Smart TV browser + TVpilot

Smart TV digital signage,
no extra hardware needed

If your TV has a built-in browser, it can be a digital sign today. Open your screen's short player URL in the TV browser, go fullscreen, and manage playlists, scheduling and designs from the TVpilot dashboard. No media player to buy, no cables to add, no installation.

Start free, 1 screen includedSee how it works

Free plan, no credit card required. Paid plans from €5/month.

What you need

The TV you already own is the player

TVpilot works on any device with a modern browser: smart TVs with a built-in browser, but also an old laptop or PC plugged into a screen, or a tablet on a stand. Each screen gets its own short player URL.

A smart TV with a built-in web browser (or any device with one)
A Wi-Fi or wired internet connection for the TV
A free TVpilot account for your player URL
That is it: no stick, no box, no media player
tvpilot.app/play/AB12CD

YOUR SCREEN, LIVE

Your playlist plays here

Every screen gets a short player URL. Open it once; content updates from the dashboard from then on.

Setup

On screen in 4 steps, zero hardware

01

Add a screen in your TVpilot dashboard

Sign up free and click "Add screen". Choose Browser/Smart TV as the device type and you get a short player URL for that screen.

02

Open the browser on your TV

Find the built-in browser in your TV's app menu. Most Samsung, LG, and Android TV models ship with one preinstalled.

03

Enter the short play URL

Type the play URL from your dashboard into the TV browser. The screen connects and starts showing its assigned playlist immediately.

04

Go fullscreen

Switch the browser to fullscreen and bookmark the page for quick access later. From now on, all content changes happen in the dashboard.

Features

One dashboard runs every screen

Once the TV shows your player URL, you never touch the remote again for content changes.

Playlists of anything

Images, videos, web pages and PDFs in one playlist, with drag-and-drop ordering and transitions. Build it once, reuse it across screens.

Scheduling built in

Show the breakfast menu in the morning and the happy hour promo after five: content can be scheduled per time slot and per day of the week.

AI Studio designs

No designer needed. Describe a promo, menu or welcome screen in a short brief and AI Studio generates a designed signage screen for you.

Screen monitoring

The dashboard shows online/offline status and heartbeats for every screen, so you know a display went dark before a customer tells you.

Landscape or portrait

Mount the screen either way: each screen has its own orientation setting and content adapts to it.

Grows with you

Start free with one screen. When you add screens or locations, the same dashboard manages them all, from €5/month for five screens.

Comparison

Smart TV browser vs dedicated player hardware

Smart TV browser + TVpilotDedicated player hardware
Hardware costZero: the TV you already own is the playerA media player or box per screen
SetupOpen a URL in the TV browser: minutesMount, cable and provision extra hardware
Content updatesFrom the web dashboard, instantlyFrom the vendor's CMS
Software costFree for 1 screen, from €5/moTypically per-screen licence fees
ReliabilityDepends on the TV's browser; no auto-recovery after power lossDedicated players usually restart on their own
Best forZero-budget starts, testing, light daytime useLarge fleets and strict 24/7 uptime needs
FAQ

Smart TV signage without hardware, answered

Which smart TVs work with TVpilot?

Any TV with a built-in web browser: most recent Samsung (Tizen), LG (webOS), and Android TV or Google TV models ship with one. The quality of built-in TV browsers varies, though: some handle video and fullscreen well, others throttle video or drop out of fullscreen. Test with the free plan before rolling out.

What if my TV has no browser?

Add one cheap streaming stick and you are back on the same route: a Fire TV Stick with a browser app works well and costs far less than a dedicated signage player. Our Fire TV Stick guide (linked below) has the step-by-step setup.

Can I use an old laptop or PC as the player?

Yes, and it is often more reliable than a TV browser. Connect the laptop or PC to the screen via HDMI, open the player URL in any modern browser, and press F11 for fullscreen. Any device with a modern browser works as a TVpilot player.

How do I keep the TV browser awake?

In the TV settings, disable the screensaver, sleep timer, and any eco or auto-off mode. Then leave the browser fullscreen on your player URL. Exact menu names differ per brand, but every major smart TV has these options.

Is the browser route reliable enough for 24/7 signage?

Honestly: it depends on the TV. Built-in browsers vary in quality, and after a power cut you need to reopen the browser manually because there is no auto-start. For displays that must run 24/7 unattended, the Raspberry Pi route is the robust option: TVpilot's Pi installer sets up kiosk mode with auto-start and a self-healing watchdog. See the Raspberry Pi guide linked below.

What does smart TV digital signage cost?

With a smart TV you already own, the hardware cost is zero. The software is free for 1 screen with full features, no credit card required. Starter is €5/month for up to 5 screens, Pro €19/month for up to 25.

Also see:Fire TV Stick signage · Raspberry Pi signage (24/7 robust) · Blog
Pricing

Free for your first screen

Use the hardware you already own; the software starts at €0.

Free
€0forever

Perfect for trying TVpilot with one screen.

Start free
Starter
€5/month

For small teams and single locations.

Start free
Pro
€19/month

For growing businesses with multiple locations.

Start free
Business
Customon request

Enterprise-grade signage at any scale.

Contact sales

All plans include a 14-day free trial. No credit card required to start.

Your TV is already
a signage player.

Create a free account, add a screen, open one URL in your smart TV browser, and your first digital sign is live in minutes, without buying any hardware.

Start free with TVpilot