How to Use My TV As a Monitor & Watch Movies Online
With the advent of sales of downloadable videos and the growing popularity of video streaming sites backed by major TV networks, watching videos on a computer has become common. But sitting in a chair in front of your desk doesn't have the same comfy charm as lounging on your couch in front of your 52-inch HDTV.
All that's needed to watch downloaded or streaming videos from your couch are a TV with an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) port, a computer equipped with a video card that has a DVI (Digital Video Interface) port or a built-in HDMI port, a cable and, possibly, a DVI-to-HDMI adapter.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Television with HDMI port
- Graphics card with DVI (or HDMI) ports
- DVI-to-HDMI adapter
- HDMI cable
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Setting Up
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1
Find a place to locate your computer near your television.
-
2
Plug the DVI-to-HDMI adapter into a DVI port on your graphics card. Skip this step if your graphics card has an HDMI port.
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3
Plug the HDMI cable into the DVI-to-HDMI adapter. If your graphics card permits, you have the alternative of plugging the HDMI cable directly into the card.
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4
Plug the other end of the HDMI cable into an HDMI port on your television.
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5
Turn on the computer and the television.
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6
Wait for your computer to boot up.
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7
Once the computer is ready, change the display settings to a resolution supported by your television.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If it's available, use Windows Vista or higher, as this version of Windows supports Windows Media Center. This will allow for easy control of the computer from your couch.
You might also want to invest in a remote control that is designed for use with Windows Media Center. This will include a USB device that plugs into your computer and enables the remote to send signals to the computer.
As an alternative, if you own an Xbox 360 and a copy of Windows Vista (or higher) you can use the Xbox 360 to connect to a copy of Windows Media Center over your network, making setup far easier and allowing you to leave your computer in its original location.
You also may want to buy a TV tuner for your computer. Tuners that support CableCard's should be available by the spring of 2010, letting you watch and record premium cable content on your computer.
Some video cards with integrated HDMI ports can also carry audio signals to the HDTV, allowing you to use only one cable for both audio and video signals.
If you have a wired network, be sure to get a network cable that will reach to your computer's new location. If you have a wireless network, make sure that your computer can receive a signal in its new location.
Video cards that lack native HDMI support will require the use of a second cable to carry the audio signal to your TV.
