How to Extend Desktop to LCD/Monitor/TV?

How many of you know that you can extend your desktop on to your Monitor or TV or LCD.

If you have Television or extra monitor lying around at your home, you can use it along with your PC/Laptop to get extra desktop space. Having a second monitor allows you to extend your desktop and have a lot of extra usable space.

Why do you want to extend your desktop?

Well i use it to watch movies or live cricket matches :). What i do is i move the application that is playing video on to TV (which is extended desktop here) and continue working on my Notebook. Here i am enjoying the movie/cricket match and also working.

For you it might be something else. for ex: You can open the HTML editor on your left screen and see the output in an internet browser on your right screen; you can have a pdf open on your right screen and write an e-mail about it on your left screen, etc. This way you will save a lot of time from switching between different programs.

Now let me show how to get all this working?

1) Check whether you have extra video connector/port on your PC/Laptop or not?

There are different types of video connectors/ports. one is RGB port other one is S-Video port.

After you check the connector/port in your PC/Laptop then check the device on which you want to extend the desktop. It can be Monitor or LCD or Television.

For me both Television and Laptop has S-Video.

2) If both Laptop/PC and Monitor/LCD/Television has video connectors/ports, then go to S-Video. Here you can find all type of cables which connect two video connectors.

3) After you purchase it from any of electronics store. Connect both cables and do the following.

Windows XP

• Click the Start button and choose Settings -> Control Panel.
• In the Control Panel, double-click Display to open the Display Properties dialog box and click the Settings tab.
• Click the monitor icon representing the monitor you are adding to your system.
• Place a check mark in the Extend My Windows Desktop Onto This Monitor check box.
• Click OK.

Windows Vista

• Click the Start button and choose Control Panel.
• Click Personalize, then click Display Settings.
• Click the monitor icon representing the monitor you are adding to your system.
• Place a check mark in the Extend The Desktop Onto This Monitor check box.
• Click OK.

Note:

• You can also extend your desktop to a TV.
• When purchasing the second monitor, it would be a good idea to be similar to the one you already own (if not exactly the same) so that you would have the same color configuration and aspect ratio.

I started using it a few days back only and let me tell you it will make your life easier

Try it. If you have any suggestions or doubts just leave a comment. I will be happy to respond…

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