GMCT ANNOUNCEMENT APP - XIAOMI TV STICK 4K SETUP GUIDE ====================================================== Last updated: 2026-03-18 Optimized for: Xiaomi TV Stick 4K QUICK LINKS ----------- Display URL (regular): https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/ Display URL (TV / kiosk mode): https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/?kiosk=1 Display URL (TV kiosk mode with admin gear visible): https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/?kiosk=1&showadmin=1 Admin Panel: https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/admin.html 1) RECOMMENDED HARDWARE ----------------------- PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION: Xiaomi TV Stick 4K - Google TV interface - Wi-Fi 6 support - Bluetooth voice remote - HDMI-CEC support (TV control via remote) - Very compact stick design that hides behind the TV - Good fit for a dedicated church announcement display ALTERNATIVES: - Xiaomi Box S (3rd Gen) - Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max WHAT YOU NEED: - Xiaomi TV Stick 4K - Included USB power cable and wall adapter - Optional HDMI extender if space is tight behind the TV - Stable WiFi connection - 65" TV with HDMI port 2) XIAOMI TV STICK 4K - INITIAL HARDWARE SETUP ---------------------------------------------- 1. Unbox the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K, remote, USB power cable, and wall adapter. 2. Plug the TV stick directly into an open HDMI port on the TV. 3. If there is not enough space, use the included HDMI extender. 4. Connect the USB power cable to the stick and wall adapter (do NOT power from TV USB port). 5. Turn on the TV and switch to the HDMI input where the stick is connected. 6. Power on the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K using the remote. 7. Wait for Android startup (first boot takes 2-3 minutes). 8. Follow initial setup wizard: - Select your language - Connect to WiFi (select your church WiFi network) - Enter WiFi password - Let it install system updates (may take a few minutes) - You may be asked to sign in to Google account (optional, skip for now) 9. Accept terms and complete setup when finished. 10. You should now see the Google TV home screen. 3) INSTALL BROWSER & KIOSK APP ------------------------------- The app runs in a browser. For TV use, a TV-friendly browser or kiosk browser is best: OPTION A: Use a TV Browser (Simpler) 1. Open Google Play Store on the TV stick. 2. Install a TV-friendly browser such as TV Bro Browser. 3. Open the browser and go to: https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/?kiosk=1 4. Bookmark or favorite the URL if the browser supports it. OPTION B: Install Kiosk Browser (Recommended for Auto Launch) 1. Open Google Play Store on the TV stick. 2. Search for a kiosk-capable browser such as Fully Kiosk Browser. 3. Click "Install" and wait for installation to complete. 4. Once installed, open the kiosk app. 5. Settings -> URL field, enter: https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/?kiosk=1 6. Settings -> Enable "Launch on Startup". 7. Settings -> Disable "Allow Home/Back buttons" (optional, for security). 8. Exit and restart the TV stick to verify autostart. 4) CONFIGURE XIAOMI TV STICK 4K FOR KIOSK MODE ---------------------------------------------- To make the app display reliably on TV, use these settings: 1. Open Settings -> System or Device Preferences -> Screensaver / Ambient Mode. 2. Disable screensaver or set it to Never. 3. Open Settings -> Sleep / Energy Saver. 4. Set sleep to Never or the longest available option. 5. Open Settings -> HDMI-CEC. 6. Enable HDMI-CEC and TV power control if you want the remote to help power the TV. 7. If using a kiosk browser, enable Launch on Startup inside that app. 8. Restart the TV stick and confirm the display page opens correctly. NOT NECESSARY FOR THE TV STICK SETUP: - No separate HDMI cable - No Ethernet or USB OTG adapter for normal use - No Developer Options or USB Debugging for regular church display use - No manual startup-app tweaks if your kiosk browser already supports Launch on Startup 5) FULL SCREEN & TV CONTROLS ----------------------------- The app includes automatic TV optimization: - If running on Android TV, admin button automatically hides - Temporary override to show admin gear on TV: add `&showadmin=1` to kiosk URL - Fullscreen button (⛶) appears for manual fullscreen toggle - Screen stays awake automatically (no screensaver during display) - App starts fullscreen via ?kiosk=1 URL parameter TO ENABLE FULLSCREEN: 1. Press fullscreen button (⛶) in bottom right of footer (TV mode only) 2. Or press remote's fullscreen/zoom button 3. Tap fullscreen button again to exit fullscreen TO MANAGE BRIGHTNESS: - Use TV remote brightness controls - Adjust TV picture settings if needed 6) VERIFY DISPLAY IS WORKING ---------------------------- 1. On your phone or computer, open the Admin URL: https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/admin.html 2. Login with your credentials 3. Add a test announcement in Settings 4. Verify it appears on the TV display within 5 seconds 5. Test page rotation - pages should change every 10 seconds (adjustable) 6. Turn off WiFi on the TV box for 10-15 seconds and confirm footer status changes to OFFLINE 7. Re-enable WiFi and confirm footer status returns to ONLINE 8. Confirm display refreshes automatically within a few seconds after reconnection 9. Leave display running 10+ minutes and confirm no sleep/screensaver interrupts playback 10. Confirm brightness looks appropriate in room lighting (auto adjustment runs by time; ambient sensor support varies by device) 6A) SUNDAY SERVICE STARTUP CHECKLIST (1 MINUTE) ------------------------------------------------ Before each service: 1. Turn on TV and Xiaomi device. 