Most of the time, when people want to use their TV as an extended monitor, people will run a long HDMI cable from their computer to their TV. This is the simplest solution, but who wants to run a cable through a room when there are many wireless solutions out there?
You might think that casting using a Chromecast device is the only or most preferred solution here. But it is not so. And if you don’t have a Chromecast device, you’re out of luck.
In this article, you will learn about four other ways to use your TV as a monitor without broadcasting with Chromecast.
Use wireless HDMI
One of the easiest ways to use your TV as an extended monitor, no matter how far away in the room, is to use a wireless transmitter and receiver kit.
You can connect this small device to your computer’s HDMI port and the other to your TV’s HDMI port.
The transmitter (on your computer) sends the video and audio signal to the receiver (on your TV) over a 5 GHz wireless signal. This frequency reduces the chance of interference from other wireless devices in the home.
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Most of these devices are compatible with Windows and Mac computers and support high-definition audio and video streaming.
However, these devices are not cheap. Most of them cost over $ 100, which is double the cost of a Google Chromecast device. With that said, it’s much easier and faster to set up, and doesn’t require complicated Wi-Fi setup to work.
Buy a smart TV
One of the easiest, but probably the most expensive, solutions to expand your wireless display is buying a smart TV.
While smart TVs may seem expensive at first glance, think of all the devices you don’t need to buy if you do.
- Wireless Streaming Joysticks
- HDMI Wireless Adapters
- Wires and adapters for connecting to the Internet.
Smart TV comes with everything you need to connect to a Wi-Fi network. Once connected, you will find that you can connect to these TVs wirelessly without any additional equipment.
This is thanks to Miracast technology built directly into these TVs and available by default on Windows and Android devices.
This technology is very easy to use. On a Windows 10 PC, simply select Action Center (notification icon) on the far right of the taskbar. Select Project from the pop-up menu.
In the next window, select Connect to a wireless display. Then you will see a list of devices available wirelessly. You will see any of your Smart TVs in this list.
Just select this monitor or display and your Windows 10 PC will use this Smart TV as an extended monitor.
On a Samsung Android device, you can use the Smart View app to connect to Miracast-enabled displays. On non-Samsung Android devices, you can swipe down with two fingers and press the Screen Cast button.
If you have Apple devices, you may know that Miracast is not available. If so, you can still use the Smart TV solution by purchasing an Apple TV streaming device paired with a less expensive non-Smart TV.
Use a Roku or Amazon Fire Stick
Chromecast isn’t the only casting solution that lets you use your TV as a monitor. There are competing streaming devices on the market that are compatible with Miracast technology
The two leading streaming devices with this broadcast technology are the Roku TV and Amazon Fire Stick
Ruku streaming devices give you much more than just the ability to convert your TV to an extended monitor. It also gives you access to a variety of content and almost all of your typical online streaming accounts such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.
To set up your Roku device, you just need to connect it to the HDMI port on your TV using the supplied HDMI cable. It comes with a remote control, so you can feel like you’re flipping through channels like you would on a regular cable TV subscription.
The Amazon Fire Stick works in much the same way. This Alexa-enabled device lets you watch Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and of course, use Alexa skills and apps.
The Amazon Fire Stick does not require an HDMI cable because you plug it directly into your TV’s HDMI port.
More importantly, the Amazon Fire Stick lets you use Miracast technology to project an extended screen from your Windows 10 PC or Android device.
To use your TV as a monitor with any of these devices, use the same approach as above for connecting to your Smart TV. Just select your Roku or Amazon Fire Stick device from the list of available wireless devices.
Use the laptop and Miracast
If you don’t want to buy any new devices but have a spare laptop or desktop computer, you can still use the TV as an extended monitor without broadcasting.
To use this method, you need each of the following:
- A second laptop or desktop computer.
- HDMI cable connected from a Windows 10 computer to the HDMI port of a TV.
- Latest Windows updates installed
It only takes a few simple steps to turn your PC screen into a TV as an extended display.
- Turn on the second laptop or desktop computer and make sure it is connected to the TV as a separate display.
- Select Action Center on your primary TV, select Project, and select your second laptop or desktop.
- Once connected, you can configure display settings for this additional extended monitor.
You will notice that in just three easy steps, you can use your TV as an extended monitor. This approach doesn’t require purchasing any smart TV or streaming devices. And of course, no Chromecast device required.
The approach you take depends on how much money you are willing to spend and whether you want advanced features to be included in the devices you purchase, such as smart TVs or streaming devices.
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