Can You Use An LG TV As A Second Monitor?

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When it comes to beautiful-looking TVs, one of the best brands on the market is LG. Perhaps best known for its OLED technology, LG also makes an impressive lineup of LED LCD models. Most of these TVs deliver impressive picture quality and built-in streaming apps, but can an LG TV also be used as a second monitor for your everyday PC tasks? The short answer is yes, although you may need some extra equipment to get everything working. Allow us to explain.

For single monitor setups, you can usually just run a single HDMI cable between your PC and LG TV. But if your LG will be acting 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 that the splitter is HDMI 2.1-rated, and that it 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 low-cost option with mirror-only functionality, but those willing to spend a bit 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 across two screens independently — via USB-C; you'll just need to make sure your PC has a USB-C port.

LG TVs, specifically their OLED TVs, are renowned for color accuracy and inky black levels; the kind of picture quality you'd want for watching movies or TV shows. But if your main intention is to turn your LG into a PC workflow display, there are a couple of optimizations you should make to your TV settings. First and foremost, you'll want to make sure that whatever HDMI input your splitter is plugged into is configured as a PC connection. That's often as simple as changing the input label from TV or Game Console to PC (LG provides fun little icons, too).

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

The writer 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. Then, just select the input icon you want to change and scroll all the way 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. Toggle on 4:4:4 passthrough, and you'll be good to go.