Sling Box
If I purchase a sling box will I be able to view programing on my TV by using my laptops HDMI port and a HDMI cable connected from my laptop to my TV?
Possibly, you have to be using a supported computer, ie Windows or Mac.
Slingbox doesn't support a chromebook.
I don't know if it's my settings on my computer or what, but I have sound issues when I use hdmi. Can't hear sound but can see the tv program. I haven't played with that yet as I use the computer "in" port on my Samsung tv (its the serial port) and that works just fine. Maybe I'll try to figure that out someday. But what I have works so I'm in no hurry to do so. I've only had my slingbox for about a month and a half.
On my windows you can set your computer to mirroring display and see the same thing on both displays or, split screen, which is really nice as you can watch tv on one screen and keep working on my laptop screen. It also works with chromecast and roku. ( I have both and I also have a chrome book so I definitely know that OS doesn't work) hope this helps!