Ambient Display
The most natural home for Arrivals Board is as an always-on ambient display --- a modern split-flap board mounted on your wall that quietly cycles through messages throughout the day. This guide covers how to set that up on Apple TV for the best experience.
Hardware setup¶
What you need¶
- An Apple TV (4K recommended for sharp flap rendering)
- A wall-mounted TV or monitor
- A stable Wi-Fi connection
Mounting tips¶
- Mount the Apple TV behind the TV using a bracket or adhesive mount to keep cables hidden.
- Use a short HDMI cable to reduce clutter behind the display.
- If the TV supports HDMI-CEC, the Apple TV can wake the display automatically.
Power schedule
Many TVs have a built-in power schedule or can be controlled via a smart plug. Set the display to turn on in the morning and off at night to save energy while keeping the Apple TV running continuously.
Recommended settings¶
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Keep Screen Awake | On | Prevents the tvOS screensaver from interrupting the board |
| Show Settings Button | Off | Removes the gear icon for a cleaner, distraction-free display |
| Flip Speed | Slow or Medium | A relaxed pace suits ambient viewing |
| Sound | Off or very low | Subtle clicks add charm; silence avoids annoyance overnight |
| Color Scheme | Dark | Looks best in dim rooms and reduces light bleed at night |
Recommended sources¶
The best ambient sources produce a steady stream of short, interesting messages without demanding attention.
| Source | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Mastodon / Bluesky | A gentle flow of posts from people you follow |
| Weather | Current conditions at a glance --- always relevant |
| Calendar | Upcoming events keep the household informed |
| RSS | News headlines, blog posts, or curated feeds |
| MQTT | Smart home status messages (see Home Automation) |
Curate your feeds
An ambient display works best when every message is worth glancing at. Prefer smaller, curated RSS feeds over high-volume news firehoses. Follow fewer, more interesting accounts on Mastodon or Bluesky.
Tips for the best experience¶
Message pacing¶
If messages cycle too quickly, the display feels hectic. If too slowly, it appears frozen. Aim for a new message every 30--60 seconds by adjusting source poll intervals and the number of active sources.
Indicator lamps¶
Enable indicator lamps so you can tell at a glance whether the current message is a weather alert (amber), a calendar event (blue), or a social post (green) without reading the text.
Night mode¶
Consider creating a Shortcut that runs on a schedule to:
- Reduce sound volume to zero at night.
- Switch to a darker color scheme.
- Disable high-frequency sources like social feeds.
Conversation starter¶
An ambient split-flap display is a natural conversation piece. Guests will ask about it. Keep a few fun RSS feeds in rotation --- "on this day in history" or random quotes --- to make the display entertaining for visitors.