Ambilight with RPi4, hdmi grabber and Denon AV-reciever

Quote from Biggles

Strange, perhaps they've changed the way it works on the 700s but it's still worded the same way in the 500 manuals.

What do you get for the below under 'Information' when set to Monitor 1? On mine 1 and 2 say the same thing and when set to Auto, Monitor 2 changes to the grabbers info.

With "Monitor 1"

With "Auto (Dual)"

However, even though it does show HDR/DV/HLG, my Nvidia Shield now reports the attached monitor(s) don't support HDR, so I can't play any of that content.

Quote from pclin

@Biggles
What happens when you play an HDCP signal?

Normally you shouldn't get a picture with either monitor.
That should actually only work with FeinTech Splitter/Matrix or HDFury.

Regards pclin

Well this is why I am excited: it does work for me on Netflix / Amazon / Etc through my Nvidia Shield. Just no HDR yet Thinking of trying something like this, since it's not too expensive: Splitter Multi Resolution J Tech Digital downscale

Possible solution would be to insert a splitter like FeinTech (with TV output as priority) BEFORE Denon and make Denon to output HDR->SDR video to grabber only. But in my case I want the setup to be the simplest as possible (have some issues with FeinTech before anyway) and I dont want to play like that.
In this scenario x2700 for HDR is overshot, simply x1.00 with one HDMI output should be sufficient.

Another solution for AV receivers with 2 HDMI outputs could be the use of an EDID emulator, which read out and save the data from a connected monitor.
However, the use of a splitter is more universal (FeinTech like or HDFury)

AVR HDMI Out 1 > TV
AVR HDMI Out 2 > EDID Emulator > Digital Grabber

Both HDMI Out see the same EDID

------------------------------------------------

AVR HDMI Out 1 > HDMI IN Splitter > HDMI Out 1 TV
> HDMI Out 2 Digital Grabber

Splitter Copy EDID, Scaler FullHD for HDMI Out 2
With a 4K 60 Hz grabber you can also do without a scaler

Regards pclin

Any recommendations for a proper EDID Emulator which still supports HDMI output?

google...

I haven't tested it, so I can't comment on it, but it reads as if it could work
EDID Emulator
EDID Emulator

I have already used EDID emulators at work, for example when a projector cannot do audio (EDID) and therefore the transmission path does not release audio for the DSP.

Regards pclin

Received an EDID Emulator today but appeared to be dead on arrival. Tried with several monitors and cables but didn't seem to flash the lights at all to show it copied the EDID source. Will receive another one later and will post my results.

On another note: I am very impressed by the cheap WisFox Videoaufnahmekarte Videograbber Aufnehmen Übertragungen r. After some tweaking it now grabs at 640x480 at 60fps, making the Ambilight super responsive, even on DHCP protected material like Netflix! Not bad for a 18 euro HDMI USB grabber!

Update: the EDID Emulator DOES work, but only when connected directly to the Receiver monitor, not on the side of the grabber. So now I successfully was able to copy the EDID settings from my TV and Denon now sees both outputs as the same capabilities:

However: I do not get a video signal into the grabber. And when outputting directly to my TV, through the EDID Emulator from monitor 2, my signal flickers, so I do get output but that then drops and appears again continuously. Might still be a flakey EDID Emulator so will try again with another one. There is some hope!

Edit:
I managed to fix the flickering by redoing EDID settings with another cable and (non ARC) port. The grabber is now also working but ONLY when "4K/8K Signal Format" on the receiver to "Standard", meaning it still won't do HDR. If I change this to "Enhanced" making HDR available (see here), the grabber input stays black. Almost there, but not sure if this can be solved.

@pclin You are using the Feintech splitter with the WisFox USB grabber and that works 100% right? Because then I will probably go for that solution as well.

Does it also work with DHCP protected content like Netflix?

Can you please tell us which EDID emulators you tested.
There are clear differences in quality and price.

For me Feintech splitter with the WisFox USB grabber and that works 100% right!
4K HDR works from these devices, about HDCP I can not say anything.
However, I cannot assess all the devices that are playing.
I use a 5-port HDMI 4K HDR HDCP2.2 switch and my Dreamboxes and PC's.
Hyperion-ng Video

Regards pclin

I used this one and it actually works like it should (in the end). It's just the usb grabber that now doesn't get input (with HDR output) not sure of this is related to the EDID Emulator or because of the grabber itself.

I want to give it one more go later tonight, and otherwise I will order the Feintech splitter/scaler if that also works for Netflix and such

Edit: The conclusion is: as soon as I sent out 10-bit content, the usb grabber's input is just black. I think it's time to try something else. At least I can now now switch to 10-bit/HDR content, so the EDID Emulator does it's job.

Still surprised the USB Grabber gets black input when the signal is 10-Bit. According to its spec it "supports input color spaces of RGB/YUV420/YUV422/YUV444". The EDID Emulator is not the problem, because if I use this output directly to the TV it DOES pass 10-bit content...

Took a gamble and ordered this relatively cheap https://www.amazon.nl/gp/product/B08C9Z5BD2?tag=hyperioforum-21&ie=UTF8&psc=1 and it worked instantly. Smooth 60fps and HDR without the use of an EDID Emulator straight from monitor 2 of my Denon. DHCP protected content also works.

