There’s a massive difference in experience while watching movies on a laptop screen compared to watching on a projector.
It’s hard to compare the joy from watching favorite movies or TV shows on a 100-inch projection to a 15-inch laptop screen.
Hence, if you have a projector, it’s better to make the best use rather than straining your eyes on a smaller laptop screen.
Hence, in this article, we’ve created a detailed guide on how to connect laptop to projector with HDMI cable.
Below, we’ve mentioned the detailed steps. Hence you don’t get confused and frustrated while performing this simple task.
Are you ready?
Let’s get started!
How to Connect Laptop to Projector with HDMI: A Quick Guide
- Power ON your projector and laptop, if not already turned ON
- Get an HDMI cable of appropriate length to connect your laptop with the projector
- Connect one end of the HDMI cable into the laptop’s HDMI port
- Connect another end into the projector’s HDMI port
- Select HDMI as input source on your projector
- Press “Windows key + P” on your laptop
- Select the “Duplicate” option to mirror your laptop screen on the projector
As you’ve seen above, it’s effortless to connect laptop to projector with HDMI cable. Although, there are few scenarios to consider, and we’ll talk about them right now.
How to Connect Laptop to Projector with HDMI: Visual Guide
If you’re not sure how an HDMI port looks, check the below image:
It is known as the female-part of the HDMI port. In contrast, the HDMI cable consists of the male-part of the HDMI port on both ends.
Thus, you need to connect both ends of the HDMI cable into female-part of HDMI ports in the laptop and projector.
The HDMI port on your laptop will be either situated on the left or right sides. Whereas on the projector, the HDMI port is usually situated at the back. In some cases, the HDMI port can be placed on the left or right sides.
How to Connect MacBook to Projector with HDMI?
If your MacBook has an HDMI port, you can follow the above steps 1-5 and connect MacBook to laptop with HDMI cable. Mac OS will quickly detect an external display and automatically mirror your MacBook screen onto the projector.
Suppose your MacBook doesn’t automatically mirror your desktop onto the projector. In that case, you can refer to this detailed guide about mirroring your MacBook to an external display.
Suppose you’re using the latest MacBook, and it doesn’t come with a dedicated HDMI port and instead has all USB-C ports. In that case, you can use a USB-C to HDMI cable to connect your MacBook to Projector with HDMI.
The USB-C port on the latest MacBooks can perform various duties. You can use it to charge the laptop, connect an external display, super-fast data transfer, and connect myriad other devices.
Incidentally, suppose you already have a spare HDMI cable. In that case, you can still use it by purchasing a USB-C to HDMI Female adapter. Later, you can connect one end of the HDMI cable to the adapter and another end to the laptop.
What’s the Best HDMI cord for Projector and its Ideal Length?
There are tons of HDMI cables available in the market with various lengths. HDMI cables range from $7 to $50 depending on the brand, length, and material used. Moreover, the most common HDMI cable length is 3 feet.
My preferred HDMI cable is the Amazon Basics CL3 range of HDMI cables. These cables are cost-effective, available in multiple length sizes, and support up to 18Gbps transfer speed.
If the projector and laptop are placed close to each other, the 3-feet HDMI cable will be sufficient. Although, if your projector is ceiling mounted, you should consider a longer HDMI cable.
What should I do if my Projector has one HDMI port and it’s already in use?
Budget projectors usually come with a single HDMI port, limiting the number of devices you can connect at once.
If your projector has a single HDMI port and it’s already connected to a streaming media player, Xbox or PlayStation. In that case, there’s a quick turnaround.
A simple device called HDMI Switch is available on Amazon. It costs around $10, and using the HDMI Switch; you can connect multiple devices through a single HDMI port.
To use an HDMI Switch, you can connect the male part of the HDMI port to the projector’s single HDMI port. Later, you can connect your other devices like laptops and gaming consoles to the female part of the HDMI Switch.
To toggle between input sources, you can click on the “Select” button and cycle through multiple input sources.
What should I do if my Laptop has VGA port and Projector has HDMI port?
VGA ports are a common sight in older laptops. In such case, make sure if your projector consists of a VGA port too.
If a VGA port is present on your projector, you can connect laptop to projector with VGA cable instead of HDMI cable.
Suppose the VGA port is not available. In that case, you can use a VGA to HDMI cable or adapter and further connect the HDMI cable from the adapter into the projector’s HDMI port.
How to Get Sound from Laptop to Projector with HDMI?
The HDMI port’s beauty is that it can transfer both video and audio through a single cable. Thus, it saves you the trouble of connecting another cable from laptop to projector for audio.
If your projector has built-in speakers, you can select the appropriate audio output from your laptop. Later, you can also connect external speakers by either connecting to your laptop or projector by selecting the correct audio source.
Conclusion
As you’ve seen above, the answer to your question, “How to Connect Laptop to Projector with HDMI?” is very easy.
It is as easy as connecting two devices via the USB port. However, if it’s your first time, this simple task can also look daunting.
Just make sure the HDMI cable is of appropriate length, plus there’s enough flex in the cable to prevent accidentally yanking the cable. Also, make sure the cable isn’t broken or worn out, which might affect the image quality.
If you have any more questions or queries on this topic, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment section below.
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