As an Apple TV owner, I was frustrated when I found out I couldn’t connect it to my computer monitor. After some research and testing, I’m here to share how I solved the problem, as well as other solutions I discovered. In this blog post, I’ll be explaining how to connect an Apple TV to a computer monitor, and the things you should consider before attempting this.
As long as a monitor is HDCP compliant, you can connect it to Apple TV. However, you might need an HDMI adapter to convert VGA and DVI outputs. Depending on the monitor, you might need external speakers, too.
| Step | Instructions |
|---|---|
| 1. Check the Connections on Your Monitor | – Look for an HDMI port or other ports (VGA, USB-C, DisplayPort, DVI) |
| – If needed, get a compatible adapter to convert the input for an HDMI cable | |
| 2. Set the Cables in Place | – Connect the HDMI cable from the Apple TV to the monitor or adapter |
| 3. Setup the Network on Your Apple TV | – Connect via Wi-Fi by going to the “Network” tab in the settings and entering your login credentials |
| – Alternatively, connect via ethernet cable | |
| 4. Sync the Home Sharing Features | – Log in to your iTunes account to activate Home Sharing |
| 5. Get Some External Speakers (If Needed) | – If the monitor doesn’t have built-in speakers, use external speakers with optic cables or connect via Bluetooth |
Table of Contents
Connecting Apple TV to a Monitor
Connecting your Apple hub to a regular TV screen is quite simple — you just pop in an HDMI cable and validate the network.
However, with a standalone computer monitor, you might need to add a few extra steps along the way.
Let’s take a look at what you’ll need to do:
- Check the Connections on Your Monitor
First things first, take a look at the ports behind your monitor. If you can see an HDMI one, then you’re in luck.
Because if you only see something like a VGA, USB-C, DisplayPort, or DVI, you’ll need to look into getting compatible adapters to convert these inputs to accommodate an HDMI cable.
However, it’s crucial to make sure that the adapter fits perfectly on both sides. The last thing you want is to have a shaky connection that keeps breaking apart.
- Set the Cables in Place
Once you figure out the adapter situation, you can stretch the HDMI cable from the output on the Apple TV to the inputs on the monitor/adapter.
On the Apple TV, it’s really hard to miss the HDMI output. It’s on the back next to the power supply with a clear label.
Just keep in mind that some monitors have multiple ports, so make sure to check which one you’re using and adjust the screen source based on that.
- Setup the Network on Your Apple TV
Next, you can plug in the power supplies for both the Apple TV and the monitor to turn them on.
Once they’re up and running, start setting up the network connectivity. There are two ways to go at it: regular Wi-Fi connections or a hard-wired ethernet cable.
For Wi-Fi, head to the “Network” tab in the settings, then choose the “Connection” icon. All that’s left is scanning and entering the login credentials. Meanwhile, for ethernet, you’ll just pop the cable to the port on the Apple TV on one end and the router on the other.
The Wi-Fi option is more convenient for most home setups, but ethernet might come in handy with interference or weak signals. Plus, hard-wired connections can even be faster than wireless ones!
- Sync the Home Sharing Features
With a valid internet connection, the Apple TV should pop an on-screen prompt to help you finalize the setup.
For one, you might be required to login into your iTunes account with an ID and PIN to activate Home Sharing.
However, once that’s done, you should be able to stream content from the Apple TV to your monitor just like you would on a regular TV screen.
Read more: Apple TV not responding to remote
- Get Some External Speakers (If Needed)
While it would be wildly convenient, not all computer monitors have built-in speakers. This means that if you skip this step, the visuals will work fine, but you won’t hear a blip.
Read more: Apple TV is buggy causes and how to fix
Wired Connection
To tackle this hiccup, you need to have a set of external speakers on hand. The problem here is that Apple TV doesn’t have analog audio outputs, and you’ll have to get creative.
To really cut the hassle out of using more adapters, you can get speakers that work with optic cables. This way, you can just hook that cable right into the Apple TV’s optic port and call it a day!
Bluetooth Connection
It’s important to note that if you have a new Apple TV 4K device, you might not even have that optic output port. Instead, you’ll have to connect the speakers via Bluetooth.
To do that, you’ll need to turn on Bluetooth on the speaker and get it in range. Then, head to “Remotes and Devices” from the settings menu using the Apple TV remote controller.
Next, click “Bluetooth” to scan and choose your speakers from the list. Finally, you might need to enter your Apple TV PIN once again.
Of course, if you’re among the lucky few with speakers on their monitors, you can skip this part and jump to streaming your favorite shows!
Final Thoughts
By now, knowing how to connect Apple TV to a computer monitor should be much simpler than it seemed initially.
All you need is an HDCP-compliant monitor, an Apple TV device, an HDMI cable, compatible adapters, a sturdy internet connection, and external speakers to complete your setup.
With five simple steps, you should be enjoying the streaming services in no time!