How to run a digital menu board on any TV (step-by-step)
A digital menu board is the highest-ROI upgrade a small food business can make — it removes chalkboards, syncs across sites, and lets you swap breakfast to lunch on a schedule. And it costs less than most people think. Here's the exact recipe.
- Under 30 minutes
- Under £50 per screen
- Works on any HDMI TV
- No van visit
What you need
- An HDMI TV (any size, any brand)
- A signage player — we recommend an Amazon Fire TV Stick for £40
- Wi-Fi at the venue
- A digital signage account (Viewli's free trial works)
Step 1 — Design the menu
Portrait or landscape? Landscape suits wall-mounted TVs over the counter; portrait suits pillars or column screens. Keep it to 6–10 items per panel; if you have 30 SKUs, split into categories and rotate. Use one clear font and prices in £ with no decimals for whole pounds.
Step 2 — Upload and build the playlist
In your signage dashboard, upload the menu image(s), create a playlist, and drag the items in. Set the duration per item (12–20 seconds is comfortable for reading).
Step 3 — Set the schedule
Add a schedule so breakfast menu runs 06:00–11:00 and lunch runs 11:00–16:00. This is the single biggest reason people move to digital: no one has to remember to swap the board.
Step 4 — Pair the player
Plug the Fire Stick / Pi into the TV, install the signage app, and type in the pairing code from your dashboard. Point the TV's input at the correct HDMI port and turn off auto-sleep.
Step 5 — Prevent 'no signal' at 6am
Set the TV to remember its last input. Turn off HDMI-CEC power-off. If the venue kills mains overnight, enable a wake-schedule on the player and use a mains-timer plug for the TV.
What it costs
One-off: TV (you have it) + Fire Stick £40 = £40. Monthly: about £10 per screen for a small business plan on most signage tools. Compared to reprinting laminated menus every time a price changes, it pays for itself in one season.
Ready to try it?
Viewli has a 30-day free trial with £-priced plans and UK support. Start on the menu boards page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my existing home TV for a menu board?
Yes — any TV with an HDMI port works. Commercial-grade panels are brighter and rated for 16 hours of daily use, but a normal TV is fine for a café that closes in the evening.
What's the cheapest player for a menu board?
An Amazon Fire TV Stick (~£40) running a signage app is the cheapest reliable option in the UK. Raspberry Pi 4 kits (~£70) are a close second and slightly more robust for 24/7 use.
Do I need internet at the venue?
Yes for setup and updates. Once content is downloaded, good signage players cache locally and keep playing through short Wi-Fi outages.
How do I stop the screen showing a screensaver or 'no signal'?
Disable the TV's auto-sleep, energy-saver and HDMI-CEC power-off settings. Set the input to lock on the HDMI port your player is plugged into.