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Do Laptops Have An HDMI Input? (Explained For Beginners)

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So you just got a new laptop, the best one you could afford, and you want to explore all the features the laptop offers. Coincidentally, you may also have a high-resolution digital television at home or at work that has a much larger screen, and you would love to use it to view what is shown on your laptop screen.

In such an instance, you may attempt to connect that laptop to your television screen using an HDMI cable and the ports on your laptop and television. In that case, this article will tell you about your laptop and how HDMI works.


Do Laptops Have An HDMI Input?

Depending on the type of laptop you have in your possession, you may or may not have an HDMI input port situated on your laptop casing. Ultimately, the company manufacturing the laptop determines whether that particular laptop model comes with an HDMI input or not.

However, in situations where your laptop does not come with the HDMI input port, you can get other external devices to use as a replacement. These external devices exist as an alternative to the standard HDMI architecture.


HDMI Meaning

High Definition Multimedia Interface is a medium through which auditory and visual signals are transmitted from one device to another. For example, when a DVD player is connected to a Laptop, the connection that exists between them is an HDMI connection.

HDMI is classified as a run-to port for new and modern devices such as tablet computers, mobile phones, laptops, smartphones, and others.

Consequently, HDMI conveys quality audio and video from one device to another. Many modern high-tech devices (laptop computers, for example) come with an HDMI cable which enables a successful transmission.

HDMI can, however, be classified into two forms:

  • The Input 
  • The Output 

They are also known as the Sender and the Receiver. The former sends audio-visual signals, while the latter receives high-definition videos and audio.


How to Find HDMI Port

Depending on the particular laptop in question, i.e., its specifications, name, number, input, output, etc., the HDMI input port may not be present. However, most laptops manufactured nowadays have an HMDI OUTPUT port. To determine if an output/input HDMI is present, check for a sticker on your laptop that reads (Input or Output)

How to Find HDMI Port

However, not all laptops come with an HDMI port. Nevertheless, there are other ways of connecting your laptop to another external device. One such example is the VGA (Video Graphics Array) port.

For example, the MacBook M1 Pro does not come with an HDMI port, but any user who decides that they need something with similar functionality can elect to get an external device for it, such as a USB-to-HDMI cable.


What is the difference between an HDMI Output and Input?

The most common difference between an output and an input HDMI port is that one is a sender and the other a receiver. The receiver of audio-visual signals is the output, while the sender of an audio-visual signal is the input.

The primary function of output is to receive an audio or a video from another external device such as a DTV (digital television).

The input, on the other hand, allows for the transfer of audio and video signals from the high-tech device (your laptop) to another device (your television). The HDMI port in your television was designed to receive audio-visual signals exclusively.  


Uses of HDMI

An HDMI port allows for the sharing of audio and video signals. It is therefore paramount to know that using an HDMI cable is very needed in this transaction.

There are different forms, colors, and makes of HDMI cables. However, they all function the same way. Collectively, an HDMI connector comes in five different types:

  • Type A 
  • Type B
  • Type C
  • Type D 
  • Type E


The most commonly used type is the type A, which you have around you in your home on your Digital Television, DVD players, Smart TVs, Laptops, and more.


Type A

The type A connector is the standard connector that most users are familiar with, and it remains the most widely available.

The male version of this connection measures 13.9mm X 4.45mm, while the female port the connector enters is slightly larger at 14mm X 4.55mm. These connectors are also referred to as single-link connectors.


Type B

Type B connectors are not used in any devices because following their invention, but before their introduction into the market, the technology utilized in type A connectors improved so much that type B connectors were rendered obsolete


Type C

Type C connectors are also called mini connectors. These connectors were designed to be smaller to fit on smaller devices in need of HDMI capabilities, such as digital cameras. As such, they are smaller than their type A predecessors.

They are 10.42mm × 2.42mm but mirror the type A connectors in other aspects (e.g., in shape and in the number of pins they have). Usually, cables build for type C HDMI have the type C connector at one end while the other end remains type A


Type D

Type D connectors are also called micro connectors. They are the HDMI connectors used on smartphones, measuring 5.83mm × 2.20mm. For reference, this is about as small as the charging ports most phones use.

Even though the HDMI cable can be used in the transmission of audio-visual, your device determines whether it will receive the signal or not and whether it will receive either an audio or a video signal or even both.

Check out your laptop properties to ensure that it is capable of this transaction.


Final Thoughts

Laptops have allowed us to work anywhere at any time since their inception as modern portable devices. Does your laptop have an HDMI input? Well, probably so, depending on the model of your laptop.

The most common use of an HDMI input is connecting one device to another. Your laptop might have one or two HDMI ports; you can check by the side for an indication that states so.  

Sometimes, your laptop may not be designed for an Input but rather an Output port. However, the use of DVD players or decoders makes it capable of functioning as an Input.

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Pigtou Editorial Team

A group of tech enthusiasts who find pleasure in troubleshooting and resolving various issues. When we're not engaged in writing, we typically enjoy playing table football or spending time with our office dog.
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