Many users have decided to join the Rebel Alliance, reject streaming platforms and return to offline playback, storing local copies of their favorite movies and series. With the help of an "air mouse", the difficulties of controlling an HTPC from the couch are left behind, but Xavier of the Simply Explained portal followed another path: associate each movie with an NFC card, and start its playback with a simple sensor read. The system is ideal for the little ones at home, and uses very accessible hardware.
We know that a movie or series can disappear from any platform. Netflix and Disney+ change their catalogs without thinking twice, and the PlayStation Store had to remove all Discovery content due to "content licenses". The most effective way to resist this is to go back to the old school: obtain physical copies, and store their rips on local hard drives.
However, the story doesn't end there: there are also different interfaces that simplify content management (because the Windows Explorer not a good option), and with the magic of open source software, customization possibilities are almost infinite. And so we arrive at the Simply Explained portal, where Xavier shared all the details to create a movie playback system with NFC cards.
Movie Library: From VHS to NFC
Xavier prepared this system so that one of his little ones can have a more active role when choosing a movie, and not depend so much on the remote control. The first step was to create a prototype, based on a standard NFC reader (something similar to an RC522) and an ESP32 with ESPHome installed. For less than 13 euros, Xavier acquired an even more compact ESP32, and 50 compatible NFC cards. After creating a configuration file for ESPHome (all relevant details are on his blog), he designed a 3D case, and the "covers" of the movies that are glued onto the cards.
The most complex part of the project is undoubtedly the automation. Xavier stores his movies on Plex and plays them with an Apple TV, since this allows him to access deep links support. But the real heavy lifting comes when getting the tag_id of each card, and creating the corresponding link with the stored movie. Working correctly, the Apple TV only needs five seconds to turn on the TV, launch the Plex app, and start playback. The system also includes time limits (so the young one doesn't get stuck to the screen), and a method to play random episodes of certain series. Link below!
Official site: Click here
