How you can flip your TV in a pc monitor in 3 simple steps – and at no cost

Pc displays can include some fairly steep value tags, particularly in case you’re available in the market for a specialised display screen for PC gaming or inventive work like animation or video enhancing. That is doubly true if you need a high-end OLED show, a 4K monitor, or a super-sized display screen. 

Additionally: How I turned my previous Android cellphone right into a streaming stick at no cost

There is a method round this, nevertheless. In case you’re in search of an inexpensive answer, you possibly can simply join your TV to a laptop computer or PC to make use of as your principal display screen, part of your present multi-monitor setup, or as an emergency backup monitor. Relying on the way you need to join your TV to your laptop, you may not should spend any cash in any respect.

I’ve put collectively a brief walkthrough for organising your TV as a monitor on Home windows, Mac, ChromeOS, or Linux as both a brief answer or a extra everlasting addition to your setup. 

How you can use your TV as a monitor

The quickest and easiest technique to join your PC to your TV is by connecting them with a daily HDMI cable and deciding on the right enter in your menu settings. As soon as the whole lot is about up and powered on, you will have an nearly excellent mirror of your desktop in your TV. 

In case your PC or laptop computer makes use of Thunderbolt or DisplayPort for connecting exterior shows, you will have to choose up a USB-C-to-HDMI or a DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter. They’re round $10-15, however remember the fact that for the reason that TV nonetheless depends on HDMI, you will not get the identical high-speed knowledge transfers as you’ll with a monitor that has a DisplayPort or Thunderbolt connection.

Additionally: How you can disable ACR in your TV (and why IT makes such an enormous distinction once you do)

You can too go wi-fi. Nearly all new sensible TVs additionally help both Apple’s AirPlay or Googlecast display screen mirroring for wi-fi casting out of your gadgets to your display screen. In case you use this feature, nevertheless, you would possibly expertise vital enter lag or decision points as each your TV and laptop compress, transmit, after which show Information. When you’ve got a more moderen Samsung or LG TV, you possibly can arrange distant PC entry by toggling on the setting in your laptop computer or desktop, and organising the devoted distant entry app together with your gadget’s IP deal with.

Here is methods to discover your IP deal with:

Home windows

• Home windows key > Kind cmd > Open Command Immediate > Kind ipconfig and press Enter > Find IPv4 deal with

OR

• Begin > Settings > Community & Web > Wi-Fi/Ethernet > Choose community > Scroll to see IP deal with

Mac

• Apple menu > System settings > Community > Wi-Fi/Ethernet > Particulars > Find IP deal with

ChromeOS

• Clock > Wi-Fi/Ethernet > Information > Find IP deal with

Linux

GUI possibility

• Settings > Wi-Fi OR Community > Click on gear icon > view IP deal with

Terminal possibility

• Run hostname -I > Print inner IP deal with

OR

• Run ip addr > Find lively community (eth0 for hardwired or wlan0 for Wi-Fi) > Find inet 

FOR LEGACY DISTROS

• Run iconfig to view community particulars

Show settings

If you wish to use your TV as a second (or third, or fourth) display screen in your PC setup, you will should find your show settings and reconfigure your monitor association.

Home windows

• Proper-click Desktop > Show Settings > Organize screens > Select scaling choices

Mac

• Apple menu > System Preferences > Shows > Association > Decision choices

ChromeOS

• Click on on the clock > Click on gear icon > Gadget > Shows > Format, Show measurement, and so forth.

Linux

GUI possibility

• Settings > Shows > Choose screens > Decision, Refresh price, Orientation > Scale > Apply

Terminal possibility

• Kind xrandr > Verify –output <display_name> > Verify –mode <decision> (e.g. 1920 x 1080 or 3840 x 2160) > Verify –rate <hz> > Organize displays –output <secondary_display) –<path> of <primary_display>

Getting the very best image

An important issue is to match the decision output between the pc and TV. In case you’re fortunate sufficient to personal a pc able to native 4K decision, you possibly can skip this step and transfer on to the subsequent course of. But when your laptop computer or desktop is barely able to 1080p or decrease, you will have to alter your TV’s output to match to keep away from blurry textual content or pixelated pictures. You are able to do this by navigating to:

• Settings > Show OR Image > Gadget preferences > Decision OR Output Decision > Choose 1080p or Auto

In case your TV has a PC image mode, IT shall be the best choice for lowering enter lag and getting a constant refresh price, whether or not you are utilizing a hardwired HDMI connection, display screen mirroring, or utilizing distant entry. 

Additionally: One of the best Hisense TVs of 2026: Skilled examined for streaming, gaming, and extra

But when IT would not, you should use the devoted Sport Mode, which frequently have specialised options like computerized low latency, very low response occasions, boosted refresh charges, and even VRR help through AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync. Although you will should remember the fact that IT will not be an ideal answer, and you may even see a number of hiccups on occasion as each your laptop and TV course of knowledge alerts despatched between them. 

With a bit of endurance (and a few grace), your sensible TV could be a nice short-term answer for sure initiatives and even as a everlasting addition to your multi-monitor setup as a devoted gaming or streaming display screen.

The underside line 

Two of the most important causes to make use of a TV fairly than a purpose-made PC monitor is that you may get much more display screen actual property for lots cheaper. If you would like an ultra-widescreen monitor with 4K decision, a excessive refresh price, and possibly even an OLED or QLED panel, you are the potential for spending a good chunk of change. 

The Alienware 34-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor will value you round $750, and, granted, that will get you a 240Hz refresh price, a 0.03ms response time, and a number of connection choices, however IT falls a bit brief with decision, topping out at simply 1440p. And IT would not have built-in audio system, or perhaps a 3.5mm connection for headphones. 

Additionally: This Micro RGB TV rivals pricier OLED fashions – and I would suggest IT, particularly on sale

Examine that to the 32-inch Hisense A4 which prices round $110, provides you 4K decision, and DTS Digital:X audio through the twin built-in audio system. However you will should sacrifice refresh price, since IT tops out at 60Hz. Which is okay for streaming, however could trigger body price points in demanding video games.