Connecting the projector to a laptop via VGA. How to connect a projector to a computer and laptop - simple solutions for the perfect effect

How to connect a projector and monitor to a PC at the same time?

Master's answer:

To connect a projector to your computer, you need to know certain features of these devices. Often people encounter some problems when using a monitor and a projector in parallel. To implement this connection, you will need a special adapter from DVI to VGA.

You can implement the connection using different methods. The choice of method depends on the characteristics of the projector. First, just try connecting both a monitor and a projector to the video card at the same time.

Usually the problem is that the projector only has a VGA port to send the signal to it. If a monitor is already connected to the video card through such a port, and the projector does not have other ports, then you will have to buy a special adapter. There are such adapters; they connect to the DVA output of the video card. After the adapter is connected, you can connect your projector to it. If it is not possible to purchase an adapter or the second port of the video card is not working or is missing altogether, then you can connect a projector to the VGA port, and then a monitor to it. Connect your monitor to the projector via a regular VGA cable that was used to connect the monitor to the computer. Connect the projector to the video card port, instead of a monitor. Thus, the video signal will go to the monitor through the projector, which will make it possible for both devices to work together.

If you used the first described connection method, you should configure the options and parameters for synchronous display from the projector and monitor. To do this, you need to open the screen settings, select the image of the desired device and enable the “Set as primary” option. Next, you need to choose how exactly your devices will work simultaneously. Typically the projector is set to Screen Mirroring. As a result, we get synchronous display of the same image on both devices.

If you need to prevent running applications from being displayed on the monitor, you can enable the “Monitor Extension” function. When enabled, you can drag applications from the monitor beyond its borders. As a result, the application will be displayed on the projector, but will not be visible on the monitor display. This allows you to unload the desktop from some windows and launch new ones on the monitor, transferring already open applications to the projector. This method is useful when the displayed materials are opened using different applications. While one material is being shown, another is opening on the monitor desktop and preparing for display.

Connecting a projector to a laptop is carried out through simple manipulations, but, unfortunately, difficulties are often encountered along this path. When devices refuse to pair automatically, this means that the default system settings have been lost, or that these devices simply “do not understand” each other. How to connect a projector to a laptop in this case? The connection is configured manually: for this purpose, the operating system provides certain key sets. In the absence of such, setting parameters is carried out by forcing changes in configurations.

A multimedia projector, regardless of model, connects to a computer or laptop via VGA orHDMI cable. For high quality content, HDMI will be preferable.

The connection algorithm is elementary:

  • Before turning on the projector, unplug both devices;
  • insert the plug into the corresponding connector;
  • turn on the projector, then the computer.

In cases where the required connector is not available, you can use special adapter. This can happen when the video card only has a DVI connector, but the projector has VGA or HDMI. Using an adapter slightly reduces the quality of the content. The projector turns on first, otherwise the computer does not see it.

Special adapter

Wireless connection

You can also synchronize devices via the Wi-Fi protocol; today this method is gaining popularity. To activate you need install drivers, but in the case of Windows 7, usually the standard ones are sufficient.

If the disc is lost, the application can be downloaded online from the projector brand website.

Before you connect the projector to your laptop, you need to install Wi-Fi antennas in the USB connectors of the projector and PC; in appearance, they resemble a small flash drive. The green indicator light indicates that the connection was successful.

It is worth noting that not all projectors that supportWi-Fi, they will project video. Some models can only be connected to control equipment; this nuance must be clarified when purchasing. A wired connection is more reliable and practical: the HDMI plug, for example, is designed to transmit excellent quality video without interference.

Displaying content in the required mode

Theoretically, after connecting the cable to the appropriate connector, the picture should be displayed automatically. In some cases, when the settings are incorrect, the user must make the necessary changes to display the content. It is known that each version of the operating system has its own characteristics, therefore there is no uniform procedure for action.


Then, the user has access to four picture display modes connected projector.

  1. Duplication (repetition) – when video from a computer or laptop is duplicated on an external screen.
  2. Computer only - content is played on the laptop display, and the external screen is not used at this time.
  3. Expansion - the desktop is divided into two parts, its left side is displayed on the PC monitor, and the right side is displayed through the projector.
  4. Projector only – information will be projected only on a large screen.

Useful tips for Power Point

The office program Power Point is “tailored” for presentations; it is often used because it is simple and convenient. This has its own operating features, for example, you can display slides on a large screen, and the text of a report or lecture on a PC display.

The settings don’t take much time: after synchronizing the projector with the PC, go to the program and in the top panel look for “Slide show” - “Show presentation”. Check the box next to “Projection equipment”. Here you can find “Speaker Mode”; if you activate it, various auxiliary tools for conducting lectures will be displayed on the screen - additional buttons or notes.

