Getting started

Billboard turns any Apple TV into a customisable Conference Room Display: your own images and video on screen, with the AirPlay join card still working exactly as it does in Apple's built-in Conference Mode. This guide takes you from nothing to a live screen.

Before you start

You'll need three things:

• An Apple TV (any model on a current tvOS release) connected to a display.
• A Billboard account — sign up free at getbillboard.app.
• A few images or a short video to show.

1. Create a gallery

A gallery is a set of media plus its display settings. You'll usually make one gallery per space — for example "Main Lobby" or "Library".

1. Sign in at getbillboard.app.
2. Select New gallery, give it a name, and choose Create gallery.

On the new gallery's Media tab, select Upload images or videos and add your files.

Billboard automatically crops each item to 16:9, resizes and compresses it for crisp fullscreen playback, and warns you if anything comes in below Full HD. Drag the handle on the left of any item to reorder — screens play top to bottom.

Tip: you can point several Apple TVs at one gallery, or give each screen its own. Start with one and add more later — nothing here is permanent.

2. Find your gallery code

Every gallery has a short, unguessable code, shown on its Connect tab — for example MGYZ-EJNJ. This is what links an Apple TV to the gallery.

Keep it handy for the next step.

3. Install the app on your Apple TV

1. On the Apple TV, open the App Store.
2. Search for Billboard Screen.
3. Select Get to install, then open it.

4. Enter your code

On first launch the app shows a welcome screen.

1. Type your gallery code with the on-screen keyboard.
2. Select Start.

Your slideshow begins straight away. The AirPlay card appears over the top, drifting gently so nothing burns in, and anyone in the room can still AirPlay to the display as normal.

5. Make changes any time

Everything is controlled from the dashboard, not the TV:

• Add or remove media, and drag items to reorder them.
• Tune how long each item shows.
• Adjust the AirPlay panel, add an on-screen clock, or broadcast a notice across the top of the screen.

Screens refresh on the schedule you choose — anywhere from every few minutes to weekly — so your changes appear on their own without touching the Apple TV. See Managing galleries for the full set of controls.

Roll out more than one screen

• A few screens: repeat the steps above on each Apple TV. Point several TVs at the same code, or give each its own gallery.
• A whole fleet: deploy with your MDM and push the gallery to every Apple TV at once, with no manual code entry — see the guides for Jamf Pro, Microsoft Intune, and Apple Configurator 2.

Keep it running unattended

Billboard is built to be left on:

• It keeps the screen awake and resumes on its own after a restart.
• To reach on-device settings, press Play/Pause three times quickly.
• To exit the app, press Back/Menu five times quickly — a guard so the display isn't closed by accident.

For an always-on screen, turn off the Apple TV's screen saver and set it not to sleep. To stop the app being exited at all, lock the Apple TV with Single App Mode. If something isn't working, see Troubleshooting.