TCL TV Control Driver v1.88

Smart Home Programming

Overview

This driver controls TCL Android TVs over ADB via TCP/IP. Full two-way feedback including Live TV channel name, EPG (current + next program, description, rating, end-time countdown), HDMI-connected-device state via CEC, input-source tracking, and app launch/state detection.

Web Object UI

The driver includes a rich Web Object UI for RTI touchpanels – D-pad, transport, app launcher, Live TV info (channel name, program title, rating, time left), and HDMI source switching with highlight of the active input.

URL format:

https://shpdrivers.services/tcltv/?mac=<PROCESSOR_MAC>_<DEVICE_IP>&transport=ws

Where:

<PROCESSOR_MAC> – 12-char processor MAC, no colons (e.g. 0015260AEC70). Find it in Integration Designer under the processor's properties, or on the sticker underneath.

<DEVICE_IP> – the IP of the TCL TV (same value you entered in the driver's "Device IP" setting).

Example:

https://shpdrivers.services/tcltv/?mac=0015260AEC70_192.168.1.79&transport=ws

Multiple drivers on one processor:

Each driver instance gets its own URL using that instance's device IP, so each Web Object tracks a different TV.

Driver 1 (TV at .65): https://shpdrivers.services/tcltv/?mac=0015260AEC70_192.168.1.65&transport=ws

Driver 2 (TV at .66): https://shpdrivers.services/tcltv/?mac=0015260AEC70_192.168.1.66&transport=ws

System Variables

Every piece of feedback is exposed as a System Variable in Integration Designer – bind them to labels, use them in macro conditions, etc.

Device:

Connected – boolean connection state

CurrentInput – "HDMI 1", "HDMI 2", "Tuner", "Composite", "Component"

DeviceName, AndroidVersion, DeviceMAC

Tuner / Live TV:

ChannelName – current channel as scanned by the TV ("SBS VICELAND HD", "Channel 9 Brisbane", etc.)

ChannelSID, ChannelTSID, ChannelOnID – DVB service identifiers

EPG (current and next program):

EpgNowTitle – program title now playing

EpgNowDesc – broadcaster synopsis (when supplied)

EpgNowStart, EpgNowEnd – UTC ms timestamps (for countdowns)

EpgNowRating – G, PG, M, MA15+, AV15+, R18+

EpgNextTitle, EpgNextDesc, EpgNextStart

HDMI CEC (per port 1-4):

Hdmi1DeviceName – "Apple TV", "Sonos Beam", etc. (populated when a CEC-capable device is plugged in)

Hdmi1DevicePower – boolean, true when the connected device is on

Events (macro triggers):

CONNECTED, DISCONNECTED, AUTH_REQUIRED

INPUT_CHANGED, CHANNEL_CHANGED, EPG_UPDATED

HDMI1_DEVICE_ON, HDMI1_DEVICE_OFF, HDMI1_DEVICE_ATTACHED, HDMI1_DEVICE_DETACHED (× 4 ports)

SCREEN_ON, SCREEN_OFF, APP_CHANGED

Setup

Step 1: Enable ADB over network on the TV

Settings > System > About > "Android TV OS build" (tap 7 times to enable Developer Mode)

Settings > System > Developer options

Enable "USB debugging" – or if the option is named "Network debugging", enable that

Step 2: Find the TV's IP address

Settings > Network & Internet > select your connection

Static IP reservation on your router is recommended so it doesn't change

Step 3: Configure the driver

Enter the TV's IP address in the "Device IP" setting

Leave ADB Port at 5555 (default)

Step 4: Authorise the connection

On first connect the TV will show "Allow USB debugging from this computer?" – tick "Always allow" and hit OK

The driver handles re-authorisation automatically if the TV ever loses the key

Live TV Channel Names

The driver auto-scrapes channel names directly from the TV's internal scan database on every channel change – no mapping needed for most cases.

Optional "SID to Channel Name Mapping" config field lets you override names if you want cleaner labels (e.g. "9 Brisbane" instead of "Channel 9 Brisbane"). Format: SID=Name separated by semicolons or newlines.

EPG data (program title, description, rating, times) is loaded automatically after each channel change by briefly triggering the TV's built-in info bar. Current + next program are exposed as sysvars and fire an EPG_UPDATED event.

TV-model differences for EPG:

Newer TCL sets (e.g. BeyondTV2, Android 11+) log a full programme schedule via the EpgDataModel.transformEpgInfo tag. The driver scrapes this and populates BOTH the current programme (EpgNowTitle etc.) and the upcoming programme (EpgNextTitle etc.).