Manual image debugging

Sometimes pictures or letters are blurry or “floaty” - this happens when the monitor resolution settings on the PC are incorrect. To maximize quality, set your computer's resolution to match the projector's specifications. In this case, the projector settings do not change.

How to change settings on a computer/laptop (for the platform Windows 7/Vista):

  • to go into the computer settings, you need to open the menu with the right mouse button (click on the desktop);
  • select “Screen resolution” and set the correct value (like the projector);
  • Save the settings by clicking the “Ok” button.

OptionsWindows 10 slightly different, here the “Resolution” item is located in the screen settings section. Click "Start" and find the "System" tab, on the right side of the window, scroll to the bottom of the page and open "Advanced display options." Then everything is simple: select the desired value and save the settings.

This completes the task of how to connect a projector to a computer. After connection, the user can select a convenient output mode for holding a presentation or watching a video at home.

Connecting a projector is not the most difficult task, but if you have never done this, some aspects of the setup may seem incomprehensible. But if you figure out how to connect a projector to a laptop using one of the available methods, no problems will arise.

Connecting equipment

Before you can configure display settings, you must connect the equipment. Typically a VGA or HDMI cable is used for the connection. If your laptop has the same connector, then you just need to insert the cable and turn on the device.

It is preferable to use an HDMI connection. Therefore, if you are just going to buy a projector, pay attention to devices that support HDMI - an interface that allows you to transmit high-definition images.

If the connectors on the projector and laptop do not match, then the connection will have to be made through an adapter. Using an adapter may uncritically reduce image quality, but this is usually not noticeable with the naked eye.

You need to connect switched off devices together with a cable. After connecting, the projector turns on first, then the laptop. This procedure allows you to avoid a situation where the laptop does not see the projection equipment.

Image Settings

If the connection is made correctly, then when you turn on the laptop will precede the projector as an external screen and immediately display the image on the wall. The picture may be distorted, this is especially noticeable on letters that are floating. This problem usually occurs when the screen resolutions of the laptop and the projector do not match.

Check what resolution your projection equipment supports. Usually this is 800x600 or 1024x768, but expensive models can have 1920x1080. You need to set the same value in the resolution settings on your laptop.


On Windows 10, you won't find a Screen Resolution section in the desktop context menu. Here the resolution is adjusted through the screen settings.


When the connection is established and you see a normal image on the wall without distortion, you can proceed to selecting the display mode.

Display Modes

If your laptop is running Windows 7, open the Start menu and type “Connect to a projector” in the search bar. A link to the built-in application will appear, open it to customize the display. Instead of navigating through Start, you can use the Win+P keyboard shortcut. This shortcut works on all versions of Windows except XP, so remember it.

A total of four display modes are available:

  • Only the computer - a picture on the laptop screen, the projector does not broadcast anything.
  • Duplicate – the image from the laptop display is completely copied onto the wall through the projector. This mode is most often used for presentations.
  • Expand – the desktop is divided into two halves. The right side of the desktop is displayed through a projector. The left one remains on the laptop screen. By moving program windows to the right side, you decide what the audience will see.
  • Projector only – the laptop screen is inactive, the image goes only to the projection equipment.

On Windows 10, the names of the items are different, but their meaning is the same: for example, instead of “Duplicate” on the “ten” there will be an item “Repeating”.

On laptops, you can use function keys instead of the projection menu. The Fn button in combination with one of the keys from the F1-F12 row also changes the display mode. The order of changes is saved: one click - the image will be duplicated, the next click - the image will expand to the desktop and the projector, dividing the screen completely, etc.

Different laptop models use different combinations. For example, to enable repeating or extended mode on an ASUS laptop, you need to press the combination Fn+F8. To understand which key from the F1-F12 row is right for you, pay attention to the icons. The desired button will contain an image of two monitors.

You can also select the display mode through the “Screen resolution” section of the context menu. There is a “Multiple Screens” field, which presents the already iconic options: duplicate, expand, only screen 1 and only screen 2.

In principle, choosing the active display is the same on all versions of Windows, but if you have connected a projector to a laptop running XP and it sees the connected hardware, the order will be slightly different.

After finishing your presentation, be sure to set the settings to the same settings as before connecting the projector, otherwise the image on your laptop will not be the same as what you are used to.

Fortunately, this is not that difficult to do if you follow these guidelines:


  1. First of all, connect the projector. Use a cable that fits the terminals on the projector and or . This can be S-Video or VGA (in this case the projector is connected as an additional monitor).

  2. Install the projection module at a distance from the wall on which the screen will be located. As a rule, it is 6-8 meters. And hang the screen on.

  3. Turn on the projector, select the signal source (as a rule, this selection is made using the Input button).

  4. A picture will appear on the screen, but its quality is unlikely to suit you: most likely, it will not correspond to the size of the screen, and focusing is also unlikely to be okay. Adjust the image using the rings on the projector lens.

