Connecting Laptop To Tv

[bobroper]

I have tried on several occasions to connect my laptop (Dell Studio 1737 which I purchased in the UK) to my Sony flatscreen TV by way of HDMI port. Every time I connect the cable and turn on TV followed by laptop, the monitor (laptop) goes blank and the laptop itself becomes ineffective until such time I remove the cable. I have tried to enable HDMI on TV but no signal detected.

Before I connected the HDMI cable, I opened the Intel Graphics control panel display monitor/TV settings and it says, Monitor/TV are not supported. This I do not understand as I have an HDMI port on my laptop.

Never having attempted this setup before, this is really puzzling me. I have searched on the internet and tried everything possible, well I think so anyway.

Any help on this matter would be most helpful and appreciated.

[lopburi3]

I would suspect the HDMI is not available unless so labeled on the unit itself or in instructions. Suspect the same basic unit was shipped in various versions and some with other video would support external TV. Will your TV accept VGA plug? That might be an option with sound cord to audio inputs?

[colnet1089]

You could try this, put the TV into standby mode, plug the hdmi cable into the laptop and the other end into the TV, now go to the graphics control panel on the laptop and it should show the TV as a second monitor, set the required resolution and then apply the settings, now switch on the TV and select the hdmi channel that the lead is plugged into, hopefully you should now see the desktop on the TV, just another thought, in reality as soon as you plug the hdmi cable into the laptop then the tv, it should automatically detect the connection, have you tried a different hdmi slot on the TV (if there is more than one), hope this works for you.

[samuijimmy]

I am no expert on this, but when I connect to the TV, from computer, I have to use the TV remote & set to HDMI One or HDMI 2 As it switches, there is a momentary blue screen on the Telly, then the computer screen comes up on the TV.... ( I also have an HDMI splitter, which maybe why I have to switch.... ?)

I let the guys from the shop sort it all out... to save the aggro!

Perhaps that might help by sorting the button on the TV remote.... You may have to read the manual to figure which one!

[bkksw]

If your Dell Studio has a HDMI port, then it's designed to output to a HDMI port.

I'd do things in this order.

1. Download the latest video driver from the Dell website. Do not install it yet.

2. Remove your current driver using Driver Sweeper which you can download here. You want to do this because the uninstall often leaves bits and pieces behind which can be an issue.

3. Reboot.

4. Install the latest video driver downloaded previously.

5. Reboot.

6. Now, assuming your getting the proper functioning of your laptop monitor, connect your HDMI cable. It 'might' "auto sense" but it probably won't.

7. Go to your driver screens and enable the second monitor. Depending on the software there are many ways to do this, but in all cases you'll want to "extend desktop" on the second (HDMI) monitor leaving your laptop screen fully functional while you output movies or whatever to the HDMI screen. In some cases you'll need to "force detection" of the HDMI tv..

Hope this helps.

[bobroper]

Thanks for all the help you guys.

[p_brownstone]

First of all as someone has already Posted you need to set the Laptop so that it knows there is another Monitor attached.

#However ou might also have to change the TV using the Remote Control.

Mine is a Samsung but there is a Button on the Remote labelled "Source", I attach my Laptop to the TV using HDMI Ports but have to "tell" the TV where the signal will be coming from by pressing "Source" until the TV shows "COM" - meaning Computer obviously. Before that it cycles through various other options like AV1, AV2 etc. looking for a Signal.

Once it locks onto the "COM" signal everything works fine.

Patrick

[canopus1969]

I had a similar problem and found (after a day of cursing) that the HDMI cable was at fault !

[Sonkind]

You may need to switch it to monitor mode, on acer it is Function(Fn) +F5 , on the Lenovo it is Fn+F3. Hold FN in and press it and it should come up with 3 options on the laptop- laptop only, duel view or monitor only.

Most laptops should display through the HDMI automatically but I found the Lenovo needed me to switch to that function as it was always in Laptop only mode.

Remember the TV needs to be on the correct source- ie HDMI 1,2 or where you plugged it in.

[PoorSucker]

Check the graphic settings in BIOS.

[bkksw]

Check the graphic settings in BIOS.

This suggestion isn't helpful. There aren't any BIOS settings I've ever seen which will have anything to do with this issue.

[PoorSucker]

Check the graphic settings in BIOS.

This suggestion isn't helpful. There aren't any BIOS settings I've ever seen which will have anything to do with this issue.

I fixed a friends laptop last week that had this issue.

Changing the graphic settings in the BIOS fixed it.

[bkksw]

Check the graphic settings in BIOS.

This suggestion isn't helpful. There aren't any BIOS settings I've ever seen which will have anything to do with this issue.

I fixed a friends laptop last week that had this issue.

Changing the graphic settings in the BIOS fixed it.

What setting and in what BIOS?

Even on a more complex desktop motherboard the only BIOS settings concerning graphics are which PCIe slot it selects first for a default video card. What other BIOS settings did you see?

[PoorSucker]

What setting and in what BIOS?

Even on a more complex desktop motherboard the only BIOS settings concerning graphics are which PCIe slot it selects first for a default video card. What other BIOS settings did you see?

Acer laptop.

Bios graphic mode was set to generic.

Sorry, can not be more precise cause I don't have the computer here.

Edit:

Here's an example with sound problems with Acer Laptop and HDMI.

Also fixable by changing graphic mode.

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1430002

[bkksw]

What setting and in what BIOS?

Even on a more complex desktop motherboard the only BIOS settings concerning graphics are which PCIe slot it selects first for a default video card. What other BIOS settings did you see?

Acer laptop.

Bios graphic mode was set to generic.

Sorry, can not be more precise cause I don't have the computer here.

Edit:

Here's an example with sound problems with Acer Laptop and HDMI.

Also fixable by changing graphic mode.

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1430002

Interesting. I stand corrected. This appears to be tied to a switchable graphics card and a BIOS setting would be available if using this kind of card. Not many of them out there, but maybe.

One more thing to check.

[astral]

I had a similar problem and found (after a day of cursing) that the HDMI cable was at fault !

HDMI cables come in different flavours.

HDMI is a handshake protocol and in the early days there were reports of some

devices simply not agreeing on the handshake.

[bobroper]

Many thanks you guys for all the help you have given me but, I am still no nearer to connecting TV to laptop by way of HDMI cable.

I have now discovered that when I originally puchased my Dell studio 1737 laptop in the UK, it held a blank media card reader. Excuse my ignorance but I think this is the problem.

If this is the case, where would I purchase an 8 in 1 media card reader for the laptop in question? Possibly an IT centre?

Further comments would be appreciated.

[lopburi3]

Not sure if understand - do you mean the HDMI was originally a media card input? Or that it has disappeared? They are often hard to see as just a slit opening.

If just asking about a card reader for general use believe there are many to allow input to normal USB port. Expect even Lotus may have them.