This should serve as the ultimate guide on how to connect your laptop to your TV.  This guide will actually work for hooking up any computer to any TV since we are going to go over the connections you’ll find on any PC, Laptop, TV or HDTV, and how to get them all to work together to get the most out of both the audio and video.

The easiest way to do this is wirelessly using an EZAir, or even eliminating the computer and doing it wirelessly with a streaming content box like the Roku.  However, this article is going to cover wired connections.

Digital HD Laptop to TV Connections That Carry Both Audio and Video

First, let’s start out with the source which will be either your laptop or computer.  Since this is where your signal originates, it’s important that we start here so we know what our limitations might be.  These connections carry a digital audio and video signal.  This is the ideal connection as you will get both HD video and Surround Sound audio.  These are:

• HDMI
• DisplayPort
• mini DisplayPort
• Thunderbolt

Many TVs have an HDMI input, but most don’t have DisplayPort, mini DisplayPort, or Thunderbolt inputs.  They are comptable with each other though, so you won’t need a signal converter or anything crazy.  You’ll only need an adapter if you don’t have an HDMI out on your computer.

Basically, if your laptop has HDMI and so does your TV, then you’ll only need an HDMI cable to connect them.  If your laptop has DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, or Thunderbolt, then you will need the appropriate adapter.

Side note: Some of these connections might not actually support audio out through these ports, despite the fact that the technology is technically capable of it.  If this is the case, you will have to use an alternative method to get audio to your TV as described below.

Digitally Connect Your Laptop and TV Without Audio

There are digital video outputs that do not carry audio signals.  These connections are:

• DVI (Digital Video Interface)
• Mini-DVI
• Micro-DVI

with DVI being the oldest, Micro-DVI being the newest, and all of them being replaced with the above digital/audio connections.  Either way, these are still found on many laptops out there.  In order to connect these to your HDTV’s HDMI port, you’ll need the appropriate adapter.  For example, a DVI to HDMI adapter cable if you have DVI and so on.  Some older HDTVs do also have DVI inputs, but you won’t find a television with mini or micro DVI inputs.

How to Get Sound From Your Laptop To Your TV

If your digital video connection doesn’t support audio, you’re going to need to use the computer’s audio output, which is usually the same 3.5mm jack you’d plug your headphones or speakers into.  It won’t be Surround Sound, but it will still do the trick.

If your TV or receiver has a 3.5mm input, then the connection is a simple 3.5-3.5 TRS audio cable.  If your TV doesn’t have this input, then it will likely have an RCA input.  This is the yellow, red, and white connection.  You will need  a 3.5 mm to RCA cable that splits your audio into left and right (white and red) channels for your TV.

Analog PC to TV Connections

You’ll find the following connections on many computers, some of which are capable of carrying high resolution (HD) signals.  These are the least preferred way to hook your laptop up to your TV, but they’ll work just fine.  In order from highest resolution to lowest, these connections are:

• VGA
• Mini VGA
• S-Video
• RCA

These will all require that you use the audio connection method mentioned above.  These are also all compatible with each other, so in order to go from say VGA to RCA, you’d simply need a VGA to RCA adapter cable.  You can not connect these to high definition digital inputs on, because the signals are incompatible.  Something like a VGA to HDMI cable won’t work, you’ll need a VGA to HDMI converter box.

Also note that the inability to connect these analog sources to the digital sources mentioned above has nothing to do with signal quality.  They are just two different and incompatible signal types, so you can’t go the other way around by connecting a digital source to an analog input either.

That should just about cover everything you need to know about your laptop to TV connection.  Most of the time only a cable or two is required, and these cables don’t have to cost a lot.  A cheap HDMI cable is just as good as an expensive one for the purpose of connecting your laptop to your TV.

I’ve left quite a bit of very technical information out here in favor of brevity and clarity.  However, as always, if you have any questions regarding the specifics of your connection feel free to ask in the comments.

Now that TVs are light and flat, you have many more placement options, including a tv ceiling mount. Most of the time when people purchase their new flat panel television, they only consider wall-mounting as an option, but ceiling mounting is actually a more versatile option for your home theater.

