Despite being a popular method to connect devices, HDMI ports are not found on all devices.
If you’ve had the same laptop for the past 6 years, then you will most probably relate to this.
But that doesn’t mean that you can no longer connect your laptop to your TV. The great thing about technology is that there is more than one way to connect devices.
So if you’re wondering how to connect your laptop to a TV without HDMI, this is where you’ll get the answers.
Quick Navigation
How to connect a laptop to a TV using an RCA adapter?
Click for more info
When you don’t have an HDMI port, the next best option to use is an RCA adapter.
An RCA adapter like LVY’s HDMI to RCA Converter lets you connect your laptop’s HDMI port to your TV’s composite ports.
Composite ports are those red, white, and yellow circular pots found at the back of the TV, then these are those ports. They were used even before HDMI ports were created.
However, unlike the cables you’ll find in an RCA adapter, original TV cables came in two’s, specifically for the for the RCA stereo ports.
The yellow port is called the composite video port which is used for standard-definition video. The red and white ports are both used for audio, more commonly called RCA stereo audio.
Click for more info
An RCA adapter can also be used as the adapter connecting a TV stick. If you want to use a projector, you can connect the adapter to the projector’s composite ports instead of a TV’s.
Keep in mind, though, that an RCA adapter is not two-way. This means that you can only use your laptop as the output device and not your TV.
In other words, you can’t use your TV to send information to your laptop in this particular connection.
Steps to Connect a Laptop to a TV Using an RCA Adapter
To connect your laptop to the TV, you will need an HDMI cable and any high-quality HDMI to RCA Converter like Dingsun . This adapter should have one yellow, red, and white composite cables.
From your laptop, connect one end of the HDMI cable and the other end to the RCA Converter. Then connect the three colored cables to their respective ports. Connect them to the ports with the same color as the cable heads.
And there you have it. This connection can already mirror the audio and video that will be played on your laptop to the TV.
The beauty of this connection is that you don’t need to install any app on your laptop or TV (your TV might not even be capable of downloading applications).
You just plug the cable to the adapter and the TV, and you can start watching videos.
How to connect a laptop to a TV using a USB-C cable?
Newer laptops and devices (such as Apple devices) already have a USB-C port. USB-C ports are considered to be better than HDMI ports since the former can also transmit audio, video, power, and data.
Not all devices have both HDMI and USB-C ports. Newer Apple iPads and Macbooks only have a USB-C port.
If you are using a device that has a USB-C port, the best way to connect it to a TV is through a USB-C to HDMI cable and an RCA adapter.
Click for more info
Here’s a representation of what the connection looks like: device’s USB-C port > USB-C to HDMI Cable > HDMI to RCA adapter > TV’s composite ports.
Steps to Connect a Laptop to a TV using USB-C
There are a lot of steps in this connection so it’s important that you already have a USB-C to HDMI cable and an HDMI to RCA adapter. LVY’s HDMI to RCA Converter and Warrky’s USB-C to HDMI Cable are both reliable accessories you can purchase.
Start with connecting the USB-C end of the cable to your device’s USB-C port. The other end, which is the HDMI end, should then be connected to the RCA adapter’s HDMI port.
From here, connect the colored cables to the same colored ports found at the back of the TV.
Just like the first method above, you don’t need to download and install any application on your TV and device.
How to connect a laptop to a TV via screencasting?
Now for a wireless solution.
Screencasting is one of the newest ways to connect your laptop to the TV without using any cables. Amazing!
By definition, screencasting captures your source’s screen and shows it to the second screen.
In this case, a screencasting application will capture what transpires on your laptop (both audio and video) and shows it to your TV.
How to set up screencasting
To be able to screencast, you need a casting application on your TV. The most popular app is Miracast.
Your TV should also be a Smart TV so that it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and casting features.
Once you’ve ticked off the two, turn on the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity of your TV. And then, launch Miracast.
If your remote has a ‘Screen mirroring’ button, then you can press that too.
Now go to your laptop’s settings. Under settings, click ‘Devices’.
Turn on your Bluetooth and click ‘Add Device’. From here, choose the wireless display option. This will show a list of detected devices.
Click your TV’s name and now you can begin screencasting!
Conclusion
If you don’t have an HDMI port on your TV, there’s no need to panic.
Sure, it’s the most common solution to connect your laptop and TV, but we’ve seen here that there are alternatives.
These alternatives range from using your TV’s composite ports through an RCA adapter or a USB-C to HDMI cable and wireless screencasting. You even have wired and wireless options.
So even without an HDMI port on your TV, you can enjoy watching videos from your laptop to the screen.
Vance is a dad, former software engineer, and tech lover. Knowing how a computer works becomes handy when he builds Pointer Clicker. His quest is to make tech more accessible for non-techie users. When not working with his team, you can find him caring for his son and gaming.