# How to Set Up Digital Signage on Raspberry Pi

> Step-by-step guide to building a Raspberry Pi digital signage player with ScreenTinker. Covers hardware, Pi OS setup, pairing, and content.

Source: https://screentinker.com/guides/raspberry-pi-digital-signage

## How to Set Up Digital Signage on a Raspberry Pi (2026)

A step-by-step guide to turning a Raspberry Pi into a free, open-source digital signage player using ScreenTinker. Works on Pi 3, Pi 4, and Pi 5.

### What you will need

- **Raspberry Pi 3, Pi 4, or Pi 5.** Pi 4 (4GB+) is the sweet spot. Pi 3 works for static images and 1080p video. Pi 5 is overkill but futureproof.

- **microSD card,** 16 GB or larger. Class 10 or A1/A2 rated.

- **Power supply** appropriate for your model (Pi 4 uses USB-C 15W; Pi 5 uses USB-C 27W).

- **HDMI cable** to your TV or monitor (micro-HDMI on Pi 4/5).

- **Network connection** - Ethernet preferred for reliability, Wi-Fi works fine.

- **A ScreenTinker account.** [Sign up free](https://screentinker.com/app#/login) if you do not have one.

### Step 1: Install Raspberry Pi OS

Use [Raspberry Pi Imager](https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/) to flash **Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)** to your microSD card. Choose the standard Desktop edition (not Lite - we need a desktop environment for the browser).

In the Imager's advanced options (gear icon), pre-set:

- Hostname (e.g. `signage-lobby`)

- Username and password

- Wi-Fi credentials (if not using Ethernet)

- Enable SSH (optional but useful for remote management)

Insert the SD card, plug in the Pi, and let it boot through first-time setup.

### Step 2: Run the ScreenTinker installer

Open a terminal on the Pi and run:

```
curl -sL https://screentinker.com/scripts/raspberry-pi-setup.sh | sudo bash
```

The `sudo` is required — the installer writes systemd units, installs packages and
configures autostart. Without it the script stops on its first line and prints the correct
command, so nothing is half-installed.

That gives you **All-in-One**: the server and the player on the same Pi. To use
the Pi as a player only, pointing at a ScreenTinker server you already run:

```
curl -sL https://screentinker.com/scripts/raspberry-pi-setup.sh | sudo bash -s -- --player-only https://your-server
```

The script will:

- Install Chromium (the kiosk browser used as the player)

- Set up an autostart entry so the player launches in fullscreen on boot

- Disable screen blanking and the screensaver

- Configure HDMI to keep the display awake

- Reboot the Pi when finished

On reboot the Pi will launch directly into the ScreenTinker player and show a 6-digit pairing code.

### Step 3: Pair the Pi to your dashboard

Sign in to [your ScreenTinker dashboard](https://screentinker.com/app#/login) and click **+ Add Display**. Enter the 6-digit code shown on the Pi and give the display a name (e.g. "Lobby TV"). The Pi will switch from the pairing screen to "Waiting for content".

### Step 4: Push content

From the dashboard:

- Open **Content Library** and upload an image, video, or paste a remote URL.

- Open **Playlists**, create a playlist, and add items.

- Publish the playlist.

- From the device's detail page, assign the playlist.

The Pi picks up the new playlist within a few seconds and starts playing.

### Performance tips

- **Use H.264 video.** Pi GPUs accelerate H.264 in hardware. H.265/HEVC works on Pi 4/5 but uses more CPU.

- **Match your resolution to the display.** 1080p video on a 1080p screen avoids unnecessary scaling.

- **Wired Ethernet is more reliable than Wi-Fi** for video-heavy playlists. Wi-Fi is fine for image-heavy ones.

- **For Pi 3,** stick to images and short clips. Pi 3 can struggle with continuous 1080p video.

### Troubleshooting

#### The Pi reboots into the desktop, not the player

Check that the autostart file `~/.config/autostart/screentinker.desktop` exists. The installer creates this; if it's missing, re-run the installer.

#### The screen goes dark after a few minutes

The installer should disable screen blanking, but some monitors sleep based on their own timer. Disable sleep mode on the monitor itself, or use a dummy HDMI plug if the Pi negotiates a low-power mode.

#### The Pi shows the pairing code but I can't see it on the dashboard

The pairing code is shown on the Pi screen, not the dashboard. Sign in, click Add Display, and type the code from the Pi.

### Related guides

- [Digital signage on a Samsung TV (no app, no MagicINFO)](https://screentinker.com/guides/samsung-tv-digital-signage.html)

- [Digital signage for Android TV and Fire TV](https://screentinker.com/guides/digital-signage-android-tv.html)

- [Self-hosted digital signage: complete guide](https://screentinker.com/guides/self-hosted-digital-signage.html)

- [Compare: ScreenTinker vs Yodeck](https://screentinker.com/compare/yodeck-alternative.html)

- [Compare: ScreenTinker vs ScreenCloud](https://screentinker.com/compare/screencloud-alternative.html)

### Ready to set up your Pi?

Start a free ScreenTinker account in under a minute.

[Start Free](https://screentinker.com/app#/login)
[View on GitHub](https://github.com/screentinker/screentinker)