How to Use Your Big-Screen TV for Online Learning (and Fun)

The computer is where many of us spend a good part of our day working.

- WILL GREENWALD

It’s also where students will likely be spending a lot of time taking classes for the foreseeable future. And it just so happens to be the ultimate media and gaming device, capable of playing more music, video, and games than any other platform. There’s just one catch: Most monitors (and all laptop displays) are smaller than the average TV. So why not connect your laptop to your television for more compelling work and learning experiences on a bigger screen?

You can, and there are several different ways to do it. Not every method is suitable for every situation, though. Depending on where your TV is, where your computer is, how your home is set up, and what media you plan to use your TV screen for, you need to consider exactly how to connect your laptop to your TV.

These techniques don’t work just for laptops—you can connect a desktop PC to your TV the same way. Of course, desktops are less portable, so if yours is located far from your TV, it might not be as convenient or work quite as well.

WHY USE YOUR TV AS A SECOND SCREEN?

When you’re working from home, the biggest benefit to connecting your computer to your TV is being able to use it as a second monitor. TVs have bigger screens that are generally farther away from your face than monitors, but you can easily toss a few Chrome tabs, your email client, and useful information or messaging services up there so you can see whether you need to respond to anything at a glance. Keep in mind that a second-screen system works with only a few of the methods listed below.