How Do I Connect To My TV

Android TV And TV Dongle

What youll need:

• Android/TV Dongle

How to connect your TV to the internet using an Android or TV dongle

A TV dongle will act as a streaming device on super small scale . Set-up differs, depending on the dongle. The two most popular options right now include Chromecast and the Amazon Firestick. Another option includes Now TV .

Each dongle comes with different apps including games, social media and music.

How To Know If You Have A Smart TV

If your TV was made after 1994 theres a reasonably good chance its a smart TV. If your TV was made after 2010 its almost certainly a Smart TV.

One way to tell if your TV is Smart is to look through the menus. Do you see an option to watch Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming video services?

Even if you cant access those options right now just their presence in the menus indicates you have a smart TV.

If you already have a Smart TV, and you already have a home WiFi network, then connecting the two just makes sense. Heres what to do:

Dedicated Wireless TV Headphones

Dedicated wireless tv headphones are headphones that come with a base station. The base station acts a transmitter that is connected to the TV which will then transmit the audio signals to the headphones.

The base station is rarely disconnected from the TV, hence, the term dedicated. The upside of having a dedicated headphone is that you have immediate access to a wireless audio connection to the TV.

Dedicated wireless headphones come with different types of wireless connections. Other than the familiar Bluetooth connection, there are Radio Frequency and Infrared options. We have stated the pros and cons of Bluetooth, RF and IR headphones below.

• Slower transmission speed than RF and infrared
• Might cause laggy-ness or delay in audio transmission
• More setup steps required

Also Check: Screen Mirroring Without Apple TV

Connect Using Netflix 2nd Screen

The Netflix app on your mobile device has the ability to sync to select TVs and streaming media players, allowing you to control your Netflix experience from your phone or tablet.

To use your Android mobile device as a remote:

You can now fast forward, rewind, pause, or change the audio or subtitle settings from your mobile device.

How Do I Use Screen Mirroring On My iPhone With Apple TV

If you prefer convenience over a ton of cords, well show you how to use screen mirroring on iPhone. Its exactly what it sounds like: what you see on your iPhone screen is what youll see on your TV. That includes everything from battery level to pop-up message notifications to whatever you were reading or watchingso be careful when you use this option. You dont want everybody knowing your business.

How you go about it depends on what devices you have, but heres what to do if youre in the Apple ecosystem.

Just connect your iPhone to your AirPlaycompatible TV easily with an Apple TV and Apples AirPlay wireless protocol. This lets you stream videos, display photos, and other content directly or mirror your devices display on your TV. Its easier than it sounds, promise.

But if youre worried, heres exactly how to stream from your phone to your TVApple style.

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Connecting Your iPhone To Your Smart TV

Some models of smart TV actually have iPhone support built in look for a feature called Airplay on your TVs specs.

For TVs that dont support Airplay, there are specific apps, depending on the brand of your TV, that allows you to mirror what you are seeing on your iPhone on your TV. This way you can play games and stream your paid subscriptions on a big screen.

How To Mirror Content From Your Smartphone To Your TV: Android Screen Mirroring

Does your phone support screen mirroring?

If so then this is also another way to connect your Android phone to your TV. The good thing about screen mirroring is that you can use the Google Home app or the Cast button on your Android phone (check to see whether your phone has this button.

You will need to install the Google Home app from Google Playstore then sign in with your Gmail account to start using this feature.

To mirror your Android phone screen onto your TV, head over to the app then follow the process below:

• Go to Account.
• Click Cast Audio/Screen.

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Note: Smart TV Owners Can Use The Device Connector App Instead Of Following These Steps If Desired

Connect Your Android Phone To Your TV Using Dlna App

This is our last method of how to connect your Android phone to your TV wirelessly. You can also find out more about other methods.

A DLNA app helps users to stream media files from their Android phones to their TVs. Note that you can only stream files without Digital Rights Management. Read more here. This applies to videos that are DRM protected.

With this method, you need to connect your TV and Android phone to the same Wi-Fi.

To enable the DLNA feature on your Android phone, follow the steps below

• Tap the Apps Key from the Home screen of your Android.
• Go to Settings.
• Click on Share and Connect
• Go to Menu Key
• Click the Menu Key once again.
• Go to Settings.

Also Check: Does Apple TV Have Local Channels

How To Connect Your Android Phone To Your TV

You can stream your Android phone or tablet screen to a TV through screen mirroring, Google Cast, a third-party app, or linking it with a cable.

