Computer to TV hookup

M

msdw24

1,000+ Posts
I'm thinking of buying a 37 inch LCD TV and want to put it up on the wall. I'd like to be able to hookup my computer to the TV so I can do work on it with a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse. My question is how do I do this. I've never connected a TV to a computer...I'd really like to keep the cables from being seen too.

Any advice?
 
If you get the right tv you will have no problem what so ever. My Vizio has an RGB computer monitor hook up on it. Just ask the sales person if it has a VGA port. it will look like this:

VGA Port
 
There's a couple ways you could do it.

1. If your new TV has a VGA port, just hook it up to your computer and go.
2. If your computer has a DVI port, you could buy a DVI -> HDMI cable and get better picture quality. If the TV also has a DVI port, then just get a DVI cable.

As for hiding the cables, just buy a couple of wall plates (either HDMI, DVI or VGA depending on what you're using) and a cable to run behind the wall between the plates and you're good to go. It will cost a little more than just dangling a cable, though.
 
Also pay attention to the wireless mouse/keyboard. Some of them have limited range so make sure you look for one that will reach where you actually want to sit and use it. We learned this the hard way.
 
Last weekend I tried to do exactly this... laptop displayed on my 46" samsung (VGA to VGA). The VGA cord I bought said it was for screens smaller than 17" but the dudes at Office Depot said it wouldn't matter.

Long story short, when I hooked my laptop to my tv it could not recognize the connection. My laptop recognized the connection but when I chose the "PC" input from my tv menu it told me to check the connection. Both sides of the cable were definitely connected.

Any suggestions? Does it matter that the cord said it was only for 17" or smaller monitors?
 
Did you set up the laptop to output out the port?
You can do it by right clicking on your desktop and going to graphic properties.

Usually a keyboard shortcut for it too.
On my dell is Fn+F8 (you have to hold both down for a second or two)
 
Not Shinola - thanks for the suggestion. I had not seen that yet, but it still isn't connecting properly. Last weekend I was going to the display options on the control panel to try and set-up the "monitor" options.

Do I need to change these settings and maybe restart the computer before connecting to the tv?
 
Change the screen resolution settings. Your computer may be sending the TV a screen resolution that the TV doesn't support.
 
Thanks for the replys so far. I guess I should have mentiond that I haven't bought the computer yet. The gf and I changing a bedroom of ours into an office...with a treadmill facing the TV...which we want on the wall.... The idea being that when we are running we can watch tv..etc...but at the same time still have the TV hooked up to a computer...

Is there anyway I can hookup everything wireless? Keyboard, mouse is pretty simple...but is it possible to do the same thing with a TV?
 
go to firewire.com and get hdmi hookups for your graphics card. if you want to go cheapo way. most computers have s video and they still work generally fine. wire mouse and keyboard are easy to do, but take in account on how far the range you will get.
 
At the most...the max range i'll be using it is about 10 1/2 feet at the most. Sunday seems like the hookup day....we'll see how it all goes.
 
I just tried it, but everything pops up to the left of the screen. I have to click and drag it back if that makes sense. Is this a compatiblity of settings issue.

Doing it for my dad. He has a Mac and I don't know my way around it.
 
It sounds like the computer is treating the TV as a second monitor rather than reproducing the primary display on it?

Check the display settings for any options to that effect.
 
well we just hooked up the computer to the tv...we used an HDMI cable to hookup the computer to the tv. I looks great. The only thing I can't figure out how to change is the setting on my tv or computer to fit the picture onto the screen. It looks like the picture is just a little bigger than the screen. Anyone have ideas?

We haven't hooked up the wireless keyboard just yet....we're making sure we know how to hook everything up first and then will place it where we want it.
 
one thing you need to do is go into your display options for your monitor and set it to 'clone' rather than treat the TV as a monitor

I do this every weekend with my slingbox to watch horns games
 
To record directly from the TV to pc, would the VGA port be what you use or do you need an "Out" port? I guess it really needs to go to the satellite/cable box rather than the tv.
 
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