How to Play a PowerPoint Slideshow on TV

PowerPoint presentations are often presented via projectors, where an individual can copy files to a computer which is connected to the projector in the hall. However, sometimes the projector is replaced with a large monitor or TV. There are many ways by which you can connect your computer or mobile device to a TV for presenting your slides. Here are a few simple methods which can be used to answer the age old question that many PowerPoint newbies ask; i.e. how to play a PowerPoint Slideshow on TV.

1. Connect Your Laptop or Mobile Device Using an HDMI Cable

This is the easiest way by which you can play a PowerPoint presentation on TV. In the old days the legacy VGA cable was used for this purpose, which is still usable with even the most modern TVs. However, an HDMI cable gives better quality playback and is easier to use.

In this demo we will show you how to connect a laptop with an LED TV using an HDMI cable. However, there are different mobile devices (e.g. Android and iPad tablets) which also support HDMI to TV connectivity.

Step 1: Plug in your HDMI cable into your laptop’s HDMI Port (as shown below).

Connect laptop to HDMI

Step 2: Connect the other end of the cable to your TV’s HDMI port. Usually, there are two HDMI ports, one located on the side and the other behind the TV.

back-tv

Step 3: Switch to ‘HDMI’ from your TV’s Remote. Usually, this option is available from the remote’s Menu button. You might have options like ‘HDMI 1’ and ‘HDMI 2’ appearing on-screen. This is because one of the menu options connects to your first port and the other to the second. The image below shows connectivity with my TV’s second HDMI port. The port numbers might be labeled differently depending upon your TV’s model.

The below image shows the Organizational Charts PowerPoint Template running on an LED TV connected to a laptop via HDMI cable.

TV Example

2. Play Slides as Image Slideshow or Video from a USB

This is another fine method for playing a PowerPoint slideshow on a TV. However, you will require converting your PowerPoint presentation to a supported format. For example, many TV’s support image formats like JPEG or Video formats like MP4. You can convert your presentation to a video format or export your slides as images and run them as a slideshow on your TV.

To learn how to convert your PowerPoint presentations to image or video format, see our guide about:

How To Save a PowerPoint Slide As a Picture and How To Convert a PowerPoint 2013 Presentation to a HD Video.

back-usb

3. Convert and Play Your Slides from a DVD Player

You can also convert your PowerPoint files to DVD video format, write it on a DVD and play it using a good old DVD player. While this method is more laborious than the aforementioned, it is a pretty functional method. To get the video format right, follow the instructions given below.

Step 1: Save your PowerPoint to video format. You can refer to our tutorial mentioned above or simply go to File –> Save As –> and save your video to either MP4 or WMV. Unlike older versions, PowerPoint supports both formats.

1

Step 2: Open Windows DVD Maker, and select Choose Photos and Videos.

Burn PowerPoint to DVD

Step 3: Click Add Items and select the converted video file (file converted from PowerPoint to video format). Once the video with your video slides is picked, click Next.

Select file to burn

Step 4: Now, customize menus for your DVD according to need, insert a blank DVD to your computer and click Burn.

Note: This process can be used to burn videos and photos to create DVD slideshows using Windows DVD Maker. You can also use another third-party DVD authoring tool for this purpose.

Burn to DVD

4. Connect to Your TV Using Wi-Fi or Wired Network

There are various TV models and devices which enable connecting to the Internet. The most common example of this can be found in the form of Smart TVs and Smart TV devices. Depending upon your TV model or the supported digital box you might be using, you can play a video slideshow by converting your PowerPoint presentation to a video format supported by your TV.

The below image shows connectivity settings for a Samsung Smart TV.

smsung-network-settings

Recommended reading: How to embed video in PowerPoint

5. Use a Video Streaming Device

Last but not least, you can use a video streaming device like Roku 3, Apple TV or Google Chromecast to play a slideshow (e.g. one that has been converted to video format). The below image shows connectivity options for Apple TV. The various connectivity options in a video streaming device such as HDMI, USB and Wi-Fi / Ethernet provide ample scope for streaming various file types to your TV. This makes it possible to run an image, video or PPT/PPTX slideshow of your presentation slides (depending upon the mode of connectivity).

