Vertically mounted TVs make great display devices for SplashTiles! You can also add inexpensive touch bezels to create a fully interactive solution.

Hardware requirements

• TV or PC monitor with a HDMI/DVI input. Make sure it looks good at expected viewing angles.
• Wall mounting bracket
  • You can use a standard VESA mount for heavier displays. Select one that is compatible with vertical mounting.
  • Swivel VESA mounts also exist. Use these if you will switch between horizontal and vertical mounts
  • You can also customize a solution. Building a wooden picture frame is one option.
• Power for your TV and your controller.
• Network can be wifi, so wired connection isn't needed.
• Option 1 (preferred): Use an Android media player for your controller
  • Select an Android media player the runs ANDROID 5.1 or later (NOT Android TV or FireOS)
  • Lumi TV is a great example of a professional Android player which supports rotation Lumi-tv.com
  • Most Android players support display rotation. Confirm this using via the software configuration below.
  • All Android players will support adding a touch screen bezel
  • All Android players will support remote control via SplashTiles Cloud
  • Most Android players will support CEC control of the TV
  • All Android players will support IRUSB control of the TV
  • BEST option for touchscreens since you have a full Android OS and App Store
• Option 2: Use a raspberry pi for your controller
  • RPi 4 with 4G memory is recommended. Older devices will have issues rendering complex pages.
  • A plastic case is recommended. Use a 8GB or larger uSD card. Sandisk is recommended.
  • All Pis support display rotation.
  • Pis have partial support for adding a touch screen bezel
  • Pis do not currently support remote control via SplashTiles Cloud. You can home brew a solution if needed.
  • Pis support CEC control of the TV, but not via SplashTiles Cloud
  • Pis support IRUSB control of the TV, but not via SplashTiles Cloud
• Optional: Touchscreen bezel
  • IR touch screen brezels are recommended. Low cost, easy install, good performance.
  • Search "ir touchscreen bezel" on Amazon.
  • Aliexpress.com will have the best selection.
  • Make sure to get the EXACT size for your TV (measure twice!)
  • USB models will work with either Android or Linux (pi)
  • Multitouch (2 or more points) is highly recommended.

Software requirements and settings (Android)

• Touchscreen bezel: This makes your TV into and Android Tablet! Just plug into the Pi via USB.
• If the touchscreen isn't practical, a wireless remote with air mouse function also works nicely (sometimes these are included with the Android box already)
• Launcher
  1. You will want to install a custom launcher (home screen) since the default will likely not work well in portrait mode.
  2. We recommend using Nova Launcher. Follow their instructions to install.
• Display rotation
  1. In Settings->Display->Screen rotation, there may be settings for rotation. Select the logical option. Often this is "Original", "Auto", or "Force Portrait".
  2. Android normally uses the motion sensor to set orientation. Your box doesn't have one, so we use an App to set it instead!
  3. The app Set Orientation is the best.
  4. If the combination of the Settings menu and the Set Orientation app do NOT get you a portrait mode, you should return that box and get different model.

Software requirements and settings (Pi / Linux)

• Touchscreen bezel: This acts as a mouse in Chrome and allows interaction with your SplashTiles Screen. Just plug into the Pi via USB.
• You will need a keyboard to setup. Wireless keyboards are recommended. Leave the wireless dongle attached to the Pi in case you need it later.
• Follow our standard instructions to setup your Pi
• Display rotation: Use the Portrait setting described in the above instructions

Vertical Screen design considerations
Your SplashTiles screen will automatically be sized for your vertically mounted TV. However, since the physical screen aspect ratio is different please consider these tips when designing your screens.

• Consider increasing the font size if the tv will be viewed from a distance
• You should create screens while using a vertical aspect ratio window size (on the PC). This helps with understanding how the screen will look in portrait mode.
• If using a touch bezel, your SplashTiles screens are interactive! Consider using this for quick select buttons or home automation controls.
• Many tiles have the option to set as Interactive. Select this on your vertical format Screens
• WebGL apps and 3D models are great choices for interactive big screens!
• In the SplashTiles app, you can swipe from the screen edges for control
  
  • Top down swipe opens the Screen selection buttons
  • Left edge swipe opens the Navigation drawer
  • Right edge swipe goes to the next Screen directly