CanvasRelay docs

Learn the product or start with the problem in front of you. If something is not working, use the Fix a problem library or ask the docs in normal language.

Getting started

Quickstart: account to TV in about 10 minutes

Choose what you want to put on a screen, make a real board, publish it, then follow the setup path for your actual TV/player.

Board vs screen vs player

The four product terms that make setup and troubleshooting much easier.

Connect a screen

Add a screen: choose the player first

Start with Roku, Android/Google TV, Fire TV, Raspberry Pi, or a browser/mini-PC so Canvas Relay can show the setup flow that actually applies.

Sync groups & video walls

Put screens in a named sync group so they rotate scenes and play video in lockstep — plus per-screen offsets for choreography.

Connect a Raspberry Pi

Download and flash the tested Raspberry Pi 5 image, boot on Ethernet, sign in, and choose a published screen on the appliance.

Connect any web browser

The fastest way to put a board on a TV: open the player URL fullscreen on any laptop, mini-PC, or Chromebox.

Connect a Fire TV or Android TV

Use the built-in browser on a Fire TV Stick or Android TV box to run the CanvasRelay player.

Smart-TV built-in browsers (preview only)

Samsung/LG built-in browsers work for a quick preview, but we don't recommend them for unattended playback.

Connect and operate the native Roku beta

Prepare the web account, publish a board, sign in on Roku, choose content, configure unattended playback, and understand native compatibility.

Install and connect Google TV / Android TV

Download the signed Canvas Relay TV receiver, sideload it safely, pair its code, and understand direct-beta updates and recovery.

Connect Fire TV

Use the current browser-compatible path and keep Fire OS versus Vega OS separate when evaluating future native-player support.

What can each player render?

Use browser/Pi for highest renderer fidelity and the generated Roku widget compatibility reference for the native player boundary.

Design

Editor basics

The canvas editor: adding elements, moving and styling them, layers, undo, and the readability assistant.

Scenes & scheduling

Boards rotate through scenes; time-of-day rules switch scenes automatically; takeovers push a message to every screen.

Create a photo slideshow

Rotate editable photos on a TV without flattening them into one video.

Create a TV art / ambient display

Use uploaded or AI-generated images as full-screen art while keeping normal publishing and management.

Loop video on a TV

Upload a TV-friendly video, preview it on the target player, publish, and let Canvas Relay manage the loop remotely.

Create an event or welcome screen

Combine a large arrival message with schedule/countdown/QR information and timed scene changes.

Data & menus

Menus & prices (linked data)

Menu records live in the Data tab; elements on the board bind to them, so one price change updates every screen.

AI assist

Import a menu from a photo, generate layouts, write descriptions, and bulk-edit prices — always with a preview before anything changes.

Account

Plans & billing

What each plan includes, how per-screen pricing works, and how to manage your subscription.

Team & roles

Invite teammates by email and control what they can do with roles.

Webhooks (outbound)

Get a signed HTTPS POST when a board publishes or a screen goes offline/online — the payload shape and how to verify signatures.

Privacy & your data

What we store, how long we keep it, and how to export or delete everything.

Help

Troubleshooting

The common problems — screen offline, changes not showing, pairing fails — and where to look first.