TV Simulator Effect

[Def3nder]

Hi @Aircoookie,

there had been wishes for an TV-effect for a long time and I looked at various solutions with NeoPixels ...
(e.g. #938 opened by fribse)

The most of them looked quite ugly ...
...but then I stumbled upon the version from Adafruit: https://learn.adafruit.com/fake-tv-light-for-engineers

This one was way better and I adapted it to work with WLED.

It's based on color-scans from real movies - thus it does look way more realistic :-)

...greetings from Berlin,
Ralf

[Aircoookie]

This effect looks quite realistic when viewing through a window or room door indeed :)
At some places it is too dark I believe - but movies are also dark and switching between solid and TV mode once put it at a different offset that was brighter.
I did add some defines because the mode uses about 18kB of flash, which is quite much but of course we have enough space to have it enabled by default :)

[poblabs]

I think this is great! Thanks for this! One question - it only displays 1 color on the segment - where real tv (and the fake tv itself) is multiple colors. Does it make sense to have some more colors among the segment?

[Def3nder]

Hi @Aircoookie ,
good idea (with the define) - I thought about a kind of algorithm that simlulates the color changes without the need of the "real color data" - maybe we can have two versions: one with the big data from tv_colors.h and another with "only" calcculated ones...

Hi @poblabs ,
yes this uses the whole stripe in one color - target is to simulate a room with a TV inside - so you must not see the TV / the LED-stripe directly - this could easily be seen as "fake TV" then.
...and: if you do not see the light-source directly, it does not matter whether you have one single color or a bunch of them - they will mix to the target color anyway.

As "color-source" I used the pictures from here: https://thecolorsofmotion.com/films
I choose 43 "interesting looking ones" from there and combinded them in one Photoshop picture (each movie one pixel-line) and then cropped a bitmap with 18 movies (500 pixel each) forr the tv_color data.

A python script does read the pixels and converts the 8-bit RGB color to a 2-byte value (5/6/5 bits for RGB).
The effect does convert the colors back and displays them with channging duration (0,25 to 2,5 sec) and with changinf fading (0 to total-duration) and inserts with an 1/3 chance a "direct cut" (no fading at all.

This is basically it. The brightness needs to be adjusted depending on how mach pixels the LED-strip has.
I've tested it with the 316-pixel strip of my son in his room and this was way too bright at 50% brightness.

[poblabs]

Thanks for the explanation! I actually own the proper fake tv device and can't wait to check this out - would much rather have the control WLED offers!

[Def3nder]

Hi @Aircoookie ,

I looked at your define - this disables only the effect code, but does not prevent the tv_colors.h from being included.
I think we need another ifdef around the "include "tv_color.h" in the header of FX.cpp, don't we ?

[beltracri]

Hello everyone, I'm not skilled in programming/compiling, is there anyone that can help me to find a .bin file witch include the TV simulator effect?
This maybe a stupid request, I hope that someone can help me!

[Legsmaniac]

@beltracri The TV Sim Effect is now built in.

[beltracri]

@beltracri The TV Sim Effect is now built in.
Can't find it in pre compiled .bin release!

[Legsmaniac]

@beltracri I'm sure Aircookie posted a bin somewhere but then again, it depends what board you want it for.

[beltracri]

@beltracri I'm sure Aircookie posted a bin somewhere but then again, it depends what board you want it for.

D1 mini, ok, I'll try to search

[Legsmaniac]

@beltracri Just popped one onto WeTransfer for you - https://we.tl/t-81hBmKXj85

[beltracri]

@beltracri Just popped one onto WeTransfer for you - https://we.tl/t-81hBmKXj85

Really great!!! Many thanks!

[Legsmaniac]

@beltracri You're welcome.
Just realised that was the Dev version (alpha) I sent you. It shouldn't be a problem, it does work.
Just in case, I have uploaded the latest Master V12 Beta for you as well - https://we.tl/t-LfcSVgOY6h
Any problems, just holler.
Let us know how you get on.

[beltracri]

@beltracri You're welcome.
Just realised that was the Dev version (alpha) I sent you. It shouldn't be a problem, it does work.
Just in case, I have uploaded the latest Master V12 Beta for you as well - https://we.tl/t-LfcSVgOY6h
Any problems, just holler.
Let us know how you get on.

Many thanks...
I actually run 11.0, could I update via manual OTA without losing HA and preset settings?

[Legsmaniac]

You should be able to, yes.
I certainly did.

[beltracri]

You should be able to, yes.
I certainly did.

I did it... Works like a charm!!!

[Legsmaniac]

@beltracri Excellent! 😁 👍