Take advantage of old TVs to watch content from Android boxes with Dolby Atmos sound and voice control

Taking advantage of an old TV to turn it into a high-quality entertainment center is an extremely interesting experience, but also full of "math problems" that make me a bit difficult. I inherited a late-model LCD TV - Sony BRAVIA BX450, purchased in 2013. The screen panel of this TV still displays beautifully, with Sony's typical standard colors. Throwing it away would be an extremely wasteful thing. So I came up with the idea of ​​upgrading it by equipping it with the latest Google TV Streamer to watch Netflix and YouTube more smoothly and conveniently use it as a control screen for the smarthome system in the house. But from the beginning, some difficulties made me struggle to find out how to use the TV as I wanted.

Core difficulty: "obnoxious" HDMI encoding error on old TVs

As soon as I eagerly plugged the Google TV Streamer into the TV's HDMI port, I immediately hit a big ledge: the screen went completely black and the TV said it wasn't receiving a signal. I have tried changing from one HDMI cable to another, resetting the device in all kinds of ways but still helpless.

After a while of trying to understand the technical details, I discovered that the core error lies in the very old HDMI processing chip of the Sony BX450. It is completely incompatible and cannot decode the new version of HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) digital content copyright protection encryption standard from today's modern sources.

Difficult "trial and error" steps: From HDMI Splitter to the "HDMI to RCA" trick

Before finding the final solution, I searched the forums and tried everything. First, I thought of an HDMI Splitter (HDMI port splitter). Rumor has it that some cheap splitters can accidentally "crack" or lower the HDCP standard so that old TVs can receive it. But when I hadn't decided on that device, I accidentally saw a device that converted from HDMI to AV/RCA port (three legendary yellow - red - white lotus jacks). At that time, I thought to myself: "Ah! The TV's HDMI port has an encoding error, right? So I should avoid the HDMI port, convert the signal from Google Streamer into an analog port and plug it into the AV port on the TV and that's it!" It sounds extremely reasonable and affordable.

But alas, as soon as I tried plugging it in, the experience was a disaster! The analog signal output through the RCA port is extremely low, the image quality is muffled to low resolution, blurry and discolored, the text on the screen is blurry and unreadable. Wanting to see the true sharp Full HD quality of the Sony BX450 panel is completely impossible with this option. I quickly threw this device into the corner of the closet because I couldn't swallow the visual anger.

Technical solution: Loop around the TV thanks to the JBL Bar 300 Soundbar

Not willing to give up and determined not to let the TV be shelved, I started looking for a "roundabout" way to bypass the TV's clunky HDMI port. My requirement right now is to find an intermediary device that can both receive a clean signal from Google TV Streamer, decode high-quality sound, and transmit smooth images to the TV. After testing many ways and considering many speaker lines, I realized the most optimal solution is to take advantage of a soundbar with an independent HDMI Input port. And the choice I put into the system is the JBL Bar 300 speaker.

This plan brings results beyond expectations. The JBL Bar 300 soundbar acts as a "filter" and decodes the entire high-end audio stream, delivering vivid Dolby Atmos effects right in the living room without relying on the TV's sound processing capabilities. After retaining the sound, the speaker passes-through the clean Full HD image to the TV. Thanks to this smart bridging mechanism, my Sony BX450 recognized the image signal perfectly and sharply, and the black screen error caused by HDCP was completely resolved!

Synchronized control: Simplified with just 1 single Remote

When the picture and sound were good, I faced another inconvenience that anyone who plays a multi-device system is tired of: every time I watch a movie, I have to hold three remotes for the TV, speakers and Streamer. To simplify the experience, I decided to take advantage of the new device's ability to learn commands.

I went to the control settings on Google TV Streamer to map hard keys such as the Power button, volume up and down button and Input port switch button directly to the infrared frequency of the Sony BRAVIA TV. Now, all operations of turning on/off the TV, controlling the volume of the JBL Bar 300 speaker and browsing content are all gathered on a single Google TV Streamer remote. It feels extremely smooth and convenient to use and no more searching for the remote every night.

Upgrade Smarthome: Turn on your old TV with voice via Gemini and Aqara Hub

Because I intend to 'smarten' my home with the Aqara system, I chose this brand's M200 hub line thanks to its integrated 360-degree infrared (IR) eyepiece placed near the TV. The setup process is extremely simple, I just need to let it learn TV commands on the Aqara app, then sync and link to Google Home. When I command to turn on the TV by voice, Hub Aqara will immediately fire an infrared signal to turn on the Sony TV. At the same time, Google TV Streamer via local network connection will also automatically activate the JBL Bar 300 speaker at the same time.

The current results make me extremely satisfied. The old Sony BX450 TV now appears as a true smart device in the Google Home application. Take advantage of the Google Nest speaker available in the house. Even if you only give commands in English, you just need to stand from afar and say: "Hey Google, turn on the TV". Immediately, from the Sony TV, JBL speakers to the Streamer all started up extremely smoothly.

Personal feel and upgraded future

Frankly speaking, if you are a strict person when it comes to visuals, requiring a brilliant movie-watching experience with standard HDR or Dolby Vision, then this "patchy" solution of mine will definitely not be optimal. But if you think Full HD images at this time are something outdated, then look at reality: most live streaming content through service providers in Vietnam today only stops at Full HD resolution. In this regard, the Sony chip's image processing algorithm has been very famous since ancient times. The ability to upscale and reproduce Full HD content of this Sony BX450 still produces very sharp and flattering details, not at all outdated. Looking at it from a practical perspective: by taking advantage of a bargain hunting soundbar, combined with existing smarthome devices in the house, I have had an extremely high-quality movie watching experience. When enjoying a movie with a soundbar that supports true Dolby Atmos, the sound it delivers is still completely superior to the built-in speakers on today's high-end TV models. Simply because the nature of a specialized soundbar still provides sound quality according to certified standards. After experiencing this "patchwork" but extremely successful process, I also started thinking about upgrading in the future. The criteria for choosing your new TV will definitely not stop at the panel or scanning frequency, but it must be a true Smart Home Hub right out of the box.

If you are also planning to upgrade to a TV and want the neatest smarthome system, prioritize TVs with built-in Zigbee/Thread/Matter wave chips to act as a central hub without having to buy an additional separate adapter. If you like the Google Home ecosystem, it's easy to buy a separate Box running Android TV/Google TV and plug it in (like I'm doing). But if you want to play with Samsung or LG's ecosystem, there are almost no separate boxes running Tizen or webOS on the market. Although there are still ways to use that smarthome system such as buying a separate hub or buying large appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.