There are times when you’re watching something on your phone and you want to share it with the room or just see it on a bigger display. Those with Android devices have a few options, including built-in features, third-party apps, and cable hookups. Let’s break down your choices, from the simplest solution to the most complex.

Try The Screenbeam Mini2 Display Wireless Adapter

Actiontecs ScreenBeam Mini2 is a wireless display adapter. It is compatible with most Android mobile devices and is compatible with most mobile devices running Windows 8.1+ and Windows 10.

Heres how ScreenBeam Mini2 works:

Thats all Screenbeam Mini2 requires. The setup process is just as easy:

Get theScreenBeam Mini2 wireless display adapter to enhance your screen mirroring experience today. Looking for more information on why you should get on board with screen sharing? Heres why you should screen share in your home.

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Here’s How To Get Your TV And Smartphone Talking

Do you want to watch something you have on your smartphone on your TV? Then its time to learn how you can connect them up. Many of us have more smart devices in our homes than ever before, but we dont know how to easily share content between. Thats because we assume that getting them talking will be a lot more hassle than it is.

However, connecting up your TV with your smartphone or yourtablet opens up a whole range of ways to stream and cast things from your mobile device to the big screen of your TV. For example, you might want to show some old holiday photos to your friends and family, stream a YouTube clip or video file in higher resolution than your phone can handle, keep playing theNetflix show you were watching on your commute on the big screen instead or cast a workout tutorial to your TV so its easier to follow.

Nowadays, most new TVs are smart TVs. This means they come connected to the internet and pre-installed with apps like Netflix and YouTube. You can also even add one of the best streaming devices to your TV if theres anything missing and you want to get your hands on most of the video or broadcasting content you could ever want to access.

• Looking for a similar guide for your laptop? Read how to connect my laptop to the TV

Use Samsung Dex To Connect Your Samsung Phone To A TV

Among the most popular Android devices available, you’ll find Samsung flagship handsets. These feature connectivity with televisions and monitors. For pure screen mirroring, you’ll need a USB-C to HDMI cable.

To connect a Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+/Note 8 and later to your TV, merely hook up a USB-C to HDMI adapter. Plug the USB-C male into the USB-C charging port on your Samsung Galaxy device. Then run the HDMI cable into your TV.

However, Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, and Note 8/9 devices also include DeX. Bridging the gap between mobile and desktop, DeX offers a desktop experience run from your handset. You can run all the same Android apps, however, access your phone’s gallery, and basically get everything on the big screen

Since this is proprietary technology, the method for connecting a DeX-enabled Samsung phone to a TV differs from standard hookups.

For the entire Galaxy S8 and Note 8 line up, as well as S9 and S9+, you’ll need a dock to use DeX.

However, the Note 9 doesn’t require a dock. Instead, the Note 9 enters DeX mode with merely a USB-C to HDMI cable. That’s far more useful than a dedicated dock.

If using a dock, you will also need a power cable for powering the dock and charging your device. To find out more, see our guide to using DeX to turn your phone or tablet into a computer.

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To Disconnect From TV

Step 1: Navigate to Settings app > System> Display.

Step 2: Click Connect to a Wireless display link to reveal the Connect pane. Click Disconnect to disconnect your laptop from the TV or display.

Alternatively, open the Connect pane by simultaneously pressing Windows logo and P keys, and then click Disconnect to disconnect your laptop from the TV.

How To Identify Your Wireless Network Using Windows

Do you already have a laptop, tablet or other device connected to your wireless network? If so, you can use Windows to identify the name of the network.

1. Click on the WiFi icon

This will be a small icon in your windows taskbar. The WiFi icon has three crescent shapes. It looks a bit like a radio signal.

2. Read the List of Available Network Names

These Secured networks will usually belong to your neighbors.

Youre looking for the network which says Connected or Connected, Secure. You should only be connected to one network. Thats the name of your wireless network.

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Screen Mirroring With A Chromecast

Connecting a Chromecast to your TV lets you display your phone or tablet’s screen on the TV screen. This means you could display anything on your TV, even apps and games that wouldn’t normally support casting. Here’s how to do it.

• Make sure your Chromecast and mobile device are on the same network.
• Open the Chromecast app on your phone or tablet.
• Select Cast Screen and then hit Cast Screen again on the next screen.
• You’ll then select the Chromecast you want to connect with, and your device’s screen will now be mirrored on your TV.

See what we thought of Google’s latest Chromecast in our .

