Why can I not just open occo on my smart TV?

The browser built into a TV is a cut-down one, and occo draws real-time 3D scenes that need a proper graphics chip behind them. A TV’s browser also has no way to use a webcam, so the motion part would not work even if the picture did. Attaching a computer solves both problems at once.

Can I cast or mirror from my phone or laptop instead of using a cable?

You can, but we would not. Wireless mirroring adds a delay between a movement and the scene reacting to it, and that delay is the one thing these activities cannot afford — a child waves, and the ocean answers half a second late. A cable is cheaper and better.

Do I need a special computer for the TV?

No. Any laptop that meets the requirements will do, and it can be the family laptop you already carry over each evening. If you would rather leave something permanently behind the TV, a small mini PC works well and means nobody has to set it up again each time.

What about a projector instead of a TV?

A portable projector on a blank wall is one of the nicest ways to run occo at home — it gets big fast and there is no screen edge. It works best in a room you can dim, and you still need a computer driving it and a camera near the wall.

The picture is on the TV but the scene runs badly. Why?

A TV usually has more pixels than a laptop screen, so the computer has more to draw — up to occo’s limit of 1080 pixels tall, so a 4K TV costs no more than a Full HD one. Close everything else, make sure Chrome is using the good graphics card, and if it is still heavy, lower Max Resolution Height in occo’s settings. The requirements page has the full list of things to try.

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Putting occo on your TV

occo is at its best when it is bigger than a child — a wall of ocean rather than a laptop lid. Getting there takes a cable and about ten minutes.

The short version

A TV cannot run occo on its own. The setup that works is simple: a computer runs occo, and the TV is just the display. Connect the two with an HDMI cable, put a camera near the screen, and you are done.

The computer can be the family laptop you carry over each evening, or a small mini PC that lives behind the TV permanently. Either way it needs to meet the requirements.

Step by step

Connect the computer to the TV with an HDMI cable. Note which HDMI port you used — TVs label them HDMI 1, HDMI 2, and so on.
Switch the TV to that input. Use the source or input button on the remote. You should see your computer’s desktop on the TV.
Decide how the two screens behave. Mirroring (the same picture on both) is the simplest and is what most people want. If you extend instead, drag the Chrome window onto the TV before going full screen.
- On a Mac: System Settings → Displays, then Mirror or Extend.
- On Windows: press Windows key + P and pick Duplicate or Extend.
Open Chrome, sign in to occo, and go full screen. Press the full-screen button at the top right of occo (four corners), or the F key. Chrome’s own full screen works too: F11 on Windows, Control + Command + F on a Mac. It gives the scene the whole TV, with no browser bars around it.
Put the camera where it can see the room. On top of the TV, centered, facing the space your child will stand in. If you are using the laptop’s built-in camera, the laptop has to sit near the screen facing outward — which is usually the moment people decide a cheap USB webcam is worth it. See camera setup.
Check the sound came with it. HDMI usually carries audio to the TV automatically, but not always. Sound and volume covers what to do when it does not.

Getting the room right

Leave standing room. Your child needs to be far enough back that their whole upper body is in the camera’s view, with space to reach and wave without hitting anything.
Watch what is behind them. A bright window behind a child turns them into a silhouette and makes them harder to track. Close the curtains, or turn the setup around.
Stop the computer falling asleep. If the machine sleeps mid-session the TV goes black, and occo does not keep it awake for you. Turn off sleep and screen-off timers on the computer driving the TV — especially a mini PC that lives behind the screen.
Cable tidiness is safety. An HDMI cable across a floor where a child is about to start moving is worth taping down.

When something is wrong

No picture on the TV

Confirm the TV is on the same input the cable is plugged into.
Reseat both ends of the HDMI cable.
Wake the computer and check its own screen is on.
Try a different HDMI port, or a different cable. A cable that used to work is a surprisingly common culprit.

Picture but no sound

The computer is still playing audio through its own speakers. See sound and volume for how to switch the output to the TV.

The picture does not fill the screen, or is cut off at the edges

This is the TV’s own picture setting, not occo. Look for a picture-size, aspect, or overscan option on the TV and set it to something like “Screen fit”, “Just scan”, or “1:1”. Then make sure Chrome is full screen.

Movement feels delayed

If you are mirroring wirelessly, switch to a cable. If you are already on a cable, the computer may be struggling — close other apps and tabs, and try the performance steps on the requirements page. Some TVs also add their own processing delay; turning on the TV’s Game Mode usually removes it.