Skip to content
BranchesTags

Repository files navigation

📺 HDMI CEC Control+ for Falcon Player

FPP Plugin: HDMI CEC Control +

FPP Compatible Platform License HDMI CEC GitHub

Turn your display on when the show starts. Turn it off when the show ends. Switch inputs, control volume, and automate it all from FPP playlists, schedules, and GPIO triggers — works with CEC TVs AND PC monitors. No remote required. 📺✨

🎄 Table of Contents

📜 License

Free for personal, hobbyist, and noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0.

Using this in a commercial or paid-event display? A separate commercial license is required — contact license.request@christmasinboontontwp.com to arrange one.

💛 Support the Project

If HDMI CEC Control+ has simplified your show setup, this repo has a Sponsor button in the sidebar if you'd like to support development.

📺 What Is HDMI CEC Control+?

HDMI CEC Control+ is a Falcon Player plugin that gives FPP full control over the display connected to your Raspberry Pi's HDMI port — powering it on, putting it to sleep, switching inputs, and adjusting volume, all from inside FPP's playlist and scheduling system.

For CEC-capable TVs and projectors, it uses the HDMI CEC bus — the same protocol your remote uses behind the scenes — to send commands directly over the HDMI cable already running to your display, without any extra wiring. Most modern projectors (and practically all modern TVs) support CEC over HDMI, so this covers a lot more setups than you'd expect.

For PC monitors (HP, Dell, Samsung, LG, and most monitors without CEC), it uses a smart 6-method fallback chain that tries vcgencmd, kmsblank, ddcutil (DDC/CI), DRM sysfs, and more until something works on your specific hardware.

The result: your display turns on when the show starts, turns off when the show ends, and you never have to touch it again all season. 🎄

Projector users: if you've looked at FPP-Plugin-Projector-Control and don't have a spare RS-232 serial port or a PJLink network connection wired up to your projector, this plugin is likely the easier path — CEC rides over the same HDMI cable that's already carrying your show's video, so there's nothing extra to run. The tradeoff: it relies on your projector actually supporting HDMI-CEC (check its manual/settings menu — the feature is sometimes called "HDMI Link," "Anynet+," "Bravia Sync," etc. depending on brand), and it doesn't speak PJLink or RS-232, so it won't help with lamp-hour reporting or other PJLink-specific projector features.

✨ Feature Overview

Feature Description
📺 TV Power On/Standby CEC on 0 / standby 0 — works on any CEC TV
🔌 Input Switching Set Active Source (Pi takes input) / Set Inactive Source
🔊 Volume Control Volume Up, Volume Down, Mute Toggle via CEC
⌨️ Raw CEC Command Send any cec-client string for advanced/custom use
🖥️ PC Monitor Support 6-method fallback chain for monitors without CEC
⚡ Auto Power Turn display on 15s after FPP boot; off on FPP shutdown
🔧 Display Mode Switch between CEC mode (TVs) and vcgencmd mode (PC monitors)
🎮 10 FPP Commands All commands usable in playlists, sequences, GPIO triggers, and schedules
📋 Command Presets One-click registration in FPP's command_presets.json
🔍 Device Scan Discover all CEC devices on the HDMI bus from the settings page
🧪 Test Panel Test every command interactively from the UI
📜 Log Viewer Built-in log tail right on the settings page

🏗️ How It Works (Architecture)

