Computers & Networking

[deub18]

I want to watch movies from my laptop on my TV - how do I go about doing that?/what do I need?

[TheLexMachine]

Your laptop has to have either a VGA or HDMI port and your TV has to have one of whichever you will be using. Your TV also has to accept PC signals through whichever port you are using. It usually doesn't work all that well unless you're lucky though the newer TVs do work much better than the older ones.

[Matthew-GS Retired: Community Advocate]

Hi deub18,

Great question, which many are curious about!  Check out Aaron-GS post here:

http://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/TV-Home-Theater/Connecting-a-Computer-to-an-HDTV/td-p/68176/

Aaron also recommends our newest product for HDMI (i.e., your laptop would need to have HDMI output):

Go wireless with Rocketfish WirelessHD!

[aznlilboi1987]

599 omg i can build a hometheater PC with this amount.

u can buy this http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Gateway+-+Desktop+with+AMD+Phenom%26%23153%3B+Triple-Core+Processor/9013... with only 479 and u can stream net flix, youtube, hulu, not just movies. you'd recommend it because rocketfish = best buy brand and best
buy makes a lot of profit from rocketfish and dynex accessoires

ok anyways deub, back when i used to work at best buy, i always ask the customers this:

what is your laptop model and your tv model?

i'll look up what ur tv connection has and what your laptop connection has.

[deub18]

great thanks ill check tonight and let u know. 

[deub18]

sorry it took so long to reply as I know you are trying to help me out, but my laptop is a toshiba satellite L500 series and my tv is a toshiba but only has S video, coax, and the "red yellow while" in/out puts.

[Jaxjags2100]

By chance do you have an Xbox 360 or a PS3?

[deub18]

Unfortunately not.

[Jaxjags2100]

I just checked on the specs of the toshiba satellite L500 and there isn't much to the laptop. Additionally your tv sounds like it might be kinda old...am I right?

Most tv's nowadays have at least one HDMI port on them. If you had an Xbox or PS3 you could download a program to your laptop called Tversity and stream your movies and music to either one of those devices.

I have a home media server set up and I stream movies and music to both devices.

[Entropy]

Some laptops could have TV output added with a "dongle" that would be available from the manufacturer.  Not all.

TV-out tends to be a massive pain to set up, you're better off upgrading the TV to a model that has HDMI or VGA.  Basically any new TV has HDMI, which can be used with laptops that have DVI or HDMI outputs.  Many new TVs still have VGA inputs, if your laptop only has VGA.