  5. In classrooms and auditoriums, the projector is mounted on a special stand, and the beam hits the screen strictly perpendicularly. It's rare to do this in a living room, but projectors usually have the ability to compensate for geometric distortion. However, this should not be overused, because it degrades the image quality.

  6. Most projectors can handle the rest of the settings automatically: use the Automatic Picture Ajustment button.

  7. You can “move” it slightly so that it fits better on the screen using the Horizontal Offset and Vertical Offset buttons. You can adjust both color balance and color temperature. Many projectors tend to bleed into purple.

Just as important as connecting the projector correctly is connecting it correctly. After the device, the fan continues to work for some time to cool the lamp, so you should not immediately turn off the power to the device.

Video on the topic

To connect a projector to a computer, you need to take into account several features of these devices. Users usually find it difficult to use a projector and monitor at the same time.

You will need

  • - DVI-VGA adapter.

Instructions

This problem can be solved in several ways. The choice of the method that is convenient for you should be based on the presence or absence of certain features. First, try connecting the projector and monitor to your computer's video card at the same time.

The problem is that many projectors only have a VGA port for receiving video signals. If a monitor is already connected to the VGA output of your computer's video card, and this device does not have a DVI (HDMI) port, then purchase an additional adapter. There are special adapters that connect to the DVI output. Now connect your projector to this adapter.

In a situation where you do not have the opportunity to purchase a suitable adapter or simply a second video card port, use a projector to connect a monitor. A mandatory condition in this case is that the projector has a VGA output.

Connect the monitor to using a regular VGA-VGA cable that you disconnected from the computer's video card. In turn, connect the projector to the VGA port of the computer. Now the signal

projector setup

Projectors are no longer a luxury these days. The middle class can afford to buy an inexpensive but functional projector. For example, the BenQ MX501 model costs only 17,000 rubles. A projection screen costs about three or four thousand rubles. In total, for twenty thousand you can purchase a projector and all the necessary components.

Projectors have five main parameters that can be configured:

Brightness

Color/saturation

Contrast

Sharpness/detail

Tint/hue

Before setting up your projector, you must select a pair of reference colors. Further adjustments will be made based on these colors. The room in which the projector is being set up must have a constant level of illumination, that is, completely darkened or, on the contrary, illuminated. It all depends on the purpose of the room in which the projector is installed. Thus, the reference color must match the lighting level of the room.

The selection of the reference color must be done using special adjustment DVDs. If you don’t have any, you can use the so-called “most natural scene”. Play the movie and press pause. Let's start adjusting the brightness and contrast. To configure them, you need to select a scene where, if possible, there are the darkest and lightest elements possible. Reference colors should be on visible small parts. This will allow you to better customize these display settings.

Let's take a closer look at brightness settings. Projector brightness is a measure of the black level that the projector produces. To adjust this setting, a contrast scene (such as the one mentioned above) is required. When the scene is selected, turn the brightness level to maximum. The image on the screen will appear faded or faded. After this, start reducing the brightness until the black color looks like black, the main thing is not to confuse black with another dark color, for example, dark blue. After the black has turned black, pay attention to the small details of the dark image, they should not merge. If they merge, turn up the brightness.

Let's adjust the contrast. Contrast is the level of white. Just like with brightness, set the contrast level to maximum. In this case, the light elements of the image will turn white, and a glow effect may appear on the white elements. After this, start reducing the contrast level until the white elements turn white and small details become visible. After this, you need to return to adjusting the brightness, since these parameters are related and you need to find a balance between them.

The next setting parameter is saturation. This is a significant parameter; if it is configured incorrectly, the image quality suffers greatly. The setup begins by setting the minimum and maximum levels of the parameter. During the installation process, you need to determine for yourself which parts of the image change most actively. This parameter will be set based on them. If the parameter is set to minimum, the image becomes black and white, if to maximum, red begins to predominate in the image. To adjust the parameter, you must select a contrasting scene. It is better to have people’s faces and green plants on it. You set the parameter in such a way that people’s faces show a true shade, and the grass becomes a rich green color.

Let's move on - shades. As in previous times, we set the minimum and maximum of this parameter. We pay attention to the elements that are most subject to change. At the maximum tint value, the image becomes predominantly green, at the maximum - red. As with saturation, we try to achieve the most natural shades.

We do the same with the next parameter. Set the minimum and maximum clarity. At the maximum value, the boundaries of image objects become sharp and objects are distorted. At minimum, objects are blurred. We set the parameter so that the objects do not merge, and the boundaries between them are smoothed.

If after adjusting these five settings you're still not happy with the image, start digging further. Modern projectors have a lot of fine-tuning options. For example, color temperature or color balance of each of the three colors (red, green, blue) separately.

Once the image is perfect for you. It is recommended to save the resulting configuration, this is done in case the lighting in the room changes. For such cases, you can have several saved configurations and set one or another depending on operating conditions.