When using Whistle as a scroreboard in a public area, you probably want to prevent that unwanted persons take control over it, especially during a match. The latest version of the Whistle TV App (starting from 2.2.65 and higher) you can take several precautions.
1. Disable casting functionality of Google TV:
First of all, it is recommended that the casting functionality on the Google TV platform is disabled. Unfortunately Google doesn't provide a 100% solution for this, but what you can do is put the TV on a seperate network. For example: if you use the TV wirelessly, you have to create 2 wireless networks, one for the TV and one for the visitors / users, that can't reach eachother, but both have an internet connection. This way casting to the TV is impossible.
2. Protect the Whistle App settings
Now there is the possibility to add a 4 digit PIN to the settings. This way, no unauthorised user can change the settings of the App (including the text of the ticker tape).
3. Prevent undesired linking of the TV
Everyone can scan the Whistle QR Code on the TV and share that link with others, via WhatsApp for example. What you probably don't want is that someone links the TV, while a ligitimate person can't. Because it's so easy to link the TV, someone could abuse it, even when they're not near the TV.
To prevent this, Whistle works with a so called "linking PIN". This linking PIN is shown on the matchscreen by default and is generated randomly just once. This linking PIN is required to be validated when someone uses the url (that was shared by WhatsApp for example) from the QR Code to link the TV. The App then asks the user to verify the linking PIN.
There are several settings in the Whistle TV App to make it more or less strict, depending on your needs. You can remove the linking PIN from the main Match screen and you can have the linking PIN get refreshed, so that when the PIN is known by too many people, it gets refreshed. The idea is that you have to be near the TV (so you can see the linking PIN) to link it. So if someone takes a photo of the Match screen with the linking PIN and the linking PIN is set to be refreshed every two hours, that picture is only valid for a maximum of two hours.
Depending on your needs, other options in the Whistle TV App Settings are:
- always have the Whistle App verify the PIN when users link (not only when they use the URL to link to a TV, but also when scanning the QR Code with the Whistle App)
- refresh the linking PIN automatically. This can be set to every two hours or daily.
- force the TV to accept new linking requests, even when the TV is displaying a running match
- not to show the linking PIN on the main Match screen, the linking PIN is always shown in the settings, but hidden if the settings are PIN protected