Panasonic Viera plasma: IP control...?!?

[rokujuuyon]

Unfortunately, I have tried every combination of energy saving settings I can think of and the TV will not respond to a ping request when the TV is off. I'm not sure what benefit using ip control over IR will give if one cannot turn the TV on.

Even if it does not respond to ping, WOL might work if you did not already try. It is basically the only other possibility...

 

[etc6849]

Good idea! What port should I send the wake on lan command on?

 

[Robojin2]

Unfortunately, I have tried every combination of energy saving settings I can think of and the TV will not respond to a ping request when the TV is off. I'm not sure what benefit using ip control over IR will give if one cannot turn the TV on.

Even with IR the models since 2010 have two levels of standby, when you turn the TV off with IR, after about 5 mins, the TV will click, a single IR pulse will not work, you have to send a string of at least 0.5s to pull it out of standby

I kind of agree, but there are features such as feedback and the DLNA server that could prove useful, now if only I had enough background in scripting (and now SOAP) to work it out :unsure:

 

[etc6849]

I was hopeful about different standby modes, but google found nothing for the 2012 models. When I hit the power button on the remote, I here the relay click about 1 second later.

 

[az1324]

Did you try WOL? http://www.gammadyne...cmdline.htm#wol

From the VT50 manual:

Seems to be absent in the ST50 manual :wacko:

 

[etc6849]

I ended up using WolCmd.exe. I tried wireless and wired, neither supported WOL. I wonder if new firmware could fix the issue or if the board itself does not support WOL.

 

[123]

Maybe the VT50 manual is referring to a setting that 'allows the VT50 to be woken from power off by a command received via LAN', or for short 'Wake on LAN'. In other words, maybe this has nothing to do with the special WOL packet that powers up a PC?

 

[123]

I feel more certain that Panasonic's use of the expression "Wake on LAN" has nothing to do with "WOL" as it is understood in the world of PCs and such.

I compared the e-Help manual for an ST50 to a GT50:
ST50 e-Help Manual
GT50 e-Help Manual

The GT50's index refers to "Wake on LAN" on page 57. The ST50 index contains no such reference.

Page 57 describes "Wake on LAN" in similar terms to the VT50 description in az1324's post above:
This function allows you to turn on the TV when you use Remote control via IP.

Given that the feature is absent in the documentation, and etc6849's report that it is absent from his ST50's menu, one is forced to conclude that Wake on LAN is not available on the ST50 and only on GT50 and VT50 models.

Yet another one of those annoying model-differentiating details that crops up post-purchase.

 

[etc6849]

Doh! I agree...

I can see why someone would buy the GT50 if they wanted ISF calibration along with the dual core processor. If only marketers could stay out of the engineering business... Was it worth the $.10 that might have been saved by not adding WOL to the ST50, probably not! Should Panasonic fix their ipad viera remote website so they don't mislead more customers, probably!

 

[123]

My guess is that the network-interface hardware is identical on the ST, GT, and VT. I suspect the only difference is a firmware configuration switch that permits/denies the display of the Wake on LAN menu option. I recall reading a post about a model of LG TV where owners discovered how to enter its service menu and enable features found on a higher model. I don't know how they discovered it but given that it involved entering a passcode, it was probably leaked by someone on the inside.

But this won't dampen your resolve to write a driver, will it? Being able to mute, power off, and control volume and channel are still handy features for Home Automation.

 

[az1324]

It's probably true that it isnt a standard WOL implementation, mostly due to the fact that a majority of people are going to be using a USB wifi connection to the TV. But I have come across some embedded devices that do support the standard WOL feature even if it has not been documented. Hopefully they will enable the function in a firmware update.

 

[Robojin2]

No such WOL feature listed in European GT50 manuals, and based on my dealings with the Developer portal, Panasonic have no intention to release the Command and Control API even when you pay your $129 which is surprising (no actually it's annoying)

The service menu might be worth at look though

Hotel mode - hold down the AV button and press - volume on the back of the set 3 times in quick succession, take care here as you can disable remote in one of the options

 

[Robojin2]

This is one method for Service Menu

The not so small print
Take care you could mess up your TV - Use at your own risk - Neither this site or I can be held responsible if things go wrong

• Press and release the "F" key on the television itself and the volume bar will display.
• Quickly press and hold the down "\/" chevron on the television.
• Whilst holding the "\/" input "0000" with the remote control
• Service menu will appear on screen. Release the "\/" chevron

If you can see a service menu then 1,2 navigate, at this point you should bail out if you don't have a clue what you are looking at e.g. power off with remote


There is a self test and factory reset method using "V" and another remote button, as this does what it says I'll not published it as you don't get to confirm Y/N it just does it and you end up with the out of the box setup :grin:

 

[123]

... a majority of people are going to be using a USB wifi connection to the TV. ...

Don't the 2012 models have built-in Wifi?

 

[az1324]

Don't the 2012 models have built-in Wifi?

Well either way WOL over Wifi is different.