Fire TV Stick and Android TV

The SignBlink TV app turns a streaming stick into a dedicated sign player. It opens by itself when the TV turns on, keeps the screen awake, plays sound, recovers by itself after a crash or Wi-Fi drop, and takes real screenshots of the TV, videos included.

#What you need

• An Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, 4K Max or Fire TV Cube, or a Google TV Streamer, Chromecast with Google TV or other Android TV box.
• The stick's own power adapter, plugged into the wall.
• Wi-Fi (5 GHz if you can), or the maker's Ethernet adapter for the steadiest connection.

#1. Set up the stick

Plug it into the TV and the wall, sign in to your Amazon or Google account and join Wi-Fi.

#2. Get the Downloader app

The SignBlink app is installed with the free Downloader app.

1. From the Fire TV home screen, search for Downloader (the orange icon) and install it.
2. Turn on developer options: go to Settings → My Fire TV → About, highlight your device name and press the select button 7 times, until it says you're a developer.
3. Go to Settings → My Fire TV → Developer options → Install unknown apps and turn it on for Downloader.

#3. Install SignBlink

1. Open Downloader, type signblink.com/tv in its box and select Go.
2. When it asks, select Install, then Open.
3. When Downloader offers to delete the downloaded file, say yes to save space.

#4. Connect it

1. SignBlink opens full screen and shows a 6-character code. Enter it in SignBlink under Screens → Add screen.
2. On newer sticks (Fire TV Stick 4K 2nd generation, Google TV), press Back twice on the remote, choose Open at power-on → Allow, and turn it on for SignBlink. Older Fire TV sticks don't need this. The screen's Player tab in SignBlink tells you if it's needed.

#Using the app

• Options: press Back twice (or the ≡ menu button) on the remote: reload, open at power-on, address, and exit. A single Back press never closes it by accident.
• Updates: the player inside the app updates itself. When a new version of the app is out, the screen's Player tab says so. Install it the same way; the screen stays connected.
• Big videos: SignBlink converts uploads to 1080p automatically, which sticks play smoothly. Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi or Ethernet for large files.

#If something isn't right

Downloader shows a web page instead of installing. Check the address is exactly signblink.com/tv. If it still doesn't download, type the full address: https://signblink.com/tv.

After a restart it stays on the home screen. Give it a minute; some sticks start apps slowly. If it still doesn't open, press Back twice in SignBlink, choose Open at power-on and follow what it says.

The stick restarts by itself. It's almost always power. Use the adapter that came with it, plugged into the wall, not the TV's USB port.

Can I use a kiosk browser instead? Yes. In Fully Kiosk Browser, set the Start URL to app.signblink.com/play and turn on Autoplay Videos, Keep Screen On and Launch on Boot. The SignBlink app is simpler and takes better screenshots.