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         Raspberry Pi                               │
│                                                                    │
│  ┌──────────────┐   FPP Command    ┌────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │  FPP Web UI  │ ───────────────▶ │  commands/cec_tv_on.sh     │  │
│  │  (Test Panel)│                  │  commands/cec_tv_standby.sh│  │
│  └──────────────┘                  │  commands/cec_active_src.sh│  │
│                                    │  commands/cec_volume_up.sh │  │
│  ┌──────────────┐   FPP Command    │  commands/cec_mute.sh      │  │
│  │  FPP Playlist│ ───────────────▶ │  commands/cec_raw.sh       │  │
│  │  / Sequence  │                  │  commands/vcgencmd_on.sh   │  │
│  └──────────────┘                  │  commands/vcgencmd_off.sh  │  │
│                                    └────────────┬───────────────┘  │
│  ┌──────────────┐   FPP Command                │                  │
│  │  GPIO Trigger│ ───────────────▶              │                  │
│  │  / Schedule  │                               ▼                  │
│  └──────────────┘              ┌────────────────────────────────┐  │
│                                │    scripts/cec_command.sh      │  │
│  ┌──────────────┐              │    (CEC mode)                  │  │
│  │  callbacks.sh│              │                                │  │
│  │  pluginStart ├────────────▶ │  echo '<cmd>' | cec-client -s  │  │
│  │  pluginStop  │              │  10s timeout, adapter config   │  │
│  └──────────────┘              └────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                             │                      │
│  OR for vcgencmd mode:                      ▼                      │
│                                ┌────────────────────────────────┐  │
│                                │   scripts/display_power.sh     │  │
│                                │   (vcgencmd mode — 6 methods)  │  │
│                                │                                │  │
│                                │  1. vcgencmd display_power     │  │
│                                │  2. tvservice                  │  │
│                                │  3. kmsblank (KMS/Bookworm)    │  │
│                                │  4. ddcutil DDC/CI             │  │
│                                │  5. DRM sysfs                  │  │
│                                │  6. xrandr                     │  │
│                                └────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                             │                      │
│                                             ▼                      │
│                              ┌──────────────────────────────────┐  │
│                              │         HDMI Cable               │  │
│                              └──────────────────────────────────┘  │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                              │
                          ┌───────────────────┴──────────────────┐
                          ▼                                       ▼
               ┌────────────────────┐               ┌────────────────────┐
               │   CEC-capable TV   │               │   PC Monitor       │
               │   (Samsung, LG,    │               │   (HP, Dell,       │
               │   Sony, etc.)      │               │   Samsung, etc.)   │
               └────────────────────┘               └────────────────────┘

🖥️ TV vs PC Monitor — Which Mode Do I Use?

This is the most important decision in the plugin setup:

CEC Mode vcgencmd Mode
Best for TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, etc.) PC monitors (HP, Dell, BenQ, etc.)
How it works Sends commands over HDMI CEC bus Tries 6 Pi/OS methods in sequence
Requires cec-utils package Nothing extra (some methods need kmsblank, ddcutil)
Commands available Power, input, volume, mute, raw Power on/off only
Reliability Depends on TV's CEC support Depends on Pi OS + hardware

Set Display Mode in the UI

In the HDMI CEC Control+ settings page, set Display Mode to:

  • CEC — for TVs. The TV on/off buttons and CEC - TV On/Standby FPP commands use cec-client.
  • vcgencmd — for PC monitors. The TV on/off buttons and vcgencmd - Display On/Off commands use the 6-method fallback chain.

You can also use both — set Display Mode to CEC for the main TV commands, and use the dedicated vcgencmd - Display On/Off FPP commands to target a PC monitor directly regardless of mode.

📋 Requirements

For CEC TVs

  • Raspberry Pi with HDMI output
  • CEC-capable TV (most modern TVs — Samsung AnyNet+, LG SimpLink, Sony Bravia Sync, etc.)
  • cec-utils package (installed automatically)
  • HDMI cable connected at boot time

For PC Monitors

  • Raspberry Pi with HDMI output
  • PC monitor connected via HDMI
  • One or more of: kms++-utils (kmsblank), ddcutil (installed automatically)
  • For DDC/CI: monitor must support DDC/CI (most do — check OSD settings)

FPP

  • Falcon Player 9.x or 10.x+

🚀 Installation

Via FPP Plugin Manager (Recommended)

