[ANNOUNCE] Firmware loader for Samsung TV cameras

[ANNOUNCE] Firmware loader for Samsung TV cameras

[Ondrej Zary]

Hello,
I'm announcing samsung-tvcam-fwloader - Firmware loader for Samsung TV cameras that allows Samsung TV cameras to be used in Linux (and possibly other OSs).

Samsung used to sell webcams for their smart TVs for the purpose of running Skype. Skype was discontinued on these TVs in 2016 and these cameras became useless.

Model list:
CY-STC1100 - 04e8:2058
VG-STC2000 - 04e8:2059
VG-STC3000 - 04e8:205c
VG-STC4000 - 04e8:2061
VG-STC5000 - 04e8:2065

When connected to a PC, the camera identifies as unknown device or as an UVC webcam but does not work. That's because it's missing firmware. Camera contains only a bootloader and TV uploads firmware to camera's RAM each time it's plugged in.

VG-STC2000, VG-STC4000 and VG-STC5000 are tested to work.
VG-STC3000 should work as it should use the same code as 4000 and 5000.
CY-STC1100 is completely different, probably not UVC compatible even with firmware loaded and thus would require a driver.

https://github.com/ondrej-zary/samsung-tvcam-fwloader/

-- 
Ondrej Zary

Re: [ANNOUNCE] Firmware loader for Samsung TV cameras

[Ioannis Barkas]

Hello Ondrej,

Thank you for your work man! Well done, you unlocked vendor lock-in
for those cameras!!

I have one of those expensive cameras in my closet for so many years
but have never actually used it. It was bought along with 3 H series
TVs running Linux. Samsung/M$ dropped support for Skype at the very
start of TVs sale so this camera was useless till today. Recent news
for Skype termination, is something I expected :)

A TV device with Linux is not an indicator of a good or open product.
Samsung even gives GPL source for their TVs but guess what, this part
is most likely not included. Anyway my last Samsung product was 5
years ago, I chose better products now :)

Back to my VG-STC5000 camera, it works like a charm after adding the
firmware. Though with the factory shipped firmware I get some errors
with 6.12 till the full fledged firmware is loaded:

[43203.425389] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 7 on
unit 3: -71 (exp. 1).
[43203.425398] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 8 on
unit 3: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425402] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 9 on
unit 3: -19 (exp. 1).

[43203.425405] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 10 on
unit 3: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425409] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 1 on
unit 3: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425412] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 4 on
unit 3: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425415] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 5 on
unit 3: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425418] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_CUR) UVC control 5 on
unit 3: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425421] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 11 on
unit 3: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425425] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 2 on
unit 1: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425429] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 3 on
unit 1: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425432] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 4 on
unit 1: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425436] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 11 on
unit 1: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425439] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 13 on
unit 1: -19 (exp. 1).
[43203.425447] usb 2-5.1: UVC non compliance - GET_DEF(PROBE) not
supported. Enabling workaround.
[43203.425449] uvcvideo 2-5.1:1.1: Failed to query (129) UVC probe
control : -19 (exp. 26).
[43203.425452] uvcvideo 2-5.1:1.1: Failed to initialize the device
(-5).[43203.400522] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control
2 on unit 3: -71 (exp. 1).
[43203.408769] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 3 on
unit 3: -71 (exp. 1).
[43203.417018] usb 2-5.1: Failed to query (GET_INFO) UVC control 6 on
unit 3: -71 (exp. 1).

Device is not UVC compliant initially so they are expected. Looks like
a quirk will be needed to avoid trying to initialize it without the
necessary firmware. Whenever ID 2065 is detected driver should not
bother with it.

After loading the firmware camera appears to come in life with the
2066 ID. I was able to get pictures and FullHD video with audio! But I
can see extra entries in its capabilities for 2560x1920 at all 3 video
capture modes. This does not work so a quirk will be possibly needed
to filter those out. Hardware documentation just advertised FullHD
capabilities nothing greater than that in contrast with the firmware.

The least I would expect from Samsung is to allow re-distribution of
those firmware files in Linux.

Best regards,
Ioannis