How to set up a digital ticket display on a TV: step-by-step (HDMI, Chromecast, Smart TV)
Replacing a physical ticket dispenser with a digital display on the TV solves three problems at once: no more paper roll, no hardware maintenance, and guests can wait wherever they want. This guide walks through three practical paths to set up the display at any reception, with fullscreen, voice call audio, and when each path makes sense.
Published on May 8, 2026
A digital ticket display is a web page that runs in the browser of the reception TV or monitor and shows, in real time, who is being served and who is next. It is the online version of the physical ticket dispenser — no paper roll, no proprietary hardware, no on-site technician for setup. Instead of buying a totem that costs $400 to $1,000, you open a URL on the TV the business already has and the display is running. This guide covers three common scenarios (PC with HDMI cable, Chromecast on an older TV, and Smart TV with a built-in browser), how to go fullscreen, how to make voice call audio work, and when it still makes sense to keep the physical dispenser around.
1. What a digital ticket display is
A digital ticket display is a public screen served by the queue software at /tv/your-business. It replaces three things in front-of-house: the physical ticket dispenser (totem with paper roll), the proprietary LED display above the counter, and the front-desk staff shouting the next customer's name. All of it runs inside a regular browser.
The practical difference for operators is that the digital display needs no physical maintenance, updates in real time (the customer sees the queue progress on phone and TV simultaneously), and runs on any monitor the business already has. For customers, the difference is they can wait wherever they want — not stuck within the range of a physical display — and they hear the voice call even without looking at the TV.
- Highlights the called ticket visually with a few-second flash.
- Lists who is waiting, with shortened name and ticket number.
- Announces each new call out loud (for example: "Ticket 42, Maria").
- Updates in real time via WebSocket, no refresh required.
- Runs on any device with a modern browser — Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox.
2. Path 1: PC or Mac connected to the TV via HDMI
Cheapest and most stable option. We usually recommend it for receptions that already have a computer running another system (PMS, POS, scheduling).
Procedure: plug the HDMI cable from the PC or Mac into the TV's HDMI input. Open the browser (Chrome or Edge), go to https://yoursite.com/tv/your-business and press F11 (Windows) or Ctrl+Cmd+F (macOS) to go fullscreen. Done — the display is running. If the TV stays on permanently, we recommend a Mac mini, Intel NUC, or a Raspberry Pi with Chromium in kiosk mode to avoid hogging a shared machine.
- Cost: $0 if you already have a PC and HDMI cable; $60 to $300 for a dedicated mini-PC.
- Upside: high stability and clean audio through the TV.
- Watch out: configure the computer to never sleep (Windows: Control Panel → Power → Never; macOS: Preferences → Battery → Don't turn off display).
3. Path 2: Chromecast on an older TV
Works for any TV with HDMI but no built-in browser. A basic Chromecast costs around $30 to $50 and, plugged into the HDMI input, turns any TV into a "smart" enough TV for this purpose.
Procedure: plug the Chromecast into the TV. On a phone or laptop, open Chrome, go to https://yoursite.com/tv/your-business, click the three dots → Cast → choose the Chromecast → "Cast tab" option. The display mirrors to the TV in real time. To keep it pinned, leave the browser on the PC with the tab open and fullscreen. The Chromecast simply mirrors what the browser shows.
- Cost: $30 to $50 for the Chromecast.
- Upside: reuses the existing TV, no need to buy another.
- Watch out: voice call audio plays through the TV speakers if you check "Cast audio" in Chrome. If audio doesn't work, you can connect a Bluetooth speaker to the TV or PC.
4. Path 3: Smart TV with a built-in browser
Recent Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Android TV and Roku TVs ship with a browser. It is not the most robust option (some TV browsers don't refresh the display perfectly in real time because of partial WebSocket support), but it works for small receptions that just want to show the queue without investing in a PC.
Procedure: open the TV's browser (usually in the apps list), go to https://yoursite.com/tv/your-business and press the fullscreen equivalent (on some TVs the "i" button on the remote, on others a menu option in the browser). We recommend testing for a few hours before committing — some Smart TVs reset the browser every 24 hours and the display may stop updating until someone presses a key.
- Cost: $0 if the TV is already Smart with a browser.
- Upside: simple setup, no extra hardware.
- Watch out: not every Smart TV browser refreshes in real time perfectly. If the display freezes, consider moving to Path 1 (PC with HDMI).
5. Fullscreen, voice call audio and initial setup
Fullscreen is essential to make the display look polished and prevent customers from seeing browser bars, tabs and the system clock. In Chrome and Edge, F11 toggles fullscreen. In Safari, it's Ctrl+Cmd+F. On Smart TVs, it is usually in the browser menu.
Voice call audio uses the Web Speech API, available in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox. On some devices, you may need to allow autoplay audio the first time (click the lock icon in the address bar, then "Permissions" → "Sound" → "Allow"). Test the audio on day one with a test call.
For initial setup, first open the /tv/your-business page in a regular browser, log into the business account, and create a test queue. Go back to the TV and wait for the test call to appear. If it shows up and the audio works, you are ready for production.
6. How much a digital ticket display costs
Lyne's online ticket display is included in every plan, including the free plan with 100 visits per month. There is no separate charge, no setup fee, and no required hardware. If the business already has a TV and a browser (PC, Smart TV, or Chromecast), the display itself costs zero.
Compared with traditional physical totems (Klock, Datasenha, Pegasus, Tampograf), year-one savings are between $400 and $1,000 in hardware, plus $60 to $160 a year you don't spend on maintenance, batteries, thermal paper, and replacing lost tickets. For low-volume businesses, the free plan covers the entire operation at zero cost. For higher volume, the Pro plan at $19 per month includes the TV display, WhatsApp, and full reporting at a fraction of the hardware cost.
- Free plan: 100 visits per month, TV display included, no credit card.
- Pro plan: $19 per month per location, unlimited visits.
- Multi plan: $39 per month for chains with multiple locations, with centralized display and CSV export.
- No required hardware cost, no lock-in, no setup fee.
7. When to keep the physical dispenser around
Three scenarios still justify keeping the physical ticket totem alongside the digital display: very high-traffic places without smartphones (bus stations, public health clinics with long lines of customers without smartphones), one-off events with audiences that do not register data (fairs, walk-in service drives), and public agencies with regulations explicitly requiring a physical electronic dispenser.
For everything else — private clinic, notary office, restaurant, barbershop, bakery, retail, repair shop — the digital display replaces the totem with an upside: zero physical maintenance, real-time updates, and customers waiting wherever they want via WhatsApp. Even at public agencies, the digital display can run in parallel to the totem during a transition phase until the team gets comfortable with the online operation.
A digital ticket display on the TV solves in one web page what physical totems, proprietary hardware, and shouting staff solve together today. The three paths to set it up (PC with HDMI, Chromecast, Smart TV) cover 95% of receptions, and the display itself costs zero — it is included in the free plan. Picking which path to use mostly depends on what hardware the business already has at reception: there's a PC running all day, go HDMI; there's an older TV without a browser, Chromecast handles it; there's a recent Smart TV, just open the built-in browser. In every path, the display goes fullscreen (F11), updates in real time via WebSocket, and announces each call with synthesized voice. Start on the free plan to validate the operation for 30 days before deciding whether to subscribe.
