expensive and budget TV models is the same. You will need to connect the cable to the correct jack on the TV card. It is important to keep in mind that some models have multiple HDMI ports. After that, after checking the density of the connections, turn on the paired devices and analyze the pictures displayed on the two screens. In a TV situation, the following options are possible.

• "The cable is not connected to the TV."
• "Weak signal or no signal."
• "Requires PC signal check and wire connection."

Correcting this situation is quite simple. To do this, using the remote control, you need to change the signal source on the TV. In the corresponding menu, you will need to select the "External" item, and then "HDMI ". All that remains is to confirm your actions by clicking "OK". If all the described manipulations were performed correctly, then the PC desktop should be displayed on the TV screen. Otherwise, additional settings will be required.

Using adapters

Sometimes, when trying to pair the described devices, users encounter certain problems. We are talking, in particular, about the lack of outputs and inputs of the appropriate format . This applies to both a personal computer and a TV. In the first case, if it was not possible to find the desired output on the PC motherboard, the use of an HDMI-DVI format adapter will help to solve the problem.

The situation in which there is only one input on the TV board, and several devices must be connected at the same time, deserves special attention . A special adapter in the form of an HDMI-switch set-top box will come to the rescue here. It is worth considering that this gadget comes with its own remote control. This device allows you to quickly and comfortably switch between signal sources.

In practice, most often you have to deal with the lack of the desired port on the TV, which is most important for older models. In such cases, you cannot do without adapters, which are compact devices. Their installation does not require any special skills and is intuitive.

Today, manufacturers on the market offer potential buyers more than a wide range of adapters

• HDMI - HDMI, which allows you to transfer a signal between paired devices without any interference and with maximum purity.
• HDMI to DVI is an adapter for connecting more innovative connectors with previous generation technical solutions. The latter is the DVI format.
• HDMI - Mini HDMI and - micro HDMI for connecting laptops, tablets, smartphones, cameras, camcorders and other gadgets.
• HDMI - DisplayPort is an adapter designed to connect devices via HDMI to TVs with DisplayPort connectors. At the same time, high-quality support for resolutions up to 1920X1200 is provided. As a result, the user gets full access to new technologies when using old models of equipment.
• HDMI - Mini DisplayPort is an adapter with which you can successfully pair your computer and HDTV.
• HDMI - USB 2.0.

In addition to all of the above, you can find HDMI - VGA and HDMI - RCA adapters on sale. Based on the names, you can understand that in the first case we are talking about connecting devices with VGA-input. The second type of adapters is designed to interface a PC and old CRT TV models.

How to setup?

In the vast majority of cases, after the cables are connected, it is required to set up the paired PC and TV. In this case, the control of parameters, depending on the situation, can be carried out both from one or the other device. You should also take into account the number of screens to which you need to switch the picture from the desktop.

If only one TV is connected, then the signal transmission will usually occur immediately . In such situations, it is recommended to disconnect the PC monitor from the system unit. In some cases, it is required to split the picture into several external TV screens, which will require special parameter settings.

One display

In this situation, after the operating system is loaded, it will be necessary to decide on the correct choice of screen resolution. To do this, just right-click on the free zone of the desktop and select the desired parameter. It is important to take into account that the higher this indicator, the clearer the picture will turn out . However, this will make the screen images smaller. By the way, the system itself automatically sets the maximum resolution supported by the PC.

LCD TVs, like computer monitors, are designed to display a picture with a certain number of pixels vertically and horizontally, which in both cases is the matrix resolution . When setting non-standard parameters, the TV automatically starts scaling the resolution. This in itself can degrade the quality of the picture, which in the end may turn out to be fuzzy (blurry).

If the TV supports the now popular Full HD format (resolution 1920x1080), then it will normally display pictures in the size of 1280x720 . However, in this case, all the details of the image, as well as the font, will be enlarged. On HD Ready models, it makes no sense to set the mentioned resolution corresponding to the Full HD format, since its real indicators are 1366x768. However, it is recommended to go to the "Advanced" and "Monitor" tabs to set the refresh rate (with TV support, the best option would be from 60Hz).

It should be noted that in the indicated menu items the paired TV may not be listed under its own name . An option such as, for example, "Generic PnP Monitor" is possible. By the way, using the functions of these tabs, you can adjust the quality of the transmitted signal. So, if the picture is twitching, then you should try to select the item "True color (32 bit)".

It is important to remember that when making any adjustments, the system will automatically ask for confirmation of actions.

Multiple monitors

There are two options for the simultaneous operation of multiple screens. The user can choose to duplicate (clone) or extend the desktop of his personal computer . By the way, at the initial stage, the resolution for all monitors (this is how the PC operating system perceives connected TVs) will be the same, and it is most likely that it will not work to set individual parameters.

