How To Cast Your Computer To Your TV?

By Justin Jones On Jun 15, 2022

How To Cast Your Computer To Your TV? It’s possible that you have some friends coming over to watch a movie with you, or that you want your family to see this one particularly amazing video that you found on YouTube. Or perhaps all you have is a photo slideshow to show off to absolutely no one because many of us are quarantined at home due to the ongoing pandemic. No of the cause, you would prefer to view something on the larger screen of your computer rather than the more compact screen of your laptop.

How To Cast Your Computer To Your TV?

We have, fortunately, a variety of options for you to choose from in order to easily project the display of your computer onto your television (and cash). It is important to note that in order to implement the majority of these options, you will need to either add a new app to your television or purchase additional hardware, such as a set-top box, a dongle, or even something as basic as an HDMI cable.

1. Chromecast

The good news is that you can cast from your computer using Chromecast. You can transmit windows over to it from Windows and macOS as long as those windows are Chrome tabs if you have one of Google’s smart dongles plugged into the back of your TV (or if your set runs Android TV, which includes casting capabilities). Naturally, Chromebooks can also use successfully.

The cast may be accessed from the menu in Chrome by clicking the three dots in the top right corner of the browser. If you select your Chromecast from the list, you should see the tab you’re now seeing on your web browser displayed on the screen. You are free to navigate to different tabs in your browser (as well as apps), but the Chromecast will keep displaying the tab that it was originally cast from.

This works better for web pages and photographs than it does for films due to the lag involved; however, some video sites, notably YouTube, can interface directly with the Chromecast. You’ll find a Chromecast button on each video that you watch on YouTube. This button functions in exactly the same way as casting an item from your mobile device; however, the video is pulled directly from the web rather than from your computer.

You are just provided with a volume slider as a means of customization; yet, the interface is uncomplicated and functions satisfactorily. When it is time to stop the cast, click the Chromecast button that will have shown on the toolbar, then choose the device once more, and choose the option to Stop casting.

Roku

There are other smart dongles besides the Chromecast that can mirror the display of your computer on your television. Roku sticks and boxes are also capable of doing this, albeit it is much simpler to accomplish with a Windows computer as opposed to a Mac. Everything is taken care of through a protocol known as Miracast, which is pre-installed in all of the most recent Roku devices as well as in Windows 10.

Open the Action Center in Windows by clicking on the notification icon located on the right side of the taskbar, and then select Connect from the menu that appears. You should be able to see your Roku appear on the list if it is turned on and connected to the same wifi network. To begin mirroring, click the device’s name on the list.

You’ll need to give the request the go-ahead on your Roku device, where you also have the option to provide the go-ahead for all subsequent requests made from the same device. From the main Roku menu, select Settings. From there, select System and Screen mirroring to manage the devices that are allowed and those that are not (mirroring can be enabled and disabled from here, too).

The mirroring from Mac to Roku has not been tried by our team, however, in order to get it to function, you will require a third-party repair. Take a look at AirBeamTV for Mac because it appears to be the best of the solutions that are currently available, despite the fact that it may experience some slowness at times. A free trial is provided in addition to the one that costs ten dollars.

AirPlay

If your computer uses the macOS operating system, and you have an AirPlay device—such as an Apple TV—plugged into your television set, then projecting the display from your Mac onto a larger screen couldn’t be simpler. Those who are completely committed to Apple hardware sets will probably find this to be the most straightforward approach. Apple is currently adding compatibility for AirPlay to a significant number of smart TVs that were manufactured by other companies, which makes this option even more readily available.

If you have your AirPlay device connected and configured, as well as connected to the same wifi network as your Mac, it should appear automatically when you click the AirPlay button (the arrow pointing into the box) in the menu bar of your Mac. This is assuming, of course, that you have these things done. Select the AirPlay device you wish to use, and the screen will immediately expand to include the television.

To set the feature further or if the icon is not visible, open the Apple menu, navigate to System Preferences, and then select Displays from the list of options. You have the option of mirroring the display of your Mac onto the TV or using the TV as an additional extended desktop (in which case you can use the Arrangement tab to position your screens). If you want an icon for AirPlay to remain in the menu bar, you must check the item labeled Show mirroring choices.

The mirroring is quick enough to play videos from websites like YouTube, for instance. However, the AirPlay button is also present in specific media apps, like iTunes and QuickTime, allowing you to broadcast videos directly from within such applications. After you have completed everything, click the AirPlay button on the menu bar once more, and then select the Turn AirPlay Off option.

