How to Use Your TV As a CPU Monitor
If you want to use your television set as a computer monitor, accomplishing that task is fairly easy, and you will not need to buy much equipment if you have the right kind of TV and the right kind of computer video card. Most recent TV models and most recent video cards come with the right equipment.
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Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Video card
- TV
- VGA cable
- HDMI cable
- HDMI to VGA adapter
- S-video cable
- RCA cable
Instructions
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1
Determine whether the video card on your computer has a yellow RCA video outlet, an s-video outlet, a VGA outlet or any combination of the three. Note: All video cards will have at least a VGA outlet. The devices do not need to be shut off during this process.
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2
Determine whether your TV has a yellow RCA video outlet, an s-video outlet, a VGA outlet, an HDMI outlet or any combination of the four. Ideally, your TV should have a VGA outlet, as VGA outlets are central to every computer. If your TV does not have a VGA outlet but has an HDMI outlet, an electronics store can sell you an adapter that allows you to turn an HDMI cable into a VGA cable at one end. That will enable you to use an HDMI cable to connect your computer to your TV. The second-best scenario is for your computer and your TV to both have s-video outlets.
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3
Use a VGA cable to connect the TV and the computer video card. If the TV doesn't have a VGA outlet, but it has an HDMI outlet, then use the adapter to transform an HDMI cable into a VGA cable at one end. If a s-video needs to be used, then attach an s-vide cable to both the TV and the video card. If yellow RCA outlets exist on both the TV and computer video card, and that is the only option to connect the two, then use the yellow cord of an RCA cable to connect the TV and video card. RCA cables are red, white and yellow.
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Turn the power on for both the computer and the TV, if the devices are not already powered on. The computer will use the TV as a monitor without adjustments needing to be made.
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References
- Photo Credit computer monitor with gold stylized globe image by patrimonio designs from Fotolia.com
