How to Connect a PC to a TV to Show in PowerPoint

Using a television for your PowerPoint presentation offers the advantage of employing a larger, readily available screen for better viewing. Televisions feature built-in audio that sometimes exceeds the quality of a laptop computer. Unlike video projectors, TVs require no reflective screen or projection surface and are generally much brighter than projected images. This tutorial will show you how to connect your PC or laptop to a television and use your computer to treat the television as a second display monitor, so you can use your primary monitor to control the presentation.

Things You'll Need

• Television with video inputs
• PC with video outputs
• Connection cable
• Microsoft PowerPoint

Instructions

1. Assess the outputs of your computer. Presentations are a central function laptops are expected to perform, so most laptop manufacturers include some form of video output connection for television monitors or video projectors. Even desktop video display cards frequently include a video jack. Check to see what kind of video output your laptop or desktop PC has. Older models will have either an RCA composite video jack or S-Video connector. The two can be distinguished by looking at the connector surface. An RCA jack contains a single hole surrounded by a metallic sleeve. An S-Video jack has four very small pins with a small rectangular slot to help orient the connector. Newer PC's may have an HDMI connector for high definition televisions.

2. Assess the inputs of your television. Most new televisions, or older more expensive televisions, have a number of input options, including RCA composite and S-Video jacks. Newer HD televisions include HDMI ports. Select the appropriate connection cable and television input to match the output available on your PC.

3. Plug in that connection cable--RCA, S-Video, or HDMI--to the video output port on your PC and the same input port on your television.

4. On your computer--using Windows XP--go to the Control Panel and select "Appearance and Themes" then click "Display." Check the box next to "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor." You should now see your computer desktop displayed on the television. If not, make sure the input you used to connect to your PC is selected from the television's input menu.

5. Open PowerPoint, then open your presentation file. Select "Slide Show" then "Set Up Show" from the menu. When two monitors are connected, you can select which monitor you want just the slides to appear on by selecting either the primary or secondary monitor from the "Multiple Monitors" pull-down menu. For this example, select "Secondary Monitor" and press the "OK" button.

6. Press the F5 function key and you should now see your PowerPoint slide on the television, and your PowerPoint program control menus on your PC monitor. This flexibility allows you to make changes during your presentation without disturbing the slide viewed on the television.

Tips & Warnings

• Newer HDMI connectors allow both audio and video to be transmitted using the same cable.

• You may need to experiment with the display settings to find a screen resolution appropriate for your television monitor.

References

• Multiple Monitors Overview