[m654321]

I tried today Lenovo T420s 16GB 240SSD, displayport>HDMI Samsung tv.
Confirmed this set up works using windows before begin.

No useful success using Linux to improve/help you solve issue.

results on tv -
Linux Lite 3.2 dvd live
Desktop part appeared on tv, sound worked.
Desktop it was wrong size and didnt show the panel or a portion of lower desktop , on tv.
Changing of resolution didn't help, only made worse in smaller sizes on tv.
Eventually I got entire wallpaper to appear on laptop and tv, but neither had a panel so had to switch off laptop to get to remove dvd.
End of trial.

Ubuntu 17.10 usb live
even less of desktop appeared in height, and also this was missing part of desktop in width on tv.
Looked at display settings, all of those tried had no visible effect at all.
Didn't try much else with it with tv.

Thanks bitsnpcs for confirming this - always good when significant issues or observations are confirmed by others.

Like you, all our four laptops have plug-n-played with Windows OS, but not with Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros: I've tried several 16.04 distros (e.g. LL, Mint, Zorin, Watt, Lubuntu, Xubuntu, etc) and none showed plug-n-play for sound & video (including autosizing & optimal screen resolution) for  TV programmes played from our laptops through our Samsung TV display (using HDMI cable), for all the four laptops listed in signature below. 

This is in contrast to Manjaro-xfce and PCLinuxOS-xfce: these instantly plug-n-play without any issues whatsoever.
Clearly, it would be great if the LL developers could look at this issue ... it would be wonderful if LL was to lead the way for the Ubuntu-based distros for plug-n-play between laptops & external monitors 

Cheers
Mike

[m654321]

There was a time in Windows when 'plug and play' was more like 'plug and pray'.

This made me laugh.
Nice one - thanks!

[bitsnpcs]

Thanks bitsnpcs for confirming this - always good when these type of significant issues are confirmed by others.

Like you, all our four laptops have plug-n-played with Windows OS, but not with Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros: I've tried several 16.04 distros (e.g. LL, Mint, Zorin, Watt, Lubuntu, Xubuntu, etc) and none showed plug-n-play for sound & video (including autosizing & optimal screen resolution) for  TV programmes played from our laptops through our Samsung TV display (using HDMI cable), for all the four laptops listed in signature below. 

This is in contrast to Manjaro-xfce and PCLinuxOS-xfce: these instantly plug-n-play without any issues whatsoever.
Clearly, it would be great if the LL developers could look at this issue ... it would be wonderful if LL was to lead the way for the Ubuntu-based distros for plug-n-play between laptops & external monitors 

Cheers
Mike

You are welcome.
I had hoped to find something more useful.
I have thought since of a 5 ideas more, I will try them this week, and write results.
Next weekend she comes sleepover and bring it so I begin to try it at my tv too, see if is different based on models of tv.

This video shows how it was wrote previously in thread of Ubuntu Mate. Is not tv but widescreen monitor, I see the good use for this with a docking station :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-FTjwL5C2o

External solution, usb>projector module>tv, drivers compiled inside the projector board as multi-platform, not inside the computer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8yefVxGthI

[bitsnpcs]

Hello [member=458]m654321[/member]

it required VGA cable from laptop to vga of Samsung tv.
TV auto tunes
Fix desktop is -
all settings for laptop and tv to be the same except, auto selected refresh rates left.
Resolution had to be changed for TV in LL display settings to match laptop.

Exact details of experimenting like so -

Started up Linux Lite 3.2 Live dvd
Once at desktop
Connected VGA cable from laptop VGA to VGA of Samsung
Screen of tv goes black and produces message "auto-calibrating..., PC"
Desktop appears.

Desktop not working /showing the LL panel on tv, as before no fix.

Display settings altered to match (except refresh rate auto detected and left alone) as follows -

Laptop
ticked - use this display
not ticked - primary
not ticked - mirror

Resolution 1360x768
Refresh rate 59.9 Hz
not ticked rotation
not ticked reflection

Samsung 40 inch
ticked - use this display
not ticked primary
not ticked mirror

Resolution 1360x768
Refresh rate 60 Hz
not ticked reflection
not ticked rotation.

