Ascend Media RPC

Discord Rich Presence, Android TV ADB telemetry, desktop client support, Smart Skip, and premium artwork for Stremio & Wako

Ascend Media RPC connects Android TV playback over built-in ADB tooling, plus supported desktop clients, to Discord Rich Presence.

Show what you are watching from Stremio or Wako directly on Discord with live titles, artwork, playback progress, timestamps, custom branding, Smart Skip status, and a real-time local telemetry dashboard.

🖥️ Dashboard Showcase

Main Dashboard	Device Connections	Global Settings

Playback History	Live Analytics	Trakt Integration

[!TIP] The dashboard is fully responsive and can be accessed from any device on your network to control your RPC in real-time.

What Is Ascend Media RPC?
Dashboard Showcase
Discord Community
What Does RPC Mean?
Core Features
How It Works
Artwork Examples
Animated Network Icons with Nuvio
Requirements
Quick Start
Installation
What run.bat Does
CLI and Headless Mode
Best Discord Visuals with Vencord
Docker Deployment
Remote Setup (Tailscale)
Android TV Setup
Connection Methods
Configuration
Example config.json
API Keys and Providers
API Integrations
Using with Stremio
Using with Wako
Dashboard
Smart Skip Pipeline
Skipit Setup Guide
Analytics
Plugin System
Privacy and Security
Customization
Troubleshooting
API Reference
Built With
Credits
Disclaimer
Support

Best Discord Visuals with Vencord

Ascend Media RPC can update normal Discord Rich Presence on the standard Discord desktop app, but the richest and cleanest activity layout is designed for the bundled Ascend Vencord/Equicord build.

Use this when you want the activity to look its best:

Correct Stremio/Wako activity naming instead of generic app labels
Cleaner pause/play state display
Better visual formatting for details, state, and timestamps
Support for Discord Stable, PTB, Canary, Development, or a custom Discord install folder
Easy custom plugin management through plugins.txt and local_plugins

Install the Ascend Vencord build

Install Git and Node.js LTS if you do not already have them.
Open the bundled installer:

vencord_installer\run.bat

Click Check Requirements.
If pnpm is missing, click Install / Repair pnpm.
Select the Discord client you use: Stable, PTB, Canary, Development, or a custom folder.
Click Build + Inject.
Restart Discord with Ctrl+R after the installer finishes.

Enable BetterStremioActivity

After Discord restarts:

Open Discord User Settings.
Open Vencord/Equicord Plugins.
Search for BetterStremioActivity.
Enable it.
Make sure Discord Activity Sharing / Display current activity as a status message is enabled.

Important

Ascend Media RPC will still work without this plugin, but the RPC may not look correct. For the intended rich layout, install the bundled Vencord/Equicord build and enable BetterStremioActivity.

Add your own plugins

The installer supports custom plugins without editing the Python GUI:

Add Git plugin URLs to vencord_installer\plugins.txt, one URL per line.
Put local plugin folders in vencord_installer\local_plugins\.
Rerun vencord_installer\run.bat, then click Build + Inject again.

The bundled BetterStremioActivity plugin is always copied from:

vencord_installer\bundled_plugins\betterStremioActivity

What Is Ascend Media RPC?

Ascend Media RPC is a local application that bridges Android TV ADB playback telemetry and supported desktop clients with Discord Rich Presence.

When you play something in Stremio or Wako on Android TV, or a supported local desktop client, Ascend Media RPC detects the playback activity, enriches it with metadata and artwork, and updates your Discord status in real time.

It can display:

Movie, show, season, and episode information
Playback state
Elapsed or remaining time
Posters, backdrops, season art, and episode thumbnails
Custom Discord branding text
Small playback, app, network, or device icons
Smart Skip status with 8 skip providers
Real-time telemetry in a local browser dashboard
Watch history and analytics
Integration status for 9+ connected services

Ascend Media RPC runs on Windows natively, and on Linux or any platform via Docker or headless mode.

Discord Community

Need help, want updates, or want to hang out around the broader Cxsmo-ai projects?

Main site:

https://DeepAscension.net

Support site:

https://throne.com/cxsmo

Join the Discord for project support, release updates, setup help, and community discussion:

https://discord.gg/njSKPUQtFa

What Does RPC Mean?

In this project, RPC means:

Rich Presence Client

A Rich Presence Client connects to Discord and updates your profile activity with live, detailed information.

Instead of Discord only showing that you are online, Ascend Media RPC can show what you are currently watching.

