PluginBench
MCP Server
Maintained
MIT

smartest-tv MCP Server

io.github.Hybirdss/smartest-tv

Control any smart TV with natural language. Play Netflix, YouTube, Spotify by name. Cast URLs. Multi-room audio.

What is the smartest-tv MCP server?

The smartest-tv MCP server is a CLI and AI integration that lets you control smart TVs with natural language commands. It resolves streaming content by name across Netflix, Apple TV+, YouTube, Spotify, Disney+, and other platforms, then deep-links directly into the app on your TV. It also supports casting URLs, multi-room audio, scene presets, watch history, and exposes 21 MCP tools for use with Claude, Cursor, and other AI agents.

smartest-tv eliminates the remote-and-search dance by letting you play shows, movies, and music by name—"play Frieren" instead of opening Netflix, searching, picking season/episode, and pressing play. It works with LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Android TV, Fire TV, and Roku. Beyond playback, it offers scene presets (movie-night, kids, sleep), multi-room audio control, watch-time insights, and TV-as-display features. As an MCP server, it integrates with Claude and other AI agents so you can control your TV mid-conversation.

How to install smartest-tv

Copy-paste configuration for popular MCP clients.

transport: stdio
Config generated by PluginBench — verify against the source before use.
Environment / auth
  • TV_PLATFORM
    required

    TV platform: lg, samsung, roku, or android

  • TV_IP
    required

    TV IP address on your local network

  • TV_MAC

    TV MAC address for Wake-on-LAN (optional)

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "smartest-tv": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "stv"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TV_PLATFORM": "<YOUR_TV_PLATFORM>",
        "TV_IP": "<YOUR_TV_IP>",
        "TV_MAC": "<YOUR_TV_MAC>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools & capabilities

Tools this server exposes to the agent.

  • tv_play — Search and play content by name across streaming platforms
  • tv_cast — Cast any URL to the TV
  • tv_next — Continue watching the last show
  • tv_launch — Launch an app with a specific content ID
  • tv_resolve — Resolve content name to ID without playing
  • tv_whats_on — Show trending content
  • tv_recommend — Get personalized content recommendations
  • tv_power — Turn TV on or off
  • tv_volume — Get, set, step, or mute volume
  • tv_screen — Turn screen on or off
  • tv_notify — Send toast notification to TV
  • tv_status — Get current TV state
  • tv_queue — Manage play queue
  • tv_scene — Activate scene presets (movie-night, kids, sleep, custom)
  • tv_history — Access watch history
  • tv_insights — Get viewing statistics and screen-time data
  • tv_display — Use TV as a display for dashboards, clocks, or messages
  • tv_audio — Control multi-room audio
  • tv_sync — Play content on all TVs simultaneously
  • tv_list_tvs — List all connected TVs

Use cases

  • Play a show by name without using the remote: 'stv play netflix Dark s1e1' or 'play Frieren' with auto-detection
  • Cast a link from a friend directly to your TV: paste a Netflix/YouTube/Spotify URL and it plays instantly
  • Set the mood with scene presets: 'stv scene movie-night' sets volume to 20 and cinema mode; 'stv scene sleep' enables rain sounds and auto-off
  • Control multiple TVs at once: 'stv --all play youtube lo-fi beats' or sync a watch party across remote friends
  • Use your TV as a display: show weather dashboards, clocks, or messages without opening an app
  • Analyze subscription value: 'stv sub-value netflix --cost 17.99' calculates cost-per-hour watched

smartest-tv MCP server FAQ

What is smartest-tv?

smartest-tv is a CLI and MCP server that controls smart TVs with natural language. You say a show name and it resolves the content ID, opens the streaming app on your TV, and starts playback—no remote needed. It works with Netflix, Apple TV+, YouTube, Spotify, Disney+, Max, Prime Video, Paramount+, Hulu, Peacock, Crunchyroll, and platforms on JustWatch.

Is it free?

Yes. smartest-tv is open-source (MIT license) and free to install via pip. It runs entirely on your local network with no cloud dependency, no telemetry, and no paid tiers. The only optional feature is community cache contribution—you can disable it with STV_NO_CONTRIBUTE=1.

