What you'll need
A device with the MangoSigns player app installed on it.
A USB video capture device (capture dongle) plugged into the player. This is one model that we have tested and works well, although there are several other options that should work just as well.
A video source — a cable or satellite box, streaming stick, camera, or any HDMI device — connected to the capture device with an HDMI cable
The source powered on and playing
Most common USB capture dongles work out of the box: plug the source's HDMI into the dongle, and the dongle into the player's USB port.
Adding Live TV to a slide
In the slide editor, open Apps and choose Live TV.
Pick your options (you can change them later) and add it to the slide.
A black panel reading "Live TV from your input will display here" appears — this is where your video will play on the screen. Move and resize it like any other element.
Save and publish. On the player, the panel is replaced by your live video.
The element starts at a 16:9 shape, matching most TV content. You can make it any size — full screen for a pure TV display, or a corner window next to menus, promotions, and feeds.
Settings
Select the Live TV element and open its settings to change these at any time:
Allow overlays — default: No
No — TV always on top. The most reliable, best-performing mode. The video renders above everything else on the slide.
Yes — other elements can display over the TV. Choose this when you want tickers, logos, text, or other content layered on top of the video. This mode is also required for rounded corners (see Styling below).
Video fit — default: Stretch to fill
Stretch to fill — the picture always fills the element exactly. If the source's shape doesn't match the element's, the image stretches to fit.
Fit — show the whole picture — the entire picture is always visible. If shapes don't match, bars appear on the sides or top; the bars take the element's background color.
Fill and crop — the picture fills the element without stretching by trimming the edges. (With overlays set to No, this behaves like Stretch to fill.)
Tip: if you keep the element at a 16:9 shape, all three modes look identical for normal TV content.
Volume — 0–100, default: 100
Set the loudness of the TV audio through your sign's speakers or HDMI output. 0 means muted. This volume only affects the Live TV app — it doesn't change your device's overall volume or the loudness of anything else on your screens.
Styling
With the element selected you can style it like any other:
Background color — visible behind the video when using the Fit option (it becomes the color of the bars). Default is black, like a TV.
Border and shadow — work in every mode.
Rounded corners — supported when Allow overlays is set to Yes. With overlays off, the video always has square corners.
Rotating the picture
If your screen is mounted in portrait or the picture of the video input appears sideways, set the rotation in your player's Video Input menu on the device, this is in the Player App settings. Choose an explicit angle — 90, 180, or 270 — rather than Auto for the most consistent results across all display modes.
Note: The USB dongle may be listed as "Built-in camera 101 (rear)..." This is normal for USB capture devices and is likely the one you will want selected if using a USB dongle. It is important to plug the USB dongle into a Blue HDMI port if your device has one as this ill improve the video quality and performance of the stream.
If your source device signs out or resets when Live TV leaves the rotation for long periods, turn on Keep USB capture always on in the Video Input menu
Good to know
The video keeps playing between slides. When your playlist rotates away from the Live TV slide and comes back, the picture returns instantly — no reconnecting, and your source device never sees the display disappear. If the Live TV slide leaves your rotation entirely, the capture device is released automatically after about 15 minutes.
One Live TV element per screen. The player shows one capture device at a time, so use a single Live TV element per slide.
Switching overlay modes while the video is playing may show a brief black moment (about a second) as the display hands over — this is normal.
If your source device signs out or resets when Live TV leaves the rotation for long periods, turn on Keep USB capture always on in the Video Input menu
Troubleshooting
"Live TV is not supported on this device" The player doesn't see a video capture device. Check that the dongle is plugged in firmly, and try another USB port. A few seconds after reconnecting, reload the slide.
The panel is black or shows no picture Make sure the source device is powered on and actually playing (a cable box on standby outputs nothing). Check the HDMI cable between the source and the capture device at both ends, and confirm the source isn't asleep.
An error mentions "no working video input" or "NotReadableError" The capture device couldn't be opened. Unplug the dongle, wait a few seconds, plug it back in, and let the slide reload. If it persists, restart the player device.
The picture looks stretched or squashed Change Video fit to Fit — show the whole picture, or resize the element closer to a 16:9 shape.
The picture is sideways or upside down Set an explicit rotation (90/180/270) in the player's Video Input menu — avoid Auto if the picture needs rotating.
There's no sound
Check the app's Volume setting isn't 0.
Check the device's audio settings on the player.
Confirm your capture device supports audio — some inexpensive capture dongles pass video only. When no TV audio is available, the app stays silent on purpose rather than playing sound from the wrong source.
Rounded corners aren't showing Set Allow overlays to Yes — rounded corners require it.
Other slide content is hidden behind the TV Set Allow overlays to Yes so text, logos, and tickers can display on top of the video.
Still stuck? Reach out to our support team with your player model, the capture device you're using, and a photo of the screen — we're happy to help.