Figured this was more worth its money then a splitter/scaler which I can't really use for anything else. Now to fix tone-mapping automatically somehow, but there are several options for that. Thanks for thinking along!

@Puck
Welcher Chip Hersteller ist das?
Mit usb-devices anzeigen lassen die Zeilen Vendor und Manufacturer würden mich interessieren.

Super wäre auch noch die Ausgabe vom
v4l2-ctl --list-ctrls
v4l2-ctl --list-formats-ext

Hast du den an USB2.0 oder USB3.0 angeschlossen?

HDCP2.2 steht nicht in der Beschreibung, kannst du dazu etwas sagen?

danke und gruß pclin

@pclin I do no speak German, but I can understand it a little!

It's https://www.amazon.nl/gp/product/B08C9Z5BD2?tag=hyperioforum-21&ie=UTF8&psc=1 . It's connected to one of the USB 3.0 ports on the Raspberry Pi 4. It works with 4K / HDR on 60fps, even on Netflix / Amazon / Disney+ / PS4 Pro. No idea what DHCP version is supported but it works on all my content (so far).

usb-devices gives me

T:  Bus=01 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=01 Cnt=01 Dev#=  3 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=ef(misc ) Sub=02 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=eba4 ProdID=7588 Rev=03.28
S:  Manufacturer=USB3.0 HD Audio Capture
S:  Product=USB3.0 HD Video Capture
S:  SerialNumber=HU123450
C:  #Ifs= 4 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=200mA
I:  If#=0x0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=01(audio) Sub=01 Prot=00 Driver=snd-usb-audio
I:  If#=0x1 Alt= 1 #EPs= 1 Cls=01(audio) Sub=02 Prot=00 Driver=snd-usb-audio
I:  If#=0x2 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=0e(video) Sub=01 Prot=00 Driver=uvcvideo
I:  If#=0x3 Alt= 1 #EPs= 1 Cls=0e(video) Sub=02 Prot=00 Driver=uvcvideo

v4l2-ctl --list-ctrls gives me

ioctl: VIDIOC_ENUM_FMT
    Type: Video Capture


    [0]: 'MJPG' (Motion-JPEG, compressed)
        Size: Discrete 1920x1080
            Interval: Discrete 0.017s (60.000 fps)
            Interval: Discrete 0.033s (30.000 fps)
        Size: Discrete 1280x720
            Interval: Discrete 0.017s (60.000 fps)
            Interval: Discrete 0.033s (30.000 fps)
        Size: Discrete 960x540
            Interval: Discrete 0.017s (60.000 fps)
            Interval: Discrete 0.033s (30.000 fps)
        Size: Discrete 800x450
            Interval: Discrete 0.017s (60.000 fps)
            Interval: Discrete 0.033s (30.000 fps)
        Size: Discrete 640x360
            Interval: Discrete 0.017s (60.000 fps)
            Interval: Discrete 0.033s (30.000 fps)

v4l2-ctl --list-ctrls doesn't return anything

Like I said: it's cheap

Sorry that I asked in German.

Do you use USB2.0 or 3.0?
I suspect USB2.0 when I see your results.

Regards pclin

Like I said: it's connected to one of the two USB 3.0 ports (the blue ports) of the Pi so I assumed
it's using that...

OK, thanks
Then the grabber cannot deliverPixel Format: 'YUYV'

Regards pclin

Quote from pclin

OK, thanks
Then the grabber cannot deliverPixel Format: 'YUYV'

Regards pclin

Yeah this doesn't show up indeed. Not sure what the advantage of that is by the way, besides that I understand processing such format is faster. I have never gotten any artefacts or such in the preview or on the LEDs.

Je ne crois pas avoir lu cette solution mais peut être à tester afin de ne pas dépendre d'un splitter qui fera downscaller les 2 sorties du splitter de l'ampli ou si on ne se sert pas d'amplificateur le splitter et avoir du SDR pour le grabber et HDR vers la TV vu que c'est les sorties qui s'équilibrent avec la sortie la plus basse
.
Source-> amplificateur | -> splitter SDR -> grabber -> PI
| -> TV
Source-> splitter 4k HDR |-> splitter SDR-> grabber -> PI
|-> TV
Avec cette configuration on garderait les sorties HDR 4k HDCP2.2 etc vers la TV et vers le pi on aurait un downscalle vers SDR avant le grabber?

qu'est ce que vous en pensez ??

Quote from Swatmorpheus

Je ne crois pas avoir lu cette solution mais peut être à tester afin de ne pas dépendre d'un splitter qui fera downscaller les 2 sorties du splitter de l'ampli ou si on ne se sert pas d'amplificateur le splitter et avoir du SDR pour le grabber et HDR vers la TV vu que c'est les sorties qui s'équilibrent avec la sortie la plus basse
.
Source-> amplificateur | -> splitter SDR -> grabber -> PI
| -> TV
Source-> splitter 4k HDR |-> splitter SDR-> grabber -> PI
|-> TV
Avec cette configuration on garderait les sorties HDR 4k HDCP2.2 etc vers la TV et vers le pi on aurait un downscalle vers SDR avant le grabber?

qu'est ce que vous en pensez ??

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En anglais mon ami, en anglais...