If you have walls that aren’t conducive to installing a wall mount, such as the brick or cinderblocks often found in basement home theaters, then a ceiling mount certainly comes in handy. If you prefer more of a corner placement, obviously a flat panel ceiling mount is going to be an excellent option. If you change your mind, you can simply reinstall that mount in front of whichever wall you choose.

Plasma TVs tend to be quite a bit heavier than LCDs, and as such, a plasma tv ceiling mount needs to be a bit more heavy duty than those for LCDs.  If you have a plasma television, make sure that you’re getting a mount that is rated to handle that additional weight.  This may be a problem with less expensive models, but most high-quality models work as both as a plasma and an lcd tv ceiling mount, and will say so in their advertisements or on the box.  Whichever type of tv you have, you should really just aim at getting as strong and sturdy of a tv ceiling mount bracket as you can afford.  These TVs are rather expensive to be quibbling about a couple of dollars when it comes to properly mounting it.  You’ll certainly feel like an idiot when that $20 you saved on your cheap mount turns into the $1000+ replacement cost of a new HD TV.

The ability to tilt is an additional option that you’ll want to look into.  Consider where you plan on mounting your hdtv, the height of the ceiling and where your home theater seating is located.  These will factor into whether or not you need a tilting ceiling mount, or not, and how much you’ll need it to tilt.  Another option you’ll want to look out for is the ability to spin, or pan.  These two options will help you achieve the most optimal viewing angle for just about any situation.

Having a ceiling mount tv in your home theater is really a versatile choice, when you consider the two options available (wall and ceiling mounts).  Some people prefer the cleaner look of the wall mount, but a tv ceiling mount surely gives you more placement options.

There are a number of reasons why people would be interested in using a VGA to HDMI converter, including cost savings (from switching to updated media), keeping old gaming systems, and using a television screen to project images from a laptop or PC. However, because VGA operates on an analog signal and HDMI from an uncompressed digital signal, the two components are incompatible without the converter. For people who are trying to stay in the analog world a digital media update is in order.

Do NOT Buy a VGA to HDMI Converter Cable

The VGA to HDMI cable is available for purchase online and in some media stores, where people desperate to keep the cost of media updates at the lowest price can make a hopeful purchase. Sadly, the function they hope for does not work. The digital update that happened in June of 2009 left many homes without a way to watch broadcast TV. More importantly, hopeful PC owners have wanted to use their computer through a television set to watch films or online video clips only to find no available media connecters for the job but these cables do not work. The only time that such a cable will work is if you have a video card that is capable of digital output via the VGA connection. It’s likely that it does not, so don’t buy this cable.

The Long Way Around

To convert VGA to HDMI there is an option. Using two adapters a person can convert VGA to DVI and then DVI to HDMI. However, this results in an extreme loss of video quality. In addition, using the two adapter cables is an expense that is not worth the end results. Most estimates quote prices in excess of three hundred dollars to acquire the necessary media to make the long conversion from analog VGA to digital HDMI. Many HD televisions built to broadcast in digital signal can be purchased for less money than the adapters it would take to hold on to an old TV set.

The Best Option – The VGA to HDMI Converter

When it comes a signal translation that is cost efficient and effective the VGA to HDMI converter is the best purchase. This converter supports the analog to digital translation enabling video and audio to be projected through an old analog system. This makes the newest systems: computers, laptops, gaming machines, and televisions supportable through HDMI connections.

VGA is not coming back. Because HDMI can support more media and graphics (with a bandwidth of 5 gbps), more than twice the needed space for data transmission, this source will be a lasting output for many years to come. Currently Disney, Fox, Warner Bros., and Universal all use HDMI to support their creative productions. It is the apex in media transmission available on the market, and a simple converter to help the old communicate with the new can be purchased for less than the price of updating all of your media sources.

The Best VGA to HDMI Adapter On Amazon

The model below has the highest ratings and it’s the best selling VGA to HDMI converter on Amazon.com.  Really, the best part about it though is its price point.  At around $40, it is also one of the least expensive of the bunch.

Component video (YPbPr) / VGA To HDMI Converter With Auto Up-scale This unit converts VGA or Component Video and Audio to HDMI. It allows for connection of Desktop or Notebook PC to a flat panel TV. It also allows for connecting equipment with component output (such as PS2, STB, DVD, Xbox 360 etc) to PC monitor that has only HDMI or DVI inputs.

The VGA to HDMI cable is one that is out of date and does not give consumers the best possible picture, not to mention that in 99% of situations, it’s not even going to work. With television technology constantly improving and gaming and multimedia technology being more prevalent, consumers want to make sure that they are watching the best possible image on their television. With the right cables and connections, this is possible. Unfortunately, not all components have the same input and output capabilities. Even if you have the newest and greatest HD television or LCD monitor, the image from an old DVD player, or computer will only be as good as the cable carrying the signal is capable of delivering. That is why it is important to have all of your components and cables up to date.

Currently, the highest standard of cable that is being manufactured is HDMI, which stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. It combines digital audio and video signals in one cable. If your components are relatively new, they will certainly have output connectors of this type.

If you only have a VGA out, rather than some form of digital output for your computer, then you are limited to that analog output. If you want to hook it up to a monitor or television that has HDMI inputs, you’re going to have to not only ensure that you have compatible connections, but that you convert the signal from analog to digital. This is why a VGA to HDMI adapter cable will not work in most cases. You can’t simply hook one end into a VGA output, and the other into an HDMI input, and expect to see anything. The only rare case when this will work is if your computer is outfitted with a video card that is capable of pushing a digital signal out its VGA port. In this case, the VGA to HDMI cable will work just fine, but many computers are not capable of doing this.

The best way to switch VGA to HDMI is to use a VGA to HDMI converter box. This device takes analog signals and converts them into a digital HDMI signal. For less than $100, one of these devices can solve audio and video connection problems.  One great example is this (approximately $40)  VGA to HDMI Converter found on Amazon.com. You don’t have to worry about upgrading your old DVD player so that it gives you the best possible image on the TV. With one of these adapters, you can connect multiple devices into the television and get near HDMI quality.

Component video (YPbPr) / VGA To HDMI Converter With Auto Up-scale This unit converts VGA or Component Video and Audio to HDMI. It allows for connection of Desktop or Notebook PC to a flat panel TV. It also allows for connecting equipment with component output (such as PS2, STB, DVD etc) to PC monitor that has only HDMI or DVI inputs.

If you come to find the VGA to HDMI cable not working, you are not alone. This is due to the aforementioned compatibility issues. Since it is analog to digital, it simply won’t work properly. There are reports of this cable working perfectly and there are reports that this connections simply will not work.  The times when it’s working perfectly are those when the person, probably unbeknownst to them, has a compatible video card in their computer.

If you have spent the money to get a high quality television, it may be time to upgrade all of your components so that they will give you the best possible picture and audio. Rather than hoping the VGA to HDMI converter cable will work, get a converter and some new components to take full advantage of your entertainment center and computer.

Whereas home cinema is a matter of entertainment and pleasure, home surveillance is a matter of safety and security.  One useful device you can employ for home security is the wireless spy camera.  Wireless cameras offer some advantages over wired systems which are pretty obvious, but there are also some drawbacks and we’re going to talk about both.

The obvious benefit of a wireless surveillance camera is the lack of wires.  Getting a system wired can be a bit of a pain, and can be costly if you have someone do the installation for you.  Spy cameras that are untethered by wires can be deployed quickly and with much less fuss than wired cameras.  On the other hand, you do suffer a bit of quality loss by transmitting the signal rather than piping it directly through your cabling.  You can also run into issues of interference from physical objects as well as other wireless devices that may encroach on your cameras signal.  You are also pretty limited in the amount of cameras you can use via wireless due to the limited amount of frequencies that can be utilized, so wireless is not the way to go if you’re setting up a large multi-camera spy camera system.

