[HOW TO] Build Ambilight on Linux (AppleTV; Sams image; Ubuntu 8.04;...)

Have you some ideas of why that can be work ? I also know there is no XBMC for Android but there is many other video player and then, if Boblight get the screen image to calculate the lighting there is no need to have XBMC

Boblight uses xserver.

You'd have to write your own boblightd client for android, in theory it's possible.

Hi there,

i am going to build one of those. Although i am no pro i am willing to learn.

Right now i am not sure which system to prefer. Amblone or Adalight

The Amblone Version seems cheaper to me (according to the parts needed here in germany), though it is not that much.
But if i understand the adalight right every led can have a different color and in the amblone version only the whole bar (containing the LEDs) can get one color.

Sorry, hard to explain in english

Maybe it is clearer this way:
Concerning the amblone version:
If there are four channels (each side of the tv one), does that mean if the top left shines i.e. green the top right also has to shine green because they are one channel?
Do all channels have to be equally long, or is this not relevant?

Big thx for clearing and feel free to ask if this is not understandable.

Chaos

lordindy Wrote:I'll take a picture tonight. In a nutshell, my LEDs are mounted on the back of the TV in series (clockwise). The LEDs are connected to an Arduino controller and a power supply. The power supply drives the LEDs, while the Arduino controls them. The Arduino is connected to my HTPC via USB (powered by USB).
In linux, the "boblight" software grabs the screen image, and then passes the instructions to the Arduino. It just works.
What you need:
1. No fear of linux (I'm a windows guy, but this thread got me up and running with no issues)
2. https://www.adafruit.com/products/461
3. Depending on your TV size, you may need another strand of LEDs https://www.adafruit.com/products/322
4. An Arduino controller: http://www.adafruit.com/products/50
5. USB cable to connect the controller to the HTPC: http://www.adafruit.com/products/62
6. Using instructions on the adafruit website, wire it up. using instructions in this forum, configure the "boblight" daemon in linux.
7. Activate the daemon, cross your fingers, and that's that.

Mounting is up to you. At first, I simply used electrical tape to affix my LEDs to the back of the TV (one at a time...blech). I then went to hardware store and bought some of that cable organizer rods (for walls, floors). I cut it to size (to make a square), cut holes for my LEDs, and then mounted it.

Finally, I used illiacs instructions to create 2 executor scripts to turn it on/off. I mapped this scripts to my Harmony remote, and I can turn the lights on and off anytime I want, even during a movie.

I skipped details, but this is the highlevel gist of it.

So is this really only a linux XBMC option or does boblight work in Windows too?

Chaos_666 Wrote:Hi there,

i am going to build one of those. Although i am no pro i am willing to learn.

Right now i am not sure which system to prefer. Amblone or Adalight

The Amblone Version seems cheaper to me (according to the parts needed here in germany), though it is not that much.
But if i understand the adalight right every led can have a different color and in the amblone version only the whole bar (containing the LEDs) can get one color.

Sorry, hard to explain in english

Maybe it is clearer this way:
Concerning the amblone version:
If there are four channels (each side of the tv one), does that mean if the top left shines i.e. green the top right also has to shine green because they are one channel?
Do all channels have to be equally long, or is this not relevant?

Big thx for clearing and feel free to ask if this is not understandable.

Chaos

Four channel was my first one. now i have build the one based on adalight.
Here is tutorial:
http://stmlabs.com/forum/topic/tutorial-...nd-arduino

ghart999 Wrote:So is this really only a linux XBMC option or does boblight work in Windows too?

The prefix is the biggest problem for windows because boblight for win is older and does not support custom prefix. But it is possible to build it also with windows one with some code change in .pde for arduino.

Hi there

illiac4 Wrote:Four channel was my first one. now i have build the one based on adalight.
Here is tutorial:
http://stmlabs.com/forum/topic/tutorial-...nd-arduino

guess this means you also like the adalight more

Parts are ordered.
THX for the guide


Chaos

(2011-12-01 12:14)illiac4 Wrote:  One is enough for 50leds.

is it possible to control > 50 LEDs with one "controller"? Or is there a fixed size to use?
thx

A comment on the startpost, I didn't manage to compile because configuring boblight was wrong. It says:


But this is not needed for the new versions of boblight, ffmpeg is not included by default. Instead just this should do it:

(2012-04-02 23:09)klemensl Wrote:  

(2011-12-01 12:14)illiac4 Wrote:  One is enough for 50leds.

is it possible to control > 50 LEDs with one "controller"? Or is there a fixed size to use?
thx

You have to go pretty wild to have to need more than one controller. One can easily handle > 50. I've seen people using an UNO with 100.