Use the TVs you already have.
Any TV or monitor with an HDMI port becomes a managed signage screen with a low-cost Android stick. Each one pairs in about a minute with a 6-digit code.
What hardware do I need for digital signage?
A TV or monitor with an HDMI port, plus a Fire TV Stick on Fire OS 7 or newer, or an Android 8.0+ TV box, tablet or display. A Fire TV Stick costs around £30. A Raspberry Pi in Chromium kiosk mode also works. There is no proprietary media player to buy.
- Recommended
- Fire TV Stick, around £30
- Android
- 8.0 or newer, WebView 87 or newer
- Fire OS
- 7 or newer
- Pairing
- One-time 6-digit code
- Checked
Check before you buy.
If you already have sticks or boxes, this table tells you which will work.
| Device | Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fire TV Stick (3rd gen), Lite, 4K Max and later | Yes | Fire OS 7 or newer. Our recommendation. |
| Android TV boxes, tablets and displays | Yes | Android 8.0 or newer with Android System WebView 87 or newer. |
| Raspberry Pi | Yes | Chromium in kiosk mode. |
| Smart TV built-in browser | Works | Usually cannot start by itself or stay awake. |
| Fire TV Stick 4K (2018) and older sticks | No | Fire OS 5 and 6 are too old to show the takeover reliably. |
| Fire TV Stick 4K Select and Vega OS devices | No | Not Android, so they cannot run the app. |
| Android 7.1 and older | No | Web engine too old for the player. |
The emergency takeover needs a modern web engine, which is why older devices are excluded. The Screens page also flags any device that cannot show a takeover properly.
Setting up a Fire TV Stick.
Once per screen. Mass Coms AV and IT partners can also supply and set up screens on site.
Allow installs
On the Fire TV, allow the Downloader app to install apps in Settings, My Fire TV, Developer options.
Install the app
Install Downloader from the Fire TV Appstore, enter the app link we give you and install the MassCasts player app (listed as Masscoms Signage on the device).
Open it once
Open the app once so it starts by itself after every restart. It shows a 6-digit code.
Pair
In the dashboard go to Screens, Pair a screen, type the code, name the screen and pick a playlist.
Screens that look after themselves.
Kiosk-grade behaviour, without a technician on call.
Stays awake
The player holds the display awake, so it never drops into standby.
Self-recovers
After a network drop or server restart it reconnects on its own.
Works offline
Content is cached, so an outage, or a reboot during one, does not blank the TV.
Standby clock
A screen with nothing assigned yet shows a clean clock instead of an error.
Technician menu
Press MENU on the remote five times and enter a PIN. Wrong PINs lock it for longer each time.
Silent fleet updates
Enrol a factory-reset stick as a managed device and it updates without anyone pressing a button.
Hardware questions.
Every question answeredWhat hardware do I need for digital signage?
Any TV or monitor with an HDMI port plus a Fire TV Stick (Fire OS 7 or newer) or an Android 8.0+ TV box, tablet or display. A Raspberry Pi running Chromium in kiosk mode also works. No proprietary media player is needed.
Which Fire TV Sticks work?
Fire TV Stick (3rd generation), Lite, 4K Max and later, on Fire OS 7 or newer. The 2018 Fire TV Stick 4K and older sticks (Fire OS 5 and 6) are not supported, and Fire TV Stick 4K Select and Vega OS devices cannot run Android apps.
Can I use a smart TV's built-in browser?
It works, but most cannot start by themselves after a power cut or stay awake, so a Fire TV Stick is better for a permanent screen.
How do I pair a screen?
Open the MassCasts player app. It shows a 6-digit code. In your dashboard go to Screens, Pair a screen, type the code, name the screen and pick a playlist.
Not sure about your screens?
Tell us what you have and we will tell you what works, what needs a new stick and what it will cost.