The Mini Wireless Spy Camera

There are a lot of wireless security camera systems out there, but when you think of spy cameras, you think of something small and covert.  This is where your mini wireless spy camera comes in.  These are tiny cameras that use the smallest, and least amount of parts available.  Their quality isn’t as good as a full-sized camera, but what they lack in quality they make up for in versatility.  You’ll find these cameras in everything from pens to teddy bears, and they can be employed in a variety of situations.  You can also buy them as a standalone camera that you can place in any covert location you want. One of the most common uses for these cameras is the nanny cam.  Using a micro wireless spy camera to keep on eye on your nanny allows you to ensure your children are getting the best possible care.

The great thing about a hidden wireless spy camera is that it can be placed anywhere without you having to worry about it being detected.  Obviously its small size plays a big role in this, but the simple fact that it doesn’t have wires prevents detection as well, because the wire leading into an object that generally shouldn’t have wires would obviously be a dead giveaway that something is amiss.

A Cheap Wireless Spy Camera

If you’re looking for a cheap spy camera, you’ll be able to find cameras for $10-15.  Of course, as with anything, you get what you pay for.  That isn’t to say that thee cameras aren’t quality, and you can even find a wireless color spy camera in this range.  The video produced might be a bit grainy though, and you’ll want to look at reviews of the product before making a final purchase. As you increase the amount you’re willing to spend you’ll find cameras that improve in quality, as well as decreasing in size.

Whether you go cheap, or go big with a 5 camera wireless security system, you’ll gain a bit of piece of mind as a result of deploying a wireless spy camera.  They are a relatively inexpensive way to keep you and your family safe.

If you’re looking for a TV projector, there a couple of requirements you’re going to want to look at beyond choosing a typical home theater projector.  If you use your projector only for movies, or other special events, then obviously it isn’t going to be used very often.  People watch television much more frequently than once or twice a week; some people watch several hours a day.  You’ll find yourself replacing your LCD projector bulb much more frequently with this additional use.  You’ll also need a projector with the proper inputs depending on how you pipe television into your home.

With the regular usage consistent with television watching, one of the factors you’re going to want to look at when selecting a lcd tv projector is the bulb life.  This is something you’d look at either way, but in this case you might compromise a bit on the quality of the picture for the additional bulb life.  If you pay top dollar though, you’re going to get the best of both picture quality and bulb life.

You can also consider getting a cheap tv projector that is used solely for television, while using your high-end HD TV projector for movie projection.  This may seem like a bit of overkill, but it really depends on how fanatical you are about your home theater.  You can find cheap projectors, even cheap HDTV projectors for under $200 on eBay and other online marketplaces, and considering that that might be the cost of replacing the bulb in your high-end projector, it really is a perfectly acceptable solution.

You’ll want to be sure not to go too cheap though.  Some inexpensive projectors won’t have a a wide variety of input slots, so if you do go the cheap route, be sure to check to make sure it has the one you need.  Direct TV, and Cable, if you have the best boxes available, will always have some form of HD output.  This can either be Composite or HDMI, and you’ll want to verify which one your box has, and ensure that you’re chosen TV projector is compatible.  If you’re still living in the dark ages of over-the-air television, your television projector is either going to have to have a built-in HD tuner, or you’ll have to purchase one separately.

My favorite choice for watching TV are online sources, like Hulu, and the networks’ own websites.  Depending on what type of output your computer has, VGA or HDMI, DVI or a combination of those, you’ll have to have the appropriate cable to connect your computer to your projector keeping in mind that VGA and DVI do not carry audio, while HDMI does.  For VGA and DVI you will need a separate audio cable to go to your home cinema receiver.

Setting up your home cinema for television watching is a matter or taste.  Some people prefer setting their home theater apart for special viewing because it makes those events more memorable and it really catches that movie theater feel if you don’t use it that often.  For others, their home theater doubles as their general family entertainment room, and this is where you might need a TV projector.  Whether or not you choose to go with a second projector for this extended and frequent usage is up to you.

When it comes to making a diy projector screen, nothing is easier than simply painting a wall with Screen Goo.  The problem with standard paints is that they are not quite the right texture or color, but Screen Goo paint comes in several different hues, and is specially formulated to give you a perfect viewing surface that can be essentially hidden when your home cinema isn’t in use.

