HorlogeTV Documentation

01 Introduction

What is HorlogeTV?

HorlogeTV is a professional digital signage solution that turns a portrait LCD screen into an animated, customisable clock. Designed for professional spaces, HorlogeTV combines an elegant clock with advanced features: weather, alarms, scheduled messages, scrolling ticker, QR codes and much more.

Who is HorlogeTV for?

• Companies and offices - Display in lobbies, meeting rooms, open-plan spaces
• Waiting rooms - Medical practices, public offices, garages
• Restaurants and cafés - Atmosphere, opening hours, menus via QR code
• Shops - Window displays, customer reception, promotions
• Hotels - Lobbies, conference rooms, shared areas
• Coworking - Shared spaces, meeting rooms
• Schools and universities - Corridors, libraries, lecture halls

Feature overview

02 Required hardware

HorlogeTV runs on a mini PC connected via HDMI to your portrait LCD screen. The mini PC is a small, silent box (the size of a hand) that mounts behind the screen or sits on a shelf. It runs the HorlogeTV Desktop application (Electron) continuously. You can configure the display remotely from a tablet or smartphone.

Required hardware

Recommended configuration

A single configuration, validated for smooth animation at 60 frames per second, in Full HD as in 4K.

Physical installation

1. Mount the mini PC
   Mount the mini PC behind the screen with a VESA bracket (often supplied) or place it on a nearby shelf.
2. Connect the cables
   Connect the HDMI cable between the mini PC and the screen. Plug in the mini PC's power supply and Ethernet if available (otherwise WiFi is enough).
3. Install the HorlogeTV Desktop application
   Download the application from your customer area and install it on the mini PC.
4. Enter the licence key
   On first launch, the application asks for your licence key. Enter it to activate the display.
5. The clock appears
   The application starts and displays the clock with your theme. The mini PC boots automatically and launches HorlogeTV at start-up — no daily intervention.

Recommended Windows settings

• Screen rotation — As the screen is in portrait position (9:16), go to Settings > Display > Orientation and select "Portrait"
• Disable sleep — Settings > System > Power > Screen and sleep: set to "Never"
• Automatic start — Enable kiosk mode in the application settings so that HorlogeTV launches when the mini PC starts
• Windows updates — Schedule automatic updates outside opening hours

Internet connection

An Internet connection (WiFi or Ethernet) is required for:

• Licence verification at start-up
• Configuration sync from the server
• Loading themes and animations
• Real-time weather
• Automatic application updates

The screen keeps working even during an outage: the clock, scheduled messages and alarms remain active with the last configuration received.

Compatible browsers

The display on the screen runs through the HorlogeTV Desktop application. The customer panel, used to configure the screen remotely from a tablet or smartphone, works in any modern web browser:

• Google Chrome (recommended) - v90+
• Microsoft Edge - v90+
• Mozilla Firefox - v90+

Coming soon: a web channel will let you paste a simple address into an existing digital signage system.

03 Pricing and plans

HorlogeTV offers three plans to suit your needs. All plans include a 14-day free trial.

Detailed comparison table

04 Sign-up and login

How to sign up

1. Choose your plan
   Go to horlogetv.com/tarifs.html and select the plan that suits your needs.
2. Create your account
   Fill in the sign-up form with your name, email and company details.
3. Secure payment
   Payment is handled by Stripe (payment card) or PayPal.
4. Get your licence key
   After payment, your licence key is available in your customer area. Format: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
5. Log in
   Use your licence key to access your dashboard and the TV application.

Logging in to the customer dashboard

The customer dashboard is available at: horlogetv.com/client/login.html

Enter your email address and password to access your customer area.

Logging in to the application

The Electron Desktop application is installed on the mini PC connected to your screen:

1. Launch the Electron Desktop application on the mini PC
2. A window asks for your licence key
3. Enter your key and confirm
4. The clock appears with your theme and settings

The two modes

• Preview mode - Viewing the theme on the mini PC through the Electron Desktop application. The clock is displayed full screen.
• Client mode - Configuring the display from a tablet or smartphone. A side panel opens with the gear icon to access all settings.

Publishing the configuration

Publishing sends your configuration to the mini PC without being on the same network:

1. From the customer panel, click "Publish"
2. The configuration is sent to the HorlogeTV server
3. The mini PC (Electron) automatically fetches the new configuration (polling)
4. No need to be on the same WiFi network as the mini PC

05 Customer dashboard

The customer dashboard is your central management area. It shows all the information about your account.

Information displayed

• Current plan - Your active subscription (Essentiel, Starter or Pro)
• Active screens - Number of connected screens / maximum allowed
• Expiry date - Next due date of your subscription
• Licence key - Your unique identifier (copied in one click)

Quick actions

Multi-screen

Depending on your plan, you can connect one or more screens (mini PCs) to your account:

The customer dashboard centralises the management of all your screens. Each screen uses the same licence key but has its own unique identifier.

06 Customer panel (TV app)

The customer panel is the control centre of your display. It opens by clicking the gear icon in the side panel, or the floating clock button at the bottom left of the screen.

v2 features

The customer panel contains the following sections, depending on your plan:

Themes

Choose from the themes available in your plan. Each theme includes:

• An animated video background (analogue clock)
• Custom hands (hours, minutes, seconds)
• Dedicated alarm sounds
• Visual effect presets

Click a theme to select it. The change is instant.

Themes marked Starter or Pro require the corresponding plan.

Greyed-out themes with the "Coming soon" badge are in preparation.

Weather Essentiel

Display real-time weather on your clock.

