Best for Gaming: Run a Cable
Many recent notebooks offer built-in HDMI outputs, and those that don't, typically have DVI ports (which can connect to HDMI ports through an adapter) or VGA ports (which can connect to PC ports found on most HDTVs). If you don't mind being physically tethered to your screen by a length of cable, you can just plug it in and treat your TV like a second monitor. Since the HDMI/DVI/VGA connection can be video-only (a decreasingly common trend, but a possible one, especially if you use a DVI-to-HDMI adapter or DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter), you might need to use an audio patch cable to connect the notebook's audio to either the HDTV or a nearby set of speakers. Still, a direct, wired connection is the best method if you value speed over all else. With a cable, you're guaranteed zero latency between the notebook and the HDTV, making twitch gaming (first-person shooters and other action-heavy games) possible.
Pros: Lowest latency option. The only method suitable for fast-action gaming.
Cons: Requires a physical cable, keeps you tethered to your HDTV. Might require a separate audio connection.
Convenient if Your Laptop Has It: WiDi
If you have a laptop manufactured in the last few years, it might already have Intel Wireless Display technology, or WiDi, built in. WiDi is a common feature for midrange and high-end laptops, especially ones that emphasize multimedia and home entertainment. Many of Best Buy's laptops include WiDi, offering 57 different models with the feature built-in. If it does, you can purchase a WiDi receiver like the $100 Netgear Push2TV HD, plug it into your HDTV, and wirelessly put your desktop on the big screen without even as much as a dongle. This system works very well for playing movies and browsing the Web on your HDTV, but slight latency keeps it from being ideal for fast-action games.
Pros: Wireless video and audio without plugging anything into your notebook. Supports 5.1-channel audio output.
Cons: Not a standard feature in all laptops. Too laggy for fast-action gaming. WiDi 2 necessary for 5.1 audio support.
Simple Setup: Wireless HDMI connectors
If you have an HDMI port on your laptop and don't want to run a cable from the computer to your HDTV, you can still put that port to good use with a wireless HDMI kit, like the Vizio XWH200 Universal Wireless HD Video & Audio Kit, Asus WiCast, and Rocketfish 4-Port Wireless HD Kit. Wireless HDMI systems let you plug your notebook into an HDMI transmitter and your HDTV into an HDMI receiver, and have them act as if a single long cable ran between the two devices. Some kits, like the Rocketfish 4-port kit and the Vizio XWH200 kit, can double as HDMI switches, handling up to four HDMI devices at once and switching between them with a remote.
The main drawback to wireless HDMI devices, and wireless HDMI switches in particular, is that you still need to make the room and set up the transmitter just right. Multiple-port kits tend to be too large to keep close to the notebook, and are usually more suited for cabinets and racks where multiple pieces of home theater equipment might be sitting. Even the one-port WiCast has a power-hungry transmitter that requires either two free USB ports or an AC adapter, making it less than ideal for quick-and-simple connections between your laptop and HDTV. The audio and video quality are identical to running an HDMI cable, but, like all other wireless solutions, the potential for slight latency makes it less than ideal for twitch gaming.
Pros: As easy to configure as a straight HDMI cable connection.
Cons: Requires a wired connection to the transmitter, so there's still physical tethering.
Best for Apple Users: Apple TV
If you have a MacBook and Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8) or later, you can show anything that's on your computer screen on your HDTV through your Apple TV. The feature is called AirPlay Mirroring, and it sends whatever is on your Mac's screen to the Apple TV, which shows it on your HDTV. This is a simple and direct way to put your computer content on your HDTV, but it is limited; you need to use a Mac computer that's running Mountain Lion. Windows users will have to find other means of mirroring their screen.
Pros: Simple and seamless. Integrates with your Apple TV.
Cons: Doesn't work with non-Macs or Macs running OS X versions before Mountain Lion.
Other Options: Direct Wireless Display Adapters
WiDi isn't the only way to hook up your notebook wirelessly to your HDTV. Several proprietary sets let you connect the two with USB and HDMI adapters. The Warpia StreamHD stands out as one of the best, with a solid design and a very simple installation process: Just install the wireless manager, and plug the adapter in. It automatically registers as an additional display adapter, letting you mirror or extend your desktop to the wirelessly connected display. It's responsive and functional, and while it's not quite responsive enough for fast-paced games (though more deliberate, thoughtful games like Civilization V work just fine), it works great for almost any media. As a bonus, it can support 5.1-channel surround sound, output through an optical audio connection.
Pros: Doesn't require onboard hardware, including any video output, on your laptop.
Cons: Transmitter takes up a USB port. Latency is less predicable than WiDi.
Just the Movies: Media-Specific Set-Top Boxes and Network Media Sharing
If you only want to watch movies and listen to music you keep on your laptop, several devices offer a streamlined media-playback experience for a low price, but it comes at the cost of little to no actual screen-sharing functionality. The previously mentioned Apple TV can access your iTunes library and movie collections on your laptop, and can mirror your MacBook if it's running Mountain Lion. Many connected HDTVs and media hubs offer some form of networked media access through DLNA (which might be called different things depending on the brand, often involving a portmanteau with the words "Link" or "Share"). Apple TV and iTunes is the easiest combination to set up, but any networked computer can share folders with media files, and most connected devices can access them.
While both Apple TV and DLNA offer ways to make your music and movies playable on your HDTV without running a direct cable, they require a Wi-Fi connection through a local hotspot, or an Ethernet connection directly to your router. If you don't have a wireless router, you can forget about using them. Of course, if you have a notebook, odds are you're already enjoying the fruits of Wi-Fi in your home. The biggest issue with these devices is their nature of strictly loading movie and music files and accessing online content. Neither device works as a display adapter like all of the other solutions.
Pros: Lets you access all your media files and many Web content services. DLNA often included on connected HDTVs without need for additional purchases.
Cons: Doesn't actually put your laptop's desktop on the HDTV, so you can't browse the Web or play games.
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