Example Discord status:

Watching Interstellar
1h 12m remaining
on Stremio

Flow:

Stremio / Wako
      |
Ascend Media RPC
      |
Discord Rich Presence

Official Discord Rich Presence documentation:

https://docs.discord.com/developers/platform/rich-presence

Core Features

Android TV Telemetry

Built-in ADB tooling — no manual ADB installation required
Auto IP scanning and mDNS/Zeroconf device discovery
Dashboard-based device scanner with manual IP fallback
Android TV, Google TV, NVIDIA Shield, and Chromecast with Google TV support
Stremio and Wako playback detection
Playback state and progress tracking
Device reconnect support
Multi-device management
ADB command deduplication and retry logic
First-time debugging permission support

Desktop Client Support

Supported local desktop clients can feed playback state without an Android TV
Stremio desktop/enhanced detection for local playback workflows
Desktop mode can run alongside Android TV ADB mode, so users can choose the source that fits their setup

Discord Rich Presence

Live Discord activity updates for movies and TV shows
Season and episode display
Custom branding text
Elapsed or remaining time display
Poster, backdrop, season, and episode thumbnail artwork
Best visual layout with the Ascend Vencord/Equicord build and bundled BetterStremioActivity plugin
Small icon modes: playback state, app, network, device, animated Nuvio GIFs
Status message cycling with configurable interval
Dynamic button URLs
Multi-activity support
Privacy mode (hides what you are watching)
RPC history logging
Profanity filter
Multi-Discord account support

Important

Ascend Media RPC can send normal Discord Rich Presence, but the activity is designed to look correct with the Ascend Vencord/Equicord build. Use the bundled installer in vencord_installer\run.bat and enable BetterStremioActivity for the intended Stremio/Wako activity naming, pause state, and rich visual layout.

Real-Time Local Dashboard

Ascend Media RPC includes a local web dashboard with 7 tabs for monitoring and control.

Default URL:

http://localhost:5466

Dashboard tabs:

Tab	Description
Dashboard	Connection status, playback info, artwork preview, live log, skip HUD
Connections	API keys, skip sources with priority reordering, pipeline sandbox, 9 integration cards
Settings	Appearance, RPC customization, privacy, config management, device management, setup wizard
History	Watch history and session log
Analytics	Watch stats, top genres, peak hours heatmap, streaks, search
Debug	Audit log viewer, skip cache stats, system health, plugins
Trakt	Trakt OAuth login and scrobbling status

Dashboard features:

Toast notification system (replaces alert dialogs)
Sidebar navigation with icon tooltips
Config export and import (JSON)
Multi-step onboarding wizard (6 steps: Welcome, ADB, Discord, TMDB, Artwork, Skip)
Dark/light/OLED theme toggle with custom accent colors
Optional PIN-based authentication
Optional HTTPS support
Live SSE event stream with real-time UI updates
Browser push notifications
Glassmorphism UI with gradient accents and staggered animations

Artwork Engine

Multi-source artwork system for Discord and dashboard visuals.

Supported artwork types:

Movie and TV show posters
Season posters and episode thumbnails
Backdrops and logos
Rating badges and provider-enhanced posters

Artwork providers:

EasyRatingsDB — rating overlays, generated posters
Top Posters — modern streaming-style posters
TMDB — fallback artwork
FanArt.tv — high-quality fan-made artwork (posters, backgrounds, logos)
Nuvio — animated network GIF icons

Configurable fallback chain with drag-and-drop reordering in the dashboard:

"artwork_fallback_chain": ["tmdb", "fanart", "tvdb"]

Smart Skip Pipeline

9-provider skip segment pipeline with priority ordering, category-aware conflict resolution, and TTL caching.

Supported skip providers:

#	Provider	Description
1	IntroDB.app	Intro and outro timestamps
2	TheIntroDB.org (TIDB)	Intro, recap, credits, preview, filler segments
3	Remote JSON	Custom skip database from a remote URL
4	VideoSkip.org	Mature content filters (sex, violence, profanity)
5	NotScare.me (Major)	Major jump scare timestamps
6	NotScare.me (Minor)	Minor jump scare timestamps
7	AniSkip	Anime opening and ending skip segments
8	SkipMe.db	Community skip database
9	Skipit (getskipit.com)	Premium community-driven skip database with auto-refreshing authentication

Features:

Individual enable/disable toggles per provider
Drag-to-reorder priority in the dashboard
Cloudflare bypass via cloudscraper for TIDB and NotScare
Category-aware conflict resolution
TTL-based skip segment cache (thread-safe)
Pipeline Sandbox in dashboard for testing

Skipit Setup Guide

Skip Me (Skipit) requires specific authentication tokens that must be retrieved from your browser while logged in to their website.

