[Feature Request] Device Type TV

[vmax77]

Hi

I know this is early, but it would nice if the TV was detected as type TV

Thank you

[merdok]

When this will be added into HomeKit then I will implement it. I guess this will be available not sooner then with iOS13 so it is still months away...

[creinhart]

Looks like this Support just appeared in the latest iOS 12.2 beta today. Would be great once this plugin is recognized as a TV in HomeKit.

[merdok]

Will keep an eye on it 👍

[akseez]

Here’s a post of someone showing how it works: https://mobile.twitter.com/KhaosT/status/1088521851750379520

Also, what’s available in the Remote app: https://mobile.twitter.com/KhaosT/status/1088540954892464128

[KhaosT]

Support for TV has been added to hap-nodejs and homebridge :) Please let me know if you have any question about the new services.

https://github.com/KhaosT/HAP-NodeJS/commit/243c112abee13346007db358b13b5bbeda75e0af https://github.com/nfarina/homebridge/commit/27073def733ac94897c57b178a85ee83be46c03c

[m11rphy]

I came to see if you was looking at this seems as though you already are, can't wait to see what you come up with. Also thank you for all your work on this plugin its really great

[Hiddecollee]

Will keep an eye on it 👍

Are you working on it? I would love to have it.

[mcnahum]

I think everybody was thinking the same with this new feature, that will be really great to have it.

[merdok]

Finally they added a tv device type. I will definitely work on this.

@KhaosT did you add those services? Did you try those services with iOS12.2 Beta? Maybe i will install the beta over the weekend and try it out.

[KhaosT]

@merdok Yeah, TV support is enabled in iOS 12.2 beta in Home and Control Center Remote.

[merdok]

I guess there should not be any issues to add the TV service to HomeKit. About the Control Center Remote i am not sure if i will be able to add this. Need to check how this works...

[creinhart]

TV service is good enough for me, but whatever you can do we appreciate it. Especially since LG won’t update previous models with homekit support. I’m running the 12.2 beta now. Pretty cool being able to tell Siri to play a specific movie on the Apple TV and she just does it.

[merdok]

@KhaosT does the Control Center Remote also use HomeKit to send the commands to the TV?

[Ben305]

I have already made some progress, buttons UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, ENTER, BACK, and EXIT are working.

[merdok]

Good to know that the remote also goes through HomeKit. Will be working on the TV service over the weekend.

I will most probably add a switch so people with the Beta installed can already use the new tv service. After iOS12.2 final is released i will switch the plugin completely to the new service.

[KhaosT]

@merdok Yeah, the remote part sends the command via Remote Key characteristic. On webOS side I think you already have the button event in current code.

[merdok]

@KhaosT Yep, tested it and it works fine.

How about the REWIND, FAST_FORWARD, NEXT_TRACK, PREVIOUS_TRACK buttons, i do not see them on the remote... where are they located? Also there are Characteristics like PictureMode or Brightness which i could not find anywhere in the app. Are they just missing in the current beta?

[KhaosT]

Yeah I wasn’t able to have those show up right now, and it doesn’t look like it’s being used in current beta. The only additional characteristic Home app handles is the power mode one, which is really strange…

Hopefully those are tied to current media state characteristic, and a now playing screen can show up with ability to control playback in future beta

[merdok]

@KhaosT As i thought. Well then let's hope more features show up int he next betas. The remote control also just looks like the Apple TV remote control currently so i guess this will be updated with more buttons for the new TVs in the future. Yes, i just found out what the PowerModeSelection service does...

BTW, i was just trying to add the input sources and somehow this didn't work for me using homebridge. I tried to add an input source as a linked service to the Television service but that did nothing. If I add a InputSource as a standalone service then a separate switch for that services appears in the Home app, but i guess that is not what the idea here is...

[KhaosT]

Huh add to linked service is the right way to do this… did you set identifier correctly to all input sources?

[merdok]

Testing currently with one input source. Looks like follows:

var inputHDMI1 = new Service.InputSource("hdmi1", "HDMI 1");

inputHDMI1
.setCharacteristic(Characteristic.Identifier, 1)
.setCharacteristic(Characteristic.ConfiguredName, "HDMI 1")
.setCharacteristic(Characteristic.IsConfigured, Characteristic.IsConfigured.CONFIGURED)
.setCharacteristic(Characteristic.InputSourceType, Characteristic.InputSourceType.HDMI);

this.tvService.addLinkedService(inputHDMI1);

This does not want to show up for me under Inputs in the Home app

[KhaosT]

@merdok did you also include inputHDMI1 in the array you returned for services?

[merdok]

@KhaosT Yes, if add it there then it appears as a new switch on the Home dashboard, but still not as an input for the TV.

[KhaosT]

@merdok is it possible for you to push the current code you have to a branch or something? If you return it in the services array, and add it as a linked service to the tv service itself, Home app should be able to see it and show you an input switch, instead of a separate tile.

[merdok]

@KhaosT This is how the relevant code currently looks:

this.tvService = new Service.Television(this.name, "tvService");

this.tvService
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.ConfiguredName, this.name);

this.tvService
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.SleepDiscoveryMode, Characteristic.SleepDiscoveryMode.ALWAYS_DISCOVERABLE);

this.tvService
    .getCharacteristic(Characteristic.Active)
        .on('get', this.getPowerState.bind(this))
        .on('set', this.setPowerState.bind(this));

this.tvService
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.ActiveIdentifier, 1);

this.enabledServices.push(this.tvService);

var inputHDMI1 = new Service.InputSource("hdmi1", "HDMI 1");

inputHDMI1
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.Identifier, 1)
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.ConfiguredName, "HDMI 1")
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.IsConfigured, Characteristic.IsConfigured.CONFIGURED)
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.InputSourceType, Characteristic.InputSourceType.HDMI)
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.CurrentVisibilityState, Characteristic.CurrentVisibilityState.SHOWN);

this.enabledServices.push(inputHDMI1);
this.tvService.addLinkedService(inputHDMI1);

This does creates a separate tile on in the Home app instead of an input source for the tv tile. BTW, what is the purpose of the ActiveIdentifier characteristic?

[KhaosT]

Overall it looks right... let me try using this on my side and see if I can reproduce it. The ActiveIdentifier characteristic in TV Service indicates what's the current active input source the TV is using. Each InputSource service has an Identifier characteristic which the value should be unique. When HomeKit want to change input source, it will write to ActiveIdentifier with the identifier matching the InputSource's Identifier

[merdok]

Please let me know your finding. I already got everything to work except the input sources...

Ok, got it! So this is related to the input sources. So i assume the setter for ActiveIdentifier will be called as soon as an input source is selected?

[KhaosT]

@merdok I tried the same code and it's working for me... https://gist.github.com/KhaosT/b0c7b481d7106025f061a1c621cd2fa4

Yup, and if the input change from the TV side, you can also update ActiveIdentifier so Home app will show the one that's currently on TV.

[merdok]

Just copied/pasted your gist example from above and still HDMI is a separate tile on the Home app. There are no input sources for the TV... What is the issue here?

[KhaosT]

🤔 have you tried remove homebridge from HomeKit and add it back again? Maybe it’s cache?

[Ben305]

@merdok You have to implement it like this

`var inputHDMI1 = new Service.InputSource("hdmi1", "HDMI 1");

inputHDMI1
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.Identifier, 1)
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.ConfiguredName, "HDMI 1")
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.IsConfigured, Characteristic.IsConfigured.CONFIGURED)
    .setCharacteristic(Characteristic.InputSourceType, Characteristic.InputSourceType.HDMI);

this.tvService.addLinkedService(inputHDMI1);
this.enabledServices.push(this.tvService);
this.enabledServices.push(inputHDMI1);`

It's important to add the input as linked service and add to the service array.

[merdok]

@KhaosT But if this would be a cache issue then i guess i would not be able to use any of the TV services since they all were added at the sam time right?

@Ben305 tried also that. Still does not work as expected.

Strange issue...

[Ben305]

@merdok Pushed my branch which is working here...

[KhaosT]

Another question, what’s your node version?

[merdok]

@Ben305 that does not work for me @KhaosT v8.15.0

[KhaosT]

I’m running v10.15.0 here… not sure if that matters. By cache issue, I mean maybe HomeKit will only try to setup TV input for an accessory if it never seen it before…so if you are progressively tinkering the services, maybe that confuses HomeKit…

[merdok]

Oh, yes that was the issue here. Some kind of home cache probably. I did change the tv service identifier and the input source identifier and it work now... Afterwards i could change them back to the original ones and it still now works 👍

[Hiddecollee]

So everything works now?

[merdok]

Everything looks good. I will work on the input sources now and then it should be ready.

[Hiddecollee]

When you are done, you publish it and then we will be able to add this to our homebridge?

[merdok]

Yes, as long as you are on iOS12.2 beta then you will be able to enable and use the new services.

[m11rphy]

Hey merdok great work as always much appreciated. I ha e 3 LG TVs will it be possible to add all 3?

[merdok]

I cannot test it by myself since i have only 1 TV, but I do not see any reason why it should not work. After it is released you can test it and let me know :)

[Hiddecollee]

When do you think you will release it?

[merdok]

Hopefully in the next days...

[Hiddecollee]

Okay, so impatient ahhahaha

[HunterJKirby]

Copied over your index.js and everything is working great with my TV. How could I go about added multiple inputs other than HDMI 1? (Sorry I’m new to this). Thanks!

[Hiddecollee]

What tv do you have?

[merdok]

HomeKit TV integration can now be enabled in the latest release. Please test ist and let me know how it works :)

[merdok]

Are you on iOS 12.2 Beta? channelButtons, notificationButtons, remoteControlButtons and volumeControl will still appear as switches if enabled since there is no way in the current iOS beta to control them from the remote control.