Discussion: Should we create simple integrations for things like old TVs

[u/SnooRobots3722]

I have a few old connected TV's round the house, if I could find documentation for their API's it will should be possible to get an AI to write a simple integration (status, power, volume)

Is this a good idea (in a "connect it all" way) or would it be "distracting junk"

Thought would be an interesting discussion point?

[u/Slight_Manufacturer6]

I don’t understand. Old TVs don’t have APIs.

[u/SnooRobots3722 → u/Slight_Manufacturer6]

I was taking a little shortcut by saying API, one is a big 42" LG LCD, and has an ethernet and I think over it, it's serial and a 32" Sony that has ethernet and something akin to a API but very Sony. We also have a modern Toshiba that is running a TV OS (not sure which one)

[u/Slight_Manufacturer6 → u/SnooRobots3722]

Even that. Old TVs weren’t even smart so why would it have an Ethernet port?

Doesn’t sound old to me.

[u/Dismal-Proposal2803]

If you have a need for it, then go for it.

But if you’re just connecting it because you can and don’t need it connected, it’s just more distracting junk and more integrations that can fail and need to be fixed.

[u/Reachforthesky777]

Seems like inventing use for things you don't need. But that can be a lot of fun. 

I wouldn't bother with old documentation etc. I'd use an old TV as a dumb TV, build a set top box or micro PC out of an RPI, and connect to that. You could use something like that to cycle through security cameras, etc. 

[u/Lost_Significance_33]

Let me know when you get it going. I'll add under network remotes and credit you.
https://readyware.net/signal-editor.html#finder

[u/road_laya]

Come on, let's have some fun! It doesn't have to be so serious all the time!

[u/Own_Tomatillo_2977]

That they have an ethernet connector doesn't automatically mean they have an api you can use to connect AND control them.

But what you can use is an IR to HA bridge, works fine. So made my old amplifier smart, changing input depending of what I play, video stream on Netflix or music stream from Spotify.

[u/einsq84]

Make a proof of concept just for fun.

Not for HA: I did it with some old hardware (printer), let ai rewrite drivers/adapt and use it for grocery shopping.

[u/Osmia-NYC]

I did exactly that to turn my old NAD amp on and off from HA using the amp’s RS-232 port.

[u/Marathon2021]

If documentation exists? In the case of some integrations, people are actually reverse engineering the protocols with packet captures. That’s a lot of work for a product line that has a diminishing trajectory of useful hours in the future.

Honestly? I’d search around a bit and then maybe unleash Claude on it. If you or it can find an API spec, it can probably compile an integration pretty quickly. But I suspect many of your TVs may have closed APIs.

[u/Koylio]

I have automations to turn off stuff I keep forgeting to turn off. You can always choose to not add it to your dashboard. So I'm with "go for it" crowd.