A Set Top Box Abroad - Part 1 - Ingredients

On a recent project we’ve been faced with a tricky challenge – being able to test a Set Top Box remotely – i.e. from another country – when the Set Top Box features DTT linear broadcast channels such as BBC 1, ITV, Channel 4 and 5, and the rest of the freeview channels available in the UK through an aerial on top of your building.

You obviously can’t simply ship the Set Top Box abroad, because those linear channels simply are not available to receive – meaning the STB would show a dramatically reduced set of functionality – no EPG, channel lineup reduced to only those Over-The-Top live feeds (linear channels available over the internet).

On top of that, there were various other issues to overcome – the STB would need to be able to connect to various APIs for which geo-blocking would be enabled, so again, if the STB is not physically located in the UK or at least connected via a VPN that makes API services think it is, then significant functionality would fail…

So we set to work thinking of a way in which we could remotely view and control the Set Top Boxes, which would mean they could remain physically in the UK (and thus 100% functional, with all services accessible).

I’ll write this in the form of a recipe in case anyone out there is interested / wants to reproduce!

Ingredients:

Hardware

1. Set Top Box (STB) with HDMI out / DTT Aerial receiver - Obviously – this is what you’re trying to control… in our case, it will be based in the UK.
2. HDMI Splitter (with HDCP Stripping – get from ebay) - The solution to be able to capture the video output from the STB over HDMI requires that you must strip out the build in copy protection (HDCP) that HDMI features as standard. Lots of HDMI splitter devices do this, but search and buy from ebay is your best bet as it’s actually illegal for a device sold in the EU to do this! You can get devices that ship mainly from China that do the job. Once the HDMI is plugged into this, it is then sent onwards “in the clear” and you can do cool things, like record the video feed, which HDCP normally prevents!
3. Elgato Game Capture HD (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgato-Capture-PlayStation-Definition-Recorder/dp/B0082J1YCE) - This is a cool device that lets you connect an “in the clear” (non-HDCP protected) HDMI input (e.g. the one coming from the HDMI Splitter mentioned above) and then capture the video feed on a laptop via a USB cable and the bundled software Elgato provides. This is what a lot of gamers use
4. USB-UIRT (http://www.usbuirt.com/order.htm) - This is the device that will plugin via USB port and enable you to be able to first “record” and then trigger/replay the same IR commands from your PC.
5. Laptop / PC - Something for the Elgato Game Captura and USB-UIRT to plug into.
6. USB Programmable Power Outlet (https://energenie4u.co.uk/index.phpcatalogue/product/ENER011) - You will need the ability to restart the STB remotely at some point or other – this lets you do that.

Software

1. Teamviewer (https://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx) - To enable people to remotely connect into the laptop and view/control things from anywhere in the world!
2. Girder / Netremote (http://www.promixis.com/downloads.php) - Girder is a home automation software platform that lets you control loads of different things in cool ways – e.g. connect to RF devices and control them / execute actions based on certain triggers (timers, manual triggers, sensor events). In our case here, we will use it to hook into the USB-UIRT device to first “record” and then “replay” infra-red commands just like our STB remote control does. Effectively we’re mimicking our STB remote control through Girder and the connected USB-UIRT device. Netremote is a bundled GUI component within Girder 6 that lets you build nice looking remote control style user interfaces with buttons, etc.
3. Software that comes with Elgato Game Capture HD and USB Programmable Power Outlet - To control these components, they come with their own software.

With all these bits and pieces, you’ll be able to get a laptop setup that can view/record the actual video feed coming out of the Set Top Box via the Elgato capture device, control it using the USB-UIRT device and also do a full power cycle with the Energenie power strip.

Putting them all together isn’t entirely straightforward however – so coming up later, the instructions to bring all these components together.

You can see how some (most) of this kit plugs together in the diagram below: