In this article we provide a step-by-step guide for setting up your digital signage with ChromeOS devices.
Important Note:
We support the current stable version of ChromeOS and one version prior.
You can check the current stable version of ChromeOS here.
Please note: TelemetryTV cannot provide troubleshooting or support for issues with ChromeOS. We can only troubleshoot issues related to the TelemetryTV Media Player. For more information on what TelemetryTV supports, visit this link:
What devices does this include?
Our recommended ChromeOS device, the CTL Chromebox CBX2. See our hardware page for more information about the CTL Chromebox CBX2.
What are the advantages of Chrome digital signage players?
Great for deploying at scale with automatic provisioning through Chrome Device Management. Once set up, it is very easy to manage.
Most inexpensive option to deploy at scale.
What are the disadvantages of Chrome digital signage players?
Can be complicated to set up at first.
Limited support for ChromeOS devices outside of the USA.
What software is required to run TelemetryTV on Chrome digital signage players
For long term use, devices need to be provisioned using Chrome Device Management. You will need to set this up via Google Admin and purchase a Google Enterprise license for each device (annual fee of $50 USD).
Testing ChromeOS digital signage players for use with TelemetryTV
Ensure your Chrome device is up-to-date
ChromeOS will automatically update itself once it has been connected to the internet for a while, but newly purchased devices can have older versions.
Turn on your device
Open the browser and go to chrome://settings/help
Click Update Google Chrome. If you don't see this button, you're on the latest version.
Click Relaunch.
Next, you'll pair your device. Pairing should only be used for testing and very simple use cases. Skip the pairing section and start at Chrome Enrollment and Setup for detailed instructions on setting up automatic provisioning.
Pairing
Turn on your device
Open your Chrome browser on your device and search for TelemetryTV. Install the media player.
Once the media player is running, a pairing code will appear. On your computer, navigate to the "Devices" page in TelemetryTV, click the "Pair" button, and type in the code.
Your device is now paired with TelemetryTV for testing purposes. To provision your Chrome device for long term use with TelemetryTV, please read the instructions below.
Setting Up ChromeOS Digital Signage Players for Automatic Provisioning with TelemetryTV
Aside from basic testing, you will need to use Chrome Enterprise and Single App Kiosk Mode when using a Chrome Device with TelemetryTV. This allows a managed Chrome device to boot directly into the TelemetryTV application without user intervention. You can use this to deploy Telemetry to many devices without needing to interact with each device any time there's a power failure or device software update.
PART 1: Chrome Enrolment and Setup
1.1 Ensure your Chrome device is up-to-date
ChromeOS will automatically update itself once it has been connected to the internet for a while, but newly purchased devices can have older versions.
Turn on your device
Open the browser and go to chrome://settings/help
Click Update Google Chrome. If you don't see this button, you're on the latest version.
Click Relaunch.
1.2 Purchase your Google Enterprise Single App Kiosk Licenses
Chrome Enterprise is Google's management system that lets you manage multiple Chrome devices through a single interface. It provides policies that allow IT departments to deploy and manage at scale. For more information, including how to purchase licenses please see the Chrome Enterprise website.
You will need to purchase a Chrome Enterprise license for each Chrome device that will be used with TelemetryTV. Talk to your Chrome reseller for more details.
You must purchase an annual Chrome Enterprise license from a Google reseller for each of your ChromeOS devices you want to use with TelemetryTV and automatic device provisioning.
1.3 Enroll your ChromeOS Digital Signage Players
Click here for Google Enterprise instructions to enroll your devices.
PART 2: Provisioning your TelemetryTV Media Player App
2.1 Add TelemetryTV to your Google Admin Site
Go to Google Admin and log in to your Google account
Click Device Management >
Chrome Management >
Apps & Extensions
Select your Organizational Unit, Kiosks and then Add Chrome app or extension by ID
Once the modal is open, click the "Chrome Web Store" tab and enter the following ID in the field: nnegimaehopiaikjnpdpokceckcbdoef
Hit Enter, and you'll see the TelemetryTV Media Player App appear. Press Add, then press Save.
In the same menu select TelemetryTV Media Player under Auto Launch App.
2.2 Connect the TelemetryTV Media Player to your TelemetryTV account
Log in to your TelemetryTV account
Return to the TelemetryTV web app and go to the Settings page.
Click the Provision button on the Devices page.
Download the provisioning file by clicking on the icon shown in the image below:
Go to back to Device Management -> Chrome -> Apps & Extensions.
Open the .JSON file you downloaded from the Provisioning page and copy the content. Click on TelemetryTV Media Player to open the app settings, and paste this content under "Policy for Extensions."
PART 3: Synchronizing your Google CDM with TelemetryTV
With the settings in Part 1 and Part 2, your digital signage players will automatically provision to your TelemetryTV account. However, you can go a step further to allow TelemetryTV to sync with your Google CDM.
This will allow TelemetryTV to pull in information like the serial number, device name, and other attributes from CDM. It will also sync your organizational units and subfolders from ChromeOS.
If you do not set this up, new devices will show up in your account as "New Provisioned Device" and you will need to rename and organize your devices manually.
3.1 Set up a new project in the Google APIs Console
Go to Google APIs Console
Click "Create Project"
Give your project a name, like "Digital Signage" or "TelemetryTV" and click Create
Once your new project has been created, search for "Admin SDK" in the search bar at the top of the page. It should appear like this:
Click to go to the Admin SDK page. With your project selected (the project name should be visible to the right of the Google APIs logo in the top left), you can then enable Admin SDK for this project. Click "overview" on the left side of the page, then click "enable".
If you'd like to read more information about why this is necessary, click here.
3.2 Sync your Google CDM Organizations to your TelemetryTV account
This is an OPTIONAL step which syncs your organizations from Google Admin to TelemetryTV. This allows you to set up organized folders of devices without having to do it manually. Please read this article to learn how it works.
Congratulations! You survived setting up Single App Kiosk Mode in Google Admin. Now, you're ready to display and manage your content seamlessly across multiple screens.
Next, check out our Devices documentation for a helpful video about using the Devices section!