Short answer: put on something that doesn't need sound and doesn't fight the music. For a dinner, a slow ambient video or a muted film everyone knows. For a night with dancing, visuals that follow the playlist. For a birthday, a slideshow of the guest of honour.
One thing to know: we make one of the options below (number 1). We've tried to be fair to the others.
1. Visuals that follow your music
A music visualizer turns whatever is playing into a moving picture, so the TV and the playlist become one thing. When the song builds, the picture builds; with Autopilot on, it changes on the drop.
Good for: pre-drinks, dancing, any night where the music matters. Watch out for: it needs a laptop near the TV.
Dancy Ants does this in the browser: open it on a laptop, send the picture to the TV, play music. It's free with our mark on the picture. More on party visuals.
2. A muted film everyone already knows
A film people have seen a dozen times works as moving wallpaper: no one needs the sound, and it gives people something to point at. Old cartoons and big-colour animated films work especially well.
Good for: small gatherings, dinners. Watch out for: a gripping film pulls people out of the conversation; a scene with dialogue and no sound gets strange fast.
3. Music videos
Put a playlist of music videos on the TV and let it be the sound system too.
Good for: a crowd that likes the same music. Watch out for: the TV now chooses the music — anyone with a request has to fight the queue — and on YouTube, ads arrive unless you pay for Premium.
4. An ambient loop
A fireplace, an aquarium, a lava lamp, an hour of neon. Some of these have millions of views for a reason: they're calm and they never end. The versions labelled “no sound” mean you keep your own music.
Good for: dinners, winter nights, background. Watch out for: they don't react to anything, they repeat, and ads can still cut in on YouTube.
5. A slideshow of the guest of honour
For a birthday, a leaving do or a graduation, old photos on a loop are hard to beat — people gather round the TV. Most TVs and streaming boxes can play a photo album from a phone or a USB stick.
Good for: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations. Watch out for: it runs out — two hundred photos is about fifteen minutes.
6. A party game
Party games played on the TV with everyone's phones as controllers turn the TV into the centre of the night.
Good for: small groups, game nights. Watch out for: they take over the room; not for a night you want to dance.
7. Whatever's on — muted
A match, an awards show, a countdown. If there's a live event people care about, it does the job by itself.
Good for: the nights it happens to fall on. Watch out for: the moment it ends, you're back to a black screen.
Which one for which night
| The night | Put on |
|---|---|
| Dinner with friends | An ambient loop, a muted film, or slow visuals at low intensity |
| Pre-drinks | Visuals that follow the playlist |
| A night with dancing | Visuals that follow the music, on a projector if you have one |
| A birthday | A slideshow early, then visuals with the name on the wall |
| Game night | A party game |
| A big match or a countdown | The event, muted, then visuals once it's over |
Getting a picture on the TV
Everything above starts with getting a picture onto the screen. A laptop and an HDMI cable is the most reliable route; AirPlay and Cast work without one. The TV guide covers every brand.