Any TV with HDMI, turned into a signage screen.
A Google TV, Android TV or Fire TV streaming stick costs around €40 and turns any TV into an RDS player. It is fully usable with the remote, keeps the screen from switching off while it plays, and is managed from the same console as the rest of your screens.
Why a streaming stick
- Cheap. A stick costs around €40, against hundreds for a commercial player. If you already have the TV, you need nothing else.
- Any TV. All it needs is an HDMI port and a socket: the waiting-room TV, the one in the bar, the one in the shop window.
- Everything with the remote. Pairing, the settings passcode, the admin menu and every dialog work with the arrows and OK. The pairing QR code is large enough to read from 3 metres.
- The screen stays on. While it plays, the TV’s screensaver, ambient mode and sleep timer do not cover your content.
- The same console. Playlists, scheduling, web URLs and live status, exactly as on your Android, Linux and Windows players, on the same per-device licence.
Which devices work
Google TV · Android TV
Chromecast with Google TV, Google TV Streamer, Android TV sticks and boxes, and TVs with Google TV or Android TV built in.
Fire TV · Fire TV Stick
Models running Fire OS, Amazon’s Android-based system. Works without Google services.
Not supported
Classic Chromecast (it only shows what you cast from a phone and cannot install apps) and Fire TV models running Vega OS, which do not run Android apps.
Setup on Google TV and Android TV
- On the TV, open Google Play (on Google TV: Apps → Search for apps), search for Digital Signage RDS and press Install.
- Open it. When asked, turn on Display over other apps: Android requires this permission for RDS to start by itself when the TV powers on.
- The TV shows a large QR code and a 6-character code. In the RDS console, add the device with that code and assign it a playlist.
If you don’t find it on Google Play, install the APK.
Install the APK (Downloader app)
- On the TV, open Google Play and install the free Downloader app (on Google TV: Apps → Search for apps).
- Turn on Developer options: in Settings → System → About (on Android TV: Device Preferences → About), press OK seven times on Android TV OS build. Then, under Settings → Apps → Security & restrictions → Unknown sources, turn Downloader on.
- Open Downloader, type this address and press Go:
https://rds.digitalsignagerds.com/descarregar_apk.php. When the download finishes, press Install. - Open Digital Signage RDS. When asked, turn on Display over other apps: Android requires this permission for RDS to start by itself when the TV powers on.
- The TV shows a large QR code and a 6-character code. In the RDS console, add the device with that code and assign it a playlist.
Menu names can differ between models. Technicians can also use adb (see the Fire TV steps).
Setup on Fire TV (direct APK)
- In your Fire TV’s app store, search for and install the free Downloader app.
- Go to Settings → My Fire TV → About and press OK seven times on the device name until Developer options appear. There, under Install unknown apps, turn Downloader on.
- Open Downloader, type this address and press Go:
https://rds.digitalsignagerds.com/descarregar_apk.php. When the download finishes, press Install. - Open Digital Signage RDS from Your apps. If it asks for Display over other apps, turn it on so it starts by itself at power-on.
- Pair it with the 6-character code, like any other player.
Menu names can differ slightly between models. For technicians: with ADB debugging on in Developer options, adb connect <IP>:5555 then adb install -r rds.apk.
The limits, no small print
- No kiosk lockdown on TVs. Neither Google TV, Android TV nor Fire TV lets an app replace the home screen: the remote’s Home button leaves RDS (you get back by opening it from your apps). If the TV is within the public’s reach, put the remote away.
- Starting at power-on. On Google TV, Android TV 10 or later and Fire OS 8 you have to allow “Display over other apps” once. Without it RDS works, but does not reopen by itself after a restart.
- The TV decides when it switches off. RDS holds off the screensaver and sleep while it plays, but no app can stop the TV’s own power-off timer or HDMI-CEC from turning it off. Disable those in the TV’s settings.
- Updates on Fire TV. They are not silent: Android shows its install dialog and someone has to confirm with the remote (RDS must first be allowed to install unknown apps).
- Fire TV, not on the Amazon Appstore. For now RDS installs on Fire TV as a direct APK, not from Amazon’s store.
FAQ
How much does it cost?
The stick, around €30–60 depending on the model, paid once. RDS is billed per device like any other player, with a 30-day free trial and no card.
Do I need a Google or Amazon account?
Only whatever the device itself asks for during its own setup. RDS does not use your account: the player links to your console with the 6-character code.
What happens after a power cut?
When power returns, the TV boots and RDS opens by itself and carries on playing, as long as you allowed “Display over other apps” and the TV switches itself on when it gets power (that depends on the model).
Does the classic Chromecast work?
No. A Chromecast without Google TV only shows what another device casts to it and cannot install apps. You need a Chromecast with Google TV or a Google TV Streamer.
Streaming stick or commercial player?
For one or a few TVs in a staffed venue, a stick is the cheapest option. If the screen is in an unattended public place or you need full kiosk lockdown, an Android, Linux or Windows player is the better choice.
Google TV, Android TV, Chromecast and Google Play are trademarks of Google LLC. Fire TV is a trademark of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. RDS is not created, sponsored or endorsed by Google or Amazon. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.