You probably have a nice big TV in your living room, but if it isn't internet connected, you don't have an awful lot of options when it comes to displaying web content on its screen. Sometimes your laptop or PC is the only way to watch certain types of content. There are several ways of connecting your laptop to your TV. Some are fairly obvious, others are more convenient but you'll have to shell out a bit of cash to make it happen. We'll take you through the options.
Using HDMI
HDMI is the obvious place to start. Practically any TV from the last 10 years will have an HDMI port, and this is the primary way to get video and audio from an external source such as a DVD player or set top box. If your laptop has an HDMI port, you simply need an HDMI cable to connect the two.
What you'll need: HDMI Cable
Extend or duplicate?
When connecting your laptop to a TV, usually you'll see an exact copy of what's on your laptop's screen on your TV. But did you know you can have two entirely different images? This is especially handy when you want to watch something on your big screen but carry on surfing on your smaller laptop screen.
To do this, right-click on your Windows desktop and select 'Display settings'. Click the 'Identify' button, which will tell you which display Windows recognises as your TV, and then click on the dropdown list under 'Multiple displays'. Click on 'Extend desktop to this display'. Using the diagram at the top of the window, you can drag your monitors around to your liking. Wherever you place the TV on the diagram will be where you'll need to move your cursor to in order to access this TV. For instance, if you place the TV above the laptop screen on the diagram, you'll need to move your cursor to the top of the laptop screen in order for it to appear on the TV. 
Problems connecting laptop to TV with HDMI
Poor image quality
If the picture on your TV looks fuzzy and indistinct then it's probably outputting the wrong resolution. Most modern TVs have a 1,920x1,080 resolution but older sets might be 1,280x720 or 1,366x768, while new 4K TVs are 3,840x2,160. Find out the resolution of your TV from the manual, if you have it. If not then you'll simply have to work it out manually.
In Display Settings (right click on desktop again if you closed this already), select your TV, and choose Advanced Display Settings. Here you can change the resolution from the dropdown list, there will be a 'recommended' resolution but it may not be correct, try the resolutions listed above in order and see if they improve things. If you choose a resolution that isn't supported by your TV it will simply go black, just use your laptop display to select the next one.
Mouse appears laggy on the TV
If you're seeing a large amount of input lag on your TV when you move the mouse on your laptop, this isn't a fault but instead a symptom of modern TV's reliance on image processing. Most newer TVs have some form of image processing, which delays the output of an image on screen in order to enhance colours, reduce noise and generally make things prettier. This isn't a problem when watching films and TV shows because you're not interacting with them, but when you're moving a mouse, you expect an instant response.
Many newer TVs have a way to reduce input lag, usually called 'Game Mode'. Consult your TV's manual to find out how to enable Game Mode. This will disable most of the TV's image enhancement options and significantly reduce the lag. The best modern TVs has slimmed down the lag to the tiniest fractions of a second, but older sets without 'Game' modes will still have problematic lag for competitive gaming. A gaming monitor will perform better, but by how much really depends on your TV.
Overscanning
When outputting from a laptop to a TV using HDMI, your TV may sometimes cut off parts of the image. This is called overscanning. It's a legacy from the variable capabilities of old CRT televisions but today it's just a pest. Not only do you lose the edges of your picture but the TV then stretches the remaining pixels over the screen resulting in a soft image.
Depending on the age of your laptop, this can be fixed by changing settings in your graphics drivers. The most common graphics adapter on budget laptops is Intel HD Graphics, but depending on the age of your laptop these instructions will vary. If your laptop only has an Intel sticker on it, it's likely you have Intel HD Graphics. To check the type of graphics you're running, right-click on the Start Menu and select 'Device Manager'. Then expand the 'Display Adapters' menu. In here you should see either Intel, AMD or Nvidia graphics. If you see Nvidia or AMD, you may also see Intel listed, too, but for these purposes you should follow the instructions below for Nvidia or AMD first. If that doesn't work, follow the instructions for Intel HD Graphics.
Overscanning in Intel HD Graphics
The example here is on the very latest version of Intel HD Graphics, but the version installed on your laptop may appear different or may not even have the options described below. Right-click anywhere on your desktop (not on an icon for a file or program) and select Graphics Properties. In the General Settings tab, click on the 'Select Display' dropdown menu and change the option from 'Built-in Display' to one labelled 'Digital television' or something similar. Then, find the 'Scaling' options and select 'Customise Aspect Ratio'. On the sample image to the right you'll be given two sliders, one to squash the image vertically and another for horizontal. Use these sliders until you're satisfied you can see the whole of your screen on your TV - most probably setting them both to 100%.
Underscanning in AMD Catalyst Control Center
To open AMD's software, search for AMD Catalyst in the Start Menu and open the program. Click on the My Digital Flat-Panels menu on the left and then select 'Scaling Options'. Using the slider, you'll be able to adjust the size of the screen to fit your TV. Click Apply when you're satisfied with your adjustments, most likely a 0% overscan setting, on the far right of the slider.
Underscanning in Nvidia Control Panel
To adjust your settings in Nvidia's software, search for 'Nvidia' in the Start Menu and open Nvidia Control Panel. Go to the Display tab on the left and select 'Adjust desktop size and position'. Next, click on the Size tab and tick the 'Enable desktop resizing' tickbox.
Click resize and adjust your width and height options until the four arrows match the corners of your TV. When you're done, click on 'Change resolution' under the Display menu on the left, then select the resolution of your TV, either 1,920x1,080, 1366x768 or 1,280x720.
Using VGA
If your laptop doesn't have an HDMI port, it probably has a VGA port instead. These are normally blue in colour but some are black, as shown below. Some older TVs have a VGA port, meaning you just need a VGA cable to connect your laptop to your TV. Some will also have a dedicated audio input, usually a 3.5mm jack next to the VGA port, so you can use that instead of your laptop's speakers.
What you'll need: VGA cable, 3.5mm audio cable (if your TV Has a 3.5mm input)
Using a VGA to HDMI converter
If your laptop only has a VGA output and your TV only has HDMI inputs, all is not lost. VGA to HDMI converters are available for around £15 and while they are a little clunky to use, they are capable of combining a 3.5mm audio output and VGA output into a single HDMI signal. However you may not get the best image quality and responsiveness from such an adaptor.
What you'll need: VGA to HDMI adapter, HDMI cable
Use a Chromecast
The solutions above are great if you're on a budget, but for around £30 you can buy a Chromecast, which is a much better long-term solution if you only want to mirror content from YouTube and other online video sources to your TV. See our full Chromecast guide for more information.
What you'll need: Google Chromecast
