Media Station X is designed to run on any TV device (e.g. smart TVs, set-top boxes, HDMI dongles, and HbbTV devices). However, it can also run on mobile and desktop devices, because it supports various input controls (e.g. remote controls, keyboards, mice, pointer and touch devices). The application itself does not contain any content and is a so-called White Label Application. You can either create your own content or open existing and shared content from other people. All content is written in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format with a simple and easy-to-use structure. The created JSON files can be hosted on any HTTP server that supports CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing).
Use Cases
Enjoy videos, audios, and images on your TV, mobile, or desktop device in the same look & feel...- ...from your local or public HTTP server.
- ...from your NAS (Network Attached Storage) server or device that supports web server functionality.
- ...from your cloud storage service (Google Drive, OneDrive & Co.).
- ...from any HTTP server that provides access to shared content.
- ...video store with local or public videos.
- ...music station with local or public audios.
- ...slideshow with local or public images.
- ...app store with links to existing HTML5 games or apps.
- ...developer portal with links to your created HTML5 games or apps.
- ...media blog with videos from different video hosting platforms (YouTube, Vimeo & Co.).
- ...IPTV/OTT portal with channels/movies from different streaming platforms.
Screenshots
API
Wiki
The wiki pages contain all information about the various JSON structures with examples and screenshots as well as descriptions and source code examples of the different plugin possibilities.
Demo
The demo page contains various JSON examples that you can load, edit, and test directly in your browser.
Quick Start Guide
The quick start guide shows how you can setup a local Media Station X server with example content.
Showcases
The showcases show turnkey services that you can use right away. They have been primarily developed to show examples of how Media Station X can be used.
Platform Support
Media Station X is available on all major TV platforms (including Samsung TVs, LG TVs, Android TVs, and Fire TVs). Additionally, an application for Android tablets/phones, iPads/iPhones, Mac devices, Windows desktops/tablets/phones, and Xboxes is available. Please see Platform Support for corresponding application stores.
Showcases
SoundCloud® MSX
SoundCloud® MSX is a service that provides basic access to SoundCloud® tracks via the Media Station X application. It uses the SoundCloud® Developer APIs to browse charts, search content, and play tracks. It has been primarily developed to show an example of how Media Station X lets you create nice and powerful TV UIs from existing media hosting platforms.
- For more information about SoundCloud®, please visit: https://soundcloud.com.
- For more information about the SoundCloud® Developer APIs, please visit: https://developers.soundcloud.com.
For this service, Media Station X 0.1.97 or higher is needed.
Enter the start parameter sc.msx.benzac.de to set it up.
Google Drive MSX
Google Drive MSX is a service that provides access to your Google Drive files (i.e. videos, audios, and images) via the Media Station X application. It uses the Google OAuth 2.0 protocol for authorization and the Google Drive API to browse and access files. It has been primarily developed to show an example of how Media Station X can be used with existing cloud storage services.
- For more information about Google Drive, please visit: https://www.google.com/drive/.
- For more information about the Google OAuth 2.0 protocol, please see Data Privacy on: https://gd.msx.benzac.de.
- For more information about the Google Drive API, please visit: https://developers.google.com/drive/.
For this service, Media Station X 0.1.130 or higher is needed.
Enter the start parameter gd.msx.benzac.de to set it up.
OneDrive MSX
OneDrive MSX is a service that provides access to your OneDrive files (i.e. videos, audios, and images) via the Media Station X application. It uses the Microsoft OAuth 2.0 protocol for authorization and the Microsoft Graph API and OneDrive API to browse and access files. It has been primarily developed to show an example of how Media Station X can be used with existing cloud storage services.
- For more information about OneDrive, please visit: https://onedrive.live.com.
- For more information about the Microsoft OAuth 2.0 protocol, please see Data Privacy on: https://od.msx.benzac.de.
- For more information about the Microsoft Graph API, please visit: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/.
- For more information about the OneDrive API, please visit: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/developer/.
For this service, Media Station X 0.1.130 or higher is needed.
Enter the start parameter od.msx.benzac.de to set it up.
Dropbox MSX
Dropbox MSX is a service that provides access to your Dropbox files (i.e. videos, audios, and images) via the Media Station X application. It uses the Dropbox OAuth 2.0 protocol for authorization and the Dropbox API to browse and access files. It has been primarily developed to show an example of how Media Station X can be used with existing cloud storage services.
- For more information about Dropbox, please visit: https://www.dropbox.com.
- For more information about the Dropbox OAuth 2.0 protocol, please see Data Privacy on: https://db.msx.benzac.de.
- For more information about the Dropbox API, please visit: https://www.dropbox.com/developers/.
For this service, Media Station X 0.1.130 or higher is needed.
Enter the start parameter db.msx.benzac.de to set it up.
Node Browser MSX
Node Browser MSX is a service that provides access to your local Node.js server files (i.e. videos, audios, and images) via the Media Station X application. It uses the directory listing function of the http-server package to browse and access files. It has been primarily developed to show an example of how Media Station X can be used with simple HTTP servers.
- For more information about Node.js, please visit: https://nodejs.org.
- For more information about the http-server package, please visit: https://www.npmjs.com/package/http-server.
For this service, Media Station X 0.1.130 or higher is needed.
Enter the start parameter nb.msx.benzac.de to set it up.
THE MOVIE DB MSX
THE MOVIE DB MSX is a service that provides access to The Movie Database (TMDb) content via the Media Station X application. It uses the The Movie Database API to browse movies and their related information (e.g. description, actors, images, videos, etc.). It has been primarily developed to show an example of how Media Station X can be used to create a full-featured movie library.
- For more information about The Movie Database (TMDb), please visit: https://www.themoviedb.org.
- For more information about the The Movie Database API, please visit: https://www.themoviedb.org/documentation/api.
For this service, Media Station X 0.1.97 or higher is needed.
Enter the start parameter tmdb.msx.benzac.de to set it up.
Please note that this service uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb.
Twitch MSX
Twitch MSX is a service that provides basic access to Twitch content via the Media Station X application. It uses the Twitch Developer APIs to browse categories and play channels and videos. It has been primarily developed to show an example of how Media Station X lets you create nice and powerful TV UIs from existing media hosting platforms.
- For more information about Twitch, please visit: https://twitch.tv.
- For more information about the Twitch Developer APIs, please visit: https://dev.twitch.tv/docs/api/.
For this service, Media Station X 0.1.110 or higher is needed.
Enter the start parameter ttv.msx.benzac.de to set it up.
Note: Please note that this service can currently only be used via the web version of Media Station X, which must be loaded via HTTPS (i.e. https://msx.benzac.de).
Lorem Picsum MSX
Lorem Picsum MSX is a service designed to inspire you to create media pages in different styles and for different purposes using the Media Station X application. It uses the latest MSX APIs to create the content and the Lorem Picsum API to fill it with random images.
- For more information about the MSX APIs, please see the API section on this page.
- For more information about the Lorem Picsum API, please visit: https://picsum.photos.
For this service, Media Station X 0.1.112 or higher is needed.
Enter the start parameter lp.msx.benzac.de to set it up.
Launcher MSX
Launcher MSX is a service that helps you to manage various start parameters. Once the launcher has been set up, it is available via the settings (Settings Welcome Pages). The start parameters are stored on the launcher.msx.benzac.de server for each specific device by using a unique device ID. Initially, the MSX Showcases (shown on this page) are added. If you reset the start parameters, they will be permanently deleted from the server until you change/add any again.
- For more information about the data privacy, please see the Data Privacy section on this page.
For this service, Media Station X 0.1.132 or higher is needed.
Enter the start parameter msx.benzac.de or launcher.msx.benzac.de to set it up.
