https://github.com/patrickst1991/vlc-tizen-tv
VLC Like player for your Samsung TV
https://github.com/patrickst1991/vlc-tizen-tv
samsung tizen vlc vlc-player
Last synced: 3 days ago
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VLC Like player for your Samsung TV
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/patrickst1991/vlc-tizen-tv
- Owner: PatrickSt1991
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-05-06T12:44:37.000Z (28 days ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-05-31T11:45:16.000Z (3 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-05-31T12:19:02.002Z (3 days ago)
- Topics: samsung, tizen, vlc, vlc-player
- Language: JavaScript
- Homepage:
- Size: 1.2 MB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 1
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# VLC TV — Tizen Web App
A VLC-style media player for Samsung Smart TVs running Tizen, built as a Web
App (`.wgt`) using Samsung's **AVPlay** API for hardware-accelerated playback.
Plays network streams (HTTP MP4, HLS, MPEG-DASH, RTSP) and local USB files
with VLC-inspired UI and TV remote-friendly navigation.
---
## Features
- **Playback** via Samsung AVPlay — hardware-accelerated H.264 / HEVC / VP9,
AAC / MP3 / AC3 / EAC3 / DTS, HLS / MPEG-DASH / RTSP / RTMP / Smooth-Streaming
- **File browser** for USB drives + built-in storage (Videos, Downloads, etc.)
- **Network stream input** with preset chips for quick testing
- **Recent history** of last 20 played items
- **VLC-style UI** — dark slate-blue theme matching the cone icon
- **Full TV remote support** — D-pad navigation, OK/BACK, media keys
(Play/Pause/Stop/FF/RW), audio + subtitle track picker
- **No native code** — pure HTML/CSS/JS so it runs on any Tizen TV with a
Public-tier developer cert. No partner-cert or platform-side requirements.
## Tested on
- Samsung UE55RU7020WXXN (2019, Tizen 5.0)
- Should run on any Tizen TV from 2017 onward with AVPlay support
## Installation
The recommended path is the [GitHub Releases page](https://github.com/PatrickSt1991/vlc-tizen-tv/releases) — pre-built `.wgt`
files are published there by the build workflow.
### 1. Enable Developer Mode on your TV
1. From the Apps screen, press `1 2 3 4 5` on the remote
2. Toggle **Developer Mode = ON**
3. Enter your PC's LAN IP in **Host PC IP**
4. Reboot the TV
### 2. Install the `.wgt`
#### Install with Jellyfin2Samsung
Download the latest version from [Jellyfin2Samsung](https://github.com/Jellyfin2Samsung/Samsung-Jellyfin-Installer/releases/latest) choose Tizen Community as release and choose vlc-tizen-tv.
Launch **VLC TV** from your TV's app list.
#### Install the `.wgt` with Tizen Studio
Download the latest `vlctv.wgt` from Releases. Then sign with your Samsung
distributor cert (the workflow ships a generic cert, but Samsung TVs require
the `.wgt` to be signed by *your* cert tied to your TV's DUID — Tizen Studio's
**Certificate Manager** handles this).
Once signed:
```bash
sdb connect
sdb install /path/to/vlctv-signed.wgt
```
Launch **VLC TV** from your TV's app list.
## Building from source
The repo's GitHub Actions workflow builds a signed `.wgt` automatically on
every push and `workflow_dispatch`. You can trigger it manually from the
**Actions** tab.
For local builds:
```bash
bash tizen-web-vlc/build.sh
# Output: dist/madebypatk-vlcweb.wgt (unsigned, just zipped)
```
For a signed build identical to the workflow output, use Tizen Studio's
`tizen package -t wgt -s ` after generating a profile in **Certificate
Manager**.
## Streaming URL examples
The home screen has tap-to-fill chips for these:
| Type | URL |
|---|---|
| MP4 (short) | `http://vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.mp4` |
| HLS (single bitrate) | `https://test-streams.mux.dev/x36xhzz/x36xhzz.m3u8` |
| MP4 (long) | `https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/gtv-videos-bucket/sample/BigBuckBunny.mp4` |
| HLS (multi-bitrate) | `https://devstreaming-cdn.apple.com/videos/streaming/examples/bipbop_16x9/bipbop_16x9_variant.m3u8` |
| MPEG-DASH | `https://dash.akamaized.net/akamai/bbb_30fps/bbb_30fps.mpd` |
| RTSP (public) | `rtsp://170.93.143.139:554/rtplive/470011e600ef003a004ee33696235daa` |
## Architecture
```
tizen-web-vlc/
├── config.xml Tizen widget manifest (privileges, screen, package id)
├── index.html Single-page shell — home / url / browse / player views
├── icon.png App icon (also used as the brand mark)
├── css/
│ └── style.css Dark slate-blue theme, focus management, OSD
├── js/
│ ├── debug.js Optional UDP/HTTP-style telemetry to a PC for debugging
│ ├── remote.js TV remote key registration + dispatch
│ ├── ui.js Focus management + view switching + toast
│ ├── browser.js USB / Tizen filesystem enumeration
│ ├── player.js Samsung AVPlay wrapper (HLS/DASH/RTSP/files)
│ └── app.js Top-level coordinator
└── build.sh Local zip-only builder (no signing)
```
## Why a Web App and not Native?
This project started as a native C/C++ port of `libvlc` for Tizen 5.0 ARM,
fully cross-compiled with `arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc`, GLIBC version-string
patching, and a custom glibc compat shim for y2038 wrappers. It built cleanly,
installed cleanly, but **never launched** on the retail TV — Samsung's
launchpad on retail firmware silently refuses third-party native (`type="capp"`)
binaries from non-partner distributor certs.
Web apps (`.wgt`, `type="webapp"`) launch fine because they run in the TV's
sandboxed WebView. AVPlay covers the same codec breadth that libvlc would have
provided, just through a JS API instead of C. Net result: same user
experience, supported path.
## Acknowledgments
- VLC and the cone icon design language — © VideoLAN
- Samsung Tizen TV AVPlay API docs
- [tizen-jellyfin-avplay](https://github.com/PatrickSt1991/tizen-jellyfin-avplay) — workflow template inspiration
## License
MIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE).