How to connect two laptops with hdmi

 A second screen is excellent for PowerPoint Presenter View or for increasing productivity. If you have a second Windows or Mac laptop but don't have a monitor to connect as a second screen, you can still accomplish it. You can use the second laptop as an additional screen for your first laptop by purchasing a video capture equipment for about $25.

Any combination of laptops running Windows or Mac can use this. Even older laptops will function perfectly fine; newer laptops are not required. Even a friend's laptop or desktop PC will function if you are visiting them. Only a USB port on the second laptop is required.

They key piece of equipment is a video capture device. Here’s what mine looks like.

An HDMI input on one end accepts the video signal from the main laptop. The second laptop is connected to the opposite end of the cable through a USB connection, which notifies the second laptop that a camera is transmitting a video feed.

tying the two laptops together

Attach an HDMI cable to the primary laptop, just as you would for an external monitor, to link the two laptops. Since many laptops no longer have HDMI connectors, utilizing an adapter from a mini-DisplayPort or USB-C port will probably be necessary. The Video Capture equipment and HDMI cable should be connected. Connect the video capture equipment to the second laptop's available USB port. If the second laptop just has USB-C connections, you might need an adapter. Here is how the setup appears.

Display settings on primary laptop

Check the display settings on the main laptop to make sure the desktop is being extended to the second screen. You can also move the second screen so that the displays are arranged the same as the laptops are positioned on the desk. If the default selection was made improperly, you might also need to change the resolution of the second monitor.

Showing the second screen on the second laptop

To see the second screen from the primary computer, run an app on the second laptop that shows the camera on the laptop screen. The built-in Camera software in Windows is the simplest to use. Make the app full screen to make everything more visible. I advise Mac users to get the Quick Camera program from the App Store because it displays the camera feed in its entirety without any user interface distractions. Although you can alter which camera is shown, the software will probably show the second laptop's default webcam by default.

Use the second screen from your primary laptop

You now have a second screen on your main laptop that you can use exactly like a second monitor would be installed. Use it to open numerous apps while working, share it in a virtual meeting on Teams or Zoom, or use Presenter View in PowerPoint. You can use this second screen for anything you would use a monitor for because the OS treats it exactly like one.

Give yourself second screen options with a Video Capture device

Simply shut down the display application on the second laptop when finished, then unplug the connections and video capture equipment. This gives you a simple choice for a second screen while you're traveling or working in various places.