Lobby TV setup guide
Your Digital Pin Board lobby screen runs on any TV with an HDMI port. The hardware is inexpensive, setup takes about ten minutes, and once it is running it looks after itself.
What to buy
Either of these streaming sticks plugs into the TV and runs the kiosk app we recommend. Pick whichever is on sale.
Amazon Fire TV Stick (4K or 4K Max)
- Plugs into any HDMI port
- Connects to Wi-Fi, no network cable needed
- Starts your lobby screen by itself when the power comes back
Chromecast with Google TV or Google TV Streamer
- Plugs into any HDMI port
- Connects to Wi-Fi
- Runs the same kiosk app from the Google Play Store, with the same steps
What not to use
- Roku
- It cannot run a kiosk browser, and its built-in browser is not made for screens that stay on all day.
- Apple TV
- It does not allow kiosk browser apps.
- A smart TV's built-in browser (Samsung, LG, Vizio)
- Fine for a quick test, but these browsers drop full screen and reload unpredictably. For a screen that runs every day, use a streaming stick.
Already have one of these? Keep the TV. Plug the streaming stick into a different HDMI input, and switch the TV to that input for the lobby screen.
How to set it up
Plug in the stick
Connect it to the TV's HDMI port and to power. Switch the TV to that input, sign in, and connect to your building's Wi-Fi.
Install Fully Kiosk Browser
On a Fire Stick, search the Amazon Appstore for “Fully Kiosk Browser” and install it. On a Chromecast or Google TV, install it from the Google Play Store. The free version works.
Point it at your lobby screen link
Open Fully Kiosk and enter your lobby link as the Start URL. It is in your welcome email, and it looks like this:
https://digital-pin-board.com/yourboard/lobby
Two other looks are available. For Globe Stage, a big turning globe with one large visitor count and the QR code beside it, add
?layout=stageto the end. To keep the visitor list and swap only the flat map for a globe, add?globe=1instead.Change these Fully Kiosk settings
Open Fully Kiosk's settings and set:
Setting Set to Web Content Settings: Start URL Your lobby link Web Browsing Settings: Show Address Bar Off Toolbars and Appearance: Show Navigation Bar and Status Bar Off Device Management: Keep Screen On On Device Management: Launch on Boot On Web Auto Reload: Reload on Network Reconnect On Web Auto Reload: Daily reload time 4:00 AM Setting names can shift a little between versions of the app. Look for the closest match.
Walk away
That is it. The screen keeps itself awake, reconnects after Wi-Fi drops, refreshes overnight, and starts again by itself after a power cut. New visitors appear within seconds of signing.
Check it is working
- Scan the QR code on the TV with your phone and add a test pin. It should appear on the screen within a few seconds.
- Your Digital Pin Board admin, or your dashboard, shows how many lobby screens are online.
- If the screen says “This TV link is not connected to a board yet,” the link has a typo. Copy it again from your welcome email.
No streaming stick yet?
To try it today, open your lobby link in the TV's own browser or on a laptop connected to the TV, then press OK on the remote, or click once, to go full screen. The page keeps the screen awake, hides the pointer, and brings full screen back with one press if it drops out. For a screen that runs every day, set up a streaming stick when you can.
Optional: Fully Kiosk's paid Plus license (a one-time purchase in the app) removes the small Fully Kiosk watermark and adds remote management, so you can change settings on a TV without visiting it. It is worth it when a screen is somewhere you do not visit often.
Need help?
Send us a message through the contact form with your board name, and we will walk you through it. Done-for-you setup is also available with any license.