If you click on any link below & decide to buy it, we may earn a small commission.
It’s quite impossible to change the HDMI from output to input on your laptop without using external hardware. The main reason is that laptops are not designed to allow input of video even if with an HDMI cable.
Although a standard HDMI cable can work in two ways it does not mean that you can use it to change the output to input.
So it’s not possible to modify your laptop’s abilities to make it accept an HMDI signal from another device.
However, you don’t have to be there is no need to be discouraged, because you can make your external device (e.g console, camera) stream on your laptop by following the method that I will explain in this article.
How to Change HDMI Output to Input
If you will like to stream the content of your external device on your laptop, then you have to invest in a quality capture card. Like I mentioned earlier, your laptop will not display any video content from an external device which is disappointing- this is the job of the capture card.
You need to make sure that you purchase a decent capture; this is because there are numerous low-quality capture cards. A low-quality capture card will affect the quality and the clarity of the content that you are streaming on your laptop.
What is the meaning of HDMI input?
I’m sure a lot of laptop users are familiar with the HDMI port that comes with a lot of devices, most especially on monitors and TVs. This type of port is designed to give access to external devices to transfer video content into the device by using an HDMI cable.
HDMI stands for High Definition Media Interface and the job of the cable is to transfer data from one device to another.
What is the meaning of HDMI output?
Also, some devices are equipped with an HDMI output which includes laptops, consoles, and some other devices. The job of the port is to send out content (audio and video) through the HDMI cable.
Are there laptops with HDMI input capabilities?
Yes, many laptops are equipped with video input capabilities.
Most upper class laptop models that are equipped with both HDMI input and output features. These laptops are specifically designed for those that enjoy streaming on their machines.
However, if your laptop is not equipped with the capability, the only way to connect your external device to your laptop with an HDMI is to get a capture card.
Conclusion
Although HDMI cables are designed to work in both ways they can only do this for audio content.
This means that you can easily use an HDMI cable to connect your laptop to an external device to play audio content. It’s impossible to stream video content on your laptop from an external device.
If you will like to stream video content on your laptop from an external device, you will need to buy a capture card.
