Windows 7: Problem connecting pc to tv

When i connect my laptop to my tv through an hdmi cable my computer screen goes off and my tv says searching for signal but it never finds my computer. How can this be resolved so i can watch movies from my computer on my tv?

Perhaps your laptop is not switching to the external source? There are usually keystrokes to do this. Eg Fn-F7 on some. your laptop docs should tell you what keystrokes to use to cycle through your video sources.

thanks yanta using the right keystroke does the trick but the display on my tv flickers and goes on and off. it also sometimes says "mode not supported". I checked in the hardware manual and did everything exactly as it says but it made no difference. Any ideas?

What is the maximum resolution supported by your TV? Is is 1366x768, or is it full HD @ 1920x1080?

If your TV supports a lower frequency that the laptop is set to I have seen circumstances where the mode not supported comes up. Theoretically, it should all be handled automatically, but you could try setting your laptop to a lower resolution then try switching it.

If your TV is a recent model you may also be able to update its firmware, and that might help.

I'd also check your laptop manufacturers website for any known issues.

Edit: On Some laptops, such as the Lenovo's, I think you can popup a menu which allows you to specify settings for the external monitor, including the resolution, which allows you to have one resolution on the laptop and another on the external source. Again, your laptop manual should be able to tell you if it supports this functionality.

The tv is full hd 1920x1080. It is fairly new so a firmware may be available, im not sure and as for my computer i know it allows for connecting a tv to it but the manual says nothing about a pop up menu.