Want to show media from your computer on your LG smart TV? If both your TV and your PC are Wi-Fi compatible, you can easily mirror anything from your PC to your LG TV—even sound! This minHour article will teach you how to connect your PC to your TV using over Wi-Fi using Miracast, and how to use an HDMI cable in the absence of Wi-Fi.
Connecting Over Wi-Fi
Connect the PC and the LG Smart TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
If your LG smart TV is connected to your home Wi-Fi network, make sure your computer is connected to that same network—this is required to stream from your computer to the TV.
Press the remote’s “Home” button
This opens the list apps on your LG smart TV.
Open the Device Connector.
This is where you’ll be able to select your PC from a list of wireless devices. To open this tool:
- Select the App List option on the TV.
- Select Device Connector.
- Select OK.
Select PC.
You’ll find one of these options on the Device Connector page.
Select Screen Share.
It’s near the bottom of the screen.
Select Miracast.
This tab is on the left side of the page.
Select START.
It’s on the right side of the page.
Select PC Windows 8.1 or later.
You’ll find it on the right side of the screen. Doing so will make your LG TV discoverable by your PC.
- There may also be a PC Windows 10 option here; if so, select that option instead.
Connect your PC to the TV.
Click the “Notifications” square chat bubble icon in the bottom-right corner of your PC’s screen (right next to the clock) to prompt the Action Center pop-out menu, then do the following:
- Click Project
- Click Connect to a wireless display
- Click the LG smart TV’s name.
- Enter the code that’s displayed on your TV screen if prompted.
- Click Connect
Select your LG TV as the sound output.
If your PC’s sound is still coming from your computer and not your TV, do the following:
- Open Start
- Type in sound
- Click the speaker-shaped Sound option.
- Select your LG TV in the Playback tab.
- Click Set Default
- Click Apply, then click OK
Use your LG TV’s screen as an extension of your PC.
You should be able to see your PC’s screen scaled to the LG TV, meaning that you can watch online content or view movies from your library on the TV while using your PC as a remote.
Connecting with an HDMI Cable
Make sure that your PC has an HDMI port.
HDMI ports resemble thin, wide slots which taper down to a bottom which is narrower than the top. Most modern PCs have at least one free HDMI port.
- If your computer doesn’t have an HDMI port, you’ll need to buy an output to HDMI adapter where output is your computer’s video output.
- Common non-HDMI output options include DisplayPort, USB-C, and DVI or VGA (older computers only).
Get a cable that has room to move.
Measure the space between your TV and your PC (if not using a laptop), then get an HDMI cable a few feet longer than that. This ensures that you have enough slack to work with if things need to be moved around.
- There is little difference in an HDMI cable that costs $5 and a cable that costs $70. Since HDMI is a digital signal, its either “on” or “off”, and the cable doesn’t affect signal quality. The difference in quality is only noticeable with longer cables.
- HDMI cables are compliant with standards up to 40 feet (12.2 m) in length. There are longer cables available that will technically still work, but they are likely not complying with standards.
- If you need to run HDMI over extremely long distances, you’ll likely need an amp to boost the power.
Attach one end of the HDMI cable to your TV.
The HDMI cable should plug into one of the “HDMI” inputs at the back (or on the side) of the TV.
- If your LG TV has more than one HDMI port, the port will have a number on it. This number pertains to the HDMI channel to which you’ll need to switch later.
Attach the other end of the HDMI cable to your PC.
Plug the HDMI cable into the port on your computer.
- If you’re using an adapter for your PC’s video output, plug the adapter into the PC, then plug the HDMI cable into the HDMI port on the outside of the adapter.
Turn on your LG TV.
Press the Power button on your LG TV remote to turn it on, if you haven’t already done so.
Switch to the HDMI input.
Use the TV’s “Input” button to switch to the HDMI number that matches the input into which you plugged in the HDMI cable. You should now see your PC’s screen appear on the TV.
Select your LG TV as the sound output.
If your PC’s sound is still coming from your computer and not your TV, do the following:
- Open Start
- Type in sound
- Click the speaker-shaped Sound option.
- Select your LG TV in the Playback tab.
- Click Set Default
- Click Apply, then click OK
Use your LG TV’s screen as an extension of your PC.
Now that you can see your PC’s screen on the LG TV, you can watch online content, play movies from your personal library, display photos, show your web browser, and virtually anything else on your PC—everything you do will appear on the TV.
Tips
- All LG smart TVs (and smart TVs in general) have HDMI ports.
- HDMI cables will rarely cost more than $10 to $15, especially when buying them online.
- LG offers an app called SmartShare that allows you to share files from your computer directly to the TV. However, since the release of Windows 8.1, SmartShare is no longer necessary to use.
Warnings
- Streaming over Wi-Fi can result in both a reduction in quality and an increase in lag.