The document describes how to modify a digital picture frame and connect it to an AZBox ME receiver to display additional information. The picture frame is modified by flashing it with custom firmware that allows it to receive images over USB from the receiver. Plugins are installed on the receiver to generate and send images to the frame to display the current channel logo, EPG data, and weather forecasts. Some troubleshooting is needed to get all components working properly due to missing libraries, but once configured, the setup allows the picture frame to function as an extended display for the receiver.

1. Digital Picture Frame
Digital
Picture
Frame for the
■ Channel logo and EPG
information are shown on
the digital picture frame.
AZBox ME
• low-cost extension of the receiver display
• channel logo and EPG data of the current channel
can be displayed permanently
• also available for weather forecasts with data
from the Internet
• some Linux experience recommended
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2. Digital Picture Frame
Large and Beautiful
for that to really work the picture frame
obviously needs to come with a USB in-
terface. While most digital picture frames
Channel Display –
these days fulfil this requirement without
even the blink of an eye, most are set
up as a USB host, which means the USB
interface can only be used to read out a
the DIY way USB storage medium and to display the
image files that are stored on that me-
dium. Unfortunately, those models won’t
Vitor Martins Augusto
Many viewers are perfectly happy with
a conventional set-top box that can be
used for watching TV, but nothing else.
For those of you with an interest in Linux
receivers, however, there are endless op-
tions to customise such a receiver, and
hundreds of plug-ins and extensions that
add new functions to the operating sys-
tem.
For this workshop we looked at some-
thing really neat: We took a conventional
digital picture frame and added some
modification so that it could be used as an
information panel in conjunction with our
AZBox ME. It then displays stylish chan-
nel logos, content information on the cur-
rent and next events or even the weather
forecast for your city. With the setup we
used it is possible to add a whole range of
tremendous features since text and im-
ages can be transferred using HTTP.
But let’s start at the beginning. How
come a conventional digital picture frame
can be turned into an additional display
for the AZBox ME? The trick lies in modi- 1
fying the firmware of the digital picture
frame to such an extent that it is able to
receive image files via its USB port that all too simple: The receiver generates an 1, 2, 3: A digital picture frame displays
is switched into slave mode. The frame image file with the required content and the logo of the currently selected
channel. Whenever a new channel
then can be used to display all images sends the file to the picture frame which is selected the display will change
sent from the Linux receiver. It sounds in turn instantly displays that file. In order accordingly.
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128 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 06-07-08/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com

3. SPF-85H, SPF-85P, SPF-87H, SPF-105P,
SPF-107H and SPF-700T models. Numer-
ous other inexpensive makes can also be
used, provided they come with an AX206
controller chipset and a resolution of 320
x 200 pixels.
These AX206 picture frames are
equipped with an integrated battery pack
which is of no use to us since the display
draws its power from the USB connection
anyway. It’s a wise move to remove the
battery pack since this eliminates a po-
tential source of problems. You only need
to unscrew and remove four screws on
the backside, lift the back cover and look
for the blue battery pack which is hard to
miss. Cut the two (red and black) wires
using a small sidecutter, keeping in mind
to make the cut as close as possible to
the circuit board without risking a short
circuit.
Now that all hardware requirements
are met you need to install the lcd4linux
plug-in on your AZBox ME. Our first two
attempts on one of the two official firm-
1
ware versions were not met with success
because the lcd4linux plug-in requires
1. Digital picture frame with the AX206 our Linux receiver we first have to modify some libraries that were missing in our
chipset. These models are perfectly suited its default firmware. Instead of waiting firmware. These are the lacking libraries
for our workshop. for a user to press a button in order to we obtained from the Internet:
2. The receiver menu can also be displayed activate the connection to the PC the pic- • libpython2.6-1.0_2.6.7-ml8. 2_mipsel.ipk
on the digital picture frame.
ture frame has to react immediately to • python-imaging_1.1.6-ml1_mipsel. ipk
3. Even the weather forecast can be
shown on the picture frame. All required all incoming files and must display them • python-textutils_2.6.7-ml8. 2_mipsel.ipk
data is downloaded thanks to the Internet without delay. In addition, we had to install the follow-
connection of the AZBox. Fully modified firmware versions are ing extension packages:
work with the AZBox ME. available for two specific types of digital • python-codecs
There are, however, some types of picture frames. If you search the web you • python-datetime
digital picture frames that allow access- will easily find them. All you need to make • python-imaging
ing their internal memory right from a sure is the right firmware version is used • python-textutils
PC, which means the picture frame must for the corresponding frame. You should Then we were finally able to install
come with an USB slave connection. In also make a point of flashing the new the lcd4linux plug-in and complete all
such a case the picture frame acts like firmware precisely as you are instructed. the configuration steps. Unfortunately,
any other USB device that can be con- Some digital picture frames from Sam- however, the LCD display of our digi-
trolled from a PC. If we now decide to sung are suitable for our experiment, tal picture frame remained dark. As it
hook up such a suitable picture frame to notably the SPF-72H, SPF-75H, SPF-83H, turned out our Linux distribution was still
2 3
130 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 06-07-08/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com

