Screens and players

Tilecast Player runs on each display, and each paired display appears in Studio as a screen. Use these guides to get a display connected, then to control how it behaves.

Choose a task

Install and pairChoose a Player for your hardware, install it, and approve it in Studio. Replace hardware without losing a screen's assignments.

Groups and wallsGroup screens that share content and schedules, or arrange them as one video wall.

Playback behaviorSee what a screen is expected to play now, and why.

Reliability, power, and accessibilitySet recovery, kiosk behavior, active hours, power, and Android accessibility control.

Display ControlRequest a power, input, volume, or brightness action on a Linux-connected display.

Player updatesCache a verified release and deploy it to selected screens.

Platform capabilitiesCompare Android, Linux, Tilecast Edge, and Windows before you choose hardware.

Tilecast EdgeThe service-based Linux Player with a WPE WebKit renderer, included in every release.

To retire a screen or change several at once, see Screen archive and Bulk screen changes. To request a sync, playback reload, cache clear, or restart, see Send a Player command.

Which Player to use

Choose the Android APK for Android TV, Google TV, or Fire TV, the signed MSIX for a Windows 10 or 11 PC (x64 or ARM64), or Tilecast Edge for a Linux computer. The AppImage Player is the earlier Linux Player. Keep it for screens that already run it, or when you need AirPlay Present.

Tilecast Edge is the Linux Player. It replaces the Electron/AppImage Player with a Linux service and a WPE WebKit renderer. See Tilecast Edge.

Player	Install format	Notes
Android	Signed APK, tilecast-player.apk	For Android TV, Google TV, and Fire TV devices that allow APK installation.
Edge	Signed Linux release archive	The Linux Player, for x86_64 and aarch64 computers. Included in every release.
Linux	AppImage	The earlier Linux Player. The server-provided installer targets x86_64 Linux with a graphical X11 or Wayland session.
Windows	Signed MSIX package	Windows 10 and 11, x64 and ARM64. Included in every Stable release.

Find the Android APK on the Tilecast releases page. The Linux installer downloads a signed, verified release cached on your Tilecast Server. See Install the Linux Player for the AppImage Player and Tilecast Edge for Edge. Windows requirements are in Install Tilecast Player on Windows.

Connect a display

A Player can discover nearby servers or accept a manually entered address. Discovery is optional: the default Docker Compose setup disables mDNS, and multicast may not cross VLANs, guest networks, or access-point isolation. Enter the server address if it does not appear.

Use HTTPS for a public hostname. Players accept HTTP for local addresses such as private IPv4, localhost, and .local names; restrict HTTP to trusted networks. Enter the server address and optional port, without an API path.

An Owner or Administrator approves each new pairing request. Studio displays device details so you can compare the request with the display in front of you. For a step-by-step procedure, see Pair a display.

If you replace a broken device, choose Replace hardware for an existing screen during approval and select the existing screen. The logical screen, its assignments, schedules, policies, and history stay in place. The old credential is retired after the replacement Player enrolls.

Playback and connection limits

Players store prepared content locally. A Player can continue to show cached content during a server or network interruption, but it cannot fetch a new assignment until it reconnects. Website and other remote content can also need its own network connection.

Pairing does not prove that a TV will launch Tilecast after a power cut or return from sleep. Android reports its readiness to Studio on the screen’s Reliability tab. The Linux installer sets up a systemd user service, but a graphical session must still start on the host. Test the exact device model, firmware, and kiosk session before unattended use.