Guide
How to display your menu on a TV – no special hardware.
A normal TV becomes the menu above your counter. Here you'll see which TV works, how your menu gets onto it and where it's best to hang it. For cafés, bakeries, takeaways and chip shops.
Often the TV you already have is enough.
Before you start
What you need
No player box, no software to install. Your board is a web page – the TV only has to be able to open it.
- A TV or monitor – the one you already have is fine.
- A browser: built into the TV, on a streaming stick or on a laptop plugged into the HDMI port.
- Internet where the TV goes, via Wi-Fi or cable.
- A socket nearby, and a wall bracket if it's going to hang.
- Your products with prices in momoscreen. That's free.
Landscape or portrait?
Most TVs hang landscape. That works for almost any menu. Portrait suits narrow walls – and works with any TV. More on that in step 1.
Step 1
Which TV works for your menu?
The brand doesn't matter. What matters is that your TV can open a web page. There are three ways to do that – pick the one that fits your device.
Smart TV with a browser
- How it works
- You open the link straight in the TV's browser.
- What's good
- No extra device, no extra cable.
- Watch out for
- Older TVs often have an old browser.
Streaming stick or TV box
- How it works
- Plugs into the HDMI port. You open the link in its browser.
- What's good
- Small and hidden behind the TV. Gets an old TV ready too.
- Watch out for
- It needs a browser. On some sticks you first download a browser app from their app store.
Laptop or mini PC
- How it works
- Connected to the TV with an HDMI cable. You open the link in an up-to-date browser.
- What's good
- A full browser, just like at your desk. An old device is often enough.
- Watch out for
- Needs space and power. Turn off sleep mode, or the screen goes black.
Portrait? Works with any TV.
Just hang the TV upright. If the board then shows sideways, tell momoscreen in step 2 which way you turned the TV. The board turns with it – nothing to change on the TV.
Step 2
Create your board in momoscreen
You build your board on your phone or computer. Products and prices come from your categories – you never type anything twice.
In the app: “Categories”
Add your products
Tap “Add Category” and enter your products with prices, for example “Coffee” and “Cake”. Already have a QR menu? Then this is done: it uses the same categories.
In the app: “Menu Boards”
Create a board
Tap “Add Board”. Under “How does your TV or monitor hang?” choose “Horizontal” for landscape or “Vertical” for portrait. Then choose how many areas the board has, for example “2 columns”. Each area shows one category.
In the board: “Design” and “Products”
Pick a style and products
Under “Design” you pick a style and colours. Under “Products” you choose which products each area shows. The preview shows you how it will look on your TV.
TipIf not everything fits, the preview tells you how many products are missing. Then tap “Make text smaller” or pick fewer products.In the board: “Settings”
Save
Give the board a name, for example “TV at the counter”. With “Show the QR code of your QR menu” your QR code goes onto the board. Then tap “Save board”.
TipTV hangs upright and the board shows sideways on it? Under “Board shows sideways on the TV?”, pick which way you turned it. The preview in the app stays upright.
Which layout?
Landscape: “1 area”, “2 columns”, “3 areas” or “2×2”. Portrait: 1 or 2 areas stacked. The fewer areas, the bigger everything shows.
Step 3
Use your TV as a menu board – here's how
Every board has its own link. You open it once in your TV's browser. From then on, the TV shows your board.
In the app: “Menu Boards”
Copy the link
Tap “Copy link” on your board. The link is short, something like “momoscreen.com/s/1042/7” – yours has different numbers.
On the TV
Open it in the TV's browser
Open the browser on the TV, the stick or the laptop and type the link into the address bar at the top. With the remote you type it letter by letter – you only do this once.
TipIt's quicker on a laptop: send yourself the link by email or message and open it there.On the TV
Choose “Enter Fullscreen”
The page shows a big “Enter Fullscreen” button. Select it with the remote or the mouse. Now your board fills the whole screen.
TipSave the link as a bookmark in the browser. After switching on, open it from there and choose “Enter Fullscreen” again.
Step 4
Hang it where it's seen, set it up right
A board nobody can read doesn't help. With these tips, your guests see the prices while they're still in the queue.
Where it hangs
- Above or behind the counter, easy to see from the queue. Guests decide while they wait.
- Not too high: guests should be able to read it without tilting their head back.
- No window or bright spotlight opposite. Reflections make prices unreadable.
- Socket and internet nearby. Cables disappear into a cable channel.
- In the shop window: so it can be seen from outside. Turn the brightness up and check at midday that you can still read it in the sun.
