Kemo TV on macOS, Windows and Linux: the desktop guide
The desktop experience: a familiar menu bar, keyboard shortcuts that match the OS you're on, multi-monitor behaviour, and what to configure if the app is going to run alongside your work.
Key takeaways
- Desktop uses mouse precision and keyboard shortcuts, not touch-first metaphors.
- Window state is remembered across launches: position, size, monitor.
- Multi-monitor is a first-class concern, not an afterthought.
Desktop-first details
The desktop version of the app isn't the phone layout stretched to fit a monitor. It's a different design that leans on the things desktops do well: a precise pointer, a full keyboard, a window system that can show multiple things at once.
Hover states exist and matter. Right-click brings up context menus with the actions that make sense for whatever you're on. Keyboard navigation covers everything the mouse covers, so power users can get around without lifting their hands.
Installing on each OS
The install experience follows the convention of your OS. There's no magic here — just the standard flow you've seen a hundred times.
- macOS: download the DMG, drag into Applications, launch from Spotlight or Launchpad.
- Windows: download the installer, run it, follow the prompts. The installer offers to add a Start-menu shortcut.
- Linux: a deb or rpm package for the common distributions; a flatpak as a universal option.
First-launch gatekeepers
On macOS, the first launch may trigger Gatekeeper. If so, right-click the app icon and choose Open — this is the standard macOS workflow for apps installed outside the App Store. On Windows, SmartScreen may ask you to confirm.
Keyboard shortcuts that feel native
Shortcuts match the OS convention: Command on Mac, Control on Windows and Linux. The ones you'll use most are consistent across platforms, which keeps muscle memory intact when you switch computers.
- Space — play or pause.
- Left / Right — skip back / forward.
- Up / Down — volume.
- F — toggle full-screen.
- M — mute.
- ⌘/Ctrl+K — focus the search field.
- ⌘/Ctrl+, — open settings.
- ⌘/Ctrl+W — close the window (minimises to tray on Linux and Windows).
Multi-monitor behaviour
If you work with more than one monitor, the app's behaviour is designed around that: the window remembers which monitor it was on, where it was positioned, and what size you had it at. Full-screening doesn't hijack your other screens — the second monitor keeps doing whatever it was doing.
Picture-in-picture, where supported, lets you pop playback out into a floating window that stays on top. That's the most useful desktop feature if you watch while you work.
GPU acceleration and codecs
Modern video decoding is almost entirely GPU-bound. On recent CPUs with integrated graphics the result is fine; on older machines with weaker GPUs you may notice high CPU use or fan ramp-up during HEVC or AV1 playback. The app picks the best stream your hardware can handle, but the dropdown in Settings lets you force a specific quality if the default isn't right for your machine.
Linux and proprietary drivers
On Linux, hardware acceleration depends on which graphics driver you have installed. If playback is CPU-only, you're likely missing the vendor driver (or the open-source stack doesn't yet cover your card's codec).
Window state and multi-window
Window state is remembered between launches. The size, position, and monitor you last used all persist. If you prefer the app on the right monitor at a specific size, it stays that way until you move it.
Opening a second window — handy if you're casting one show while browsing for the next one — is supported from the Window menu.
Troubleshooting
Desktop issues cluster around three things: GPU drivers, firewall rules, and corrupt caches. The fixes are quick.
- 1Update your GPU drivers.
- 2Check your firewall isn't blocking the app's outbound connections.
- 3Clear the app's cache from Settings → Advanced → Clear Cache.
- 4Reinstall if nothing else helps — your account state is in the cloud.