Alright, so I figured I’d share my journey with this. You know, sometimes you just want a bigger picture, and the phone or laptop screen doesn’t quite cut it. So, I tinkered around to get things showing up on my TV, and here’s how it went down for me.
First Up: The Laptop and an HDMI Cable
This was my first port of call. Seemed like the most straightforward way to go about it, and honestly, it’s pretty reliable.
- I grabbed my trusty old laptop. Still gets the job done, most of the time.
- Then, I had to find an HDMI cable. I’ve got a drawer full of random cables, so I rummaged around until I found one. You’ll definitely need one of these.
- Plugged one end of the HDMI cable into the side of my laptop. Most have an HDMI port.
- The other end went into a spare HDMI slot on the back of my TV. My TV has a few, which is handy.
- Next, I grabbed the TV remote. This part can sometimes be a bit of a faff. I had to find the ‘Input’ or ‘Source’ button. Some remotes label it with an icon, like a box with an arrow going into it.
- I cycled through the inputs – HDMI 1, HDMI 2, AV, etc. – until my laptop’s desktop popped up on the TV screen. Success!
- Once that was mirrored, I just opened my usual web browser on the laptop.
- Navigated to, well, the sites I wanted to watch. Typed in the address, hit enter.
- Clicked play on the video, and there it was, big and bold on the TV. Sound usually comes through the HDMI too, right into the TV speakers. If it doesn’t, you might have to go into your laptop’s sound settings and select the HDMI output. Usually, it’s automatic though.
That method’s pretty solid. Easy to set up if you’ve got the bits and pieces.
Trying it with My Phone – Casting and Mirroring
Sometimes I can’t be bothered to lug the laptop over to the TV. My phone’s always in my pocket, so I explored options with that too.
If you’ve got a Smart TV, or a streaming stick like a Chromecast, Fire Stick, or Roku, this can work a treat.
- On my Android phone, I swiped down from the top to open the quick settings panel.
- I looked for an icon that said something like ‘Smart View’, ‘Cast’, ‘Screen Mirroring’, or ‘Wireless Display’. The name varies a bit depending on the phone brand, which is slightly annoying.
- Tapped that, and my phone started searching for compatible devices nearby.
- My TV (or streaming stick) showed up in the list. I selected it.
- After a moment, whatever was on my phone screen appeared on the TV. Pretty neat.
- Then, same as before: opened the browser on my phone, went to the website I wanted, and started the video.
- The connection can sometimes be a little less stable than a hardwired cable, might drop out or lag if the Wi-Fi is busy, but for sheer convenience, it’s great.
Using a Streaming Stick’s Own Browser
I also have a Fire Stick, and I know some of these streaming devices have their own web browsers, or you can download one from their app store.
- Using the Fire Stick remote, I went to the ‘Apps’ section.
- I either opened the built-in browser (I think Amazon’s is called ‘Silk’) or searched the app store for a web browser and installed one.
- Opening the browser on the TV was easy. Now, typing in web addresses using the on-screen keyboard and the little remote? That takes a bit of patience, let me tell you. It’s a bit clunky.
- But, once I got the website loaded up, I could navigate with the remote’s directional pad and select button to click on links and play videos.
- This way, your phone or laptop isn’t tied up, which is a plus.
So there you have it. A few different ways I managed to get content up on the big screen. The laptop with an HDMI cable is probably the most foolproof in my experience. But casting from your phone is super handy, and using a browser on a streaming stick is a decent alternative if you prefer. Each has its quirks, but they all get the job done. Just a matter of what equipment you’ve got and what you find easiest to work with. Took a little bit of trial and error, but definitely made for a better viewing experience in the end.