How big? The further away your guests stand, the bigger the TV and the text should be. Test it: stand where guests wait and read the prices. Too small? Make the text bigger in the board under “Settings” at “Text size”, or show fewer products per board.
These settings matter
- Auto power off and sleep timer on the TV: off.
- Screensaver and power-saving features that turn the picture off: off.
- On a laptop or mini PC: sleep mode and automatic screen off: off.
- Leave the browser with your board open. It picks up your changes automatically.
- In the evening you switch the TV off as usual. In the morning you open your board from your bookmark.
Your benefit
Change a price? Once is enough.
You change a price on your phone and tap “Save”. Your TV shows the new price automatically. No USB stick, no new print, no restart.
The same goes for:
- “Sold out”: the product is crossed out on the board.
- Promo prices: the old price is crossed out next to it.
- Your board's style, colours and products, as soon as you tap “Save board”.
- Your QR menu: it shows the same prices as your TV.
And if the internet goes down?
Then the board keeps showing what it last loaded. Once the connection is back, it picks up your changes automatically.
More space
Too much for one TV?
Big menu, little space? Split it up. You have two ways to do that.
In the app: “Menu Boards”
One board per TV
Create a separate board for each TV, for example “Coffee & Breakfast” on the left and “Cake” on the right. Every board has its own link, so each TV shows what you want.
In the app: “Animated Boards”
Several boards in rotation
Several boards take turns on one TV. They slide in or fade in, and you set how long each one is shown. You open the link on the TV the same way.
TipTry 8 to 15 seconds per board: long enough to read a few prices.
One price, every TV
All boards use the same categories. Change a price and it's up to date on every TV automatically – even at a second location.
Costs
What does a digital menu board cost with a TV?
Honestly counted: momoscreen costs nothing. At most you spend money on hardware – and you often have that already.
momoscreen
- Do you need it?
- Yes
- Good to know
- Free. No subscription, no fee per screen, all features included.
TV
- Do you need it?
- Yes
- Good to know
- Often already there. A normal TV is enough to start.
Streaming stick or TV box
- Do you need it?
- Only if the TV has no browser
- Good to know
- Buy it once – you don't need a subscription for your board.
Laptop or mini PC
- Do you need it?
- Only instead of a stick
- Good to know
- An old device from the drawer is often enough.
Wall bracket and cables
- Do you need it?
- If the TV hangs
- Good to know
- Buy once.
Electricity
- Do you need it?
- Yes
- Good to know
- While the TV is on. Switching it off after closing saves money.
Do I need a professional display?
Not to start with. If the screen runs many hours every day, professional displays last longer. momoscreen doesn't need them.
More about your menu on a screenQuestions
Quick answers
What most owners want to know before they turn their TV into a menu.
Can I use any TV as a menu board?
Almost any. The brand doesn't matter, it just needs a browser. If your TV has none or a very old one, plug in a streaming stick or connect a laptop via HDMI.
Do I need a smart TV for a menu board?
No. A smart TV with a browser is handy because you don't need an extra device. Any other TV with an HDMI port works with a stick, TV box or laptop.
How do I display my menu on a TV?
Create a board in momoscreen under “Menu Boards” and tap “Copy link”. Open the link in your TV's browser and choose “Enter Fullscreen”. From then on the board stays up to date automatically.
Do I have to reload the page after a price change?
No. The board picks up your changes automatically as long as the browser stays open. If the internet goes down, it keeps showing the last state. Don't reload the page until the connection is back.
Can I hang the TV in portrait?
Yes, with any TV. Create a board in “Vertical” format. If the TV shows it sideways, choose in the board's “Settings” which way you turned the TV – for Animated Boards, in their own “Settings”. Nothing to change on the TV itself.
Does the TV show my menu in other languages too?
The board shows your menu in its original language. Show the QR code on the board: if you've set up languages, guests pick their language in the QR menu on their own phone.
What does it cost to use a TV as a menu board?
momoscreen costs nothing, even for several screens. You only spend money if you're missing hardware: a TV, a stick or laptop, a bracket. Plus the electricity.
Read on
Goes well with this
- Digital menu boardHow your board looks: 50 styles, “Sold out”, promo prices and several screens.
- Menu price display rulesIs a QR menu on its own enough? Do prices have to go by the door? What applies in the UK and in Ireland.
- Printable menuThe same products as an A4 menu – for tables, the counter and the shop window.
Your TV. Your menu.
Sign up for free, add your products, create a board and open the link on your TV. After that you change prices on your phone only.
No subscription, no costs.