"TV-B-GONE" - PIC based TV killer - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: iamwhoiam
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2012, 05:22:11 pm
content: I just thought you'd like to see this, as I have knocked one up on breadboard today. This is a "TV-B-GONE", and for the uninformed, it is basically a universal remote control that only has one function - to turn OFF any TV within range! It does this by cycling through common remote "power off/on" signals, one by one, looping forever.Read more here :-) --->http://forums.adafruit.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=16467~~EDIT~~I have just knocked one up quickly, point to point style:

author: slateraptor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2012, 05:47:37 pm
content: A few months ago, a buddy of mine asked me to look into why his Sony universal remote wouldn't communicate with his Sony Blu-ray player. Short story shorter, the original player remote used Bluetooth for wireless communication, rendering all IR-based universal remotes useless.I haven't owned a TV in years nor do I allow myself to succumb to such mind rot. Has anyone else observed a trend in which device manufacturers are straying away from IR for remote control? I can't tell from this one case example; after all, it was a Sony.

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2012, 10:12:38 pm
content: RF remote is common with satellite STBs. You can put all of your receivers in one location at the antenna feed and modulate the signals throughout the home without a messy & costly retrofit.Back when i used to sell custom home audio/video, we sold a ton of URC rf remotes.-sj

author: johnboxall
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 28, 2012, 03:12:21 am
content: I went on a field trip with one of these:

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 28, 2012, 03:42:03 am
content: Quote from: tronixstuff on April 28, 2012, 03:12:21 amI approve of this

author: steve_w
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2012, 03:52:29 am
content: Check this out, lady ada's thesis on protecting her personal spacehttp://www.ladyada.net/pub/research.html"Abstract: In contemporary Western society, electronic devices are becoming so prevalent that many people find themselves surrounded by technologies they find frustrating or annoying. The electronics industry has little incentive to address this complaint; I designed two counter-technologies to help people defend their personal space from unwanted electronic intrusion. Both devices were designed and prototyped with reference to the culture-jamming “Design Noir” philosophy. The first is a pair of glasses that darken whenever a television is in view. The second is low-power RF jammer capable of preventing cell phones or similarly intrusive wireless devices from operating within a user’s personal space. By building functional prototypes that reflect equal consideration of technical and social issues, I identify three attributes of Noir products: Personal empowerment, participation in a critical discourse, and subversion."along the same linesregardsSW

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2012, 04:23:50 am
content: There was a guy who went around a computer expo turning off all the TV's, he got into quite a bit of trouble.He was also turning off TVs being used for product demos and presentations.

author: johnboxall
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 28, 2012, 04:25:00 am
content: Quote from: Psi on April 28, 2012, 04:23:50 amhttp://gizmodo.com/343348/confessions-the-meanest-thing-gizmodo-did-at-ces

author: slateraptor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2012, 04:30:42 am
content: Quote from: tronixstuff on April 28, 2012, 04:25:00 amOMFG...that looks like so...much...fun!!

author: M. András
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 12:18:12 pm
content: real life trolls?epic

author: Dieselrunner88
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 01:56:04 pm
content: Finally a way to end the wall of tv's at wall mart. Or at a sports bar when they won't change it to your teams game. The possibility's are rattling around in my mind like a pinball machine.... an evil pinball machine!

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 05:04:42 pm
content: Quote from: iamwhoiam on April 29, 2012, 04:47:17 pmActually I can see that a case could potentially be made for criminal damage - especially where commercial loss occurred - advertising etc.ISTR reading that a CD conviction has happened for letting tyres down, so permanent damage is not required.Of course proving it might be tricky.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 05:14:46 pm
content: On the subject of TV hacks....A few years ago, for reasons I don't recall, I stayed at a small hotel run by a family of 'militant' vegetarian types.While I respect peoples choices in these things, these people were so self-righteous as to be annoying - the hotel literature was full of stuff like how they only used organic produce, ran an LPG car to minimise environmental impact, and that if you smoked in the room they'd have to get it professionally cleaned and send you the bill - you get the idea...Well I was fiddling with the TV remote and discovered that you could program a four letter channel name that was displayed onscreen whenever you changed channels.I wonder how long it took before thay noticed that the TV channels were now called "Beef", "Lamb", "Pork", and of course "Veal"

author: deephaven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 07:20:18 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on April 29, 2012, 05:14:46 pmThat could have been a LOT worse - at least you kept it clean

author: slateraptor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 10:42:42 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on April 29, 2012, 05:14:46 pmThat's actually normal for all non-designated smoking rooms in the US.

author: siliconmix
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 11:43:55 pm
content: dont get me wrong i like ada fruit and her stuff.but what happens when she has to make a call on a mobile one day and someone nearby jams her call or one of her rf xbee things wont work because of a jammer.apart from a ally foil suit i think she'll have to live with it.

author: siliconmix
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 11:46:27 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on April 29, 2012, 05:14:46 pmis that the one in devon ? i went to one there it stank of lentil veggie farts.

author: steve_w
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2012, 01:21:43 am
content: I was considering building the phone jammer, 3 teenage girls texting and talking till 3 or 4 am, but it would get you in heaps of trouble here if they caught you.Steve w