How To Use Laptop As Monitor using HDMI Cable

Technology has evolved much more in the last few years than in the last two decades. With such evolution, it has become easy for each person to use it. Computer and laptop technology has also shown significant progress. Nowadays, you can also use your laptop screen as a monitor using different ways. 

But how can you use a laptop screen as a monitor using an HDMI cable? The answer is simple use an HDMI video capture device and an HDMI cable. So in this article, we will describe how to use a laptop screen as a monitor using an HDMI cable with a video capture device. So keep on reading.

HDMI video capture device

An HDMI video capture device is an external hardware that allows you to capture the screen of one device onto another display device. It can be a Tv or a laptop, or a computer screen. It is used for multiple purposes, including screen sharing for streaming purposes or recording your streaming.

It has an HDMI plug-in socket at the back and a USB end plugged into the laptop.

How to connect the video capture device to the laptop to use the laptop screen as a monitor

• First, make sure your primary laptop, whose screen you will use, is turned on, and the secondary laptop or device whose display you will stream on a primary laptop is also turned on.
• Now plug one end of the HDMI cable into the device whose display you’re streaming onto another laptop screen.
• Plug the other end of the HDMI cable into the video capture device. Plug the device into the USB socket of the laptop.
• Wait until the device is configured. 

How to have a display on a laptop using the default camera by the connection of HDMI cable through a video capture device

Once the cable connection is made, follow the steps to have a display:

• • Open the windows camera from the window apps.
  • After the camera is opened, it will show your webcam image.
  • Switch the camera. After the camera is switched, it will show the display of your other device on which the video capture device is acting as a screen camera for recording your display.

(Note: It’s better to hide the taskbar of the laptop whose screen you will use as a monitor because you may confuse it with the shared screen taskbar. It also has a limited fps display, so in some cases, the shared screen display might lag or blur.)

How to use a laptop screen as a monitor by using OBS HDMI video capture device software

If you want to record your screen and don’t want to go with the traditional view of low fps and blurry images. The solution is to use OBS software for the video capture device. This software allows you to share your stream or record the screen in 4k without any issues. To use the OBS studio, follow the steps after you have made the connection using HDMI cable and video capture device:

• • • First, install the OBS studio on the laptop whose screen you want to use as a monitor.
    • Tap the + sign at the bottom of the source tab.
    • Add a new device.
    • Select your video capture card and name it.
    • Now select the capture card from the properties window.
    • After selecting, the screen will be shared from another device to your laptop screen.
    • If you want to record your screen, you tap the record screen button in the bottom right. After a few seconds, your recording will start.

Can we directly connect laptops using an HDMI cable as a monitor?

It’s not possible to connect laptops using HDMI cable directly for monitor display purposes. It is because HDMI ports on laptops work as output ports only, meaning they will only transfer signals. Suppose you want to use one laptop display over another. In that case, you can use external video-capturing devices such as HDMI to USB video capture devices.

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you with your query. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments.

FAQS

Q: Can I record the screen using a video capture device?

A: You can use a video capture device to record your screen on another monitor.

Q: Can you plug an HDMI cable into a laptop and use it as a monitor?

A: No, it’s impossible to use a laptop as a monitor by plugging the HDMI cable directly because the HDMI ports on laptops only work as output ports and can’t process incoming signals.

Q: Can I close the lid of my laptop while using an external monitor?

A: Yes, you can do this by changing the close lid action from turning off to doing nothing in the battery settings.

Q: Can I view my laptop screen on other devices using the HDMI switch?

A: No HDMI switch combines signals from multiple HDMI inputs and gives a single output signal. To view your laptop screen, you can use an HDMI splitter that divides the same signal from one input to multiple outputs through which multiple HDMI-supported devices can be connected to have the same display.