2. Confirm display URL is: https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/?kiosk=1 3. Confirm footer status shows ONLINE. 4. Confirm top-right date/time is correct. 5. Open Admin URL on phone/laptop and verify today's key announcements/programs. 6. If Sunday video is planned, verify schedule and preview in Settings. 7. Watch one full page rotation (~10 seconds) to confirm transitions are running. 7) WEEKLY OPERATIONS (STEWARD FLOW) ------------------------------------ Every week: 1. Open Admin URL on your phone or computer 2. Update announcements/programs/social activities as needed 3. Upload weekly Sunday video if applicable 4. Set schedule times 5. Click "Save Settings" 6. Check display on TV to verify changes appear The TV display auto-refreshes every 2 minutes and updates within seconds of admin changes. 8) TROUBLESHOOTING & COMMON ISSUES ------------------------------------ ISSUE: TV shows black screen or "No Signal" SOLUTION: - Check the TV stick is firmly connected to the HDMI port - Use the included HDMI extender if the fit behind the TV is too tight - Try different HDMI port on TV - Restart Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (power off 30 seconds, power on) - In TV or Google TV display settings, try changing resolution if needed ISSUE: App won't start at boot SOLUTION: - Verify WiFi auto-connects (the TV stick remembers the last WiFi network) - If using kiosk app, verify "Launch on Startup" is enabled - Restart the TV stick to force boot sequence - Try manual launch from your installed browser to test app functionality ISSUE: App is zoomed/doesn't fit screen SOLUTION: - In your browser settings, set zoom to 100% if available - Press fullscreen button to reset view - Check TV display settings for overscan/underscan ISSUE: Ticker or text doesn't fit properly SOLUTION: - This is normal - app is responsive - It auto-scales for 65" TV viewing - No manual adjustment needed ISSUE: Page rotation stops or freezes SOLUTION: - Refresh the page in the browser - Check WiFi is still connected - Restart browser app - Check Firebase backend connectivity ISSUE: Real-time updates not appearing SOLUTION: - Check internet connection is stable - Verify Cloudinary credentials are set in Admin - Try refreshing the display page - Wait 5 seconds for auto-update (max 2 minute refresh cycle) ISSUE: Admin link visible on TV (should be hidden) SOLUTION: - Add ?kiosk=1 to the URL to force kiosk mode - Or ensure running on Android TV (auto-detected) - URL should be: https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/?kiosk=1 9) WEEKLY TV POWER SCHEDULE (OPTIONAL) -------------------------------------- If you want the TV to power on/off automatically: 1. Set TV timer in TV Settings -> Timer/Sleep 2. Or use a smart power strip with automation For automated schedule, consider: - Smart power strip (TP-Link Kasa, etc.) - WiFi outlet with scheduling app - TV's built-in daily timer (varies by brand) 10) CREDIT USAGE & MAINTENANCE ------------------------------ CLOUDINARY USAGE: - Monitor free tier limits (25 GB/month typical) - Keep weekly video file size <= 100MB - Delete old videos from Cloudinary dashboard - Check usage: https://cloudinary.com/console WEEKLY MAINTENANCE: - Verify display shows current content - Check for any error messages - Test new video upload if used - Restart app if any glitches occur STORAGE: - The Xiaomi TV Stick 4K has enough storage for a browser/kiosk app and this hosted display - No additional storage is needed for normal use 11) DISASTER RECOVERY --------------------- If app stops working: 1. Check internet connection 2. Restart Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (power off 1 min, power on) 3. Verify WiFi auto-reconnects 4. If still broken, force reload page in the browser 5. Clear browser cache if your browser supports it 6. Last resort: Factory reset the TV stick (erases everything) For immediate fallback: - Display admin phone on second screen with same URL - Manually navigate to announcement page on TV 12) HELPFUL LINKS ----------------- Display URL (regular): https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/ Display URL (recommended for TV / kiosk mode): https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/?kiosk=1 Display URL (TV kiosk mode with admin gear visible): https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/?kiosk=1&showadmin=1 Admin Panel (for church staff): https://charleskcoffie-a11y.github.io/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP/admin.html GitHub Repository: https://github.com/charleskcoffie-a11y/GMCT-ANNOUNCEMENT-APP Cloudinary Console (for video/image management): https://cloudinary.com/console Firebase Console (for backend data): https://firebase.google.com/ QUESTIONS? ---------- For app technical support or updates, check the GitHub repository or contact the app administrator. Happy announcing! - Check Auto Remove After is not in the past. If no auto-start after power outage: - Recheck kiosk app launch-on-boot settings. - Recheck TV power recovery setting. - Ensure device is using wall power adapter. 9) SECURITY & ACCESS -------------------- - Share admin access only with trusted stewards. - Change password periodically. - Keep one backup admin person available. END OF GUIDE