Set up a Raspberry Pi or Smart TV

It runs in any modern browser, so a $40 Raspberry Pi, a Smart TV, a Fire Stick, or a spare PC all work. Here’s the end-to-end setup for the common ones.

1. 1

   Pick your hardware

   Since it runs in a regular browser, almost anything modern works. The three usual picks:
   
   • Raspberry Pi 4 (~$40–60) — cheapest, silent, perfect for kiosk mode.
   • Smart TV with built-in browser (recent LG, Samsung, Sony) — zero extra hardware.
   • Amazon Fire TV Stick (~$30) — install the Silk or Firefox app from the appstore.
   
   Also fine: a Mini-PC / NUC, an old laptop or desktop, or any Android TV box. Whatever you have on the shelf is probably good enough.
2. 2

   Connect the device to your TV

   Run the device’s HDMI into the TV or monitor and connect power. On a Pi or PC, add a keyboard for setup — you can pull it once the display’s running.
   
   Turn the TV on, switch to the right HDMI input, and you should see the boot screen.
3. 3

   Get the device on the internet

   Get it on your network. Both work, but Ethernet is the move for an always-on display — it rides out router reboots, blips, and weak Wi-Fi.
   
   Wi-Fi only? Keep the device in solid signal range and confirm pages load smoothly before walking away.
4. 4

   Open a modern browser

   Open Chrome, Chromium, Firefox, Edge, or Safari — whatever’s already there.
   
   Stick to something from the last two years. Old or stripped-down browsers (early Smart TV builds, basic e-readers) often miss the JavaScript the app needs.
5. 5

   Go to the launch URL

   In the address bar, type:
   
   https://www.localbillboards.net/signin.php
   
   Sign in, then click the orange Launch Display card — your content is now on screen.
6. 6

   Set kiosk / fullscreen mode (optional but recommended)

   Kiosk mode hides the browser chrome and auto-launches at boot. Grab the section for your device:
   
   Raspberry Pi:
   sudo apt install chromium-browser
   Edit ~/.config/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart and add a line:
   @chromium-browser --kiosk --noerrdialogs --disable-infobars https://www.localbillboards.net/signin.php
   
   Smart TV: bookmark the URL on the home screen. Some sets have a Web Browser Auto-Launch option in the app settings.
   
   Windows / Mac PC: create a shortcut to Chrome with the flag --kiosk <URL> and drop it into your Startup folder (Win) or Login Items (Mac).
   
   Fire TV Stick: install Fully Kiosk Browser from the appstore and set it as the default app.
7. 7

   Disable screen-saver and sleep

   A black screen at 2 a.m. is our #1 support call — kill every power-saving feature:
   
   • TV: turn off Eco / Standby / Auto-Off in the picture and power menus.
   • Raspberry Pi: edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf and set xserver-command=X -s 0 dpms.
   • Windows / Mac: Power settings → Never sleep, Display always on.
   • Fire TV / Android TV: Settings → Display & Sounds → Display sleep → Never.
8. 8

   Reboot and verify

   Power-cycle it. It should boot straight into the fullscreen page and start playing within a minute.
   
   Open Active Displays in your dashboard sidebar — the device should show a green dot and its last check-in time. Missing? Check the tips below.