
A free video streaming service that runs on a ESP32 - juanpabloaj
https://github.com/rossumur/espflix
======
StavrosK
A minor plug, if you're doing ESP8266/ESP32 development, you can use the
following code snippet and server I wrote to do automatic, secure updates over
pinned HTTPS:

[https://www.pastery.net/vmympk/](https://www.pastery.net/vmympk/)

This is the server, a single binary (written in Rust):

[https://gitlab.com/stavros/espota-server](https://gitlab.com/stavros/espota-
server)

The device will connect to the server (whenever you call doHttpUpdate(), I
usually do it on startup), ask for a new version, get the latest version,
flash itself with it and then boot.

Very handy, as it's faster than USB/UART, and you don't have to disconnect
from the serial console to use it.

~~~
greatjack613
Wooha, was looking for exactly something like this. Thank you.

This is why I love hacker news.

~~~
StavrosK
And we love you.

------
teleforce
Very nice project, may be can try this at home.

ESP32 is a little processor that could. The latest version ESP32-S2 is cheaper
(unit cost 99 cents), and amongst other capabilities also supports LCD
interface and USB OTG!

[https://maker.pro/esp8266/tutorial/a-comparison-of-the-
new-e...](https://maker.pro/esp8266/tutorial/a-comparison-of-the-new-
esp32-s2-to-the-esp32)

~~~
sowbug
Since the S2 has USB OTG, I wonder whether anyone's working on porting the QMK
keyboard-firmware project to it. QMK on ESP32 could make for one heck of an
overpowered mechanical keyboard.

Too bad there's no Bluetooth.

~~~
ourcat
USB-OTG on a small microcontroller like the ESP32S also presents significant
opportunities for malicious 'anti-security' devices pretending to be other
devices, while up to no good. (See 'Malduino')

With its single-core and no Bluetooth, I see the ESP32-S as more of an upgrade
to the ESP8266, or 'ESP32-'lite'.

------
ourcat
Since getting (back) into electronics and writing firmware for
microcontrollers a few years ago, and having been through various projects
with the 8266 (which blew my mind at the time), I now use the ESP32 for most
ideas and project that I have.

It's been a complete game-changer, hobby-wise.

Having Wifi and BluetoothLE on-board has been great. And as a long time web
and mobile app developer, it's been the perfect way to turn 'things I write'
into 'things I can touch'. (And that can 'talk').

The 'intangibility' of all the code I've written over years has always been a
little saddening to me.

I've also tried a few of the ESP32-CAM boards and they're very impressive. I
have a little LiPo powered pocket project in a 3D printed flat case,
containing one of them, which, aftter connnecting to WiFi, then sends MJPEG
(no audio) to a Node.js script on one of my servers which shows a 'live' feed.
(I sometimes stick it to my front door 'peep-hole' too.

I'll certainly be taking a look at this 'ESPFLIX' project over the weekend.

Thanks!

------
squarefoot
Check also the ESP32-Cam which does this, along with face recognition.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MicAM_A0_lU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MicAM_A0_lU)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnXI-
MO1qck](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnXI-MO1qck)

------
humbfool2
This is so Cool! A 99 cents Chip can do so many things. I am using it
currently for Automatic Garden Monitoring system[1]. I never realized this
small chip can do big things. Very Impressive.

[1][https://iot-
playground.com/blog/2-uncategorised/94-esp8266-s...](https://iot-
playground.com/blog/2-uncategorised/94-esp8266-smart-plant-irrigation-system)

~~~
ben_
You might want to grab a capacitive soil moisture sensor btw because those two
pin ones almost always corrode after some time, especially with more power
going through them

~~~
humbfool2
Thank you for the suggestions. I have noticed some corrosion. I will look into
getting the capacitive moisture sensor .

------
conradfr
I had a chuckle at the loading screen.

Shameless plug, my father made a (free) ESP8266 & ESP32 wifi webradio project
that seems popular and may interest some people in this thread
[https://github.com/karawin/Ka-Radio](https://github.com/karawin/Ka-Radio)

~~~
ourcat
Your father made Ka-Radio?

It's an incredibly impressive project, that one.

Please pass on my thanks.

~~~
conradfr
I just did, thanks!

------
johnklos
Rossum: You're crazy. I love it. Amazing! Can't wait to try it.

Especially considering the cost, this would be a wonderful addition to any
standard definition TVs still in use.

------
p1mrx
I think the most interesting part of this is ESP_8_BIT driving composite video
from software using 1 output pin.

~~~
danogentili
For me it's the actually fluid MPEG1 decoder

------
monksy
The Esp32 is such an amazing device. If I had more time I would love to learn
more about it. I've just ordered a few more sensors for it.

I'm pretty excited about it.

------
redfast00
This is really impressive, streaming video + audio on a what is essentially a
beefy microcontroller.

~~~
taneq
That's what does my head in, this $1 "microcontroller" is essentially an
entire late-90s computer (although far more powerful in some ways) in a 10mm
square package. It's amazing what 20 years of progress will do.

(Don't even get me started on all the on-chip peripherals, it's the hobby
roboticist's dream!)

~~~
agumonkey
It is, you can do a ton with that "amount" of processing power.

a table to compare specs [https://maker.pro/esp8266/tutorial/a-comparison-of-
the-new-e...](https://maker.pro/esp8266/tutorial/a-comparison-of-the-new-
esp32-s2-to-the-esp32)

riscv 240MHz ulp 5 microamp in deep sleep I suppose

cut

------
tikej
Very impressive. Masterful hacking. Nice to know how much can still be done
with less than a megabyte of memory!

------
cellular
Instead of using cloud aws, could an sd card be used?

Might be cool to have harry potter picture frames for the cost of the sscard
and esp (assuming free flatscreen vga with component-in).

------
etaioinshrdlu
Does anyone know how they are able to produce such a powerful chip so cheaply?
Do they use Chinese fabs?

~~~
pjc50
Moore's Law is incredibly powerful. It's a 400MHz microprocessor that's
roughly equivalent to a late-nineties desktop PC, the sort that could (with a
suitably fast CDROM drive) just about manage to decode to 320x200 VGA
resolution. This is still a really impressive feat of coding.

Fab appears to be TSMC. So, the Republic of China?

------
hutch120
Cool! Can you give an overview of the "Amazing AWS Stack" you have
implemented?

------
hombre_fatal
It seems really fun to develop hardware skills like this. Or for example being
able to order an eink display and build my own ereader from basic principles.

But every time I start learning, it feels like there's so much you have to
learn to do so little, and I'm not fundamentally motivated by the physics of
hardware.

Meanwhile, software, being so high level, is extremely actionable early on
without a hard dep on knowing how the underlying stack is working. One of the
first things I built was a Ruby on Rails web app that my friends and I used to
chat in high school before I even could tell you what http headers were, I
would learn those later once the initial taste was so actionable and
motivating.

With hardware, in the same amount of time I learned to build a web app that my
friends and I used, I probably would have learned to make an LED blink.

Oh well, it's like playing the piano: I wish my younger self put in the time
so that my older self could benefit for free.

