Homeassistant + Chromecast + Capturing device without HDMI-CEC + Samsung (or whatever) TV + Ambilight. Correct way to turn off your Chromecast

Kamil_Kostrzewski · December 20, 2022, 2:31pm

Hello.
I want to share something with you. Last week i decided to make a Ambilight for my not-so-smart TV Samsung 65’.

My set is:

Raspberry Pi Zero 2W,
Chromecast 4 with Raspbian and Hyperion,
Cheap chineese HDMI => USB Audio Video Grabber without HDMI-CEC (i can’t turn off device with that).
Not-so-smart TV Samsung (your tv has to be connected to homeassistant, and has to be found as “media player”.

So, firstly i made integration that turning on/off Chromecast via Homeassistant automation with Google cast integration . I had 2 problems: Splashscreen “WELCOME TO HOMEASSISTANT” on start Chromecast, which is not so nice view, especially with Ambilights. Second thing is that its wasn’t so responsive, i had to click “back” on remote couple of times to turn off this screen. I hate it.

Second problem was that when i used “media_player.turn_off” action it wasn’t turning off my chromecast. It didn’t went sleep. It just stopped streaming from Hass to Chromecast.

Third, Chromecast is weak with state changes. When my CC is turned off i have to wait about 30 seconds for Homeassistant state change. Maybe it works good in your case?

I saw it on preview in Hyperion. Device was working, and sending current Chromecast screen live. I have seen it on animations it wasn’t just “last frame before stop”. Like on image below.

So i started to make my research and didn’t found an answer for my problem.
After time i realised that i need something else. I have found Android TV Integration. And it made a job.
Now im sending “WAKEUP” and “SLEEP” adb commands via AndroidTv integration and it works really good.

Okay, so instructions:
Chromecast preparing:

Go to Settings (your picture on right, up corner => settings)
Go to System
Click About
Find Android TV OS build
Pick it from list and “click” on it 7 times. You are developer now!
Go to Remotes and accessories
Find something like “Buttons settings”
Configure power button to power on/off your television (its propably CEC now)
If you can’t do that, try to configure your TV in chromecast settings. It has plenty of futures.
Make sure your chromecast remote is turning off/on your tv.

Okay, so we are ready to prepare script. You can remove lights from it because i guess its not only problem.

Explanation:

Detect state change of your TV
Ensure what it did (on? off? else?)
Wait a second to hass is informed about change
Make CC actions.

alias: Samsung and chromecast
description: ""
trigger:
  - platform: device
    type: changed_states
    device_id: #pick your TV
    entity_id: #pick your TV
    domain: media_player
condition: []
action:
  - delay:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 0
      seconds: 1
      milliseconds: 0
  - if:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: #pick your TV
        state: "off"
    then:
      - service: androidtv.adb_command
        data:
          command: SLEEP
        target:
          entity_id: #pick your chromecast Android TV Instance
      - service: light.turn_off
        data: {}
        target:
          entity_id: #pick your ambient Hyperion LED instance 
    else:
      - service: androidtv.adb_command
        data:
          command: WAKEUP
        target:
          entity_id:  #pick your chromecast Android TV Instance
      - service: light.turn_on
        data: {}
        target:
          entity_id: #pick your ambient Hyperion LED instance 
mode: single

Now, you don’t have a HASS Splash screen, and you are saving compute power of your Chromecast, and not waisting your electrocity.