A lot of branches already have a TV on the wall, usually playing the news or a promo loop. With a browser-based queue system, that TV can double as your “now serving” board. Here’s what you need and a few lessons from real setups.
What you need
- A TV or monitor. Anything 32″ or larger that people can see from their seats.
- Something to run a browser. A smart TV browser can work, but a small mini PC or Android TV box is usually more reliable for all-day use.
- Speakers. The TV speakers are fine if the volume can be heard over the room.
- A stable network connection. Wired is best. If you use Wi-Fi, check the signal where the TV actually sits.
Setup tips
Run it full-screen and start it automatically
Set the browser to open the board page when the device starts, in full-screen or kiosk mode. That way, after a power cut, the screen comes back without anyone needing to find a keyboard.
Turn off sleep and screen savers
Both the TV and the device driving it need to stay awake. Check the TV’s energy-saving settings too, since many turn themselves off after a few hours with no remote input.
Allow sound once
Browsers block audio until someone interacts with the page. After starting the board, tap or click once so the chime and voice call-outs are allowed.
Test the voice from the back of the room
Call a few test tickets and listen from the furthest seat. If people can’t hear it there, turn it up or add a small speaker. The voice call-out is what lets people look away from the screen.
Using the rest of the screen
The queue numbers don’t need the whole screen. Many boards show the queue on one side and something else on the other: a promo video, a slideshow of opening hours and services, or a live TV channel. Keep it calm. The point is to make the wait pleasant, not to add noise.
Tip: put your opening hours, the documents people should prepare, and the WhatsApp number for joining the queue into the slideshow. It answers the questions your front desk gets asked all day.