How Do I Connect A Macbook To My Smart TV

The latest MacBook models require a USB Type-C adapter to connect them to your TV. Apple provides a Digital AV Multiport Adapter, but if you want a simple USB-C to HDMI connection at HD quality, you can get away with a more affordable Anker USB-C to HDMI Adapter.

MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros ship with Thunderbolt ports that double up as Mini DisplayPorts this allows you to skip right past the adapter to simply having a USB-C to DisplayPort cable. Just make sure it supports 4K resolutions like the Cable Matters USB-C to DisplayPort.

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How To Connect Your Phone To Your TV

by Suzanne Kantra on August 12, 2021in , , , , , , , ::

Sometimes, your phone’s screen just isn’t big enough for viewing your photos and videos or playing games. Connecting your phone to your TV can be a quick and easy fix. I tested a number of solutions using phones from Apple, LG, Samsung, and Google, as well as TVs from Samsung and LG and various streaming devices. Here are the methods that work best for every combination of models.

How Do I Connect My Laptop To My TV

Connecting your laptop to your TV with the right cable is often only half the battle. You also need to switch your TV to the correct input, plus configure your laptop or MacBook to re-route its display through the TV. This may happen automatically, but if it doesn’t or you want to configure the display differently read on.

PC laptop users should be able to cycle through the available display options using a special function key in conjunction with the button. Keep pressing this to cycle between laptop display only, TV only, and laptop and TV together. Alternatively, right-click the desktop in Windows to select screen resolution from here you’ll be able to manually detect and select your TV’s display.

Mac users can configure the display via System Preferences: select Displays followed by the Arrangement tab . Tick Mirror Displays to put your TV perfectly in sync with your MacBook’s display, as opposed to acting as an extension of it.

• Here are the best laptops you can buy today

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Connect Laptop To TV: Chromecast

Google Chromecast works either by connecting a physical Chromecast device to virtually any TV or by using the Chromecast capabilities that are built-into many of today’s newest models, including so-called “Android TVs” from SONY, LG and others. Chromecast is very popular for traditional media streaming, so it’s comparable to devices from Amazon or Roku for watching content from Hulu, Netflix, and so on. But you can also use Chromecast to transmit or “cast” a browser window or your full laptop display.

The key to using Chromecast to view your laptop screen on your TV is the Google Chrome browser, which means you can use it on everything from a Chromebook to a tablet or laptop on which you load Chrome. But as long as you’re using Chrome, it’s super easy: Just right-click anywhere in your browser window or go to the primary Chrome menu and select “Cast…”. Chrome will automatically scan for and allow you to connect to nearby compatible devices. Then you’ll choose to either “Cast tab” or “Cast desktop” .

A particular advantage of Chromecast is that its popularity has led many media websites to offer special “Cast” buttons that let you switch from simply casting a Chrome tab that’s playing a YouTube video to casting the video directly from YouTube to your TV. This method is said to provide a smoother viewing experience for movies, games, and other content that’s susceptible to transmission lags.

How To Connect Your Wireless Headphones To Any TV

Use this foolproof guide to use your wireless Bluetooth headphones with your TV.

I dont care what anyone says. Binge-watching Netflix on the TV feels 10 times more awesome than crouching over the 12-inch laptop, or even worse, a palm-sized mobile phone.

But you might be wondering, Can you use wireless headphones with a TV?

The answer is an absolutely yes. If your TV has built-in Bluetooth capability, connecting wireless headphones is a matter of on-screen configuration. But if it doesnt have Bluetooth, you are still able to use wireless headphones with the TV, using the help of third-party devices such as Bluetooth audio transmitter.

This foolproof guide is to help you navigate smoothly through this complicated mess.

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Why Use Usb To Connect Phones Tablets And TVs

With the ease and prevalence of casting to mirror a phone screen wirelessly, you might be curious why you should use a USB to TV connection for your phone.

If you hook a phone to your TV with a hardwired connection, you benefit from a low-latency signal. For instance, if you plan to mirror your phone to a television for gaming, you’ll want a USB connection rather than a wireless configuration. This vastly reduces lag.

Plus, for situations where you lack Wi-Fi or have a weak wireless signal, you’ll need a wired connection instead.

To connect your phone or tablet to a TV, you can use one of the following methods:

• Android:

Which option you use depends on your specific device and operating system. Although all methods are similar, the process differs for connecting an iPhone versus an Android device.

Similarly, your connection method varies depending on your needs. Simply viewing photos on a compatible television requires your charging cable and mobile device. But for screen mirroring, you’ll need a USB adapter.