Taking into account the above, it can be understood that the best option would be to pair a computer and a TV with the same parameters . Otherwise, one of the devices involved will have to operate not on its wave. At a minimum, the equipment should be of the same format (for example, a monitor and a TV can be widescreen). If the monitor turns out to be square with an aspect ratio of 5: 4 or 3: 4, and the similar parameters of the TV screen are 16: 9, then there will be black stripes on the sides of the latter.

The desktop extension function allows you to use it in parallel on the monitor and on the screen of a TV connected via HDMI cable . Moreover, they will represent, as it were, one whole. It means that if you put two displays side by side, then in the process of moving around the desktop, the cursor will move from one screen to another. In this situation, the system will assign each of them a number that will be visible in front of its name. You can find out the number by clicking "define", after which the corresponding digit will be displayed on the entire display.

In the pictures with the image of monitors, their position in space is shown under the serial numbers . You can change it by dragging the corresponding icon with the mouse. After that, to complete the manipulation, you will need to click "Apply". In this case, one of the devices can be designated as the main one, and the "Start" menu will be displayed on it.

After pairing and setting for PC and TV, you can set individual extension and frequency parameters . It should be borne in mind that in the settings of video adapters of almost all well-known brands, activation of several displays is provided. For example, in situations with video cards of the GeForce series, you just need to right-click on an empty space on the desktop and select "NVidia Control Panel", and then go to the "Display" tab, where you can select the desired item.

Sound output

The task of pairing a PC and TV via an HDMI cable is to transfer both video and audio signals. It will be possible to transfer high-quality sound to the TV speakers for its further playback only if there is a sound card on the computer that supports High Definition Audio . To check this item, you need to go to the "Device Manager" and select "Sound, game and video devices" from the list. Unfortunately, one has to deal with the lack of sound when pairing the described technique quite often. At the same time, in the overwhelming majority of cases, we are not talking about technical problems. As a rule, the reasons lie in incorrect settings of devices and, in particular, of the operating system of a personal computer.

To troubleshoot the problem, you need the following

1. Go to the "Start" menu and write "Sound" in the search bar.
2. Open an item with a speaker icon in the list that appears.
3. Examine the list of devices in the window that opens.
4. If the equipment you are looking for is absent, open the menu in the empty space of the window that appears and select the item that displays the disabled devices.
5. Make sure that the list contains a TV connected to the PC.
6. Activate the paired device using the "Activate" function.
7. Disable all other devices on the list.
8. Confirm your actions.

Audio problems may be due to lack of high frequency audio support. In such a situation, it will be necessary to make sure that the corresponding function is present and that it is active. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Right-click on "My Computer".
2. Open the "Properties" item and go to the "Device Manager" tab. An alternative way to call the desired option is to use the Win and Pause Break button combinations.
3. Find the menu branch responsible for all sound, game, and video devices on your PC.

If, as a result of searches, it turns out that the desired item is missing, then you will need to reinstall the working, fresh drivers for the video adapter or update them. In addition to all of the above, the sound on the TV after connecting it to the computer may be absent due to the wrong choice of the connector. Some modern TV models have multiple HDMI ports.

By default, the one indicated first must support audio transmission. The rest of the slots, most likely, will have to be additionally configured for full use. As a rule, the TV settings menu, including the selection of the required operating mode, allows you to cope with such a task quite quickly.

Elimination of possible problems

In addition to the lack of audio signal already described above, when connecting in HDMI format, users have to face the following problems

• Poor (distorted) picture when connecting a high aspect ratio screen.
• There is a picture on the monitor, but a message appears on the TV that the cable is allegedly not connected. Sometimes there are situations in which the TV stopped seeing the PC, which is accompanied by similar inscriptions.

Problems with an incorrect extension are most often associated with a mismatch in the parameters of the connected devices. Unfortunately, in such cases it is not possible to get the same high-quality picture on two screens simultaneously . As a result, you will have to decide which of the monitors is most relevant at one time or another, and it is for it to set the optimal expansion value.

An alternative would be to purchase a monitor for a personal computer that supports the appropriate format (for example, Full HD), which in itself will eliminate all problems with the quality of the broadcast signal.

Summing up, it should be noted that connecting a computer to a TV via an HDMI cable itself is a fairly simple process . On the one hand, it is enough just to connect the wire to the corresponding sockets directly or through special adapters. At the same time, most of the problems associated with the transmission of video and audio signals, as well as their quality, are solved by the correct settings of the devices and the operating system of the connected PC.