How do I install it in Claude or Cursor?

Add to your MCP config (claude_desktop_config.json or Cursor settings): {"mcpServers": {"tv": {"command": "uvx", "args": ["stv"]}}}. Or use OpenClaw: clawhub install smartest-tv. Then just tell Claude 'play Frieren' and it works.

Do I need to log in to Netflix or other streaming services?

No. smartest-tv resolves content via HTML parsing (Netflix, Apple TV+) or public APIs (JustWatch for Disney+, Max, Prime, etc.) without requiring login credentials or API keys. It finds where content is streaming in your region and deep-links into the app on your TV.

What TV brands does it support?

LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, Android TV, Fire TV, and Roku. Install with pip install stv (LG default), pip install stv[samsung], pip install stv[android], or pip install stv[all]. Run stv setup to auto-discover and pair your TV.

Can it control multiple TVs at once?

Yes. Use stv --all play netflix Dark to play on every TV, or create groups with stv groups and control them together. You can also sync a watch party with remote friends.

README (reference)

Source of truth, from the repository.

<h1 align="center"> <br> 📺 <br> smartest-tv <br> </h1> <h4 align="center">The CLI your TV has been waiting for.</h4> <p align="center"> <b>Play Netflix / Apple TV+ / YouTube / Spotify by name. Cast URLs. Multi-room audio. AI concierge. All from your terminal.</b> </p> <p align="center"> <a href="https://pypi.org/project/stv/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/stv?style=flat-square&color=blue" alt="PyPI: stv"></a> <a href="https://pepy.tech/project/stv"><img src="https://static.pepy.tech/badge/stv" alt="Total Downloads"></a> <a href="https://pepy.tech/project/stv"><img src="https://static.pepy.tech/badge/stv/month" alt="Downloads/month"></a> <a href="tests/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/tests-282%20passed-brightgreen?style=flat-square" alt="Tests"></a> <a href="LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-yellow?style=flat-square" alt="MIT License"></a> <a href="https://python.org"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/python-3.11+-3776ab?style=flat-square&logo=python&logoColor=white" alt="Python"></a> <a href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP-21%20tools-8A2BE2?style=flat-square" alt="MCP Tools"></a> <a href="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/Hybirdss/smartest-tv"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Glama-A%20A%20A-00d992?style=flat-square" alt="Glama Score"></a> <a href="https://github.com/punkpeye/awesome-mcp-servers"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/awesome--mcp--servers-listed-fc60a8?style=flat-square&logo=awesome-lists&logoColor=white" alt="Awesome MCP Servers"></a> <a href="https://github.com/vitalets/awesome-smart-tv"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/awesome--smart--tv-listed-fc60a8?style=flat-square&logo=awesome-lists&logoColor=white" alt="Awesome Smart TV"></a> <a href="https://github.com/hacs/integration"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/HACS-Custom-41BDF5?style=flat-square" alt="HACS"></a> </p> <p align="center"> <a href="docs/i18n/README.ko.md">한국어</a> · <a href="docs/i18n/README.zh.md">中文</a> · <a href="docs/i18n/README.ja.md">日本語</a> · <a href="docs/i18n/README.es.md">Español</a> · <a href="docs/i18n/README.de.md">Deutsch</a> · <a href="docs/i18n/README.pt-br.md">Português</a> · <a href="docs/i18n/README.fr.md">Français</a> </p> <br> <p align="center"><code>pip install stv && stv play "Frieren"</code></p> <p align="center"><sub>No TV? Opens in your browser. Got a TV? <code>stv setup</code> to connect it.</sub></p> <p align="center"> <img src="docs/assets/hero.png" alt="The Evolution of TV Control" width="720"> </p>
<br> <table align="center"> <tr> <th>😩 Without stv</th> <th>😎 With stv</th> </tr> <tr> <td>
  1. Pick up remote
  2. Open Netflix app
  3. Search for show
  4. Pick the season
  5. Pick the episode
  6. Press play

~30 seconds

</td> <td>
stv play netflix "Dark" s1e1

~3 seconds

</td> </tr> </table> <br>

No TV? No problem. Without a TV configured, stv opens content directly in your browser. Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, Disney+ — just pip install stv and go.


🛋 Vibe-code and chill

Vibe-coding at 2am. Claude writes your code. You tell it to put on a show. It does.

you: play frieren on the living room tv
claude: Playing Frieren s2e8 on Living Room. (3s)

you: bit quieter
claude: Volume → 18.

you: good night
claude: All 3 TVs off.

Already installed stv? Just tell Claude:

# Option 1 — just talk (zero config)
"run stv play netflix Frieren s2e8"

# Option 2 — install the Skill for auto-trigger
clawhub install smartest-tv
# now "play Frieren", "good night", "next episode" just work mid-session

<sub>Also available as an MCP server (21 tools) for Claude Code, Codex, Antigravity, and other MCP clients.</sub>


🎯 Just type stv

<p align="center"> <img src="docs/assets/screenshots/12-home-connected.png" alt="stv home dashboard" width="720"> </p>

No subcommand? You get a Now Playing card and three contextual next-actions based on your watch history — not a 30-command help dump.

$ stv "play dark on netflix"     # natural language works
$ stv play "Frieren"             # auto-detects platform
$ stv next                       # continue last show
$ stv stats                      # → insights

Unknown input? You get a friendly hint, not an error.


🎨 A CLI that looks like a product

<table> <tr> <td width="50%"><img src="docs/assets/screenshots/01-status.png" alt="stv status"></td> <td width="50%"><img src="docs/assets/screenshots/07-insights.png" alt="stv insights"></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="docs/assets/screenshots/03-scenes.png" alt="stv scene list"></td> <td><img src="docs/assets/screenshots/02-multi-list.png" alt="stv multi list"></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="docs/assets/screenshots/06-doctor.png" alt="stv doctor"></td> <td><img src="docs/assets/screenshots/16-nl-demo.png" alt="natural language"></td> </tr> </table>

Every command renders with Catppuccin Mocha colors, semantic icons, and real visual hierarchy. Prefer another palette? Set STV_THEME=nord or STV_THEME=gruvbox.

--format json is always available when you need to pipe to jq.


✨ What it does

<table> <tr> <td width="33%" valign="top">

🎬 Play by name

stv play netflix "Dark" s1e1
stv play disney "Percy Jackson" s1e1
stv play prime "The Boys" s1e1
stv play "Frieren" s2e8          # auto-detects platform

Say the name. stv finds the ID, opens the app, starts playback. Netflix and Apple TV+ resolve via HTML parsing. Disney+, Max, Prime, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Crunchyroll, and every platform on JustWatch resolve via their API — no login, no API key. Skip the platform name and stv auto-detects where it's streaming in your region.

</td> <td width="33%" valign="top">

🔗 Cast any URL

stv cast https://youtu.be/dQw4w
stv cast https://netflix.com/watch/...
stv cast https://open.spotify.com/...

Friend sends a link. Paste it. TV plays it.

</td> <td width="33%" valign="top">

🎵 Queue & party

stv queue add youtube "Gangnam Style"
stv queue add spotify "Blinding Lights"
stv queue play

Everyone adds their pick. TV plays in order.

</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="33%" valign="top">

🎭 Scene presets

stv scene movie-night   # volume 20, cinema
stv scene kids          # volume 15, Cocomelon
stv scene sleep         # rain sounds, auto-off

One command sets the vibe.

</td> <td width="33%" valign="top">

🔊 Multi-room audio

stv audio play "lo-fi beats"
stv audio volume kitchen 30
stv audio stop

Screens off. Music everywhere.<br>Free Sonos.

</td> <td width="33%" valign="top">

📺 TV as display

stv display message "Dinner!"
stv display clock
stv display dashboard "Temp:22°C"

Dashboards, clocks, signage.<br>$0/month.

</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="33%" valign="top">

📊 Watch intelligence

stv insights
stv screen-time
stv sub-value netflix --cost 17.99

Is your Netflix worth $18/month?

</td> <td width="33%" valign="top">

🌐 Sync party

stv --all play youtube "lo-fi beats"
stv --group party play netflix "Wed..."
stv --all off   # good night

Every TV. At once. Even remote friends.

