How to Connect a Chromebook to a TV
Table of Contents
Did you know that you can connect your laptop or Chromebook to the TV screen for display? You can do that to attach the computer with the TV and watch movies or play games on a much larger screen.
You can also view a slideshow of your vacation photos or wedding film in the living room TV from the computer and share the memories with friends and family on the big screen.
You can connect a Chromebook to a TV in several ways. The most popular way to do it is with an HDMI cable. You can also connect them wirelessly. We share a guide on how to connect Chromebook to a TV, for an enjoyable experience.
What You Will Need
The equipment you will need for connecting a Chromebook to a TV depends on the way you want to connect them. If you are connecting them through a wire, you will need the appropriate wire and adapter. If you want to connect them wirelessly, you will need a wireless receiver for the TV.
Most modern TVs have a port that allows connecting the wireless receiver. However, older models may not have the wireless receiver, so check the manual to confirm what will work with your TV.
Here is the equipment you will need to connect a Chromebook to a TV.
Connecting Chromebook to A TV with A Wire
Step 1: Take the HDMI cable and connect one end into your adapter. Attach the other end into the TV’s port for the HDMI cable. If you cannot find the port in the TV, look at the bottom and both sides first. Usually the HDMI port is either at the bottom or on one of the sides. In some cases, the port is behind the TV and there should be some space for the wire to come out.
Step 2: Attach the adapter’s cable to your Chromebook’s USB ports. Most modern adapters have a USB cable that should be easy to connect with your one of the ports at the side of your Chromebook.
Step 3: Turn your Chromebook and TV on.
Step 4: Switch the TV display setting to the appropriate input (HDMI 1, HDMI 2) depending on the port you have connected to the adapter.
Step 5: Your Chromebook’s desktop display should appear on the TV screen.
Step 6: If some components are not displayed properly, you may need to turn on “Mirror Internal Imaging” in your Chromebook’s settings. You can adjust the settings by starting the launcher or clicking the time in the bottom-right corner of your screen.
Connecting Chromebook to A TV Wirelessly
HDMI cables were necessary to connect devices ten years ago. Technology has advanced now and many TVs come with a built in wireless system to connect it with your laptop and other devices.
Step 1: Connect a Google Chromecast to the HDMI port on your TV.
Step 2: Turn your Chromebook on and open the browser. Choose Chromecast. You will see several options pop up for casting the Chromebook to the TV.
Step 3: Before you start casting, make sure that your TV is up and running.
Step 4: Click on the ‘Display’ option in your Chromebook settings. A new page will open. You will find an option called, “Mirror Built-in Display”. Check this box to get effective screen sharing.
The Chromecast
Chromecast is a dongle device made by Google for streaming media. It comes with an HDMI cable that you can connect to your TV and then leave the device sitting there. You can connect any other device such as your laptop, Chromebook, or smartphone to the Chromecast wirelessly and start sharing screen and media.
The devices is very easy to set up and only takes a few minutes to start. Connecting and sharing your Chromebook to the Chromecast is just like connecting your smartphone to your home network.
Mirroring vs. Extending
When it comes to connecting your Chromebook to your TV, you have the options of mirroring and extending. Both of them sound similar but there is a big difference.
Mirroring the Chromebook means the TV will copy and display exactly what’s on your laptop screen. This is the common way of sharing screen and displaying images from your Chromebook on your TV. It is quite easy to set up.
Extending is something different where you will see different content on both screens. This makes your TV act as a second monitor output for your Chromebook. For instance, you could start and run a YouTube video that will output on your TV screen while work on some spreadsheets on your Chromebook.
Extending is more technical to set up. The step by step guide we shared above is for mirroring your Chromebook, not for extending your display output.
Fine Tuning the TV Display
There is a good chance that your Chromebook’s screen resolution differs from the resolution on your TV. That means you will not get the exact quality of display on both screens. The size of your TV is probably much bigger compared to the Chromebook screen. So if you are running a low screen resolution on the Chromebook, you will notice pixilation on the TV screen.
You will need to tweak your display output settings on the Chromebook to get a better image quality on the TV.
Our Final Thoughts
Advances in technology have made it much easier to connect different devices together with an HDMI cable or even wirelessly. In this guide, we provided two methods on how to connect Chromebook to a TV. Both of them are easy to do with the right set of tools and equipment.
