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A TV app built for Vega OS

A TV app built for Vega OS

Eleven polaroids drift on the wall while it steps through every approved photo. New arrivals get a badge and a moment full screen. The side panel has the QR code and a live count per category.

Source: README.md, docs/The TV app's source ↗

The demo wall on a TV: a collage of polaroids, a Scan to share QR code and a Who's here panel — The hackathon demo wall, captured from the TV app

Build it yourself

Source you build with your own config.

There is no store listing and no download. The app shows exactly one wall, the one intv.wallId, at the API in urls.api; to show a different wall, change the config and rebuild.

On the Vega Virtual Device

You need the Vega SDK with the Virtual Device, Node 24 and pnpm 10. pnpm try builds the app and opens it on the Virtual Device, pointed at a wall on your machine.

Terminal

$ export PATH="$HOME/vega/bin:$PATH"
$ pnpm tv:vvd:start:1080   # the Virtual Device at 1920×1080
$ pnpm try

On a Fire TV in developer mode

Build a release and install it on a Vega OS Fire TV that is in developer mode.

Terminal

$ pnpm tv:build:release
$ vega devmode login
$ vega devmode enable-device --code <code>
$ vega run-app apps/tv-vega/build/armv7-release/tv_armv7.vpkg com.boothwall.app.main -d <device>

Keep the build private. Everything in the config is bundled into the app and can be extracted, so never publish the .vpkg. Your own TV build

The remote

The D-pad drives the wall.

Back is kiosk-safe, and for a few seconds after launch the app shows the buttons for a photo call and for pausing the wall.

←→Steps through approved photos
OKOpens the full-screen spotlight
OKheldStarts a photo call; hold it again or press Back to end it early
BackCloses the spotlight; press twice on the wall to exit
⏯Pauses or resumes the slideshow, through Vega Media Controls
⏮⏭Steps to the previous or next photo, through Vega Media Controls
MenuShows the next theme (demo mode only)

After a fresh install, the media keys start working from the second launch of the app.

A photo call on the TV: Everyone, snap a photo!, a mission, a 0:58 countdown and a big Scan to join QR code — Hold OK for a photo call: a minute with a mission, a countdown and a big join QR.

Measured

Fast to start, steady over time.

Every animation runs on the native driver. The Vega OS field notes record what it took, from build commands to the screensaver.

147 msLaunch to first frameVega Virtual Device, release build, mean of 5 cold starts
340 msLaunch to fully drawnVega Virtual Device, release build, mean of 5, at the feed's first live status
~240 MiBMemory after 35 minutesVega Virtual Device, release build, levels off as the image cache fills

Vega Virtual Device, release build. Not measured on a physical Fire TV Stick.