  1. In FPP, go to Content Setup → Plugin Manager
  2. Click Available Plugins
  3. Find "HDMI CEC Control +" in the list
  4. Click Install
  5. The installer automatically installs cec-utils, kms++-utils, and ddcutil
  6. Navigate to HDMI CEC Control in the left menu
  7. Set your Display Mode and configure Auto Power if desired
  8. Click Test to verify commands reach your display

What the Installer Does

  • Installs cec-utils via apt (provides cec-client for CEC TVs)
  • Installs kms++-utils via apt (provides kmsblank for Pi OS Bookworm KMS display blanking)
  • Installs ddcutil via apt (provides DDC/CI control for PC monitors)
  • Loads i2c-dev kernel module and adds fpp user to i2c group (needed for ddcutil)
  • Creates a default config at /home/fpp/media/config/hdmi_cec.json

⚙️ Configuration

All settings live in:

/home/fpp/media/config/hdmi_cec.json

Settings Reference

Setting Default Description
enabled true Master enable/disable. When false, all commands are silently skipped.
display_mode "cec" "cec" for TVs using HDMI CEC; "vcgencmd" for PC monitors
adapter "auto" CEC adapter device path (e.g., /dev/cec0). "auto" lets cec-client find it.
hdmi_port 1 HDMI port number on the TV (1–4). Used by Set Active Source.
device_address 0 CEC device address. 0 = TV (broadcast). Rarely needs changing.
log_level 1 cec-client log verbosity (0–8). 1 = normal. 8 = maximum debug.
auto_on_start false Turn display ON automatically 15 seconds after FPP boots
auto_off_stop false Turn display OFF automatically when FPP shuts down

Example Config

{
  "enabled": true,
  "display_mode": "cec",
  "adapter": "auto",
  "hdmi_port": 1,
  "device_address": 0,
  "log_level": 1,
  "auto_on_start": true,
  "auto_off_stop": true
}

🎮 The 10 FPP Commands

HDMI CEC Control+ registers 10 FPP Commands — usable everywhere FPP accepts commands: playlists, sequences, the scheduler, GPIO inputs, scripts, and via the REST API.

CEC Commands (for TVs)

Command What It Does CEC String Sent
CEC - TV On Wakes the TV from standby on 0
CEC - TV Standby Puts the TV into standby/off standby 0
CEC - Set Active Source Tells TV to switch HDMI input to the Pi as (Active Source)
CEC - Set Inactive Source Tells TV the Pi is no longer the active source is (Inactive Source)
CEC - Volume Up Sends volume up to the TV/AV receiver volup
CEC - Volume Down Sends volume down to the TV/AV receiver voldown
CEC - Mute Toggle Sends mute/unmute toggle mute
CEC - Send Raw Command Sends any custom cec-client command string (your input)

Display Power Commands (for PC Monitors)

Command What It Does Method Used
vcgencmd - Display On Powers on the connected HDMI display 6-method fallback chain
vcgencmd - Display Off Powers off / blanks the HDMI display 6-method fallback chain

Note: The vcgencmd commands always use the fallback chain regardless of Display Mode setting. Use these specifically when you have a PC monitor and want an explicit power-control command in your playlist.

CEC Device Addresses

Address Device
0 TV (most common — broadcast to all)
1–4 Other CEC devices (AV receivers, set-top boxes)
5 Specific address — use Device Scan to find your devices

⚡ Auto Power (On at Start / Off at Stop)

Enable Auto Power to have your display turn on and off automatically with FPP — no manual intervention, no separate scheduler rules.

Auto On at Start

When enabled, FPP's pluginStart hook triggers a 15-second delayed TV On command after FPP boots. The 15-second delay is intentional — it gives HDMI time to negotiate and the CEC bus to initialize before sending commands.

Auto Off at Stop

When enabled, FPP's pluginStop hook sends a TV Standby command immediately when FPP shuts down.

