Raspberry Pi Video Player Auto-Start System

A comprehensive video player system for Raspberry Pi that automatically starts on boot and provides TV-like channel navigation with IR remote control support.

Features

• Auto-Start on Boot: Automatically starts when Raspberry Pi boots
• VLC Integration: Uses VLC media player for robust video playback
• IR Remote Control: Full IR remote support with multiple protocol decoding (NEC, RC5)
• TV Channel System: Number key mapping to videos (0-9, multi-digit support)
• Configuration Management: Comprehensive configuration system with validation
• Systemd Service: Reliable service management with auto-restart
• Logging: Detailed logging with rotation
• Easy Setup: Interactive setup wizard and installation scripts

Hardware Requirements

Required

• Raspberry Pi (any model with sufficient processing power)
• MicroSD card (minimum 16GB, Class 10 recommended)
• Power supply (official Raspberry Pi power adapter recommended)
• HDMI cable for display output
• IR Receiver Module: Compatible with Raspberry Pi GPIO (e.g., TSOP4838, TSOP38238)
• IR Remote Control: Any standard IR remote (TV, DVD player, etc.)

Optional

• External storage for video files
• Case with cooling for extended operation

Software Requirements

• Operating System: Raspbian Desktop (latest version)
• Python: Python 3.x (usually pre-installed on Raspbian)
• VLC Media Player: Latest version compatible with Raspbian
• System Dependencies: Standard Linux utilities for service management

Installation

Quick Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-repo/ulivision-tv.git
   cd ulivision-tv
   

2. Run the installation script:

   sudo chmod +x install.sh
   sudo ./install.sh
   

3. Run the setup wizard:

   sudo python3 setup.py
   

4. Start the service:

   video-player-start
   

Manual Installation

1. Install system dependencies:

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install -y python3 python3-pip vlc python3-rpi.gpio
   

2. Install Python dependencies:

   pip3 install -r requirements.txt
   

3. Copy files to system directories:

   sudo mkdir -p /opt/video_player /etc/video_player
   sudo cp *.py /opt/video_player/
   sudo cp video-player.service /etc/systemd/system/
   

4. Enable and start the service:

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload
   sudo systemctl enable video-player
   sudo systemctl start video-player
   

Configuration

Main Configuration

The main configuration is stored in /etc/video_player/config.json:

{
  "video_folder": "/home/pi/Videos",
  "default_channel": 1,
  "auto_play": true,
  "fullscreen": true,
  "ir_pin": 18,
  "ir_protocols": ["NEC", "RC5"],
  "vlc_options": [
    "--fullscreen",
    "--no-video-title-show",
    "--no-audio-display"
  ],
  "log_level": "INFO"
}

Channel Configuration

Channels are configured in /etc/video_player/channels.json:

{
  "1": {
    "number": 1,
    "name": "Sample Video 1",
    "path": "/home/pi/Videos/sample1.mp4",
    "description": "First sample video",
    "category": "general",
    "enabled": true,
    "priority": 0
  }
}

IR Remote Mapping

IR codes are mapped in /etc/video_player/ir_mapping.json:

{
  "NEC_00FF_807F": {
    "ir_code": "NEC_00FF_807F",
    "command": "channel_0",
    "description": "Channel 0",
    "repeatable": true
  }
}

Usage

Basic Operation

1. Add video files to the configured video folder (default: /home/pi/Videos)
2. Configure channels using the setup wizard or manually edit the channels.json file
3. Map IR remote codes using the IR learning mode or manually edit the mapping file
4. Start the service and use your IR remote to control playback

IR Remote Commands

• Number keys (0-9): Direct channel access
• Multi-digit channels: Enter channel number (e.g., 12, 25)
• Play/Pause: Toggle playback
• Stop: Stop current video
• Next/Previous: Navigate between channels
• Volume Up/Down: Control audio volume
• Power: Exit application

Management Commands

• video-player-start: Start the service
• video-player-stop: Stop the service
• video-player-restart: Restart the service
• video-player-status: Check service status
• video-player-logs: View live logs

IR Remote Setup

Learning IR Codes

1. Start IR learning mode:

   sudo python3 /opt/video_player/ir_remote.py
   

2. Press buttons on your remote control

3. Enter commands when prompted (e.g., "channel_1", "play_pause")

4. Save mappings to the configuration file

Manual IR Code Mapping

Edit /etc/video_player/ir_mapping.json to manually map IR codes:

{
  "NEC_00FF_807F": {
    "ir_code": "NEC_00FF_807F",
    "command": "channel_0",
    "description": "Channel 0",
    "repeatable": true
  }
}

Hardware Setup

IR Receiver Connection

1. Connect IR receiver to Raspberry Pi GPIO:

   • VCC → 3.3V (Pin 1)
   • GND → Ground (Pin 6)
   • OUT → GPIO 18 (Pin 12) - or configure different pin

2. Test IR receiver:

   sudo python3 -c "import RPi.GPIO as GPIO; GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM); GPIO.setup(18, GPIO.IN); print('GPIO 18 ready')"
   

GPIO Pin Configuration

The IR receiver GPIO pin can be configured in the main configuration file:

{
  "ir_pin": 18
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Service won't start:

   • Check logs: video-player-logs
   • Verify configuration: sudo python3 setup.py
   • Check file permissions

2. IR remote not working:

   • Verify GPIO pin configuration
   • Check IR receiver connections
   • Test with IR learning mode
   • Verify IR code mappings

3. Videos not playing:

   • Check video file formats (supported: MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, WMV, FLV, WebM, M4V)
   • Verify file paths in channels.json
   • Check VLC installation: vlc --version

4. No audio:

   • Check audio device configuration
   • Verify volume settings
   • Test audio: speaker-test -t wav -c 2

Log Files

• Service logs: journalctl -u video-player -f
• Application logs: /var/log/video_player.log
• System logs: /var/log/syslog

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging by setting log level to DEBUG in the configuration:

{
  "log_level": "DEBUG"
}

Development

Project Structure

ulivision-tv/
├── video_player.py          # Main video player application
├── ir_remote.py            # IR remote control system
├── config_manager.py       # Configuration management
├── setup.py               # Interactive setup wizard
├── install.sh             # Installation script
├── uninstall.sh           # Uninstallation script
├── video-player.service   # Systemd service file
├── requirements.txt       # Python dependencies
└── README.md             # This file

Adding New Features

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Implement your changes
4. Add tests (if applicable)
5. Submit a pull request

Testing

Run the test suite:

python3 -m pytest tests/

Uninstallation

To completely remove the video player system:

sudo ./uninstall.sh

This will remove:

• Application files
• Configuration files
• Service configuration
• Management scripts
• Desktop shortcuts
• Log files

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Support

For support and questions:

• Issues: Create an issue on GitHub
• Documentation: Check the wiki
• Community: Join our Discord server

Changelog

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release
• VLC integration
• IR remote control
• TV channel system
• Systemd service
• Configuration management
• Setup wizard

Acknowledgments

• VLC Media Player team for the excellent media player
• Raspberry Pi Foundation for the amazing hardware
• Python community for the great libraries
• Contributors and testers

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Note: This system is designed for educational and personal use. Ensure you have proper licensing for any video content you play.