[TriEmbed] Project advice: SmartTV hacking

[Trampas Stern]

It might be better to look and see if you can capture the frame buffer and
send over the network,  think remote desktop.  I have not looked at the
SmartTV API but it might include this capability for app developers.

Trampas

On Wed, Jul 27, 2022 at 2:29 PM Brian Chamberlain via TriEmbed <
triembed at triembed.org> wrote:

> Hi Scott, Thanks for the advice and suggestions (and very cool
> diagram BTW). This client makes media/software for smartTVs. So part of
> their development process is that they need to test their content/software
> on actual TVs. They have a solution for testing Roku's, AppleTV, game
> consoles, etc...since those all have HDMI outputs. But there's a whole list
> of major brand TV's and models they want to be able to test in a
> similar/consistent way. Their engineering staff is remote so I'm guessing
> they'd want to rack and stack these modded TV's somewhere so they can
> access the output of the TV via a video stream, controlled by some kind of
> IR blaster interface... if that helps paint a better picture.
>
> So, at this point I'm just putting together the SOW (which would include
> some exploratory hands-on TV teardowns and investigation) and requirements
> gathering. My gut says that there's probably not some silver bullet
> solution. Each of these TV's (and maybe even different revs of the same
> models) will have very different internals. So every model/brand would be
> it's own research project. But perhaps some have debug/diagnostic outputs
> somewhere on the main board? Though that really feels like wishful
> thinking. But I am also hoping there's some other entirely sane approach to
> this.
>
> -Brian
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 27, 2022 at 12:08 PM Scott Hall <scottghall1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Brian,
>> This is done all the time in companies, churches and schools for
>> "electronic signage".  First, with the chipsets used, the rendering of the
>> video signals is not in a form that can be 'tapped off' to be able to make
>> a transmittable signal, unless the motherboard of the TV is already doing
>> that for its own features -- in other words already creating an HDMI output
>> port.  Essentially what I do when consulting with places is to get an
>> external Roku device and forgo the internal "smart" works, then use an HDMI
>> distributing amplifier.  If you have more than one signal source, like
>> cable, Roku, DVD, etc, then an external HDMI switch is used.  You chain the
>> devices together kind of like this:
>>
>> Cable     ──→╖                  ╓───→ TV or Monitor
>>              ╠══════╗    ╔══════╣
>> DVR/Camera──→╢4-to-1║    ║1-to-4╟───→ TV or Monitor
>>              ║ HDMI ╟───→╢ Dist.║
>> DVD Player──→╢Switch║    ║ Amp  ╟───→ TV or Monitor
>>              ╠══════╝    ╚══════╣
>> Streaming ──→╜                  ╙───→ TV or Monitor
>>   Device
>>
>> a sample link for a 4-to-1 HDMI switch:
>> https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00OJMAXZ2/ (really a 4-to-2 switch, as it
>> has 2 outputs)
>>
>> a sample link to a 1-to-4 HDMI distribution amp:
>> https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0180PPTNO/
>>
>> link to a review of switches and dist. amps:
>> https://www.gearhungry.com/best-hdmi-splitter/
>>
>> - sgh
>>
>> On Wed, Jul 27, 2022 at 10:50 AM Brian Chamberlain via TriEmbed <
>> triembed at triembed.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi all, Just wondering if anyone here has any TV hardware reverse
>>> engineering experience? I have a client asking if I can pull a usable HDMI
>>> signal off of “SmartTVs”. Basically, they want a mirror of what is on the
>>> display panel (menus and all). Not just one TV but multiple brands/models.
>>>
>>> Their current solution is pointing a web cam at the TV from a distance.
>>> They’re looking for something more scalable (less space requirements,
>>> easier setup, more TV brand selection, etc).
>>>
>>> My answer to them at this is, “maybe and I’ll look into it”. They seem
>>> willing to pay me to do the investigation. Which sounds like fun but I am
>>> looking to talk with anyone who might have any experience with this or
>>> could point me in the right direction.
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>> --
>>> -Brian
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>>>
>>
>> --
>> Scott G. Hall
>> Raleigh, NC, USA
>> scottghall1 at gmail.com
>> *Although kindness is rarely a job, no matter what you do it's always an
>> option.*
>>
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