</td> <td width="33%" valign="top">

🤖 AI concierge

"Play something chill"
→ tv_recommend → tv_play
→ Playing The Queen's Gambit

21 MCP tools. One sentence is enough.

</td> </tr> </table>

🤖 Tell your AI to control your TV

stv is an MCP server. Claude, GPT, Cursor, or any MCP client can control your TV with natural language.

<table> <tr> <td width="50%" valign="top">

Setup (one line):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tv": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["stv"]
    }
  }
}

Or via OpenClaw:

clawhub install smartest-tv
</td> <td width="50%" valign="top">

Then just talk:

You: "I just got home, set up movie night"

Claude: 🎬 Movie night activated.
  Volume → 20, cinema mode on.
  
  Based on your history:
  1. The Queen's Gambit (Netflix)
  2. Ozark (Netflix)
  3. Squid Game S2 (Netflix)

You: "Play 1, put a clock on kitchen TV"

Claude: ✓ Playing The Queen's Gambit
         ✓ Clock on kitchen TV
</td> </tr> </table> <details> <summary><b>All 21 MCP tools</b></summary> <br>
CategoryToolWhat it does
Playtv_playSearch + play by name
tv_castCast any URL
tv_nextContinue watching
tv_launchLaunch app with ID
tv_resolveGet content ID only
Discovertv_whats_onTrending content
tv_recommendPersonalized picks
Controltv_powerOn/off
tv_volumeGet/set/step/mute
tv_screenScreen on/off
tv_notifyToast notification
tv_statusCurrent state
Organizetv_queuePlay queue
tv_sceneScene presets
tv_historyWatch history
Intelligencetv_insightsViewing stats
tv_displayTV as display
tv_audioMulti-room audio
Multi-TVtv_syncPlay on all TVs
tv_list_tvsList TVs
tv_groupsTV groups
</details>

📅 A day with stv

TimeWhat happens
7amstv display dashboard "Weather:18°C" "Meeting:10am" on kitchen TV
8amstv scene kids --tv kids-room -- Cocomelon, volume 15
12pmFriend sends Netflix link → stv cast <url>
5pmstv screen-time → kids watched 2h 15m today
6:30pmstv scene movie-night -- volume 20, cinema mode
7pmstv recommend --mood chill → suggests Ozark
9pmstv audio play "friday vibes" -p spotify -- music everywhere
10pmstv --group party play netflix "Wednesday" s1e1 -- sync
11:30pmstv scene sleep → stv --all off -- good night

🔥 Killer combos

<table> <tr> <td width="33%" valign="top">

🌙 Bedtime autopilot

stv audio play "rain" --rooms bedroom
stv scene sleep
stv --all off

Ambient sound, screen off, auto-timer, every other TV killed.

</td> <td width="33%" valign="top">

🎧 Free Sonos

stv audio play "lo-fi beats"
stv audio volume kitchen 40
stv audio volume bedroom 15

Every TV is a speaker. Per-room volume. Screens off.

</td> <td width="33%" valign="top">

💰 Subscription audit

stv sub-value netflix --cost 17.99
# → $8.50/hr — consider canceling

stv sub-value youtube --cost 13.99
# → $1.20/hr — good value
</td> </tr> </table>

10 more recipes →


<p align="center"> <a href="https://github.com/Hybirdss/smartest-tv/releases/download/v0.3.0/KakaoTalk_20260403_051617935.mp4"> <img src="docs/assets/demo.gif" alt="smartest-tv demo" width="720"> </a> <br> <sub>▲ Click to watch the full demo</sub> </p>

⚙️ How it works

  "Play Dark S1E1"
        │
        ▼
  ┌─── Resolution ───┐
  │ Cache → API → Web │  content_id
  │  0.1s   1s    3s  │──────────────▶ 📺 TV plays it
  └───────────────────┘       │
                         Deep link via
                    LG / Samsung / Roku / Android

Say a name. stv resolves it to a content ID, deep-links into the app on your TV. No browser automation, no API keys, no cloud dependency. Results are cached so repeat plays are instant.