4. 1 8
Configuration of the lcd4linux
plug-in and media player settings:
3: The linux4lcd file can be found in the plug-in menu.
TFT
4: This is where linux4lcd should appear after successful
installation of the plug-in and re-start of the receiver.
5: It is possible to save the numerous configuration options of
Flashing
the linux4lcd plug-in and retrieve them at a later stage – when you
want or need to update the receiver’s firmware, for instance.
6: The first menu item takes care of the basic settings of the
picture frame.
1, 2: Using a tool with the
modified firmware that is stored in 7: You can define the city for the weather forecast here – the
the archive you first have to flash plug-in then uses the Internet connection of the AZBox ME to load
the digital picture frame with the the corresponding data and to keep the forecast up-to-date.
help of a PC. 8: The next step of the configuration process deals with the default
2 layout that is comes up every time the receiver is switched on. This
is where you can choose to display the channel logo, among other
things.
9: You decide about how your external panel looks – all elements
can be arranged freely on the display. 9
10: Another option group allows activating a different display
not entirely complete, even with all the layout whenever the media player is active. It is possible to show
the title of the currently playing movie or song information.
above listed libraries and packages in-
11: Due to the sheer range of options it takes some time until the
stalled. Thankfully there is the Internet display looks just the way you like it. Luckily, the plug-in visualises
and after a quick search we discovered all changes right away so that you can always keep an eye on the
a special lcd4linux plug-in which – once final result.
installed – replaced the original plug-in
by the same name. The new plug-in once 5
and for all featured all required routines
so that we were finally able to use our
picture frame. If you speak or understand
German you may want to look at the
German-language MyAZBox forum for a
detailed summary of all required steps:
http://www.myazbox.de/forum/index.
php?page=Thread&postID=52421. resolutions for different purposes such as frame has been running smoothly and 6
Thanks to the plug-in a number of op- OSD inserts, for example. flawlessly ever since. Occasional hiccups
tions are available to display the name of We do have to admit at this point that do not bother us any longer since this
10
the currently selected channel, show con- the whole setup was not yet 100% reli- special version of the picture frame firm-
tent information on the current and next able and after a few minutes the picture ware goes into a stable mode whenever a
events and the like. frame went black and could only be re- problem occurs.
The absolute high point is a feature activated by turning it off and then on In summary, we can state that our
that allows displaying channel logos. All again. At the same time we found out that AZBox ME never ceases to surprise and
you need to do is copy them to the /usr/ a new firmware distribution for the AZBox impress us, and now it even comes with
shared/picons directory. Since standard ME was being launched and obviously we an external colour display for additional
channel logo packages have a different gave it a go right away. information such as channel logo, event
resolution than the digital picture frame What a wise move that was, because name, duration, weather, etc. What’s
we recommend the installation of dedi- all that was left for us to do was to install more, we now have installed three entire-
cated picons packages for the picture the current lcd4linux plug-in for the pic- ly different firmware versions on our AZ-
frame. If required, these packages can ture frame to come back to life. It was not Box ME and it’s for us to decide whether
even be copied to a separate directory even necessary to manually install addi- we only want to watch TV or rather prefer
so that they are available with different tional libraries or packages – the picture to explore the depths of the DX world.
7
3 4 11
132 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 06-07-08/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com www.TELE-satellite.com — 06-07-08/2012 — TELE-satellite International — 全球发行量最大的数字电视杂志 133