Once you figure out what kind of port your laptop has, the rest is easy: fire up Amazon and search for a ____-to-HDMI cable or _____-to-HDMI adapter, filling in your laptop’s port type. For example, my wife’s old MacBook Air uses Mini DisplayPort, so we need a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI cable or Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter to plug into the TV. My Chromebook, on the other hand, provides DisplayPort over USB-C, so I need a USB-C to HDMI cable instead. Remember, if you have an older machine that can’t carry audio over its display port, you may need a separate cable for audio as well.
Adjust Your Display Options
Frankly, once you’ve found your cable, the hard part is over—but for the best-looking image, you may need to make some tweaks.
Plug your computer into your TV and switch to the right input. (e.g. if you plugged your laptop into HDMI 3, use your TV’s remote to switch to HDMI 3.) You should see your desktop or login screen appear on the TV—though it may not look right. If it’s blurry or pixelated, it may be mirroring your laptop’s screen and scaling to fit—and if your TV is missing all your windows, it’s probably extending your desktop to your TV as a second monitor. You can adjust these settings with the following steps: