[TriEmbed] Project advice: SmartTV hacking

[Brian Chamberlain]

Interesting 🤔 idea. I will ask them if they've looked into it. Thanks!
-Brian


On Wed, Jul 27, 2022 at 2:35 PM Trampas Stern <trampas at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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