📦 Install

pip install stv                    # LG webOS (default)
pip install "stv[samsung]"         # Samsung Tizen
pip install "stv[android]"         # Android TV / Fire TV
pip install "stv[all]"             # Everything
stv setup                          # auto-discover + pair your TV

Supports LG webOS · Samsung Tizen · Android TV / Fire TV · Roku

Home Assistant (HACS)

hacs_badge

Add as a custom repository (default listing in review: hacs/default#6907):

HACS → ⋮ (top right) → Custom repositories
  URL: https://github.com/Hybirdss/smartest-tv
  Category: Integration → Add
Then: Install → Restart HA
Settings → Integrations → Add → "Smartest TV" → auto-discovers your TVs

Android TV / Fire TV: the setup flow shows a 6-digit PIN on the TV — enter it in the pairing form to finish. In HA OS / HA Container set STV_CONFIG_DIR=/config/smartest-tv so pairing survives container rebuilds. See docs/integrations/home-assistant.md.

Then use in automations:

service: media_player.play_media
target:
  entity_id: media_player.living_room
data:
  media_content_type: stv
  media_content_id: "netflix:Frieren:s2e8"

This does what HA's built-in media_player.play_media can't: resolve a show by name and deep-link into the streaming app. Power, volume, and playback controls also work as standard HA media player entities.


🔌 Works with

IntegrationHow
Home AssistantHACS custom integration → media_player.play_media with content resolution
Claude Code / CursorAdd MCP config → "play Dark s1e1"
OpenClawclawhub install smartest-tv → Telegram bot
cron0 7 * * * stv display dashboard ...
Shell scriptssleep-mode, party-mode one-liners
Any MCP client21 tools, stdio or HTTP (stv serve)

📚 Docs

Getting StartedSetup for any TV brand
Playing Contentplay, cast, queue, resolve
Scenesmovie-night, kids, sleep, custom
Sync & PartyMulti-TV, remote watch party
Recipes10 powerful feature combos
AI AgentsMCP for Claude, Cursor, OpenClaw
CLI ReferenceEvery command and option
MCP ToolsAll 21 tools with parameters

🔓 Open source

Every line of stv is on GitHub — the CLI, resolvers (Netflix, Apple TV+, YouTube, Spotify, Disney+, Max, Prime Video, Paramount+, Hulu, Peacock, Crunchyroll, and more via JustWatch), all 4 TV drivers (LG, Samsung, Roku, Android), cache, sync engine, scenes, and all 253 tests. Streaming availability data powered by JustWatch.


🔒 Privacy

stv runs on your local network. No telemetry, no analytics, no cloud sync, no phoning home about what you watch. There is no posthog, no amplitude, no sentry, no mixpanel — grep the source.

One exception — community cache contribution. When you play content that isn't in the local cache, stv resolves it (via web parsing) and submits the resolved ID to a shared community cache so the next user gets an instant lookup. This is the same pattern as Wikipedia or a package mirror — many small contributions, anonymous.

What's sent (background HTTPS, fire-and-forget, never blocks playback):

  • Platform name (netflix / youtube / spotify)
  • Content slug (e.g. frieren)
  • Resolved content ID (Netflix title ID, YouTube video ID, Spotify URI)

What's not sent:

  • Your name, email, or any user identifier
  • Your IP address (the CDN sees a connection IP per standard HTTP, but the client never reads or transmits it)
  • Your watch history or play timestamps
  • Your TV's IP address or hardware info
  • Anything about how often or when you use stv

To disable cache contribution entirely:

export STV_NO_CONTRIBUTE=1

Source: src/smartest_tv/cache.py — search for _contribute.


🤝 Contributing

211 tests. No TV needed to run them.

pip install -e ".[dev]"
python -m pytest tests/ -v

Samsung, Roku, and Android TV drivers need real-world testing. If you have one, your feedback matters.

Cache Contributions · Driver Development


<p align="center"> <img src="docs/assets/mascot.png" alt="smartest-tv mascot" width="256"> </p> <p align="center"> <sub>MIT License · Made with Python · No cloud required</sub> </p> <!-- mcp-name: io.github.Hybirdss/smartest-tv -->

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