Typical Show Setup

FPP Boot
  └─ 15s delay ──▶ CEC - TV On          (display wakes up)
       ↓
  Show runs all evening
       ↓
FPP Shutdown
  └─ CEC - TV Standby                   (display sleeps)

Or schedule the on/off via FPP's built-in scheduler for more precise timing:

  • 17:00 → FPP Command: CEC - TV On
  • 22:00 → FPP Command: CEC - TV Standby

🔗 Display Power Fallback Chain (vcgencmd Mode)

PC monitors don't support HDMI CEC. For them, HDMI CEC Control+ implements a 6-method fallback chain — it tries each method in order until one succeeds, logging each attempt.

Display Off/On requested
        │
        ▼
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Method 1: vcgencmd display_power 0/1                      │
│   Pi firmware command — works on legacy driver (pre-KMS)  │
│   Fails silently on KMS/Bookworm if state doesn't change  │
└───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                        │ failed?
                        ▼
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Method 2: tvservice -o / tvservice -p                     │
│   Older Pi OS (pre-Bookworm) display control              │
│   Not available on Pi OS Bookworm                         │
└───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                        │ failed?
                        ▼
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Method 3: kmsblank                                        │
│   KMS-level HDMI blanking — Pi OS Bookworm default        │
│   Cuts HDMI signal entirely (monitor goes to sleep)       │
│   Requires exclusive DRM master — fails if video is       │
│   playing (SLED, FPP video player holds DRM master)       │
└───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                        │ failed?
                        ▼
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Method 4: ddcutil DDC/CI                                  │
│   Monitor control over HDMI/I2C bus                       │
│   VCP D6=2 (standby), D6=1 (on)                          │
│   Works with most PC monitors (HP, Dell, etc.)            │
│   Works even when video player holds DRM master           │
└───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                        │ failed?
                        ▼
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Method 5: DRM sysfs                                       │
│   Write "off"/"on" to /sys/class/drm/card*-HDMI-A-*/dpms  │
│   Works on some KMS configurations                        │
└───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                        │ failed?
                        ▼
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Method 6: xrandr                                          │
│   X11 display control — only if X11 is running under FPP  │
│   Rare on most FPP setups                                 │
└───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                        │ all failed?
                        ▼
               Log error — display may not
               support software power control

Which Method Will Work for Me?

Your Setup Expected Method
Pi OS Bullseye (legacy driver) Method 1: vcgencmd
Pi OS Bookworm, no video player Method 3: kmsblank
Pi OS Bookworm, SLED/video running Method 4: ddcutil
HP, Dell, or most PC monitors Method 4: ddcutil (verify DDC/CI enabled in monitor OSD)
Older Pi OS Method 2: tvservice

Check the log at /home/fpp/media/logs/plugin-fpp-hdmi-cec.log to see exactly which method succeeded.

🔧 Using Commands in FPP

In a Playlist

Add a command step to any FPP playlist:

  1. Edit or create a playlist
  2. Add a new item → type "Command" or "Effect"
  3. Select the command (e.g., CEC - TV On)
  4. Place it at the start of the playlist to wake the display, or end to sleep it

In the Scheduler

FPP's built-in scheduler can trigger commands at specific times without a playlist:

  1. Content Setup → FPP Scheduler
  2. Add a new entry → Action: Run Command → pick CEC - TV On
  3. Set time: 17:00 daily

Via GPIO Trigger

Wire a physical button or sensor → FPP GPIO Inputs → on trigger: run CEC - TV On or CEC - TV Standby. Great for a "show start" button at the display.