Platform Support
| Platform | Supported Devices | Required Framework/OS Version | Application Store | Application Store Link | Current Application Version | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung TVs (Legacy) | 2011-2013 models | WebApi 1.0+ | - | - | - | Application uploads/updates for these models are no longer supported by Samsung. If you would like to install/update the application, please have a look at the wiki page Distributed Versions. |
| Samsung TVs (Legacy) | 2014 models | WebApi 1.0+ | Samsung Smart Hub | - | 0.1.58 | |
| Samsung TVs (Outdated) | 2015 models | Tizen 2.3+ | Samsung Smart Hub | - | 0.1.114 | |
| Samsung TVs (Outdated) | 2016 models | Tizen 2.3+ | Samsung Smart Hub | - | 0.1.134 | |
| Samsung TVs (Outdated) | 2017 models | Tizen 2.3+ | Samsung Smart Hub | - | 0.1.145 | |
| Samsung TVs (Current) | 2018+ models | Tizen 2.3+ | Samsung Smart Hub | https://www.samsung.com/us/appstore/app.do?appId=G18017010862 | 0.1.151 | - |
| LG TVs (Legacy) | 2011-2014 models | NetCast 2.0+ | LG Content Store | https://us.lgappstv.com/main/tvapp/detail?appId=464834 | 0.1.151 | Please note that the displayed version in the store is 1.1.152. However, the application version is 0.1.151. |
| LG TVs (Current) | 2014+ models | webOS 1.0+ | LG Content Store | https://us.lgappstv.com/main/tvapp/detail?appId=464834 | 0.1.151 | |
| Android TVs (e.g. Sony, TCL, Sharp, Phillips, Nvidia, etc.) and tablets/phones | All | Android 4.2+ | Google Play Store | https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.benzac.msx | 0.1.151 | - |
| Fire TVs and tablets/phones | All | Android 4.2+ | Amazon App Store | https://www.amazon.com/benzac-de-Media-Station-X/dp/B078TL932D/ | 0.1.151 | - |
| iPads/iPhones | All | iOS 9.0+ | Apple App Store | https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/media-station-x/id1363036077 | 0.1.151 | - |
| Mac devices | All | macOS 10.15+ | Apple App Store | https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/media-station-x/id1363036077 | 0.1.151 | - |
| Universal Windows Platform (UWP) devices (Xboxes, desktops, tablets, phones, surfaces, etc.) | All | Windows 10.0.10240.0+ | Microsoft Store | https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/media-station-x/9p4z98mljplz | 0.1.151 | - |
| Vewd Smart TVs (e.g. Hisense, TiVo, Samsung Blu-ray Players, etc.) | All | Vewd Specification 4.0+ | Vewd App Store | - | 0.1.151 | - |
| TP Vision Smart TVs (e.g. Philips, Sharp, etc.) | All | Smart TV Alliance SDK 3.0+ | TP Vision App Gallery | - | 0.1.151 | - |
| Foxxum Smart TVs (e.g. Hisense, Sharp, TCL, Vestel, etc.) | All | - | Foxxum App Store | - | 0.1.151 | - |
| VIDAA Smart TVs (e.g. Hisense, etc.) | All | - | VIDAA App Store | - | 0.1.151 | - |
| Other TVs and desktops/tablets/phones | - | - | - | - | 0.1.151 | Please use the standard web browser and open the URL http://msx.benzac.de. |
| HbbTV devices | - | HbbTV 1.1+ | - | - | 0.1.151 | Please use an HbbTV-capable browser and open the URL http://msx.benzac.de/hbbtv.html. |
Demo
- Name:
- Version:
- Parameter:
If you press Launch, this start parameter will be replaced.
Quick Start Guide
This is a quick start guide to setup a local Media Station X server with example content by using Node.js and the http-server package.
Alternatively, if you have Media Station X 0.1.123 or higher, please see the showcase Node Browser MSX. This showcase is based on the same technology, but simplifies and speeds up the setup process.
- Download and install Node.js: https://nodejs.org.
- Install the http-server package (via npm): https://www.npmjs.com/package/http-server.
- Create the folder http-server on your local machine (e.g.
c:\http-server). - Create the subfolder msx in this folder (e.g.
c:\http-server\msx).
- Create the following start.json file in the msx folder (e.g.
c:\http-server\msx\start.json).
{
"name": "My Example Content",
"version": "1.0.0",
"parameter": "menu:http://{SERVER}/msx/menu.json"
}{SERVER} part is automatically replaced with the entered server.
