# Use TV as computer monitor



## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

I use mine every weekend to watch my grand daughter play volleyball in Denver. I use the HDMI connection and plug it into one of the receptacles on the smart TV, I think DVD. The computer will have a "switch" most likely F4 but mine switches automatically from small screen to big screen. Oops, you said "older" flat screen. Probably no HDMI , huh?


----------



## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

It is unusual to find a Win 10 system with VGA unless it a lower end system which often have the video built into the motherboard. Most systems have DVI and/or HDMI video cards.

It is possible VGA is not enabled is the BIOS. 

In some systems, VGA is disabled if the system has another video card installed. You said you bought the system used. The previous owner may have removed the video card and neglected to re-enable VGA. 

Where in the BIOS to re-enable VGA differs depending on the PC manufacturer. You can do a search for the computer manufacturer and "enable VGA in BIOS" for instructions on this.

Any idea how old the desktop is? 
Does it have a separate video card or is the video built into the motherboard? 
Are there any other interfaces available?

Another possibility is the video port on the PC or the television is not working. 

Do you have a computer monitor you can test the PC on? If it works with a monitor, then it is possible the VGA port on the television is bad. If it does not work with the monitor, the VGA port on the PC is possibly shot.


----------



## flyingron (Dec 15, 2020)

Yep, I finally through out a box of VGA and DVI cables. NOTHING I have uses those anymore. Everything has pretty much gone HDMI (with a light spattering of display port and some USB-C).


----------



## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

flyingron said:


> Yep, I finally through out a box of VGA and DVI cables. NOTHING I have uses those anymore. Everything has pretty much gone HDMI (with a light spattering of display port and some USB-C).


I have ditched VGA but still hang on to some DVI cables. I work IT which means I am IT support for my whole family so I keep spares on hand. 

It is interesting that even with the expansion of HDMI and DisplayPort so many high-end video card makers are still including DVI. I just bought a new workstation and the Nvidia GeForce card it came with has both a HDMI and DVI interface.


----------



## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Rusty, you've opened your Display settings to set up multiple displays?


----------



## rogerwh (Mar 1, 2021)

You can also learn brain surgery from YouTube.

Roger


----------



## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

huesmann said:


> Rusty, you've opened your Display settings to set up multiple displays?


He referred to it as a "used desktop computer". If he is trying to use the television as the monitor. I took it to mean a workstation (not a laptop) from which he wants to use a television in lieu of a monitor. If this is the case then it should not require using the multiple display settings. The only time one should have to use multiple display settings is if there are in fact multiple displays. His OP gave no indication of multiple displays.

Rusty needs to provide more information on what he has and how it is connected.


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Can't get the computer to connect to change display connections. It is a Lenovo that has been refurbished. It is a gaming computer. Bought it for my son and then bought a better one for him. They only have user manuals for W7 and this is W10. Connections are completely different. I set the TV on VGA. Ran a VGA cable between the two hooked to the VGA ports. But the TV just says "no signal" Also tried a HDMI cable between those ports. No response from Lenovo tech support.


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

It is a Lenovo WV2-00002.


----------



## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

Some cheaper computers have a hard time with multilple displays and large monitors depending on video HP. Im running a 32 in
Samsung computer monitor and a 27 in HP at the same time but my desktop system is fairly new. My wifes Apple does a good job linked by HDMI port to a 75 in 4k LED TV


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

...8 ram I TB harddrive


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

It has a second port that looks like a VGA, but is too big for the cable. I did order a cable that will connect the VGA to a display port on the computer. 
it will be two days before I get it.


----------



## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

rusty baker said:


> Also tried a HDMI cable between those ports.


Did you set the television input to HDMI when you did this..., and if your television has multiple HDMI ports did you select the correct one?


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Drachenfire said:


> Did you set the television input to HDMI when you did this..., and if your television has multiple HDMI ports did you select the correct one?


Sure did. I have an adapter coming VGA to display port. We will see if that will work. Some simple instructions from Lenovo would have been nice.


----------



## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

rusty baker said:


> Sure did. I have an adapter coming VGA to display port. We will see if that will work. Some simple instructions from Lenovo would have been nice.


It is usually a straight up process. Connect the cable and set the input on the television.

I connect my laptop to my television all the time. Plug in the HDMI cable, set the input at the television and hit F4 on the laptop, easy peasy lemon squeezy.


----------



## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Drachenfire said:


> He referred to it as a "used desktop computer". If he is trying to use the television as the monitor. I took it to mean a workstation (not a laptop) from which he wants to use a television in lieu of a monitor. If this is the case then it should not require using the multiple display settings. The only time one should have to use multiple display settings is if there are in fact multiple displays. His OP gave no indication of multiple displays.


If it's me, and it's not displaying on the TV, I'm first connecting the computer to a desktop display (i.e. monitor). If I can get that working, _then _I add the TV as a second display. If that works, I swap Display 1 and Display 2 in Windows so that the TV is Display 1, then disconnect the monitor.


----------



## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

I would connect it to a computer monitor just to confirm the video port on the workstation is functional. If that works but does not work on the television, then there could either be a problem with the television or the cable being used.

Rusty, there is another possibility that I recall having seen happen before. The resolution on the computer is set higher than the television can handle. I suggest you connect the computer to a monitor, lower the resolution to at least 800 x 600 and then try connecting it to the television.


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Drachenfire said:


> I would connect it to a computer monitor just to confirm the video port on the workstation is functional. If that works but does not work on the television, then there could either be a problem with the television or the cable being used.
> 
> Rusty, there is another possibility that I recall having seen happen before. The resolution on the computer is set higher than the television can handle. I suggest you connect the computer to a monitor, lower the resolution to at least 800 x 600 and then try connecting it to the television.


I don't want to buy a monitor if the computer won't work. Just more wasted money.


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Figured it out, even their tech did not know what was wrong. There is a special adapter that goes from the VGA on the TV to the display port on the computer.


----------



## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

rusty baker said:


> I don't want to buy a monitor if the computer won't work. Just more wasted money.


You could have borrowed one or take your computer over to a friend's to test. 



rusty baker said:


> Figured it out, even their tech did not know what was wrong. There is a special adapter that goes from the VGA on the TV to the display port on the computer.


I am glad you got it working. It is still a mystery why the HDMI did not work, it is a standard interface.


----------



## rogerwh (Mar 1, 2021)

rusty baker said:


> Figured it out, even their tech did not know what was wrong. There is a special adapter that goes from the VGA on the TV to the display port on the computer.


To make this thread more useful in the future, could you give us a link or more information on the adapter you found?

Roger


----------



## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

You didn't say the computer had a DisplayPort connector...


----------



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Drachenfire said:


> It is usually a straight up process. Connect the cable and set the input on the television.
> 
> I connect my laptop to my television all the time. Plug in the HDMI cable, set the input at the television and hit F4 on the laptop, easy peasy lemon squeezy.
> & w/o & it worked.


Thank you and thanks for the subject, Rusty. My HP laptop's screen went black within a year.
But, for we non IT types, the cntrl key has to be pressed with the f10, right? I did both with & w/o & it worked.


----------



## GrayHair (Apr 9, 2015)

Drachenfire said:


> It is still a mystery why the HDMI did not work, it is a standard interface.


Not all implementations of a "standard interface" are fully compliant to the standard. Why not? Because adherence to the standard is voluntary.

Say X-Co makes their product A work with their product B through a "standard" interface that is not fully compliant. You connect product A from X-Co to product B from Y-Co, but it doesn't work. You call X-Co and they say "If our A works with our B, and our A doesn't work with Y-Co's B, the problem must be Y-Co's B. Goodbye and thank you for calling X-Co Tech Support."

If a "not fully compliant" implementation omits parts totaling 23 cents per unit and they meet their sales projection of 3 million units, they will have saved themselves nearly $700,000.


----------



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

rogerwh said:


> To make this thread more useful in the future, could you give us a link or more information on the adapter you found?
> 
> Roger


The adapter was VGA to display port. Found it on Amazon.


----------



## argile_tile (Aug 1, 2020)

I'm doing it now. SOME LED TV ARE ACTUALLY LARGE COMPUTER MONITORS. OTHERS ARE NOT. The ones that are not will give you poor viewing angles (you'll have to situate a large monitor for one person's height and not move around, meh).

You need to find a website that has "all the specs". I'll give you a head start: Sony makes one model of IPS that's great as a computer monitor. LG does make models too: but you must be very careful. Both sony and LG have allot of models and only a few are stars for use with computers.

Ultimately, I can't not suggest OLED will be best for clarity and viewing angle even more than IPS. If it's too pricey you migh twant to wait to see if prices come down on OLED in the future.









Sony X800H Review (XBR43X800H, XBR49X800H, XBR55X800H, XBR65X800H, XBR75X800H, XBR85X800H)


The Sony X800H, also known as the Sony X80H, is a decent entry-level 4k TV with an IPS panel on most sizes. It's a great TV for watching TV shows in a bright roo...




www.rtings.com





this website has reviews of many LED TV with exactly the information you want: Ratings on how well each model functions as a COMPUTER MONITOR, GAMING MONITOR, and their movie quality too


----------



## argile_tile (Aug 1, 2020)

tom's hardware is another web resource of computer reviews. it is not as "open" as DiY chatroom. you can get kicked off for "expressing dis-like of a (i won't say) brand" on that website


----------

