/eosstb

A homebridge plugin for the ARRIS DCX960 settop box as used by UPC, Telenet, Ziggo, Magenta, Virgin Media and maybe more in various countries

Primary LanguageJavaScript

UPC TV Box (ARRIS DCX960)

WORK IN PROGRESS

This is a private repo because I'm not finished, If you've been invited, then it's because I selected you. You're here to help. During the time that this is a private repo, installation must be done using:

sudo npm install -g https://github.com/jsiegenthaler/eosstb/

Because you are a helper, I need your feedback

TO-DO as of 02.02.2020

  • Test with profiles - try and find a way to get the EOS box profile channels
  • Solve the connection problem to Telenet in Belgium
  • Re-write the plugin to get the right Homekit icon. I hate the House icon

homebridge-eosstb

homebridge-eosstb is a Homebridge plugin allowing you to control your EOS settop box (typically a ARRIS DCX960 running on the UPC TV system), as well as connected HDMI-CEC controllable devices with Apple HomeKit using the Home app and the Apple TV Remote in the Control Center.

This plugin displays your EOS settop box as a TV Accessory with Power, Input & Remote Control capabilities in your iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iMac, etc).

You need a My UPC subscription or the appropriate equivalent from your local TV provider. The username and password are the same as used in the TV provider's TV app on your iOS device (the app varies by country, in Switzerland it is upc tv Schweiz).

Supports multiple settop boxes, allowing you to create a TV accessory for each box (hould you have more than one).

Works in Your Country (If you are with UPC / Ziggo / Telenet / Magenta and hopefully Virgin Media)

As UPC operates in multiple countries under multiple brands, this plugin will work in a number of countries that use UPC TV systems. The known countries that use the same UPC TV system with the ARRIS DCX960 settop box are:

  • Switzerland: UPC Switzerland. The DCX960 is called the UPC TV Box. Also known as the EOSSTB.
  • Netherlands: Ziggo. Here the DCX960 is called the Mediabox Next (4K).
  • Belgium: Telenet. The Belgiums call the DCX960 a Telenet TV-Box.
  • Austria: Magenta. The DCX960 is called the Entertain Box 4K.
  • United Kingdom and Ireland: Virgin Media. The DCX960 appears to be called the Virgin TV 360 mini box. UNTESTED

So if you subscribe to a TV service from one of these countries, you are lucky, this plugic will work for you.

May also work with other UPC countries, if you know of any, let me know.

Made in Switzerland

This plugin was written and tested on the author's EOS settop box (ARRIS mediabox model DCX960/KK0L/A816/0000) in Switzerland.

Why I chose the name EOSSTB

I tried to find a good common name that works for this plugin for all countries. Each country uses a different marketing name for the box, so I could not use the local name. The eos system runs on an ARRIS DCX960, but it looks like Virgin Media have a different settop box, so I decided not to use the model name. So I stuck with the box identifier that appears in the mqtt messages: EOSSTB.

Disclaimer (The Legal Stuff)

This plugin is not provided by UPC or Ziggo or Telenet or Magenta or Vigin Media any other affiliate of UPC. It is neither endorsed nor supported nor developed by UPC or any affiliates. UPC can change their systems at any time and that might break this plugin. But I hope not.

Requirements

  • An Apple iPhone or iPad with iOS 14.0 (or later). Developed on iOS 14.1...14.4, earlier versions not tested.
  • Homebridge v1.1.116 (or later). Developed on Homebridge 1.1.116, earlier versions not tested.
  • A TV subscription (or the equivalent in your country)
  • A My UPC account (or the equivalent in your country, part of your TV package)
  • The ARRIS mediabox DCX960 (provided by your TV provider as part of your TV subscription, called by the system an "EOSSTB" and marketed under different names in different UPC countries)

Installation

Install homebridge-eosstb:

npm install -g homebridge-eosstb

After installing, make sure you restart Homebridge.

Remote Control Supported Keys

The following keys are supported by in the iOS Remote in the Control Center

  • Navigation (Up/Down/Left/Right)
  • OK
  • Play/Pause
  • Back
  • Info (i)
  • Volume Up
  • Volume Down

You can configure the (i) button to be Info, Help, Guide, ContextMenu or MediaTopMenu. Most useful is MediaTopMenu, which is the default.