Apple TV

Do you know that using a high-quality PowerPoint Template with a connected TV can give you an excellent playback experience? Instead of using templates with dull backgrounds and hazy designs, you can download these Premium PowerPoint Templates to get the best output on your high definition TV or monitor.

HDMI, Microsoft PowerPoint, PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint Tips, Presentation Videos, Presentations, Slideshow, TV, Videos, View Presentation
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16 Responses to “How to Play a PowerPoint Slideshow on TV”

  1. Hans Christian Bothmann says:

    Useful article with great options for projecting presentations on TVs. It seems to happen more often than not, that you come across a TVs in meeting rooms at e.g. customer sites. One suggestion is to add the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter as another option under pt. 5 for Wireless video streaming.

  2. Charlie says:

    Awesome! Thanks for clearing this up.

    I’m still curious if a wireless option exists. PowerPoint From computer to Smart TV via Bluetooth maybe?

    Thanks

    C

  3. Lynotte says:

    Very useful article, i dont ave a laptop at home and was wondering how i could study the power-point presentations using the tv.
    thanks for the simplicity of the article too, very easy to apply.

  4. W says:

    So if I have a load of PowerPoint presentations with images, text and links to short film clips which if I plug into a pc at work they play on the interactive whiteboard perfectly. How do I use the same USB stick to play these in my other place of work on the Apple TV monitor?? Can I?

    • Uwe says:

      Your interactive whiteboard has probably a computer built-in, possibly even running some form of Windows, that can natively display PPTs as a regular presentation.
      But a standard monitor can only display a video signal it gets through an input, but cannot process any presentation or other files. And most, if not all, smart TVs, cannot handle PPTs, just like they cannot open Word Docs etc. Only media files file images, and videos.

  5. george says:

    Been searching for an answer for a while now, how can I play a ppt file on a tv without converting to an mp4 or jpegs?? and without connecting laptop to tv??

    Thanks

  6. David says:

    I have a Toshiba 50L5200U, and want to play a PowerPoint as a slideshow from a USB on the back of the TV. Is this possible on this model (if I convert the PPT to another format-if so, which one?), and if not, would a Firestick work, to enable me to transmit the powerpoint/slideshow wirelessly?

    Thanks in advance!

    • admin says:

      Hi David. That model of Toshiba TV supports JPG images. You’d try to export the PowerPoint slides to JPG and then save them to the memory stick. It would be possible you need to rename the images to play in order or choose the appropriate sort by filter. This method depends purely on the TV, but if you have a Firestick or Chromecast, you can play the PowerPoint remotely from your computer.

  7. Tatyana says:

    I figured it out! If you export the slides from PPT as jpegs and change the dimensions to 1920×1080 (my laptop automatically made the second part 1081), it will be high-res and full screen when it displays on the TV from your USB. Originally, mine was 1280×720 and I had the same zoom issue, but when I tried to change the ratio in design (on power point), it messed up my formatting and some background colors. By changing the size of the jpegs when saving, there was no distortion and I was able to navigate the slides perfectly.

  8. yvette says:

    WE BOUGHT A HISENSE TV, USING A USB FOR SLIDE SHOWS (UPCOMING EVENTS) NEED TO SET THE TIME FOR THE SLIDE SHOW TO DISPLAY ON THE SCREEN FOR AT LEAST A MINUTE BEFORE THE NEXT SLIDE SHOW?

  9. graham broadbent says:

    Hi i am looking to show a “what’s on’s” at our social club using powerpoint with repeat function on an ordinary flat screen(not smart)tv.can you explain the easiest & cheapest way,i.e. memory stick,chromecast,media box etc.as i need to export images from a laptop. Thanks in advance

  10. Lizzie Van Ert says:

    Hello, I need to set up several tv monitors in a building that will loop through powerpoint slides. There is currently no wifi in the building. Can I just export the powerpoints into a movie format (wmv) and play it right from the usb to the monitor?

    • German Viera says:

      We’ve done this in the past, just simply exporting the presentation as a “video”. Using the feature File>Export>Create a Video.
      You can select the appropriate resolution, and generate the video. The video is generated as MP4 which is generally supported by TV’s. We uploaded the file to a pendive and use it in the screen.

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