Can you use an LG TV as a second monitor?

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When it comes to beautiful TVs, one of the best brands on the market is LG. Perhaps best known for its OLED technology, LG also offers an impressive range of LED LCD models. Most of these TVs offer impressive picture quality and built-in streaming apps, but can an LG TV also be used as a second monitor for your daily PC tasks? The short answer is yes, although you may need additional equipment to make it all work. Allow us to explain.

For single-monitor setups, you can usually just use a single HDMI cable between your PC and your LG TV. But if your LG serves as a secondary display, you’ll want to get your hands on an HDMI splitter with at least one input and at least two outputs. For best results, you should also make sure the splitter is HDMI 2.1 compatible and can output a minimum of 4K/60Hz for both outputs. Unfortunately, many of these adapters are “mirror only” devices, so whatever is displayed on monitor 1 must also be displayed on monitor 2.

This $20 Amazon Basics splitter is a decent, inexpensive option with mirroring-only functionality, but those willing to spend a little more should opt for something like the $75 Orei SplitExtend 4K HDMI Splitter. You still only get two 4K/60Hz outputs, but the splitter supports expanded display functionality – the ability to work independently on two displays – via USB-C; you’ll just need to make sure your PC has a USB-C port.

LG TVs, especially their OLED TVs, are renowned for color accuracy and inky black levels; the type of picture quality you want for watching movies or TV shows. But if your main intention is to turn your LG into a PC workflow display, you need to make some optimizations to your TV settings. First of all, you need to make sure that the HDMI input your splitter is plugged into is configured as a PC connection. It’s often as simple as changing the input label from the TV or gaming console to the PC (LG also has fun little icons).

This may just look like you’re changing the name of the entry, but what you’re really doing is optimizing your LG display for computing tasks. The PC label should reduce input lag and improve text clarity, which bodes well for people who use word processing software, as well as those who frequently browse the web. You should also make sure your LG TV is set to receive 4K signals from your PC and that 4:4:4 passthrough is enabled (this helps improve text clarity).

The author of this article owns an LG C5 OLED. Here are step-by-step instructions on how I changed the input label: Home Hub > choose HDMI input > three vertical dots icon > Edit Inputs. Next, simply select the input icon you want to change and scroll down to PC. Hit save and you’ll be golden. And here’s how I enabled 4:4:4 passthrough, which requires your TV to be on the PC input: Settings > General > External Devices > HDMI Settings. Enable 4:4:4 passthrough and you’ll be good to go.