If you don’t want your screen “visible” unless it’s movie time, that is a simple matter of finding a close match to the color of Screen Goo you’ve chosen.  You wouldn’t want to use Screen Goo for the entire wall, as it’s a bit more expensive than your standard paint, but this kind of performance is worth it.  And who’s to stop you from making your entire wall into the viewing surface?  Goo screens can be as large as you want them to be.  If you want such a large picture, go ahead and do it, but keep in mind that your projector probably has a size where it’s going to provide you with it’s best possible picture.  Going any larger will cause a degradation of picture quality.

Besides the simplicity involved in “installing” goo systems screen paint, they have a color selector that will help you pick the shade you need.  They obviously are unable to determine exactly what you’re going to need, but you can input screen size, the make/model of your projector, and the typical room lighting levels, and they’ll try to match you up as best as they can.

If you are really into the idea of making your own custom projector screen, finding the right projector screen material can be difficult.  You’ll be searching fabric stores for blackout material, and then you have to go through the process of installing it properly.  It’s nothing compared to the ease of painting a flat surface with projector Screen Goo.  If you’re leaning in this direction, rather than buying a screen, go with the Goo.

We’ve talked about the differences between VGA vs HDMI, but we didn’t really get into converting VGA to HDMI.  A lot of people wonder if this is even possible, and if so, how you might go about doing it.

Switching from VGA to HDMI is problematic because VGA is an analog signal, while HDMI is digital.  These formats are incompatible, and the conversion of one to the other goes beyond a simple cable that has a VGA connector on one end and HDMI on the other.  If you’ve found such a cable being sold online, it is a scam.  It’s completely impossible to do this conversion with a cable.

However, it is possible to convert VGA to HDMI, but it requires a special converter box.  This can range from a very basic converter that simply changes the format of the signal, to a converter/scaler that actually attempts to upgrade the image to high definition.  You also have to ensure that the output of your converter is compatible with your TV or projector.  If you have a 1080p projector, the output on VGA to HDMI converter should also be 1080p, not 720p.

As far as price goes, you’re looking at $30-$100 for the basic models, and that often includes up-conversion.  This cost is pretty reasonable for home cinema applications.  You can also get such a converter for business applications, such as conference rooms where presentations are given, because you never know what type of laptop someone who’s presenting is going to have.

If you’re running your home theater from a laptop, or computer that only has analog output, you’re better off sticking with a TV or projector that has analog inputs; most have both digital and analog.  This is a lower quality signal than digital HD formats, but the expense of a VGA to HDMI converter might not be worth it.  If high image quality is of importance to you, consider upgrading your computer, or laptop, or running your home cinema through a standard DVD/Blu Ray set-up.  Converting VGA to HDMI is certainly possible, and it’s probably worth the couple bucks to do so, but it isn’t completely necessary.

Which is better; VGA or HDMI?  My friend posed this question last night, and before I had a chance to answer, another friend answered that VGA was better.  I considered correcting him, but I was curious to listen to his explanation as to why he thought this.  His main point was that your computer can output high resolutions ie 2048 x 1536 and sometimes even higher, which is larger than the HD 1080 (or, more specifically 1920 x 1080) which is the most common HD resolution these days.  According to him, VGA cables can carry those larger computer resolutions, because they’re made for a computer, but HDMI cables are for HDTV so are limited to 1080 resolutions.  However, HD is digital, while VGA is analog, and digital wins every time.  Converting VGA to HDMI doesn’t technically improve the signal though, but an VGA to HDMI converter is handy to have for watching computer output on an HD television, none-the-less.

As far as signals go, one incorrect assumption made here was that HDMI is made only for HDTV signals and that a HDMI cable can only carry an HDTV resolution image with a maximum output of 1080.  While it’s true that a cable can only carry as much information as is being put into it, an HDMI cable is capable of carrying much larger signals than a VGA cable.  If you send this 2048 x 1536 image through an HDMI cable, it’s going to come out on the other end as a 2048 x 1536 image; it isn’t limited by HDTV standards.  Clear as mud, right?  Basically HDTV and HDMI are two separate things.  Yes, they are both “high definition” but one is a signal type and the other is a mode of signal transportation.  HDMI cables are limited by HDTV’s output, not by its design or construction.  They are capable of carrying huge amounts of data, well beyond anything you’re going to have in your home theater.

