How To Use your own TV as a Digital Menu Board

You can use any TV to show a restaurant menu. All you need is an internet connection.

Turn Your TV into a Digital Menu for Your Restaurant

We are visual, we love images and graphics. Restaurants, and every other shop should use digital menus to enhance the dining and shopping experience for their customers.
The good news is that you don't need to invest in expensive hardware ‐ you can repurpose your existing TV and transform it into a sleek digital menu board. Here's how you can do it:

Any TV Will Work

Yes, any flat-screen will work regardless of its size, or brand. So, get that screen from the storage and put it to work as your digital menu.

Using a USB Drive

The easiest option, but not the best, is to store your digital menu (a jpeg file or a Powerpoint presentation) on a USB drive and plug it directly into your TV's USB port. This solution is straightforward and doesn't require an internet connection once the menu is loaded onto the USB drive. However, making updates to the menu can be cumbersome, as you'll need to modify the files on your computer, remove the USB drive from your TV, load the files into the USB driven and then reconnect it to the TV.

TV Built-in Web Browser or External Device

A more convenient and flexible approach is to use your TV's built-in web browser (if available) or connect an external device like a mini computer (we sell them), or a raspberry Pi (we sell them). With this method, your digital menu can be hosted on the cloud, and any changes you make will be instantly reflected on your TV's screen.

Using a web-based solution offers several advantages:

• Dynamic Updates: You can easily update your menu from a centralized location, such as a content management system (CMS) or a web-based menu builder. This means you can quickly adapt to changing inventory, pricing, or specials without physically accessing the TV.
• Consistency Across Locations: If you have multiple restaurant locations, a web-based digital menu ensures consistent branding and menu offerings across all your venues.
• Engaging Visuals: With a web-based solution, you can incorporate eye-catching visuals, animations, and even video clips to showcase your dishes and enhance the overall dining experience.
• Remote Management: You can remotely control and monitor your digital menu from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easier to manage and troubleshoot if needed.
• Cost-Effective: Compared to purchasing dedicated digital signage hardware, repurposing your existing TV and using a web-based solution can be a more cost-effective option, especially for small to medium-sized restaurants.

All You Need is an Internet Connection

The key requirement is an internet connection. With an internet connection, you can easily display your digital menu on your TV. There are several ways to achieve this, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

By leveraging the power of your TV and an internet connection, you can easily transform your static, printed menus into dynamic, visually appealing digital displays. This not only enhances the customer experience but also allows you to be more agile and responsive to changes in your offerings.

" There are many variations of passages of Lorem Ipsum available, but the majority have suffered alteration in some form, by injected humour, or randomised words which don't look even slightly believable. "