FeatureRequest: Have the grabber inactive detection time interval configurable

[LeLunZ]

Feature request

Currently, when using Hyperion with WLED controller type, there's no built-in mechanism to delay the termination of the realtime connection. This causes issues when switching between sources on a TV or when switching between HDR/Dolby Vision and normal content, leading to unintended shutdown of LEDs connected via WLED.

What problem does this feature solve?

This delay would provide a buffer period for detecting and handling temporary signal interruptions without prematurely shutting down the LEDs and not having a relay disconnect and reconnect within a second.

What does the proposed API look like?

/

How should this be implemented in your opinion?

Introduce a new setting in Hyperion that allows users to specify a delay before the termination of the realtime connection with WLED. This delay would provide a buffer period for detecting and handling temporary signal interruptions without prematurely shutting down the LEDs.

Are you willing to work on this yourself?

Not sure, haven't really worked with c++.

[Thinner77]

Hi,

i'm guessing you're using USB Capture with signal-detection enabled. Try to increase "Signal Counter Threshold", default is 200 frames, for FPS=25 it means 8 seconds. You have to change settings-level in WebUI to "Expert" to see this setting.

wbr

[LeLunZ]

No i am actually not using Signal detection. And that’s the reason why it’s instantly turning off the LEDs.

I have one of these USB Capture Cards that really stop sending the signal. Like they should xD (In Live view I see the default Hyperion Logo)

[Lord-Grey]

As a workaround you might want to create a background effect or background effect (color e.g. black) that would kick in when there is no source.
That will avoid that the LEDs are turned off.

[LeLunZ]

thx . Do you mean under LED-instances -> Effects -> Background Effect/Color?
But in that case if I then really turn of the TV, they are still "on". Just no color.

It would be nice if such a background effect would be possible to set for a specific duration. Such as the Boot Effect/Color.
Or is there currently a specific effect that can be configured to run only for x amount of time?

[Lord-Grey]

It depends how you turn off your TV.
Have you tried running hyperiond with CEC?
If you power off the TV you can put Hyperion in suspend mode which will switch off the processing incl. LEDs.

Alternatively, you could put Hyperion into Suspend mode manually or API.

[LeLunZ]

👍 CEC is a cool suggestion. I will try to look into that in the next few days.

[LeLunZ]

@Lord-Grey actually I have tried it with CEC and my grabber doesn't seem to forward CEC signals :/
And even after nearly a year this feature is something I would be interested in.

---

I don't know the codebase but if I would want to take a look, where do you suggest is the best place such a feature is implemented? At grabber level, like the counter threshold, or more at LED Level, or somewhere completely different?
Or would you say, that feature doesn't make sense to have in the codebase?

[Lord-Grey]

@LeLunZ Maybe before answering, let me understand the scenario that you would like to overcome better.

What is causing that the LEDs are turned off?
Is it that the grabber runs into an error which then triggers the LEDs switching off?
Or are you switching off the grabber yourself?

Maybe a debug log would help to better understand the scenario.

[LeLunZ]

@Lord-Grey

When my source is turned off, my grabber doesn’t provide any image or output (it just shows the default Hyperion logo in the live caputure). Which is usually nice, because normally there is no need for any USB Signal detection (the one with the threshold) from hyperions side.

Thus it also directly stops the wled upd realtime connection (would be probably same for any other LED device) when my tv source is turned off or no signal is received.

But the problem is, while switching my source device from normal SDR content to HDR/Dolby Vision the Grabber goes into the same kind of state where no signal/frames are provided (for the duration it takes till the setting are applied).

For this short duration (1-5seconds) Hyperion doesn’t get any signal, and thinks my source is off (even though it’s only switching settings). Thus it turns the LEDs completely off. (I hear the sound of my Relais turning the leds off)
After the settings are applied, there is a new image from the grabber. And Hyperion reconnects to wled/turns the leds on.

---

If I would need to come up with a solution it would be something along the lines off:

I would need something where I can configure in the UI a time in seconds or whatever, where if the grabber/hyperion losses connection it doesn’t turn off the LEDs (/disconnects my (wled udp realtime) led source) for the seconds configured.
If there is a signal received before this timeout runs out, Hyperion should just continue with updating leds. If the timeout runs out with no new signal then the leds are turned off.

[LeLunZ]

Ahh and I forgot to mention: that whole turning off and on thing is a rather specific problem for me. I guess for most that doesn’t matter.

But my leds are powered with a psu (which is controlled by a Relais). And I rather not like my Relais switching power on and off unnecessary.

[Lord-Grey]

@LeLunZ Thanks for elaborating on the detailed scenario, it further confirmed my understanding.

From a design perspective this scenario should be solved next to the grabber and not the LED device, as the cause of the behaviour is image capture related.
It looks like the existing code already takes care for it, but it is not configurable yet.

Are you able to build Hyperion yourself?

You could try to modify the following static timeout value from currently 1000ms (1 second) to 60000ms (1 minute).

hyperion.ng/libsrc/hyperion/CaptureCont.cpp

Line 42 in 5475483

_v4lInactiveTimer->setInterval(1000);

If that works, we can make the timeout configurable.