Plex

Although Plex does not really display the contents of your computer screen on your television, it is capable of transferring virtually any type of media file, such as films, music, and images, from one location to another. Whatever is stored on your personal computer can be transmitted wirelessly to the larger display of your television set.

One of the advantages of using Plex is that it is compatible with applications for a wide variety of streaming boxes and dongles, including the Apple TV and Android TV. There is a good probability that there is an official Plex app designed specifically for the smart stick or box that you put into your television.

To begin, you will need to install the Plex server application on your computer running Windows or macOS. This application will then catalog all of the media that is stored on your local hard drive and prepare it for streaming. The application, which is running on any device you have connected to your television, will then connect to your computer over the wifi network in your home and stream whatever it is that you want to watch (or listen to).

You have the option to pay for a premium Plex subscription, which grants you access to additional capabilities such as the capability to stream content to mobile devices as well as devices located in locations other than your own home. However, there is no cost involved if you wish to stream content from a computer running Plex to another device that is connected to the same wifi network.

AirParrot

AirParrot is slick, packed with features, and offers a few extras that you do not get with the standard Chromecast and AirPlay protocols. However, in some ways, it duplicates the methods that we’ve already discussed. For example, it needs an Apple TV or a Chromecast plugged into your TV in order to work.

It is also compatible with macOS and Windows, and it can be purchased for only $16. With a free trial, you won’t have to worry about shelling out any cash before determining whether or not the software is compatible with your computer. It is able to transmit the display of your computer to other computer displays, or it can simply transmit the audio to a speaker that is compatible.

After the program has been installed on your computer, it will be able to identify compatible receivers on your local network. This will provide you with the opportunity to mirror the display of your laptop or desktop computer on the television. If you don’t want to mirror the entire screen, you also have the option to stream music, films, and photographs directly, much like you would with Plex.

The capability of AirParrot to simultaneously stream to numerous devices is what differentiates it as an appealing alternative to native alternatives like Chromecast and AirPlay. Additionally, it offers to a stream of higher quality (including 5.1 surround sound), and it enables you to connect devices that would not be suitable under any other circumstances (like an Apple TV and a Windows PC).

Miracast in Windows 10

We discussed the protocol known as Miracast, which enables users of computers running Windows 10 to link their devices to Roku sticks and boxes. This standard is implemented in a wide number of other devices as well, including the Amazon Fire TV, despite the fact that support for Fire TV devices is inconsistent at best and nonexistent in the most recent models.

If you don’t have any other choices for a wireless connection on Windows 10, you should probably look into purchasing a Miracast dongle that is designed specifically for that purpose. Microsoft will sell you one for fifty dollars, but you can find options elsewhere that are more affordable (just check the user reviews carefully before buying).

If you are considering making a purchase, the fact that this particular Miracast adapter also enables screen mirroring on Android smartphones is an additional perk you should take into consideration. The official Microsoft dongle has a range of 23 feet, which is equivalent to seven meters, thus it should work with the majority of configurations.

The procedure of connecting your wireless adapter is identical to the process for connecting a Roku once it has been successfully plugged in and powered on (it requires a USB connector for power in addition to an HDMI slot). To establish the connection, either go through the Action Center or open the Settings menu, then click System, then Display, and finally Connect to a wireless display.

Cables

The final option is one that many people will likely find to be the easiest: Pretend if wifi was never developed and just physically connect your laptop to your television instead. You merely need to have the appropriate ports and cables available (and have a setup where your computer can get close to your TV), but you are assured of a connection that is both quick and reliable.

You are in the clear if both your laptop and your television set have an unused HDMI port and if you also happen to have an HDMI cable sitting around. If you connect the two, then the second screen should appear on your device very immediately.

Both Windows and macOS are intelligent enough to provide you with the option of either mirroring your computer screen on the TV or extending your computer screen and using the TV as a second monitor. In the latter case, you will need to drag open windows over to the TV. To set up your second screen exactly how you want it, navigate to the Windows Settings menu, choose System, and then click Display. You will want to select Displays when you are in the System Preferences section of macOS.

However, as HDMI ports have been removed from many ultraportable notebooks, you will need an adapter in order to transform the video out connection on your laptop into an HDMI port (or whatever your TV accepts). It works exceptionally well for movies and any other activity in which a minimal level of latency is required, but you will need to prepare all of the necessary components in advance.

Related Posts