Sidee

Your TV, your freedom.

Sidee is a free, open-source tool that helps people make more of the TVs they already own. Its simple browser dashboard lets you connect to a compatible TV and manage additional web-app launcher tiles, without coding, command-line setup, or specialist knowledge.

Sidee is built around three principles:

• Freedom and control: Give people more choice over how they use their own devices.
• Accessibility: Make the process straightforward, even for first-time users.
• Privacy and security: Keep TV discovery and pairing on the local network, with authorization through the PIN shown on the TV.

• Windows 10/11, or macOS 15+ (Apple Silicon or Intel)
• A compatible VIDAA TV and a computer on the same home Wi-Fi/Ethernet network
• Internet access for the initial Windows setup and any online experiences you choose to open on the TV

Compatibility varies by TV model and firmware. The primary tested firmware is U09.60 / V0000.09.60A.Q0707. Support for some other models is experimental; see the compatibility notes.

1. Download Sidee for Windows and extract the ZIP.
2. Double-click start-windows.bat in the extracted folder.
3. Wait for the dashboard to open in your browser, then follow the on-screen steps.

On first launch, Sidee downloads a private, version-pinned Python runtime and its connection dependency from official sources, verifying the downloads using SHA-256. You do not need to install Python yourself, enter commands, or grant administrator rights. Later launches reuse the downloaded runtime.

Keep the launcher window open while using the dashboard. If the browser does not open automatically, use the full dashboard link shown in the launcher, including its access key. If Windows requests network access, allow it on your trusted home network.

The macOS download includes Sidee.app and its required runtime, so no separate Python installation or Terminal commands are needed.

1. Get the package for your Mac from Releases or a successful build workflow. Choose arm64 for Apple Silicon or x64 for Intel.
2. Open the DMG, drag Sidee.app to Applications, and launch it.
3. Use Open dashboard in Sidee's control window.

Important: The current macOS builds are not signed or notarized. macOS may prevent them from opening automatically. If you trust the downloaded package, follow Apple's instructions for opening an unverified app. If prompted, grant local network access so Sidee can discover your TV. The builds are checked in CI but still require broader testing on physical Macs.

Sidee's control window must remain open while you use the dashboard; Quit Sidee stops the local dashboard service.

1. Find TV: Turn on your TV, put it on the same network as your computer, and select Find TV. Sidee uses the discovered address rather than assuming a fixed TV IP. If discovery fails, you can enter the address shown in the TV's network settings.
2. Request code: Select Request code and enter the four-digit PIN displayed on your TV, then choose Confirm code. Pairing requires this confirmation.
3. Manage launcher tiles: Choose an option offered in the dashboard and follow the confirmation steps. The available choices are maintained with Sidee; the dashboard does not currently accept arbitrary web-app URLs.

Registered tiles remain in the TV launcher across restarts, even when Sidee is no longer running. The availability of the web experiences opened by those tiles depends on their own network requirements.

Want to use your phone? The dashboard provides a locally generated QR code so you can open its controls on a phone connected to the same home network. Keep Sidee running on the computer and keep dashboard access links private.

Sidee uses the TV's local control interface for network discovery, PIN-authorized pairing, and launcher management. The connection uses MQTT/TLS on port 36669. Sidee does not require an account or cloud service for discovery, pairing, or TV control.

Sidee is designed to use functions available to an authorized, paired TV client. It does not install native system software or modify the TV's operating system.

• No Sidee telemetry: TV discovery and control take place locally; Sidee does not require an account.
• Consent-based pairing: You must confirm the PIN shown on your TV.
• Local credentials: Saved pairing tokens remain in your user profile at ~/.sidee/session.json (mode 600 on Unix; inherited user-profile permissions on Windows).
• Protected dashboard access: Treat dashboard links and saved pairing tokens as private. Only share access with people you trust on your home network.
• Limited operations: Sidee manages web launcher tiles through the TV's authorized control interface; it does not make system-level changes.

The first Windows setup downloads verified dependencies. Web experiences opened from the TV launcher may make their own network connections independently of Sidee.

If Find TV cannot locate your TV, check that both devices share the same network and that a VPN, guest Wi-Fi, or firewall is not blocking local discovery. The manual IP option checks that the destination responds as a compatible TV and that port 36669 is reachable; it never bypasses PIN authorization.

Some TVs advertise themselves rather than replying directly to discovery. In that case, keep the TV on and retry Find TV. For known firmware-specific pairing limitations, see the compatibility notes.

On macOS, check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network and, if needed, the firewall permissions for Sidee. Diagnostic logs are stored at ~/Library/Logs/Sidee/sidee.log. Keep logs containing private access data confidential.

With Python 3.9+ already installed, the dashboard can also be started from a source checkout:

python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
python sidee.py

Optional command-line interface:

python sidee.py discover
python sidee.py pair TV_IP
python sidee.py install PRESET_ID
python sidee.py list
python sidee.py launch PRESET_ID
python sidee.py refresh

Replace TV_IP with your TV's LAN address and PRESET_ID with an available built-in option. Pairing always requires the TV's authorization.

Run Python tests with python -m unittest discover -s tests and dashboard interaction tests with node --test tests/test_dashboard_selection.js.

Packaging information is in the macOS build notes. Automated Windows and macOS builds are available through GitHub Actions.

Sidee began with a simple idea: people should have more freedom to use technology they already own. After a lot of experimentation, that idea became a small tool designed to make everyday tasks easier and more approachable. If it helps you, please consider supporting continued development.

☕ Support Sidee on Ko-fi

MIT — see LICENSE. Sidee is an independent project and is not affiliated with TV manufacturers. Use it only with devices you own or are authorized to manage.