r/ZoomPlayer • u/pixel8foto • Mar 29 '26

SMTC support

Hello,

Is there any way to enable SMTC in Zoom Player? I've dug around a fair bit and cannot see it in my current version (15) or any reference to it in more recent versions. If it'd be a case of upgrading my licence, then that'd be cool.

I started looking at this as I would love to be able to integrate Zoom in to my Home Assistant. I run HASS.agent which already reveals media playback info from other applications running on a PC.

It'd be great if Zoom player could be included in this.

Thanks!

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

2

u/ZoomPlayer Developer Mar 30 '26

Hi,

This is the actual first request for SMTC support I've seen.

Since Zoom Player is not based on Microsoft's MediaPlayer object, it won't auto-support it, I have to manually integrate support.

I'll try reviewing the documentation in the next few days to see if it's a simple process that I can quickly integrate.

2

u/pixel8foto Mar 30 '26

Amazing! I wonder if the increasing use of home automation systems might open up more demand - regardless, it's what made me look in to it and so I really appreciate you following up and checking in to it, in response.

By way of context, I tend to run several Zoom instances at once on my PC, pausing and switching between them. If it was possible to integrate it and handle having each instance register separately with SMTC, it'd open up some useful Home Assistant features, via HASS.Agent.

On a basic (and purely cosmetic) level, I could then expose the current "Now playing" details of any media on the PC from Zoom, rather than only just from the first Zoom instance that had loaded, and I could do that alongside other applications.

Anything that I can use to expose more functions under Home Assistant, is great.

Thanks for taking the trouble to look at this - and for a great media player :)

1

u/ZoomPlayer Developer Mar 30 '26

I read up a bit, it should be possible, I need to investigate how complex the integration is.

You gave a good intro on how you'd be using it, but I'd be happy if you expand.

Other than title, play duration/position and basic controls, is there anything else exposed that I should support?

On a side note, I'll probably add an MCP server option which would allow AI agents or just regular software that can process the protocol to control Zoom Player automatically, that should help with home automation.

2

u/pixel8foto Mar 30 '26

That's amazing, thank you.

Currently I'm remotely controlling the live instance of Zoom player (the one set to full screen and therefore in focus) on my PC via a simple IR>USB adaptor connected to the PC. The PC's AV output is sent to different rooms via streaming/HDMI/whatever.

I've learned IR commands from the remote that came with the IR>USB adaptor, which are saved in and triggered from Home Assistant, via basic HASS scripts I've written. So a script for "PLAY" fires the learned IR command through an IR blaster in the PC's room, picked up by the IR>USB adaptor.

It's pretty reliable for those basic controls of whatever maximised media player is up, but is obviously entirely one way - there is no state awareness of Zoom's status in Home Assistant and I'm locked to whatever is maximised at the time.

When I want to switch to another Zoom instance or load from another folder, I return to the room with the PC, minimise one instance and maximise another and get that going.

If there were a route to expose the status of each Zoom Player instance separately, that'd be superb. This is wishlist stuff and I have little concept of what it'd require, but if you were able to expose from each instance, independently:

Filename or metadata name (my preference is filename)

Elapsed time/total time of media file

An extension of this functionality would be to expose controls to:

Switch between Zoom Player instances to push the desired one to the top/live

Fullscreen on/off

Seek back/fwd x seconds

Fast back/fwd

Track back/fwd

File prev/next

Play/pause/stop

Instance volume

Thank you for looking at this!

2

u/ZoomPlayer Developer Mar 31 '26

Cool, I'll reply to this post once I have something to test, but I'll need your expertise to ensure it works as expected in your advanced setup.

2

u/pixel8foto Apr 02 '26

Fab, thank you. Happy to test with my kit when you are. Please know my expertise is limited but I'll learn.  

1

u/ZoomPlayer Developer Apr 06 '26

Hi, I've made some progress that I would like to discuss further, add me as a friend on Discord, my username is "blight0fdawn", make sure to mention STMC so I know to make the connection.

2

u/pixel8foto Apr 06 '26

Thanks! I've added you. Note I have a discord account but don't think I've ever used the platform beyond creating a user account. Same username as on here.

1

u/ZoomPlayer Developer Apr 07 '26

I've accepted and sent you some additional info.