Older sets (e.g. TCL BeyondTV, Android 9) only emit the currently-displayed programme via the com.tcl.infoBar.BigInfoBarFocus tag – one programme per INFO press. On these TVs the driver populates EpgNowTitle / EpgNowStart / EpgNowEnd / EpgNowDesc / EpgNowRating but the EpgNext* sysvars stay empty. There is no way to retrieve the next programme on these older models.

Wake-from-Sleep Limitation (Older Firmware)

2020-era TCL firmware (model codename BeyondTV, Android 9, build AP04): this generation of TCL Android TV genuinely cannot be woken over IP once it has entered standby. The entire SoC suspends – ADB (port 5555), the Cast receiver (port 8009), the DIAL listener (port 8008), and even ICMP ping all stop responding within roughly 30 seconds of KEYCODE_SLEEP. Tested and confirmed not working on this firmware:

KEYCODE_WAKEUP, KEYCODE_POWER via ADB

Wake-on-LAN magic packets (the WoL setting does not exist in this firmware)

Cast Channel CONNECT + LAUNCH on port 8009

DIAL HTTP launch on port 8008

Fresh ADB CNXN handshake (TCP connects, handshake never completes)

Only the IR receiver and the HDMI-CEC chip remain alive in standby. The working wake paths on these older sets are:

Physical IR remote

HDMI-CEC PowerOn from a connected source (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire Stick, or any AVR with CEC pass-through) – the source's power-on signal reaches the TV through the HDMI port's CEC chip, which stays awake even in deep standby

An IR blaster wired to the RTI processor pointed at the TV's IR receiver

Recommended workaround on these TVs:

In Activity Selected macros, send the power-on to a CEC-capable source's driver first (e.g. Apple TV, Chromecast, or your AVR if the TV is on its HDMI ARC); the source CEC-wakes the TV. The TCL driver reconnects automatically once the TV is up.

Optionally enable the Keep Device Awake config setting and avoid sending Power \ Sleep on Room OFF. The TV stays on, never enters the unwakeable deep state, and CEC handles the wake on the rare occasions it does sleep.

Power \ Sleep itself works correctly – it is only the wake direction that fails on this firmware.

Newer TCL Google TVs (Android 11+, codename BeyondTV2 and later) implement the standard Android "Network Standby" feature and do not have this limitation – all IP wake paths work as expected.

HDMI Input Switching

The driver discovers the TV's HDMI / Tuner / AV input IDs at connect time via the Android TvInputManager, then switches inputs using the native content://android.media.tv/passthrough intent – reliable on TCL where the standard HDMI keycodes don't work.

Available inputs: HDMI 1, HDMI 2, HDMI 3, HDMI 4, Tuner, AV / Composite, Component, plus the source picker overlay. The driver only maps inputs the TV actually exposes – on smaller models (e.g. 3-port sets) the missing port is silently skipped.

HDMI CEC device names: the per-port Hdmi1DeviceName / Hdmi2DeviceName etc. sysvars require HDMI CEC to be enabled on the TV (Settings > Display & Sound > HDMI control / "T-Link" / "Bravia Sync"). When CEC is disabled the sysvars stay empty even with devices plugged in. Same applies to Hdmi*DevicePower feedback and the HDMI*_DEVICE_* events.

Volume

Volume control uses the TV's internal speakers by default. If you have a soundbar over HDMI ARC, enable CEC volume control in TV settings (Display & Sound > HDMI) and the remote keys will route through the ARC device.

Debug Console

Connect via telnet to port 12515 on the RTI processor for live debugging:

telnet <processor-ip> 12515

Useful commands: status, shell <cmd>, key <code>, apps, media, vol, launch <pkg>, reboot, help for the full list.

Troubleshooting

"Auth Required" event fires repeatedly – look at the TV screen for the "Allow USB debugging?" prompt and accept it with "Always allow".

Cannot connect – verify ADB debugging is enabled on the TV, IP address is correct, and port 5555 is open (a static IP reservation on your router helps).

Apps list is empty – the driver needs a few seconds after connecting to fetch apps. Tapping the Apps tab in the Web Object triggers an auto-refresh.

EPG data missing – some broadcasters (e.g. news / radio channels) don't transmit descriptions or ratings. Title + start/end times should always populate when you change channel.

Licensing

Licence keys can be purchased from the Smart Home Programming Driver Store. A 120-minute trial runs automatically so you can verify compatibility before buying.

Store: https://shpdrivers.services/store/

Email: david@smarthomeprogramming.com.au

Support

For bug reports, technical support, or feature requests, please use the ticket system in your account at the Driver Store.

Terms of Service

All drivers are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. You use this software at your own risk. A free trial is included so you can verify compatibility with your system before purchasing – do not purchase a licence if you have not tested the driver on your hardware. Full terms: https://smarthomeprogramming.com.au/store/terms.html

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