If you use an older version of Media Station X, you will need to do this manually.
Please note that the auto-replacement feature only works for the start parameter file, for the other JSON files, you must always indicate full URLs (to avoid errors in cross-references).
Since version 0.1.97, you can also indicate a {PREFIX} to automatically replace the used prefix (i.e. http:// or https://) (e.g. "menu:{PREFIX}{SERVER}/msx/menu.json" "menu:http://192.168.0.10:8080/msx/menu.json").
- Create the following menu.json file in the msx folder (e.g.
c:\http-server\msx\menu.json).
{
"headline": "My Example Content",
"menu": [{
"icon": "movie",
"label": "My Example Movies",
"data": {
"type": "pages",
"template": {
"type": "separate",
"layout": "0,0,2,4",
"icon": "msx-white-soft:movie",
"color": "msx-glass"
},
"items": [{
"title": "Video 1",
"action": "video:http://msx.benzac.de/media/video1.mp4"
}, {
"title": "Video 2",
"action": "video:http://msx.benzac.de/media/video2.mp4"
}, {
"title": "Video 3",
"action": "video:http://msx.benzac.de/media/video3.mp4"
}]
}
}, {
"icon": "music-note",
"label": "My Example Audios",
"data": {
"type": "pages",
"template": {
"type": "separate",
"layout": "0,0,2,3",
"icon": "msx-white-soft:music-note",
"color": "msx-glass"
},
"items": [{
"title": "Audio 1",
"action": "audio:http://msx.benzac.de/media/audio1.mp3"
}, {
"title": "Audio 2",
"action": "audio:http://msx.benzac.de/media/audio2.mp3"
}, {
"title": "Audio 3",
"action": "audio:http://msx.benzac.de/media/audio3.mp3"
}]
}
}, {
"icon": "image",
"label": "My Example Images",
"data": {
"type": "pages",
"template": {
"type": "default",
"layout": "0,0,3,2",
"color": "msx-glass",
"imageFiller": "cover",
"action": "image:context"
},
"items": [{
"image": "http://msx.benzac.de/img/bg1.jpg"
}, {
"image": "http://msx.benzac.de/img/bg2.jpg"
}, {
"image": "http://msx.benzac.de/img/bg3.jpg"
}]
}
}]
}- Open a command-line interface (e.g. Windows PowerShell).
- Navigate to the folder http-server (e.g.
cd c:\http-server). - Enter
http-server --corsto start the server. - Note the displayed IP address and port (e.g.
192.168.0.10:8080).
PS C:\> cd c:\http-server
PS C:\http-server> http-server --cors
Starting up http-server, serving ./
Available on:
http://192.168.0.10:8080
http://127.0.0.1:8080
Hit CTRL-C to stop the server
- Install and launch the Media Station X application.
- Navigate to Settings Start Parameter Setup.
- Enter the noted IP address and port (e.g.
192.168.0.10:8080). - Complete the setup.
- Browse and enjoy your content.
Data Privacy
A web analysis service (Webalizer) is running on the msx.benzac.de pages to analyze the traffic. Besides this, no further data is collected or transmitted to a server. The JSON files you are using are completely under your control and are not transmitted to a server. For the demo page, the JSON file is stored on your local device, using the HTML5 web storage. The Media Station X application itself only interacts with your configured server. The application uses some example content from the msx.benzac.de pages that are also tracked by the web analysis service. All these content are marked with the tag "WEB".
Google Drive MSX
Google Drive MSX is a service that provides access to your Google Drive files (i.e. videos, audios, and images) via the Media Station X application. There are separate data privacy policies for this service, which can be viewed at the following link: https://gd.msx.benzac.de/?tab=DataPrivacy.
OneDrive MSX
OneDrive MSX is a service that provides access to your OneDrive files (i.e. videos, audios, and images) via the Media Station X application. There are separate data privacy policies for this service, which can be viewed at the following link: https://od.msx.benzac.de/?tab=DataPrivacy.
Dropbox MSX
Dropbox MSX is a service that provides access to your Dropbox files (i.e. videos, audios, and images) via the Media Station X application. There are separate data privacy policies for this service, which can be viewed at the following link: https://db.msx.benzac.de/?tab=DataPrivacy.
Launcher MSX
Launcher MSX is a service that helps you to manage various start parameters. The start parameters are stored on the launcher.msx.benzac.de server for each specific device by using a unique device ID. You can reset the start parameters via the Launcher MSX service, which permanently deletes all start parameters from the server until you change/add any again.
License
This license and disclaimer statement constitutes a legal agreement ("License Agreement") between you (either as an individual or a single entity) and Benjamin Zachey (the "Author"), for this software product ("Media Station X"), including any software, media, and accompanying on-line or printed documentation.
BY INSTALLING OR USING MEDIA STATION X, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS LICENSE AND DISCLAIMER AGREEMENT.
If you do not agree with the terms and conditions of this agreement, you must promptly cease all use of Media Station X and remove all installed versions of it.
- Media Station X is freeware.
- You can use Media Station X royalty-free for private and commercial purposes.
- You can use, copy, modify, and distribute all menu and content examples (i.e. JSON files) provided on the msx.benzac.de pages and by the author.
- You can use, copy, modify, and distribute all source code examples (e.g. PHP services, plugin examples, etc.) provided on the msx.benzac.de pages and by the author.
- You can create and distribute software (e.g. services, plugins, editors, applications, etc.) that uses the Media Station X API.
- You may not copy, modify, distribute, host, reverse engineer, or decompile the Media Station X code.
- Media Station X is owned by the author and is protected by copyright law and international copyright treaty.
- Media Station X is provided "as is" and without any warranties expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. In no event shall the author be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use Media Station X or its documentation, even if the author has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
- You expressly acknowledge and agree that use of Media Station X is at your sole risk.
About
My name is Benjamin Zachey and I have been developing web applications for TV and embedded devices for over 10 years. Starting with the first CE-HTML models from Philips (2008) to the first HbbTV specification draft (2009) up to the current smart TV devices. I have constantly followed and applied the media development and have implemented many prototypes in various projects and teams. Media Station X was started in 2017 as side project to my regular activities. The main goal was to distribute a freely available and highly configurable launcher to test different videos/audios and other web applications on different TV platforms. Now it has become a powerful application with many features and use cases. I hope you enjoy using it and I would be very happy to receive feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Technology Stack
Media Station X is built on the TVX Framework that has been developed for this application. The TVX Framework is a composition of tools and services to build high-performance and high-compatible TV (and mobile-usable) applications. It is based on plain HTML5 and CSS3, uses jQuery as its core library, and handles all platform-specific implementations. It has been tested on all major TV platforms with excellent stability and compatibility. It is planned to make this framework available to developers so that they can create their own TV applications with it.
Release History
| Date | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2017 | 0.1.0 | First version online on the web. |
| Jan 5, 2018 | 0.1.5 | First version online in the Google Play Store. |
| Jan 8, 2018 | 0.1.6 | First version online in the Amazon App Store. |
| Apr 10, 2018 | 0.1.36 | First version online in the Apple App Store (for iOS devices). |
| Apr 24, 2018 | 0.1.37 | First version online in the Samsung Smart Hub (for 2015+ models). |
| May 29, 2018 | 0.1.42 | First version online in the LG Content Store (for 2014+ models). |
| Sep 9, 2018 | 0.1.43 | First version online in the Samsung Smart Hub (for 2014 models). |
| Jan 11, 2019 | 0.1.68 | First version online in the Vewd App Store. |
| Jan 24, 2019 | 0.1.70 | First version online in the TP Vision App Gallery. |
| Jun 4, 2020 | 0.1.113 | First version online in the Microsoft Store. |
| Sep 5, 2020 | 0.1.117 | First version online in the Apple App Store (for macOS devices). |
| Jun 8, 2021 | 0.1.136 | First version online in the LG Content Store (for 2011-2014 models). |
| Oct 25, 2021 | 0.1.141 | First version online in the Foxxum App Store. |
| May 12, 2022 | 0.1.145 | First version online in the VIDAA App Store. |
| Nov 25, 2022 | 0.1.151 | Latest version released in stores. |