Setup

1. Enable the weather with the toggle
2. Enter your city (e.g. "Paris, FR")
3. Enter your OpenWeatherMap API key

Getting an OpenWeatherMap API key

1. Sign up for free at openweathermap.org
2. Go to "API keys" in your profile
3. Copy your API key (format: 32 hexadecimal characters)
4. Paste it into the "API key" field of the panel

Options

• Units - Celsius (metric) or Fahrenheit (imperial)
• Show icon - Weather icon on the screen
• Show temperature - Current temperature
• X/Y position - Placement on the screen (0-100%)
• Icon / temperature size - Adjustable in pixels
• Colour - Colour of the temperature text
• Weather animations - Mapping weather condition ↔ animation track

Alarms Essentiel

Schedule audible and visual alarms at set times.

Start / end of shift alarms

Day-of-the-week alarm system, ideal for working hours:

• Select a day (Mon-Sun)
• Enable/disable the day
• Add alarms with time, label and sound
• Copy one day's alarms to other days

One-off alarms

Independent alarms with more options:

• Type - Sound only, animation, on-screen text, or a combination
• Sound - Choice among the theme's sounds (gong, celestial, zen, etc.)
• Repeat - Once, daily, weekly
• Volume - Adjustable independently
• Text style - Font, size, colour, background, shadow, effects

Scheduled messages Starter

Display text messages at set times. Ideal for announcements, reminders or information.

Creating a message

1. Click "+ New message"
2. Set the start and end time
3. Write your text
4. Customise the style (font, size, colour, background, position)

Text style

Each message has a complete style editor:

• Position - 9 preset positions or custom X/Y
• Font - 30+ fonts by category (sans-serif, serif, display, etc.)
• Size - From 16px to 120px + presets (Small, Medium, Large, Giant)
• Colour + opacity - Free colour + 6 quick colours
• Background - Colour, opacity, padding, rounded corners
• Outline - Colour, thickness, style (solid, dashed, dotted)
• Drop shadow - Offset, blur, colour
• Effects - Glow, entrance animations (fade, zoom, slide)

Scrolling ticker Starter

Text that scrolls continuously at the top or bottom of the screen.

Setup

• Text - | separator for several segments (e.g. "Welcome | Have a nice day")
• Speed - From 1 (slow) to 10 (fast)
• Position - Top or bottom of the screen
• Direction - Left to right or right to left
• Continuous loop - The text restarts automatically
• Style - Font, size, colour, background (via the style editor)

Events Starter

Display scheduled events with title, description and countdown.

• Create events with a title, a start and an end time
• Customise the display style (font, size, colour, position)
• Events appear automatically at the scheduled time

Opening hours Starter

Display your venue's opening and closing times.

Setup

• 7 days - Opening and closing time for each day
• Closed day - Tick to mark a day as closed
• Lunch break - Optional time slot (e.g. 12:00-14:00)

QR Code Starter

Display a QR code on the screen to share information with your visitors.

QR code types

• Website - URL to your site, menu, map
• WiFi - Automatic connection to the network (SSID, password, security)
• vCard - Contact card (name, phone, email, company)
• Free text - Any content

Options

• X/Y position - Placement on the screen
• Size - Small, medium, large
• Colours - Customisable QR code and background
• Display mode - Permanent or at certain times

Conference mode Pro

Turn your screen into a professional conference timer.

Two modes

• Countdown - Set a duration, the ring empties progressively
• Stopwatch - Time elapsed since the start

Display options

• Progress ring - Size, thickness, colour (auto or fixed), glow
• Auto colour - Green → yellow → orange → red depending on the time left
• Time - Display of the remaining/elapsed time
• Current time - Small clock below the timer
• Message - Preset messages (Coffee break, Back in 5 min, Questions, End) or free text
• Message style - Font, size, colour, position (full editor)
• End sound - Audible notification at the end of the timer
• Position - Adjustable X/Y
• Background opacity - From transparent to semi-opaque

Audio Essentiel

• Master volume - Volume control (0-100%)
• Mute - Cut all sound
• Ambient sound - Background music (silence, nature, etc.)
• Fade - Fade in/out duration in seconds

Business Essentiel

Customise the display with your company's identity.

• Name - Company name shown on the screen
• Welcome message - Custom text (e.g. "Welcome to...")
• Website - URL displayed
• Phone / Email - Contact details
• Logo - Image upload (PNG, JPG, SVG - max 200 KB)
• Logo position - Screen corner (top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right)
• Logo size - Adjustable (10-100%)

Language Essentiel

• Language - French (more languages coming)
• Date format - DD/MM/YYYY, MM/DD/YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD
• Time format - 24h or 12h (AM/PM)
• First day of the week - Monday or Sunday

Standby Essentiel

Automatically switch off the screen during closing hours to save energy.

• Main slot - Start and end time (e.g. 22:00 - 07:00)
• Different weekend - Separate times for Saturday/Sunday
• 2nd slot - Additional slot (e.g. lunch break 12:00-14:00)

Screen protection Essentiel

A permanent display puts strain on the panel. HorlogeTV requires an LCD screen (OLED panels are not supported) and enables burn-in protections by default:

• White cap - The brightness of whites is limited to spare the panel
• Imperceptible drift - The image slowly shifts by a few pixels, without the eye noticing
• Brightness breathing - Slow, gentle variation of the overall brightness
• Evening wash - At scheduled shutdown, a short one-minute wash sequence prevents temporary retention
• Usage notice at start-up - A reminder at launch advises changing theme regularly

Security Essentiel

Kiosk mode

Lock the interface to prevent unauthorised changes.

• Enable kiosk mode - Hides all buttons and controls
• PIN code - 4-6 digit code to unlock (default: 0000)

07 Keyboard shortcuts

08 Troubleshooting

Black screen at start-up

The configuration is not delivered to the mini PC

The weather is not displayed

Loading bar stuck

The theme does not load

No sound

Licence not recognised

09 Frequently asked questions