There are at least two cases where we want to hear PC audio on TV ; when we connect the computer to the TV with an old cable that transmits only the video (to watch a movie or live streaming), or to better hear music from Spotify or similar services, especially if the PC speakers are not very powerful or at all absent. In this guide we will show you how to send the audio of our computer (desktop or notebook) to the TV, using both cable transmission methods (to be used alongside the cable already used for video) or wirelessly, completely removing the need to transmit via cable (we can send both the video signal and the audio of our computer). In some cases we will already have everything necessary to hear the audio, in others we will have to purchase special cables or adapters to receive the audio / video stream generated by the PC.
Hear PC audio on TV
Here below we can find all the valid methods to hear the PC audio on the TV, just choose the one that best suits our needs.HDMI cable
Instead of using an old cable to transmit only the video to the TV (for example SCART, VGA or DVI) we can directly use an HDMI cable, since it carries both video and audio .
If our TV has at least one free HDMI port and our PC has an HDMI port, let's get a simple HDMI cable (€ 5) to connect the two ports and transmit the computer's audio and video. On some laptops we can find the mini-HDMI port, on which we will have to use a special cable -> AmazonBasics - High speed mini HDMI to HDMI cable (€ 6). On new generation laptops and MacBooks we can use a USB Type-C / HDMI cable, such as the one available here -> AUKEY USB C to HDMI cable (€ 12).
If you don't hear anything with the HDMI cable, we will probably have to update the Audio driver or to set the computer's audio to go through the HDMI port.
To do this, right-click on the audio icon at the bottom right (or in the Audio section of the Windows Control Panel), go to the playback devices and set HDMI (or High Definition Audio) as the default playback system. On some computers we will have to set the Digital Audio Output to be able to hear sounds on the TV.
Audio cable
If there is no HDMI socket on the PC or the TV is very old, the computer audio can be brought to the TV with a simple RCA cable (the one with the white and red plugs) or with a 3.5mm jack audio cable male-male type .
If we point to the RCA-Jack cable (€ 7), simply connect the Jack cable to the socket of the computer headphones and the two audio plugs on the other side of the cable to the RCA Audio sockets (white and red socket).
If instead we aimed at the simple AUX Jack cable (€ 5) we will have to connect a plug on the headphone socket of the PC and the other plug in the Audio IN socket of the TV.
With this connection mode you can't really go wrong and it is also the fastest way to use TV speakers as computer speakers even without video.
Miracast
If our Smart TV supports Miracast we will not have to buy anything, since we can already receive the audio from our computer!
First we connect the TV to the home network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable and open the specific app for Miracast (on LG it is called Screen Share, on Samsung AllShare) or the menu item that allows Mirroring ; now let's go to the computer with Windows 10, click on the Notification Center at the bottom right, click on Connect, wait for the TV to appear among the compatible devices and click on it. We confirm any warning messages on the TV so as to display our desktop on the TV, including the sound emitted by the various apps or programs installed.
To learn more we can read our guide on how to use the TV as a secondary wireless screen of the PC (Windows 10).
Chromecasts
Alternatively we can use the Chromecast, the device that transforms TVs into Smart TVs, to be used to transmit PC audio and video to the TV via Wi-Fi (also in this case without using any cables).
With the Chromecast connected to the HDMI socket of the TV and to the home Wi-Fi network, you can transmit the computer audio by opening Google Chrome on the PC to be transmitted, pressing at the top right on the menu with the three dots, selecting the Transmit menu and choosing the Chromecast in the window that will appear. Basic Chrome only transmits the active tab, but if we wanted to transmit the entire screen of our computer (therefore also transmit the audio of other programs), just select the Source item from the Transmit menu and press on Transmit desktop .
To learn more about the use of the Chromecast, we invite you to read our guide Chromecast Guide with 16 tricks and applications to use it at its best .
Amazon Fire TV Stick
Another effective method to hear PC audio on the TV is to use the Amazon Fire TV Stick (€ 39), to be connected to the TV as already seen for Chromecast.
Once connected to the HDMI socket of the TV and to the Wi-Fi network of our home, press the Home button, go to the Display and sounds menu then select the Enable Display Mirroring item . When the warning window appears on the Fire TV Stick, let's go to the computer whose audio we want to transmit, press on the bottom right of the icon of the Notification Center (Windows 10), click on Connect and select the name of the Fire TV in the 'list. We will see the screen of our PC directly on TV, with the possibility of listening to the audio of the various applications.
If you are a beginner with the Amazon Fire TV Stick, we recommend you read our Amazon Fire TV Stick Guide with tricks, apps and hidden features .
Conclusions
Transmitting the PC audio to the TV is a very simple operation and within everyone's reach, so that we can finally listen to our favorite music or view the streaming also on our dear TV, which often offers much better audio than the small speakers built into the monitors.Always to stay on the subject of music, we recommend you read our guide on How to listen to music from TV, so as to view other alternative methods to listen to your favorite songs on the TV. If, on the other hand, we are looking for a method to connect the smartphone screen to the TV, we refer you to our in-depth analysis on How to transmit the smartphone screen to TV .
