Images on Buttons

Astrion
1

1. Custom images for TV cards

When I set up a Script/Scene card for my zone power-off, it automatically displays a room image. However, my TV cards just show a plain black box with a white outline and text. Is there a way to assign a custom image to these cards the same way Scene cards display one?

2. Media player thumbnail not showing on TV card

When I add a dedicated Media Player card and assign my Nvidia Shield to it, it correctly displays the current artwork/thumbnail of whatever is playing on Android TV. But when I assign the same Nvidia Shield entity to a TV card’s media player, the thumbnail doesn’t appear — even though it’s the exact same entity. Is this a known limitation of the TV card type, or is there a way to enable that live artwork display there too?

2

Hi @Skeltonmfc,

Great questions — these are both very good observations :+1:

:one: Custom images for TV Card

At the moment, custom images like those shown in Scene/Script cards are not yet supported in the TV Card.

  • Scene/Script cards automatically display an image (room-style or preset visuals)

  • TV Card is currently designed more as a functional control panel, so it uses a simpler UI (icon + text)

:backhand_index_pointing_right: So what you’re seeing (black box with outline) is expected behavior for now.

Future plan:
We agree this would be a great improvement, and adding:

  • Custom background images

  • Or user-defined thumbnails

for TV / Media cards is already under consideration for future versions.

:two: Media player artwork not showing in TV Card

You’re absolutely right — and this is a known limitation currently.

  • :white_check_mark: Media Player Card → supports live artwork / thumbnails

  • :cross_mark: TV Card → does not currently render media artwork, even if the same entity is used

This is because:

  • TV Card focuses on remote control + key mapping

  • Media Player Card focuses on media visualization

:light_bulb: Recommended Workaround

If artwork is important in your setup, you can:

  • Use a Media Player Card for display (artwork, now playing, etc.)

  • Use the TV Card for control

:backhand_index_pointing_right: Many users place them side-by-side or on different pages for a better experience

:rocket: Looking Ahead

Based on feedback like yours, we are considering improvements such as:

  • Bringing artwork support into TV Card

  • Adding custom image backgrounds

  • More flexible UI customization across all cards

:white_check_mark: Summary

  • Custom images in TV Card → :cross_mark: Not supported (yet)

  • Artwork in TV Card → :cross_mark: Not supported (yet)

  • Media Player Card → :white_check_mark: Best option for thumbnails

Really appreciate you raising this — feedback like this helps us prioritize UI improvements :+1: