Home Networking / Router / & WiFi Gateway Help

[jriae]

Trying to hook up my new dell to the tv with hdmi. I get the picture on the tv that i have as my screen saver but when i try to watch a dvd or youtube that signal doesnt come to the tv. It remains the screen saver. Thanks for any advice I could try.

[JamesR]

What happens if you move the mouse. Does the screensaver go away leaving your desktop showing?

[jriae]

I stated that incorrectly. I see the desktop picture on the tv. My photo screen saver and any other activity doesnt appear on the tv. Sorry for the cunfusion.

[JamesR]

Does the video play on the desktop?  If so it should play on the tv as well with the TV mirroring the video activity on the PC.

[jriae]

youtube, netflix and even photos from my library will be on the computer moniter but not up on the tv. the desktop image always remains on the tv. Sorry about the delay in getting back, I work 12 hrs shifts so im usually sleeping or working for the first few days a week.

[kevj]

Usually when you set up an extra monitor (which is what the HDMI connection to the TV is, in effect) you have options to either duplicate (or mirror, as James termed it) what is on the PC screen on the additional monitor, or Extend the desktop to the additional monitor. What you describe sounds like the display is extended to the TV. If that is the case, you will see a blank desktop on the TV until you drag a window from the main PC display onto the TV display.Extend is like giving yourself extra desktop space, but the PC doesn't know to display anything there automatically. You have to move windows between the displays.

[jriae]

ok I have picture. Yay. But no sound? Again, thank you for all your help.

[kevj · Accepted solution]

I have an HP laptop with an ATI graphics card. I had to enable audio output for the HDMI connection in the Windows 7 Sound control panel. It was not enabled by default.

[jriae]

thank you to everyone who helped.