Going mad: connection between W11 laptop and smart TV

LouiseSJPP · 23 Dec 2023

I have a Windows 11 laptop, and I have a VPN running on it to watch UK TV while living in Spain. I now have a smart TV (Samsung Q60CA QLED) which I'd like to run from the laptop, because the smart TV itself doesn't (I imagine) support VPN location shielding.

The TV is across the room and I really, really don't want cables trailing. So I tried a Bluetooth connection, which didn't work, one device is not compatible with the other, it seems.

I got Samsung's Easy Screen Share going, to find it shared video but not audio. The TV is close to the hifi, so my preference is to split audio ouit from the TV straight to the hifi, by USB or optical connection.

I looked at Samsung's Smart View but I think this is for phones. I put the VPN on my phone but found it didn't shield my location.

In desperation I hooked up a long HDMI cable, and that didn't work either!!

Direct WIFI looked like an option, but my ASUS Zenbook doesn't seem to support it.

DNLA looked like an option but the TV doesn't seem to support it.

Does anyone have any bright ideas?

RandomGrinch · 23 Dec 2023

Streaming from laptops to TV's can be hit and miss - phones are far more proficient.

LouiseSJPP said:
In desperation I hooked up a long HDMI cable, and that didn't work either!!

Using an HDMI cable should have worked. What issues were you having with it?

LouiseSJPP · 23 Dec 2023

RandomGrinch said:
Using an HDMI cable should have worked. What issues were you having with it?

TV tells me to connect a cable when I select HDMI, but cable is already connected. It's hard to lose the screen telling me connect, too: the two options are Connect or See Connection Guide. There's no backing out of it. Annoying.

martygturner · 23 Dec 2023

try : https://samsungtechwin.com/connect-laptop-to-samsung-smart-tv-wireless/

smartview app is for laptops

LouiseSJPP · 23 Dec 2023

martygturner said:
try : https://samsungtechwin.com/connect-laptop-to-samsung-smart-tv-wireless/

smartview app is for laptops

Found Smart View, took a while. It's not actually smart enough to find my Samsung TV on the same network though. Are Samsung just rubbish at this sort of thing?

martygturner · 23 Dec 2023

try : https://samsung-smart-view.en.lo4d.com/download

you should also have pc to tv on the tv hub you can connect via that.

freddiemercurystwin · 23 Dec 2023

Have you tried a/some diferent HDMI cables, not all HDMI cables are the same and can be a bit hit and miss. Have you checked the sound was being pumped out through the HDMI? Was the sound coming out of your laptop?

Alec_t · 23 Dec 2023

LouiseSJPP said:
TV tells me to connect a cable when I select HDMI, but cable is already connected.

I think you need to connect the HDMI cable when both the laptop and TV are switched OFF (unpowered). They then talk to each other when turned on, to set up the HDMI link.

opps · 23 Dec 2023

Alec_t said:
I think you need to connect the HDMI cable when both the laptop and TV are switched OFF (unpowered). They then talk to each other when turned on, to set up the HDMI link.

I have never needed to power down both devices before they would communicate.

Alec_t · 23 Dec 2023

You're lucky. I've had problems getting HDMI to work. Perhaps HDMI procedure depends on PC OS version and make/model/age of TV.

opps · 23 Dec 2023

Alec_t said:
You're lucky. I've had problems getting HDMI to work. Perhaps HDMI procedure depends on PC OS version and make/model/age of TV.

You may well be correct, again, I haven't experienced the problems that you have.