Via REST API

Any device on your network can trigger CEC commands:

# Turn TV on
curl "http://<fpp-ip>/api/command/CEC%20-%20TV%20On"

# TV standby
curl "http://<fpp-ip>/api/command/CEC%20-%20TV%20Standby"

# Set active source
curl "http://<fpp-ip>/api/command/CEC%20-%20Set%20Active%20Source"

# Raw command
curl "http://<fpp-ip>/api/command/CEC%20-%20Send%20Raw%20Command/on%200"

From Home Assistant

# Turn TV on when show starts
action: rest_command.fpp_cec
data:
  cmd: "CEC%20-%20TV%20On"
rest_command:
  fpp_cec:
    url: "http://192.168.1.xxx/api/command/{{ cmd }}"
    method: get

📋 Command Presets

FPP's Command Presets system lets you save frequently used commands for quick access in the scheduler and other places.

HDMI CEC Control+ can automatically register all 9 CEC/vcgencmd commands as presets — one click in the settings page:

  1. Go to HDMI CEC Control settings
  2. Click "Add CEC Presets to FPP"
  3. All commands appear immediately in FPP's preset picker

To clean up, click "Remove CEC Presets" — only the CEC presets are removed; your other presets are untouched.

Presets are stored in /home/fpp/media/config/command_presets.json.

🔍 Device Scan

Not sure what CEC devices are on your HDMI bus? Use the Device Scan button on the settings page:

  1. Make sure your TV is powered on and the HDMI cable is connected
  2. Click Scan CEC Devices on the settings page
  3. The plugin runs echo 'scan' | cec-client -s -d 1 (15-second scan)
  4. Results show every CEC device: TV, AV receiver, set-top boxes, and more

Example Scan Output

requesting CEC bus information ...
CEC bus information
===================
device #0: TV
address:       0.0.0.0
active source: no
vendor:        Samsung
osd string:    TV
CEC version:   1.4
power status:  standby
language:      eng

device #1: Recording 1
address:       1.0.0.0
active source: yes
vendor:        Pulse-Eight
osd string:    fpp-hdmi-cec
CEC version:   1.4
power status:  on
language:      eng

The device scan helps you identify:

  • Whether CEC is working at all
  • Your TV's vendor name and CEC version
  • The Pi's CEC address on the bus (device #1 above)
  • Any other CEC devices (AV receivers, soundbars)

🧪 Test Panel

The settings page includes a full Test Panel so you can verify every command works before putting it in a playlist:

Button Tests
TV On Sends on 0 via CEC
TV Standby Sends standby 0 via CEC
Set Active Source Switches TV input to Pi
Set Inactive Source Releases Pi as active source
Volume Up CEC volume up
Volume Down CEC volume down
Mute Toggle CEC mute
Display On Runs the vcgencmd/fallback chain (on)
Display Off Runs the vcgencmd/fallback chain (off)
Display Status Shows all display power methods and their state

After each test, the last few log lines are shown directly in the UI — so you can see immediately whether the command succeeded and which method was used.

The Display Status button runs a full diagnostic:

  • vcgencmd current state
  • tvservice status
  • All DRM connectors and their DPMS state
  • kmsblank: installed / running
  • ddcutil: installed / detected displays
  • Pi model and video overlay config

⌨️ CEC Raw Commands

The CEC - Send Raw Command FPP command accepts any string that cec-client understands. This gives you access to the full CEC command set.

Common Raw Commands

Command String Effect
on 0 Power on the TV (same as CEC - TV On)
standby 0 Standby the TV (same as CEC - TV Standby)
standby 5 Standby a specific CEC device at address 5
as Set active source (Pi takes input)
is Set inactive source
volup Volume up
voldown Volume down
mute Mute toggle
scan Scan bus (use the UI Scan button instead)
tx 1F:82:10:00 Send raw CEC hex frame (advanced)

Using Raw Commands in FPP

In the FPP Command picker, select "CEC - Send Raw Command" and enter the command string as the argument. For example:

  • Send standby 5 to put your soundbar to sleep
  • Send tx 1F:82:10:00 to send a custom HDMI CEC frame

CEC Addressing Cheat Sheet

0.0.0.0  = TV (address 0)
1.0.0.0  = Recording Device 1 (often the Pi)
2.0.0.0  = Recording Device 2
3.0.0.0  = Tuner 1
5.0.0.0  = Audio System (AV receiver / soundbar)
F = broadcast (all devices)