That is the solution required only to use VGA cable and ports, and match ticks, and resolution for laptop and tv.

TV it was used Samsung 40 inches same as previously, I thought she said it was 32, my dizzy moment.
Laptop used same as last time Lenovo T420s.
LL 3.2 64bit dvd same disc as last time.

I read VGA it will not carry audio ?
I have not tried it yet, ran out of time.
I know some ways to solve audio if that is issue.

Still to try I will check at my TV it is different model Samsung when she comes at weekend.
Still to try she told them to send her a box, it goes VGA converting audio and video lines to HDMI in TV, when it arrives we will test if can work make Laptop work at HDMI port of TV then try video and audio.
Currently is not possible at HDMI of this Samsung tv to get panel of LL, and Ubuntu.
Also still to try they sending a DVI to hdmi cable see if it can work on HDMI of tv.
Also still to try she has a docking station coming, see if it PnP for resolution and which cabling.

I did not have time to try Ubuntu live usb today, also I made Live usb of Ubuntu Mate to try but not had time yet.
I will try these at my tv at weekend and if time on Sunday try them also at hers.

Does it help on your tv/laptops ?

[m654321]

[member=411]bitsnpcs[/member]
Many thanks for your follow-up. I was very interested to see the above results of your experimentation. I use an HDMI cable (instead of VGA that you used) as it carries both sound + audio - simpler to setup as I only have one cable to think about ! However, laptops (2) & (4) don't have an inbuilt HDMI output, so I used a VGA to HDMI adaptor (brandname =eSync) for these PCs, which I bought from Amazon for about £10.

HDMI seems to work fine (i.e. plug-n-play) between any of our laptops & Samsung TV monitor, with either PCLOS-xfce or Manjaro-xfce. Issue is with the 'buntus', and distros based on them.  It's one of the reasons I have these two distros on two of my setups listed in signature below.

I hope all's well with you bitsnpcs. I got the feeling you were going through a bit of a bad patch with Linux 2 or 3 months back. Presumably that all got sorted.

With best wishes & Happy New Year
Mike

[bitsnpcs]

[member=458]m654321[/member]

My friends laptop is like (2) and (4) laptops of yours it has no HDMI output, it has a displayport, DVI, and VGA.
The box ordered is similar to yours, a VGA to HDMI it cost £3.50, arrive maybe next week. The DVId is from another place, DVId doesn't carry the audio either I think. It's just these two to try now.

Earlier we tried -
Ubuntu 17.10 with displayport> HDMI, and displayport adapter>HDMI could not fit the desktop on tv.
With VGA, settings used Mirror, and 1360x768 displays on both correctly.

Ubuntu Mate live usb tried, after the video above had thought it would auto detect, it did not auto detect.
Cannot get full desktop on Samsung using displayport>HDMI and adpater>HDMI
Works with VGA at the same 1360x768 resolution, the setting needing to be clicked was "same image in all monitors".
The laptop didnt like this distro, the mouse cursor jumps very slightly back and forth when touching pad, before moving it.

Also we tried using Linux Lite and Ubuntu with Thinkpad dock, using the ports from the dock, just to see if the bigger power supply, and new ports (laptop is refurbished one), made any differences, no differences found, same results for the dock as the laptop.

It will probably be the same results on my tv tomorrow, but we will try as it will confirm the results on another very different model of Samsung.

Although it didn't solve it, it was enjoyable to do the experiment, and see what you have been up against with this issue.
My friend liked using Linux, they got the laptop for first Linux install, undecided distro yet.

Yes you are correct, I became nervous and unsettled.
After this I only used Linux once, a few weeks before Christmas for updates, and next time was for posting this and the last 2 replies in the thread. (and updates), then for the experiment I used it more this week :)

Best Wishes & Happy New Year to you Mike :)

Update -

I tried on my tv it is the same results, it only works with VGA cable and at 1360x768 resolution