Streaming media from Trisquel to dumb computer ("SmartTV")
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In the apartment I'm living in at the moment, there is a HiSense dumb computer ("SmartTV"), running some version of Android-Linux . I don't own it, so I can't make any major changes (eg flashing or rooting the OS), unless they are fairly easy to revert back to factory settings before we move out. I do have admin access to install apps, but the app store is all in Chinese, so I'm not sure yet if I even have access to a web browser, or how to install one.
The HiSense does have a built-in option for picking up streaming media from an Android/ Linux device. I'm presuming this uses the DLNA protocol (how can I check this?), and that if I use the right software on Trisquel, and configure it right, I can stream media from Trisquel to the HiSense. Does anyone have any suggestions on what software to use, how to configure it, and how to make sure the local wi-fi network is set up to allow such media streaming to work?
Kodi, you could try Kodi.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodi_(software)
Do you mean on Trisquel as the streaming server, or on the TV as the receiving client, or both? Got any links to documentation explaining how to use Kodi for this?
Kodi resides on a PC that is connected to a TV screen. Kodi was formerly called XBMC.
There's a FAQ and a Wiki.
https://kodi.wiki/view/Intro_FAQ
https://kodi.wiki/view/Main_Page
Other projects/software:
LibreELEC or OpenELEC
OK, so the problem is that my laptop running Trisquel only has a VGA output, and the TV only has HDMI input, so direct connection is not possible. If it was, any media player would do (eg VLC). The TV does have a wi-fi connection to the local network, and a "screen share" function that supports Apple Airplay (I presume this involves uPnP and DLNA). What I need is a free code Trisquel equivalent of Airplay, that can stream across the local network via wi-fi.
While searching in the GNOME Help for info relevant to accessing shared folders on Trisquel from my wife's MacBook, I came across a reference to Rygel as a possible solution for this. It works with uPnP and DLNA:
https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/Rygel
The codebase seems to be in active development:
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/rygel
Has anyone had any experience using this? Any suggestions?
I unfortunately have no solutions for you, but you were talking about flashing/rooting your dumb computer, do you happen to have any links to more information on doing this?
It's an Android device, so I guess I just assumed I could replace the OS with something else, like LineageOS or Copperhead. I have no idea how to actually go about that though.
haha ok:)
This is potentially seguing into another topic, but does anyone know if there is a project to create a TV equivalent of Replicant? A fully free GNU-Linux or Android-Linux distribution for use with digital TVs like the Hisense would be a great project.
VLC is available for Android. You should be able to pick up stuff with upnp. Or even to open network streams by giving it a URL. (sudo apt install apache2 on Trisquel and plop the file you want to watch in /var/www/html.) It's quick & dirty but should work. Unless you want some fancy thing for browsing...
Thanks Jxself. Are you saying I ought to be able to install VLC on the TV as the receiver? I will try your suggestion. But as I said in the OP, the TV has a built-in tool for wireless screen-sharing, and I'd really like to be able to use this tool with my Trisquel laptop, since as I mentioned in another comment, the TV only has HDMI ports and my laptop only has VGA output.
I know the TV's screen sharing tools supports Apple Airplay, since I've been able to use it for screen-sharing with my wife's Mac, but I have no idea what protocols it supports, or how to test this. I presumed it was using the TV's wi-fi connection to the local network, although it may also be using Bluetooth? I will check again with the MacBook and see if Bluetooth has to be enabled for Airplay to work.
"pick up stuff with upnp"?
"or even to open network streams by giving it a URL"?
What's going on here?
And what exactly is UPnP? I know this is found in routers, some say disable because of privacy/security, some say enable because of convenience.
If the dumb operating system is Android-based, theoretically you can try to install F-droid to search for free software.
However, there are still difficulties you may have to face:
1, If you don't know Chinese characters, it will be hard to recognize the "Language Settings", "Web Browser" or "App Store";
2, Even if you managed to locate F-droid in the browser, you may still not be allowed to install it, for something like the jails in iPhone or Windows 10 S.
But since you (fortunately) don't possess it, the best solution is to ignore its existence as a dumb TV and simply use it as a monitor. You may need a converter, though. If you really want to watch TV programs, use the free software on your Trisquel notebook.
Thanks for your thoughts nadebula.1984. As I mentioned in another comment, the TV only has HDMI ports and my laptop only has VGA output. This is why I'm interested in whether it's possible to stream from Trisquel to the screen-sharing receiver of the Hisense over the local network. Also, it's an interesting challenge to try to get it working ;)
I bought an HDMI to VGA converter but this didn't work. I know the HDMI port works, because it works with my wife's MacBook, and the VGA cable is one I used last year. So I'm pretty sure that either a) the Trisquel display system can't handle inter-operating with HDMI over a VGA cable, OR, b) the converter I bought doesn't work (no way to test this at present since VGA outputs are now rare).
I'm not sure whether there is any "bi-directional" VGA to HDMI converter. So you'll need a VGA-to-HDMI converter (very rare) but not an HDMI-to-VGA one (very common).
I do see one VGA-to-HDMI converter in my local marketplace. It is advertised as a solution to "connecting legacy computers to TVs and projectors", so this might be what you need.
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