🔍 Troubleshooting

TV doesn't respond to CEC commands

# Verify cec-utils is installed
which cec-client

# Check if a CEC adapter is detected
ls /dev/cec*

# Manual test — run a scan
echo 'scan' | timeout 15 cec-client -s -d 1

# Check the log
tail -30 /home/fpp/media/logs/plugin-fpp-hdmi-cec.log

Common causes:

Symptom Cause Fix
cec-client not found cec-utils not installed sudo apt install cec-utils
no CEC adapters found HDMI not connected, or TV doesn't support CEC Check cable; check TV CEC setting in its menu
timed out (10s) CEC bus not responding Ensure TV is connected and CEC is enabled in its settings
TV has CEC but won't respond CEC feature disabled in TV menu Enable "AnyNet+", "SimpLink", "Bravia Sync", or equivalent in TV settings

TV CEC setting names by brand

Brand CEC Setting Name
Samsung AnyNet+
LG SimpLink
Sony Bravia Sync
Panasonic VIERA Link
Philips EasyLink
Sharp Aquos Link
Vizio CEC (in Settings menu)
Generic HDMI CEC, HDMI Control

Make sure this feature is enabled in your TV's settings menu. It is often disabled by default.

Display Off doesn't work (PC monitor)

  1. Run the Display Status test from the settings page — it shows all methods and their state
  2. Check the log: tail -30 /home/fpp/media/logs/plugin-fpp-hdmi-cec.log
  3. Look for which method was tried and why each failed

kmsblank fails with "DRM master conflict": Another process (FPP video player, SLED) holds DRM master. kmsblank requires exclusive KMS access. Use ddcutil instead:

sudo apt install ddcutil
modprobe i2c-dev
sudo ddcutil detect   # verify your monitor is found
sudo ddcutil setvcp D6 2   # standby

Enable DDC/CI in your monitor's OSD settings if ddcutil doesn't find it.

vcgencmd always returns "display_power=1" (KMS false positive): On Pi OS Bookworm with KMS driver, vcgencmd's display_power reads as 1 even when the display is off — it doesn't actually control the display in KMS mode. The plugin detects this and falls through to the next method automatically.

"Plugin disabled — skipping command" in the log

The Enabled toggle in settings is off. Go to HDMI CEC Control settings and enable the plugin.

Auto On doesn't fire on boot

  • Verify Auto On at Start is checked in settings
  • Check the log: grep "auto_on_start" /home/fpp/media/logs/plugin-fpp-hdmi-cec.log
  • The command fires 15 seconds after pluginStart — check if FPP boot logs show pluginStart for this plugin
  • If the TV CEC scan shows the TV at address 0 but on a non-standard port, try setting hdmi_port in settings

ddcutil doesn't find my monitor

# Load i2c-dev module
sudo modprobe i2c-dev

# Add fpp user to i2c group
sudo usermod -a -G i2c fpp

# Try detection
sudo ddcutil detect

# If "No displays found", verify DDC/CI is enabled in your monitor's OSD
# Look for "DDC/CI" or "Input Control" in the monitor menu

📁 File Reference

File Description
fpp_install.sh Installer — installs cec-utils, kms++-utils, ddcutil; creates default config
callbacks.sh FPP lifecycle hooks — pluginStart (auto on), pluginStop (auto off)
scripts/cec_command.sh Core CEC runner — reads config, calls cec-client with 10s timeout
scripts/display_power.sh Mode-aware display power — delegates to CEC or vcgencmd chain
scripts/display_power_direct.sh Always runs the 6-method vcgencmd/fallback chain, ignores Display Mode
commands/cec_tv_on.sh FPP Command: TV On
commands/cec_tv_standby.sh FPP Command: TV Standby
commands/cec_active_source.sh FPP Command: Set Active Source
commands/cec_inactive_source.sh FPP Command: Set Inactive Source
commands/cec_volume_up.sh FPP Command: Volume Up
commands/cec_volume_down.sh FPP Command: Volume Down
commands/cec_mute.sh FPP Command: Mute Toggle
commands/cec_raw.sh FPP Command: Send Raw Command (takes arg)
commands/vcgencmd_on.sh FPP Command: Display On (vcgencmd/fallback chain)
commands/vcgencmd_off.sh FPP Command: Display Off (vcgencmd/fallback chain)
commands/descriptions.json FPP Command definitions
www/index.php Settings UI — config form, test panel, device scan, log viewer
www/save.php Config save endpoint
www/action.php AJAX endpoint — test commands, scan, log tail, preset management, status
/home/fpp/media/config/hdmi_cec.json Runtime config
/home/fpp/media/logs/plugin-fpp-hdmi-cec.log Full command / method / error log
/home/fpp/media/config/command_presets.json FPP command presets (shared with FPP)

❓ FAQ

Q: My TV supports CEC but the commands are slow / delayed. Is that normal?
A: Yes — CEC is inherently slow. Most TVs take 1–3 seconds to respond to a power command. The plugin uses a 10-second timeout to accommodate slow responders. This is a CEC protocol limitation, not a plugin issue.

Q: Can I control my soundbar or AV receiver separately from the TV?
A: Yes — use "CEC - Send Raw Command" with the device's CEC address. Run a Device Scan first to find your soundbar's address, then send standby 5 (or whatever its address is) to control it independently.

Q: Does this work with HDMI switches?
A: It depends on the switch. Passive switches usually pass CEC through fine. Active switches (with their own remote) sometimes intercept or block CEC. If CEC commands work when the Pi is the only device but not through the switch, the switch is the culprit.

Q: kmsblank works great but my SLED video prop broke Display Off. What do I do?
A: This is expected — SLED's video player holds DRM master, which kmsblank requires. Install ddcutil (sudo apt install ddcutil) and enable DDC/CI in your monitor's OSD settings. ddcutil controls the monitor via I2C and doesn't need DRM master — it works even when video is playing.

Q: Can I turn the TV off mid-show and back on again?
A: Yes — use CEC - TV Standby and CEC - TV On as FPP Commands in your sequence or via the scheduler. The plugin handles each call independently.

Q: Will this work on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W?
A: Yes — CEC is handled by the Pi's HDMI hardware, not the CPU. It works on any Pi with an HDMI port.

Q: Can I use Display Mode = CEC for the TV but also control a separate PC monitor?
A: Yes — set Display Mode to CEC, and use the dedicated vcgencmd - Display On/Off commands in your playlist for the PC monitor. Those commands always use the fallback chain regardless of Display Mode.

🤝 Contributing

Found a bug? TV brand that needs special handling? New fallback method idea? PRs and issues welcome!

  1. Fork the repo
  2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-feature
  3. Commit your changes
  4. Open a pull request against main

Bug reports: github.com/focusedonsound/fpp-hdmi-cec/issues

🎉 Credits

Author: Nick Scilingo (FocusedOnSound)

Built with ❤️ for every Christmas lighting enthusiast who's ever wanted their display to just turn itself on at show time.

Part of the FocusedOnSound FPP Plugin Collection:

  • 🎅 SLED Smart Letters to Santa — sensor-driven Santa Mailbox with video playback, car counting, and Home Assistant integration
  • 📣 Announcement Assistant — play pre-recorded announcements over show audio with automatic PulseAudio ducking

About

☕ Support: buymeacoffee.com/jm9pwtesct — HDMI CEC control plugin for Falcon Player (FPP) — TV on/off, input switching, and volume via CEC

Resources

Readme
License
Activity

Stars

1 star

Watchers

0 watching

Forks

0 forks
Report repository

Releases

Sponsor this project

Packages

Contributors

Languages