The volume controls do not control the EOS box directly, as the EOS box has no volume capability. The EOS box remote actually sends IR commands to your TV. If you can control your TV volume via a network connection then the volume controls can be used to send volume commands to your TV via the raspberry pi. This is what the author uses.

Limitations

Due to HomeKit app limitations, the maximum services for a single accessory is 100. Over this value the HomeKit app will no longer respond. Services used in this EOS box accessory are:

  1. Information service (Name, model, serial number of the accessory)
  2. Television service (for controlling the TV accessory)
  3. Speaker service (for the controlling the TV accessory volume)
  4. Input service. The input (TV channels) utilise one service per input. The maximum possible channels (inputs) are thus 97. However, the more services you have, the slower the plugin might be. So I have limited the inputs to maximum 50, but you can override this in the config.

Configuration

Add a new platform to your homebridge config.json.

Example configuration:

{
    "platforms": [
      {
        "platform": "eosstb",
        "name": "UPC TV Box",
        "country": "ch"
        "username": "yourMyUpcEmail@email.com",
        "password": "yourMyUpcPassword"
      }
    ]
  }

Configuration Items:

  • platform: the name of your platform. Mandatory, must be eosstb.

  • name: The displayed name of your device. Default is the name of your box from your country, you can set it to whatever you want. Mandatory.

  • country: Your country. Must be one of ch, nl, be-nl, be-fr, or at. Mandatory.

  • username: Your login username for your TV provider's online account (My UPC in Switzerland). Normally an email address. Mandatory.

  • password: Your password associated with your TV provider's account. Mandatory.

  • settopboxId: Your settopbox id. Only needed if you have more than one EOS box, so that the plugin can control the correct box. The id is shown in the HomeBridge log and is in the format 3C36E4-EOSSTB-00xxxxxxxxxx (xxxxxxxxxx is actually your CA code). Optional, defaults to the first detected settop box id in the mqtt traffic if not found.

  • playPauseButton: The command issued to the EOS box when the Play/Pause button (>||) in the iOS remote is tapped. Normally MediaPause. Optional, defaults to MediaPause if not found.

  • backButton: The command issued to the EOS box when the BACK button in the iOS remote is tapped. Normally Escape. Optional, defaults to Escape if not found.

  • infoButton: The command issued to the EOS box when the Info button (i) in the iOS remote is tapped. As the iOS remote has no Menu button, the Info button should be used to access the menu. This is why the Info button is set to MediaTopMenu. Optional, defaults to MediaTopMenu if not found.

  • maxChannels: The maximum number of channels to load. Optional, defaults to 50 if not found. Loading times increase with higher maximums. Limited to 90.

Known Relevant EOS Box Commands

  • MediaTopMenu: Displays the top menu page (home page) on the TV, same as the HOME button on the EOS box remote

  • Escape: Escapes (exits) out of any current menu on the TV. Same as the RETURN button on the EOS box remote

  • ContextMenu: Displays a context menu on the current TV program. Same as the ... button on the EOS box remote

  • Info: Displays the INFO screen on the TV showing info about the current TV program

  • Help: Displays the SETTINGS INFO page on the TV, allowing you to access settings quickly

  • Guide: Displays the TV GUIDE page on the TV, same as the Guide button on the EOS box remote

  • MediaPause: Toggles between Pause and Play of the current TV program

Known Other Commands

  • VolumeUp and VolumeDown: When the iOS remote is displayed, the iOS volume controls can be used to control the volume of your TV. However, this is not done via the EOS box, but instead via a bash command. So your TV must be capable of being controlled remotely via any machine that can accept a bash command, such as a raspberry pi. The author has a Samsung Receiver and runs Homebridge on a raspberry pi, and thus uses samsungctl which allows KEY_VOLUP and KEY_VOLDOWN to be easily sent to the Samsung Receiver.

Siri

I have found that Siri can turn the box on and off with the command "Hey Siri, turn on ". However, I haven't been able to get Siri to change channels or change volume yet. If you find out how, let me know!

Thanks to