Turning Your Desktop Into Television Magic: How to Connect Windows to Chromecast Easily

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What to Know

• Open Chrome’sthree-dot menu and then selectSave and share >Cast >Sources >Cast screen .
• Pick your Chromecast from the list to cast your whole PC to the TV, and then select a monitor if you have multiple.
• Chrome also lets you cast a single tab or a single video instead of the PC desktop.

This article explains how to Chromecast from a laptop or desktop to a TV. It shows how to cast the whole desktop, a single tab, and videos from streaming services.

How to Cast Your PC Desktop

Casting the entire desktop works well for relatively static items that don’t run within a web browser, so it’s ideal when presenting a slideshow or some other desktop app. Ensure that your Chromecast and computer are on the same Wi-Fi network, then open Chrome and follow these directions:

1. Select thethree dots in the upper right corner of Chrome and chooseSave and share >Cast .
   
2. ClickSource and then chooseCast screen .
   
3. Select your Chromecast. After a few seconds, your desktop starts casting.
   Don’t see it? You have to set up your Chromecast first and it must be on the same Wi-Fi network as your PC.
4. If you have a multi-monitor display setup, you’ll be asked to choose the screen you want to cast. Pick one and then selectShare .
   
   Your PC desktop will start casting immediately. To turn off casting, select the blue Chromecast icon at the top right of Chrome and chooseStop .
   When you cast the entire desktop, you’ll see an option to also share your system audio, which you can keep on or switch off.

How to Cast a Chrome Browser Tab

Don’t want to cast the whole screen? Chrome lets you pick a single tab if you’d rather see just that on your TV. This method might be used to show a website on your TV or to display photos or online documents.

The steps are very similar to the above directions:

1. Open Chrome’sthree-dot menu at the top right and then selectSave and share >Cast .
2. SelectSource in the pop-up window and make sureCast tab is selected.
3. Choose your Chromecast from the list to start casting the active tab to your TV.
   

Cast Screen vs Cast Tab

These are your options when using Chromecast with a computer. They might seem similar but there’s a big difference, which matters depending on the type of content you want to cast to your TV.

The screen option casts the whole desktop. This includes the taskbar, Start menu, and any program you open during the casting session. Whether it’s Photoshop, another web browser, Microsoft Office, or Notepad — it doesn’t matter. Anything you open on your desktop or laptop will display on the TV until you shut off casting.

The tab option is much more restricted, but that can be better in some situations. The tab you’re viewing when you start casting is what will show up on the TV, and nothing else. You can browse around to different websites and as long as you don’t close the tab, each website will appear on the TV.

How to Use Google Chromecast on Android and iOS

Both options are great for sharing content with the room or using your TV as a bigger screen, but only for things that don’t move much, like text-only apps and websites. What it doesn’t work as well for is video. Well, it depends…

Casting Videos From a PC to Chromecast

Streaming video to a Chromecast works great if you’re watching a video on a website that supports casting. This is because the Chromecast will source the stream directly from that website instead of your computer. In other words, it’s no longer broadcasting from your tab or screen, but instead directly from the internet, essentially turning your computer into a remote.

YouTube is one example of a site that can do this, but there are lots of other ones. To check, look for the cast icon somewhere in the video player. On YouTube, it’s along the bottom right. Select that button and then choose your Chromecast to watch the video on your TV.

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You’re more than welcome to_try_ to watch a movie by casting your desktop or tab, but it probably won’t run as smoothly as you hope. To do this, simply follow the steps above for whichever method makes the most sense. If the movie is playing in a video player like VLC, you’ll need to cast your desktop, otherwise, pick the tab option.

Why Cast?

Google’s streaming device is an affordable alternative to set-top boxes like Apple TV and Roku. Primarily, it allows you to view all kinds of content on a TV, including YouTube, Netflix, video games, and Facebook videos.

Chromecast also makes it incredibly easy to connect your computer to a TV because all you need is Chrome. This feature works with the Chrome browser on any PC platform that supports it including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Google’s Chrome OS.

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FAQ

• How do I install Chromecast on my PC?
  There’s no real way to install Chromecast to your PC. However, if you have Chromecast for your TV then all your computer needs is an up to date version of the Chrome web browser .
• How do I stream Kodi from my PC to Chromecast?
  With the Chromecast connected to your TV and a Chrome browser tab open on your PC, select thethree dots in the top-right corner of Chrome and then selectSave and share >Cast . SelectCast screen underSources , choose your TV as the device to cast to, then open Kodi and start streaming.

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