What’s the Difference Between VGA and HDMI?

Now let’s delve into the capabilities of these two formats/cable types.  VGA (video graphics array) has a maximum resolution of 800 x 600 pixels.  Now, what most people simply refer to as VGA is actually Super VGA or SVGA.  SVGA covers a whole range of resolutions on up to 2048 x 1536 and beyond.  Fair enough, but what about HDMI.  HDMI, at least the current iteration of it (HDMI Version 1.4), can carry resolutions of up to 4196 x 2160, according to Wikipedia, and is used in digital theaters.  This is beyond anything you’ll be using in your home theater.  For now, at least.

Where the difference really comes in is the fact that VGA is an analog signal, while HDMI is an uncompressed digital image.  The uncompressed digital image is going to be a higher quality every time.  You will get the best quality by using a digital source, through HDMI, DVI or any digital method of transport, and finally to a digital input.  If you have a VGA output source, and want to connect it to a digital input device via HDMI, you’re going to need a VGA to HDMI converter.  The VGA/HDMI converter is required to upgrade the analog signal to digital because the two formats are incompatible.

Which is Better; VGA or HDMI?

If you’re still reading this, then you already know the answer.  If you’ve simply skipped down to this subtitle without reading all the technical jargon, then here’s your answer; HDMI is better than VGA.  Now that you have your answer run out and get your HDMI cables, or VGA to HDMI converter, or whatever else you need.  Leave VGA in the dust where it belongs.

When you’re coming up with a design for your home cinema, there are many options as far as where everything is going to go.  One viable option for equipment placement is the ceiling.  You can use your ceiling to mount your television, or your projector.  All you need is a sturdy ceiling mount that is appropriate for your equipment.

If you’re basing your home theater around a projector, then the most convenient option is going to be a projector ceiling mount.  This allows you to mount it directly in front of the screen, and above the viewing area.  This gives you the straightest, and most clear picture, and having it way up on the ceiling will prevent viewers from blocking the view, which you might have if you simply use a shelf behind the viewing area. some universal projector mounts are designed to hold the projector upside down so the controls can be reached easily without having to pull the projector down.  These mounts have adjustable heights and viewing angles, so you can line your image up perfectly with your projector screen.  Other ceiling mount projectors will sit on a tray that is attached to the ceiling.  This can make adjustments, such as focusing, inconvenient, unless you have the remote.  You should have your ultimate home cinema universal remote handy, so that really shouldn’t be a big deal.  Where some difficulty might come in is with the initial height, and angle adjustments.  The tray projector mounts are a bit more cumbersome and difficult to deal with, however, you should only have to make these adjustments once, so again, this shouldn’t be a deal breaker if this is the type of mount you prefer.

If you have a plasma, or LCD tv, and you don’t think mounting it to the wall is going to be suitable, then you can opt for a television ceiling mount.  Flat panel monitors and LCD have a standard-sized mounting plate in the rear, so finding an LCD ceiling mount shouldn’t be very difficult.  Your choices will mainly boil down to color, height and angle adjustment, and weight options.  They come in your standard, black, white, chrome, brushed aluminum, and really any color you might imagine.  Most tv ceiling mounts have a telescoping post, so height is adjustable, whether you’re mounting the TV in a short finished basement, or vaulted ceiling living room.  You want to make sure that your TV is able to rotate vertically and horizontally, and can be locked in place once the perfect viewing angle has been found.  You have to make sure that the mount you purchase is rated for the weight of your TV so it doesn’t come crashing down mid-movie.  Plasma TVs are often heavier than LCD TVs, and properly anchoring, and installing a ceiling mount may require the assistance of a professional.  Such professionals are usually available at big box electronics store, and often even the local places.

A ceiling mount is a convenient choice to mount your TV or projector.  It keeps them out of the way, and makes for one less piece of furniture to dust.  Ceiling mounting your TV or projector provides a really clean look for those who prefer the minimalist look to their home theater.  Combine this with a hidden entertainment center, and you’ll be able to walk through the room without realizing your standing in a high-tech home cinema.