A tablet is, of course, a powerful and advanced gadget that has managed to replace a computer and a TV for many, but you can’t get your hands on a tablet to watch some fresh film and work with the same comfort as in front of an HD monitor of a powerful computer or laptop. No matter how insulting, but the tablet did not move the old technology primarily because of its compactness.
Well, in this case, old and new technologies need to be friends, and many people are already wondering how to connect a monitor to a tablet, tablet to a TV, and so on. In fact, all this is quite feasible and does not require much effort. In this article we will find out how to do this.
How to connect the monitor to the tablet via USB?
Consider the first method of connecting via a USB cable. It’s worth noting that there are two options for connecting a tablet:
- As a USB drive (like a USB flash drive).
- As an additional display (like a computer via HDMI).
In the first case, you need a TV that supports USB-drives. If there is one, then just connect the tablet to the TV using a standard cable that comes with any smartphone, tablet, and so on. Then, on the TV, you need to select the connected device as the source, find the file to play and press Play.
In the second case, a TV with USB support is not needed, but you will need an adapter for the tablet. The easiest and most convenient option is the MHL adapter (on one side is micro-USB, and on the other side is HDMI). Most televisions support this technology, which allows streaming data from a tablet to a screen or monitor. Thus, you can "stream" games, movies and music to the big screen and fully enjoy the content. Old monitors and TVs work either through USB to VGA, or through composite adapters. This method is only suitable for tablets running Android version 4.0 and higher.
How to connect the monitor to the tablet via WiFi?
The method presented above is perfect for those who own an old monitor or TV without support for SMART functions. If you still have SMART-TV or a “monitor with brains”, then you should think about connecting the tablet via Wi-Fi. You can use Miracast wireless technology. This method only works with devices running Android version 4.2. So, to duplicate the image from the tablet to the SMART-TV, you need:
- Connect your TV and tablet to the same WiFi network.
- Go to the TV settings and select "Duplicate image".
- Go to the tablet’s settings, open the “Screen” submenu and turn on the Miracast option in it.
- Select the desired one from the list of external monitors and click on it.
After the connection is established, all content from the tablet will be mirrored on the connected monitor or TV.
You can also set up file sharing between your tablet and TV using the DLNA standard. To do this, you must:
- Connect your TV and tablet to the same WiFi network.
- Activate UPnP protocol on the router.
- Download the server application for managing devices on the same local network.
- Send the file in the tablet’s memory to the desired TV (a corresponding request will appear on the TV that will allow you to play the sent file).
Using Chromecast
How to connect a monitor to a tablet wirelessly and Miracast? Let's make SMART-TV out of it. You can turn any modern monitor into the likeness of a SMART TV by connecting Chromecast to it - an inexpensive repeater that connects to the HDMI port and receives video and audio signals from mobile gadgets (in the case of Android, you can send a mirror image from the device). This good only costs $ 35 and works with any monitor that supports HDMI. A more advanced version with support for 4K video will cost $ 60, which in any case is cheaper than buying a SMART TV, and more convenient than connecting a monitor via an MHL adapter.
How to connect a monitor to iPad via AirPlay?
As for the owners of the iPad, then everything is a little more complicated. Due to the closeness of the iOS operating system, connecting the iPad to the monitor directly will not work. You can use the same Chromecast to broadcast video from YouTube or music from Google Play, but to fully work with an additional monitor and display a mirror image, you will have to purchase Apple TV 3 generations or later.
The Apple TV connects to the monitor via an HDMI cable, and the iPad connects to the Apple TV via Bluetooth or WiFi. The user only needs to open the "iOS Control Center", click on "AirPlay Video Replay" and select the desired set-top box. The mirror image is automatically transferred to the monitor connected to the Apple TV.