As an owner of a Samsung TV and a PC, I know the frustration of not being able to easily connect the two devices. After much research, trial and error, I am here to share with you how I successfully connected my Samsung TV to my PC and some other solutions that I have discovered.
The process is often relatively easy as far as figuring out where to plug in the cord on your television, but figuring out how to plug the cord in on your computer may take a little work.
| Tips |
|---|
| – Use an HDMI cable to connect your computer to your TV. |
| – Make sure your computer has an HDMI port. |
| – If your computer doesn’t have an HDMI port, use a cable |
| with an HDMI plug on one end and a USB plug on the other. |
| – Older computers may require a cable with metal pins. |
| – On a Samsung TV, navigate to the correct screen to |
| display your computer’s output. |
| – Some Samsung TVs have a “PC on TV” option for connecting |
| a keyboard and mouse directly to the TV. |
| – The ports on your computer and TV may be in different |
| locations, so check carefully before connecting. |
Table of Contents
How to connect Samsung TV to a PC via HDMI
Virtually all modern televisions have HDMI ports available, so you can plug different devices into the TV.
HDMI ports are used to connect devices like gaming consoles, Blu-ray & CD players, and computers.
Usually, all it takes is a single HDMI cord plugged into your computer that runs to your television, which will connect the two devices.
An HDMI cable transports all the data you need to stream movies from your computer, and there’s no need to connect multiple cords that carry sound and video to the TV. Now, it’s all done with a single cord.
However, the neat and tidy HDMI cable that connects to your TV might not look the same on the other end. Computers can have multiple types of ports, depending on their age and size.
Usually, all it takes is a quick look at the back of the computer to determine whether there’s an HDMI port available. Just match the shape of an HDMI cable to the port.
If there’s no HDMI port on the back of your computer, you might see a small rectangular port known as a USB port.
You might need a cord with an HDMI plug on the side for your television and a USB plug on the side of your computer.
If your computer is quite a few years old, you might see very long, rectangular ports on the back of your computer that require a plug that has many metal pins on it.
These ports go by different names like parallel ports, DVI video ports, VGA ports, and micro-DVI ports.
You’ll need to identify the output port on the back of your computer, so you can choose the right cord to connect your Samsung TV to a PC via HDMI.
Identifying Your Computer Port and Its Cable
The convenient thing about the ports on the back of your computer is that they’re all quite different shapes, which means it’s often just a matter of finding a plug with a shape that matches the port on your computer.
Tip: If your ports aren’t labeled on the back of your computer, a quick Google image search online for “ports on the back of a computer” might help.
If you’re in a bind and can’t determine what kind of port is on the back of your computer, even with a Google search, the tech desks at big box stores will usually help you.
At the very least, taking a picture of the back of your computer and bringing it with you to your preferred electronics vendor should get you the information you need, whether it’s from matching your picture to a physical cord sold in the store or getting your question answered by one of the employees.
Switching Your TV to the Right Input
On a Samsung TV, you’ll need to get your television to the correct screen to display whatever it is you want to display from your computer, whether it’s a picture, video, or other media.
With your remote, you’ll go to the home screen and choose Source from the list of options.
Within the Source section, you’ll see all of your ports and other connection types listed. Depending on the model of your television, you might see more than one HDMI port listed.
Once your cord is plugged into your TV, simply toggle through each HDMI port until you see the picture or video on your television that’s coming from your computer.
Using the PC on TV Option
Some Samsung televisions offer a “PC on TV” option, which means you can plug your keyboard and mouse directly into the TV.
If you run into issues connecting your computer and television via an HDMI cable, you can use this option as a backup.
All you have to do is navigate to the “PC on TV” option within the aforementioned source list and follow the directions you see on the screen for your type of PC.
You’ll need to log into your Samsung account on your PC, too, for the process to work.
Where are My TV & Computer Ports?
It’s helpful to note that the ports on your television and computer might be located in different places.
Some televisions have ports situated on the back of the television, but others have ports on the front or along the side.
Some TVs even have ports in multiple places. It’s common to see a few HDMI and USB ports on the side of a television and see additional connection points on the rear of the TV.
And the same idea applies to computers; some computer ports are along the back, some are on the front, but others may even sit on the sides or top of the computer.
If you have a laptop, most of the ports for HDMI, USB, micro-HDMI, and micro-USB connections will be on either side of the keyboard.
However, some laptops do have ports along the rear of the keyboard, so it’s just a matter of looking around the perimeter of your keyboard.
If you’re using a tablet, the same principle applies when it comes to connections. Your outputs will usually sit along one of the edges of your tablet.
Yes, you can plug a tablet computer into your television and use the television as your visual output device, just like you might a laptop or traditional desktop computer.
Troubleshooting the TV to PC Connection
Sometimes, the television won’t immediately recognize the connection to your computer. And occasionally, your computer might not recognize the connection to the TV. In such cases, try to use an alternate port if one is available.
If your television has two HDMI inputs, then switch the HDMI plug to the other input. If your computer has multiple outputs for the plug you’re using, try another of the outputs.
Modern televisions often have multiple HDMI ports, which allows you to plug in multiple devices simultaneously.
Remember: When you want the information to travel from your computer to the television, you’ll choose an output on your computer and an input on your television.
Most computers and televisions will have labels near the inputs and outputs to tell you whether data is going in or out of the device through each port point.
Read more: How to sync Dish remote with Samsung TV
Pros of connecting Samsung TV to PC via HDMI
- No need to connect multiple cords that carry sound and video to the TV.
- HDMI ports are used to connect devices like gaming consoles, Blu-ray & CD players, and computers.
- Some Samsung televisions offer a “PC on TV” option, which means you can plug your keyboard and mouse directly into the TV.
- Identifying your computer port and its cable is relatively easy.
Cons of connecting Samsung TV to PC via HDMI
- Quick research may be necessary to identify the port on the back of your computer.
- If there’s no HDMI port on the back of your computer, you might need a cord with an HDMI plug on one end and a USB plug on the other.
- If your computer is quite a few years old, you might need a cord with metal pins on one side.
- Troubleshooting the TV to PC connection can be challenging.