How to get your Skipit Credentials:

Login: Go to getskipit.com and log in to your account.
Open DevTools: Press F12 (or Ctrl+Shift+I) to open your browser's Developer Tools.
Find the Frontend API:
- Go to the Network tab.
- Refresh the page.
- Look for a request starting with clerk. (e.g., clerk.getskipit.com).
- The domain you see here is your skipit_frontend_api.
Find the Tokens:
- Go to the Application tab (Chrome/Edge) or Storage tab (Firefox).
- In the sidebar, look under Cookies -> https://getskipit.com.
- Copy the value of the __client_uat cookie. This is your skipit_token.
- Copy the value of the __session cookie. This is your skipit_session_cookie.
Find the Session ID:
- Go back to the Network tab in DevTools.
- Look for any request to the clerk API (e.g. clerk.getskipit.com/v1/client).
- In the Response (JSON), look for the "last_active_session_id" field.
- This string (starting with sess_) is your skipit_session_id.

Enter these 4 values into the Ascend RPC Dashboard or config.json to enable high-priority community skips!

NotScare Support

Jump scare detection for horror content via notscare.me.

Major and Minor severity levels
Episode slicing from full season pages
Cloudflare bypass via cloudscraper
Dashboard HUD alerts

9 API Integrations

All manageable from the dashboard Connections tab. Integrations auto-scrobble and sync during active playback — toggling an integration ON actually calls its API methods in the main playback loop.

Integration	Description
AniList	Track anime progress and sync watchlist
Simkl	Sync watch history across platforms
Kitsu	Connect to the Kitsu anime community
Letterboxd	Log movies to your diary as you watch
Last.fm	Scrobble soundtrack info
JustWatch	Find where content is streaming
OpenSubtitles	Find and fetch subtitles
Plex / Jellyfin / Emby	Media server connections
Notion / Obsidian	Watch journals and note logging

Trakt Social

Extended Trakt features beyond basic scrobbling:

Collection Sync — auto-add watched content to your Trakt collection
Friends Watching — see what your Trakt friends are watching right now
Calendar — upcoming episodes from your watchlist
Check-In — auto check-in to Trakt when watching
Recommendations — get personalized recommendations
Ratings — rate content during or after watching
Stats — view your Trakt watch statistics

Analytics

Local SQLite-backed watch analytics:

Total watch time, session counts, average session duration
Top genres breakdown
Peak watch hours (24-hour heatmap)
Watch streak tracking
Total skips count
Session search
Auto-migration from legacy JSON format
Skip provider analytics — per-provider success rates and hit counts
Skip category breakdown — stats per category (intro, outro, recap, etc.)
Weekly reports — aggregated watch statistics for the past 7 days
Monthly reports — aggregated watch statistics for the past 30 days
Shareable stats cards — generate PNG images of your watch statistics (Spotify Wrapped style)
Watch history filter — filter by status (all, completed, in progress, abandoned)
Per-show grouping — group watch history entries by show title

Core Modules

Module	Description
audit_log.py	Config change and auth event logging with sensitive key masking
skip_cache.py	Thread-safe TTL cache for skip segments
rpc_history.py	RPC activity history with SQLite storage
api_validator.py	API key validation against provider endpoints
config_watcher.py	File system watcher for config hot-reload
plugin_system.py	Abstract base classes and registry for extending functionality
stats_card_generator.py	Shareable PNG stats card generation (requires Pillow, optional)
integrations/fanart.py	FanArt.tv high-quality artwork client

How It Works

Android TV / Google TV
        |
Stremio or Wako playback
        |
Ascend Media RPC built-in ADB tooling
        |
Playback and app telemetry
        |
Metadata, artwork, ratings, and skip providers
        |
Discord Rich Presence + Dashboard + Analytics + Integrations

Ascend Media RPC runs locally on your PC and communicates with your Android TV over your local network using built-in ADB tooling. You do not need to manually install ADB or run ADB commands.

Ascend Media RPC can:

Scan your local network for Android TV devices (IP scan + mDNS/Zeroconf)
Connect automatically using Auto IP mode
Detect Stremio or Wako playback
Fetch metadata and artwork from supported providers
Fetch skip segments from 8 providers simultaneously
Update Discord Rich Presence
Display live telemetry in the local dashboard
Log watch history and analytics
Sync with connected integrations (Trakt, AniList, Last.fm, etc.)

Artwork Examples

Ascend Media RPC can use premium artwork providers to create cleaner, richer visuals for Discord Rich Presence and the local dashboard.

EasyRatingsDB Example	Top Posters Example

Animated Network Icons with Nuvio

Ascend Media RPC can use Nuvio community GIF covers as animated Discord small icons for streaming networks (Netflix, Paramount+, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, etc.).

Demo animated WebP:

Links:

https://nuvioapp.space/
https://nuvioapp.space/covers?format=gif&sort=popular

Setup:

Sign up or sign in at Nuvio.
Open the Ascend Media RPC dashboard.
Set the small icon mode to the Nuvio network GIF option.
Enable Nuvio Network GIFs.
Enter your Nuvio email and password.
Save settings.

Notes:

401 in the log means the Nuvio login failed or expired.
If no animated GIF is found, Ascend Media RPC falls back to a static network logo.
wsrv.nl is used for static PNG resizing only. Animated GIFs are handled without wsrv.nl.

Requirements

Windows PC, Linux machine, or Docker environment
Discord desktop app installed and running (for RPC features)
Android TV, Google TV, NVIDIA Shield, Chromecast with Google TV, or another Android-based streaming device
Stremio or Wako installed on the Android TV, or a supported desktop client on the host machine
PC and Android TV on the same local network
Developer Options and ADB/Network/Wireless Debugging enabled on the Android TV
Python 3.x (if running without Docker)
Optional API keys for artwork, metadata, ratings, and skip features

You do not need to manually install ADB. Ascend Media RPC includes its own ADB tooling.

Quick Start

Download or clone this repository.
Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Enable Developer Options on your Android TV.
Enable ADB, Network Debugging, or Wireless Debugging.
Open config.json and configure your settings.
Run the app:

Windows:

run.bat

Any platform (headless):

python start_gui.py --headless

Docker:

docker compose up -d

Open the dashboard:

http://localhost:5466

Connect to your Android TV and start playback.

Installation

Option 1: Download ZIP

Click Code then Download ZIP
Extract the ZIP
Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Edit config.json
Double-click run.bat

Option 2: Clone with Git

git clone https://github.com/Cxsmo-ai/Ascend-Media-RPC.git
cd Ascend-Media-RPC
pip install -r requirements.txt

Edit config.json, then run run.bat or python start_gui.py --headless.

Option 3: Docker

See the Docker section below.

What run.bat Does

run.bat is the main launcher for Ascend Media RPC on Windows. It prepares the local environment, installs dependencies, starts the controller, connects to your Android TV via built-in ADB tooling, starts Discord Rich Presence updates, and serves the local dashboard.

CLI and Headless Mode

Ascend Media RPC supports CLI arguments and a headless mode for running without a GUI.

python start_gui.py [options]

Flag	Description	Example
--headless	Run without GUI (Flask API only)	python start_gui.py --headless
--config PATH	Use a custom config file	python start_gui.py --config /path/to/config.json
--port PORT	Override dashboard port	python start_gui.py --port 8080
--host HOST	Override ADB host address	python start_gui.py --host 192.168.1.50

Headless mode is useful for Linux servers, Docker containers, and environments without a display.

Environment variables also work:

HEADLESS=1 python start_gui.py

Docker

Ascend Media RPC includes Docker support for containerized deployment. Published images are available at:

ghcr.io/cxsmo-ai/ascend-media-rpc:latest

Docker Compose (recommended)

docker compose up -d

The docker-compose.yml includes:

Health checks every 30 seconds
Automatic restart on failure
Host network mode (required for ADB and Discord IPC)
Volume mount for persistent config
The GHCR image URL plus a local build fallback for development

Manual Docker build

docker build -t ascend-media-rpc .
docker run -d --network host --name ascend-rpc ascend-media-rpc

The container uses Python 3.11 slim, runs in headless mode by default, serves the dashboard on port 5466, and includes a health check at /api/health.

Docker environment variables

Variable	Description	Default
HEADLESS	Run in headless mode	1
GUI_MODE	UI mode	browser
ASCEND_PORT	Dashboard port override	—
DASHBOARD_PORT	Compose-friendly dashboard port override	5466
ASCEND_ADB_HOST	ADB host override	—
ADB_HOST	Compose-friendly ADB host override	—
ASCEND_CONFIG_PATH	Config file path override	—
DASHBOARD_PUBLIC_BASE_URL	Public dashboard URL shown to integrations	http://localhost:5466

Note: network_mode: host is required for ADB device communication and Discord IPC on Linux hosts. Open http://localhost:5466 after the container starts, or change DASHBOARD_PORT/ASCEND_PORT if you need another port.

Android TV Setup

Ascend Media RPC needs Android TV debugging enabled so it can communicate with your device locally. You do not need to type ADB commands manually.

Step 1: Enable Developer Options

On your Android TV:

Open Settings
Go to System, Device Preferences, or About
Find Android TV OS build or Build number
Click it about 7 times
You should see: You are now a developer!

Step 2: Enable Debugging

Go to Settings then System then Developer options and enable whichever debugging option your device provides (ADB debugging, Network debugging, or Wireless debugging).

Step 3: Accept the First-Time Permission Prompt

The first time Ascend Media RPC connects, your Android TV will show a permission prompt. Select Always allow from this computer, then Allow.

Connection Methods

Ascend Media RPC can connect to your Android TV in four ways:

Method 1: Auto IP Mode

"auto_ip": true

Scans your local network for compatible Android TV devices and connects automatically. Easiest option for most setups.

Method 2: mDNS/Zeroconf Discovery

"mdns_discovery_enabled": true

Uses Zeroconf to find Android TV devices broadcasting _adb._tcp services. Faster and more reliable than IP scanning on some networks.

Method 3: Dashboard Device Scanner

Open the dashboard at http://localhost:5466 and use the built-in scanner to find and select your device.

Method 4: Manual IP Fallback

Find your Android TV IP in Settings then Network & Internet, then set:

"adb_host": "192.168.1.50"

Configuration

Ascend Media RPC uses a single config.json file in the project root. All settings are managed from this one file — there is no second config file. The Python module src/core/config.py is the code that loads, saves, and validates config.json.

The config is organized into 12 labeled sections:

ADB / Device Connection — host, port, retry, mDNS, multi-device
Metadata Providers — TMDB, MAL API keys and rate limits
Discord RPC — branding, icons, buttons, cycling, history, privacy
Skip Providers — provider toggles, priority order, cache settings
Artwork & Covers — provider, fallback chain, Top Posters, ERDB, Nuvio
Wako Mode — Wako-specific detection settings
API Integrations — Tracking — AniList, Simkl, Kitsu, Letterboxd, Last.fm
API Integrations — Discovery — JustWatch, OpenSubtitles
API Integrations — Media Servers — Plex, Jellyfin, Emby
API Integrations — Journals — Notion, Obsidian
Privacy & Security — privacy mode, dashboard auth, blacklist
Dashboard & System — port, HTTPS, headless, rate limiting, audit log, health check

Config features:

Validation — warns about invalid values and unknown keys
Export — export config as JSON (sensitive keys excluded)
Import — import config from JSON, merged with current config
Hot-reload — watch config file for changes and reload automatically (config_hot_reload: true)
Schema validation — validates config keys against the default schema
Migration — automatically migrates legacy key names

Example config.json

{
    "auto_ip": true,
    "adb_host": "",
    "adb_port": 5555,
    "dashboard_port": 5466,

    "tmdb_api_key": "YOUR_TMDB_API_KEY",
    "mal_client_id": "YOUR_MAL_CLIENT_ID",
    "erdb_token": "YOUR_ERDB_TOKEN",
    "top_posters_api_key": "YOUR_TOP_POSTERS_API_KEY",

    "discord_client_id": "",
    "rpc_branding": "on Stremio",
    "rpc_large_image_mode": "season",
    "rpc_small_icon_mode": "content_network_gif",
    "rpc_time_display": "remaining",

    "nuvio_covers_enabled": true,
    "nuvio_covers_email": "you@example.com",
    "nuvio_covers_password": "YOUR_NUVIO_PASSWORD",

    "introdb_enabled": true,
    "tidb_enabled": true,
    "videoskip_enabled": true,
    "notscare_major_enabled": true,
    "notscare_minor_enabled": true,
    "aniskip_enabled": false,
    "skipme_enabled": true,

    "wako_mode": false,

    "anilist_enabled": false,
    "simkl_enabled": false,
    "kitsu_enabled": false,
    "letterboxd_enabled": false,
    "lastfm_enabled": false,
    "justwatch_enabled": false,
    "opensubtitles_enabled": false,
    "plex_enabled": false,
    "jellyfin_enabled": false,
    "emby_enabled": false,
    "notion_enabled": false,
    "obsidian_enabled": false,

    "privacy_mode": false,
    "dashboard_auth_enabled": false,
    "audit_log_enabled": true,
    "config_hot_reload": false
}

API Keys and Providers

API keys are optional but unlock better artwork, metadata, ratings, and skip features. You do not need every key for Ascend Media RPC to launch.

TMDB API Key

TMDB provides movie/show metadata and fallback artwork.

"tmdb_api_key": "YOUR_TMDB_API_KEY"

Get your key at: https://www.themoviedb.org/settings/api

EasyRatingsDB Token

EasyRatingsDB provides generated artwork with rating overlays.

"erdb_token": "YOUR_ERDB_TOKEN"

Get your token at: https://easyratingsdb.com/configurator

Nuvio (Animated Network Icons)

Nuvio provides community GIF covers for animated Discord network badges.

"nuvio_covers_enabled": true,
"nuvio_covers_email": "you@example.com",
"nuvio_covers_password": "YOUR_NUVIO_PASSWORD"

Sign up at: https://nuvioapp.space/

Trakt

Trakt provides metadata and scrobbling with automatic token refresh.

"trakt_client_id": "YOUR_TRAKT_CLIENT_ID",
"trakt_client_secret": "YOUR_TRAKT_CLIENT_SECRET"

Create an app at: https://trakt.tv/oauth/applications

MyAnimeList

MyAnimeList provides anime metadata.

"mal_client_id": "YOUR_MAL_CLIENT_ID"

Get your key at: https://myanimelist.net/apiconfig

API Integrations

AniList

Track anime progress and sync your watchlist automatically via the AniList GraphQL API.

"anilist_enabled": true,
"anilist_access_token": "YOUR_ANILIST_TOKEN"

Get your token at: https://anilist.co/settings/developer

Simkl

Sync watch history across TV, movies, and anime platforms.

"simkl_enabled": true,
"simkl_client_id": "YOUR_SIMKL_CLIENT_ID",
"simkl_access_token": "YOUR_SIMKL_TOKEN"

Get your key at: https://simkl.com/settings/developer/

Kitsu

Connect to the Kitsu anime community and library.

"kitsu_enabled": true,
"kitsu_access_token": "YOUR_KITSU_TOKEN"

Letterboxd

Log movies to your Letterboxd diary as you watch.

"letterboxd_enabled": true,
"letterboxd_api_key": "YOUR_LETTERBOXD_KEY",
"letterboxd_api_secret": "YOUR_LETTERBOXD_SECRET"

Last.fm

Scrobble soundtrack and score info to Last.fm.

"lastfm_enabled": true,
"lastfm_api_key": "YOUR_LASTFM_KEY",
"lastfm_api_secret": "YOUR_LASTFM_SECRET"

Get your key at: https://www.last.fm/api/account/create

JustWatch

Find where movies and shows are streaming in your country.

"justwatch_enabled": true,
"justwatch_country": "US"

No API key required — uses public data.

OpenSubtitles

Find and fetch subtitles for your media.

"opensubtitles_enabled": true,
"opensubtitles_api_key": "YOUR_OPENSUBTITLES_KEY",
"opensubtitles_username": "YOUR_USERNAME",
"opensubtitles_password": "YOUR_PASSWORD"

Get your key at: https://www.opensubtitles.com/en/consumers

Plex / Jellyfin / Emby

Connect to your media server for playback sync.

Plex:

"plex_enabled": true,
"plex_url": "http://192.168.1.100:32400",
"plex_token": "YOUR_PLEX_TOKEN"

Jellyfin:

"jellyfin_enabled": true,
"jellyfin_url": "http://192.168.1.100:8096",
"jellyfin_api_key": "YOUR_JELLYFIN_KEY"

Emby:

"emby_enabled": true,
"emby_url": "http://192.168.1.100:8096",
"emby_api_key": "YOUR_EMBY_KEY"

Notion

Log watch activity to a Notion database.

"notion_enabled": true,
"notion_api_key": "YOUR_NOTION_KEY",
"notion_database_id": "YOUR_DATABASE_ID"

Obsidian

Write watch notes to an Obsidian vault folder.

"obsidian_enabled": true,
"obsidian_vault_path": "/path/to/your/vault"

FanArt.tv

High-quality fan-made artwork for movies and TV shows.

"fanart_enabled": true,
"fanart_api_key": "YOUR_FANART_API_KEY"

Get your key at: https://fanart.tv/get-an-api-key/

All integrations can be enabled/disabled from the dashboard Connections tab. They initialize lazily in a background thread only when their enabled flag is true.

Using with Stremio

"wako_mode": false

Enable debugging on your Android TV.
Start Ascend Media RPC (run.bat or python start_gui.py --headless).
Open the dashboard at http://localhost:5466.
Connect to your Android TV.
Start playing in Stremio.
Discord Rich Presence updates automatically.

Using with Wako

"wako_mode": true

Enable debugging on your Android TV.
Start Ascend Media RPC.
Open the dashboard.
Connect to your Android TV.
Start playback in Wako.
Discord Rich Presence updates automatically.

Wako-specific config options:

Config Key	Description
wako_player_only	Only detect player activity
wako_stay_awake_on_pause	Keep device awake when paused
wako_focus_lock	Lock focus to Wako app
wako_title_overrides	Manual title corrections
wako_title_cache_enabled	Cache parsed titles
wako_focus_lock_whitelist	Apps allowed when focus lock is on
wako_focus_lock_cooldown	Cooldown between focus checks (seconds)

Dashboard

The dashboard is the local control center for Ascend Media RPC at http://localhost:5466.

Dashboard Tab

Connection status, device scanner, playback info (app, title, state, progress), artwork preview, Discord RPC status, Smart Skip HUD, and live log.

Connections Tab

Core APIs — TMDB, MAL, Trakt, Discord credential inputs
Skip Sources — Provider priority list with reorder arrows and toggles, provider config (API keys, URLs, TMDB/MAL ID overrides), Pipeline Sandbox for testing
Tracking & Scrobbling — AniList, Simkl, Kitsu, Letterboxd, Last.fm cards with toggles and descriptions
Discovery & Utilities — JustWatch, OpenSubtitles cards
Media Servers — Plex, Jellyfin, Emby cards
Watch Journals — Notion, Obsidian cards
Trakt Social — collection sync, friends watching, calendar, check-in cards with toggles
Integration Status — overview grid showing connected/disconnected status

Settings Tab

Appearance and theme (dark/light/OLED mode, accent color picker), RPC customization, skip category per-category toggles (8 categories: intro, outro, recap, preview, credits, filler, mature content, jump scares), artwork fallback chain configuration with drag reordering, FanArt.tv settings (enable toggle, API key), device health monitoring (battery, CPU, memory, storage), ADB Wi-Fi pairing wizard, push notification toggle, privacy mode, dashboard PIN authentication, config export/import, and multi-step setup wizard.

History Tab

Watch history entries and session log with filter buttons (All, Completed, In Progress, Abandoned) and per-show grouping view.

Analytics Tab

Total watch time, top genres, peak watch hours heatmap, watch streak, total skips, average session duration, session search, skip provider stats (per-provider success rates), skip category breakdown, weekly and monthly reports, and shareable stats card generator (PNG).

Debug Tab

Audit log viewer (searchable, filterable), skip cache statistics (hit rate, size, clear button), system health (uptime, status), plugin list, and log export (last 50, last 200, or all logs as JSON download).

Trakt Tab

Trakt OAuth login flow and scrobbling status.

Smart Skip Pipeline

The Smart Skip pipeline fetches skip segments from up to 8 providers simultaneously using a thread pool executor.

How It Works

When playback starts, Ascend Media RPC resolves the media IMDB ID (via TMDB lookup or manual override).
All enabled providers are queried in parallel.
Results are merged using category-aware conflict resolution:
- Segments of different categories (e.g. structure vs mature content) are all kept.
- Segments of the same category that overlap are resolved by provider priority order.
Results are cached using a TTL-based cache (default 1 hour, configurable).

Pipeline Sandbox

The dashboard includes a Pipeline Sandbox for testing skip providers without active playback:

Go to the Connections tab.
Scroll to Pipeline Sandbox.
Enter a title (e.g. Stranger Things), season, and episode.
Click Run Pipeline Test.
View color-coded results grouped by source.

Provider Details

Provider	Notes
IntroDB.app	Intro/outro timestamps for TV episodes
TheIntroDB.org (TIDB)	Cloudflare-protected; uses cloudscraper for bypass
Remote JSON	Custom URL for your own skip database
VideoSkip.org	Mature content markers (sex, violence, profanity)
NotScare.me	Cloudflare-protected; uses cloudscraper. Supports episode slicing from season pages
AniSkip	Requires MAL ID for anime lookups
SkipMe.db	Community skip segment database

Analytics

Ascend Media RPC stores watch analytics in a local SQLite database (analytics.db).

SQLite backend with WAL mode and indexed columns
Automatic migration from legacy JSON format
Watch stats — total sessions, total watch time, average session
Top genres — genre breakdown from TMDB metadata
Peak hours — 24-hour heatmap
Watch streak — consecutive days of watching
Total skips — count of all skipped segments
Search — search sessions by title, genre, or date

View analytics in the Analytics tab of the dashboard.

Plugin System

Ascend Media RPC includes a plugin system for extending functionality.

Plugin Type	Base Class	Description
Metadata	MetadataProvider	Custom metadata sources
Skip	SkipProvider	Custom skip segment sources
Scrobble	ScrobbleProvider	Custom scrobbling destinations
Artwork	ArtworkProvider	Custom artwork sources

Plugins are loaded from a configurable directory via the PluginRegistry. The plugin list is visible in the Debug tab.

The plugin system provides the base classes and registry. No concrete plugins are bundled — this is scaffolding for community extensions.

Privacy and Security

Privacy Mode

Hide what you are watching from Discord:

"privacy_mode": true,
"privacy_hidden_text": "Watching something"

Privacy mode can also blacklist specific titles, pause analytics, and pause Trakt scrobbling.

Dashboard Authentication

Protect your dashboard with a PIN:

"dashboard_auth_enabled": true,
"dashboard_auth_pin": "1234"

HTTPS Support

Enable HTTPS for the dashboard:

"dashboard_https_enabled": true,
"dashboard_cert_path": "/path/to/cert.pem",
"dashboard_key_path": "/path/to/key.pem"

Audit Log

Track config changes and auth events with sensitive key masking:

"audit_log_enabled": true,
"audit_log_max_entries": 1000

View the audit log in the Debug tab.

API Rate Limiting

"rate_limit_enabled": true,
"rate_limit_default": "60/minute"

General Safety

Only enable debugging on trusted home networks
Do not expose Android TV debugging ports to the internet
Do not publicly expose the dashboard port
Do not share API keys or tokens publicly

Customization

Discord Branding

"rpc_branding": "on Stremio"

Large Image Mode

"rpc_large_image_mode": "season"

Options: show, season, episode

Time Display

"rpc_time_display": "remaining"

Options: remaining, elapsed

Dashboard Port

"dashboard_port": 5466

Status Message Cycling

"rpc_status_cycling_enabled": true,
"rpc_cycling_messages": ["Chilling", "Binge watching", "Movie night"],
"rpc_cycling_interval": 30

Dynamic Buttons

"rpc_dynamic_buttons": [
  {"label": "My Profile", "url": "https://example.com"}
]

Troubleshooting

Android TV does not appear in the dashboard scanner

Android TV is turned on and awake
PC and Android TV are on the same network
Developer Options and debugging are enabled
VPN/firewall is not blocking local discovery
Try enabling mDNS discovery (mdns_discovery_enabled: true)
Try manual IP fallback

Auto IP mode does not connect

Confirm auto_ip: true
Debugging is enabled on the TV
First-time debugging prompt was accepted
Try mDNS discovery or manual IP

Discord Rich Presence does not show

Discord desktop app is open and logged in
Activity Status is enabled in Discord settings (User Settings then Activity Privacy)
Ascend Media RPC is running
Stremio or Wako is actively playing
Another Discord RPC app is not overriding the status

Dashboard does not open

Check run.bat or start_gui.py is still running
Try http://localhost:5466 (or your custom port)
No other app is using the same port

Playback does not update

Correct Android TV device is selected
wako_mode matches the app you are using (false for Stremio, true for Wako)
TV is awake

Artwork is missing

API keys are correct in config.json
Internet connection is working
Media exists in TMDB or selected artwork provider
Try TMDB as fallback

Skip providers returning 0 segments

Provider is enabled in config or dashboard
Media has data in that provider database
For TIDB/NotScare: cloudscraper is installed (pip install cloudscraper)
For TIDB: Cloudflare may IP-block certain networks
For AniSkip: valid MAL ID is required
Check server logs for errors

API Reference

Ascend Media RPC exposes a REST API for the dashboard and external integrations.

Core

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/health	Health check (uptime, version, status)
GET	/api/state	Current app state (playback, config, metadata)
POST	/api/update_settings	Update config values
GET	/api/events	SSE event stream for live updates

Config Management

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/config/export	Export config as JSON (sensitive keys excluded)
POST	/api/config/import	Import config from JSON
GET	/api/config/validate	Validate current config
GET	/api/config/schema	Get config schema with types

Skip Pipeline

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/test/skip_pipeline	Test skip pipeline (title, season, episode)
GET	/api/skip/cache	Skip cache statistics
DELETE	/api/skip/cache	Clear skip cache

Analytics

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/analytics/advanced	Full analytics (genres, hours, streaks, stats)
GET	/api/analytics/search?q=QUERY	Search watch sessions

System

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/audit	Audit log entries
GET	/api/rpc/history	RPC activity history
POST	/api/validate/keys	Validate API keys
GET	/api/plugins	List loaded plugins
GET	/api/integrations/status	Integration connection status
GET	/api/devices	List discovered devices
POST	/api/devices/switch	Switch active device

Authentication

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/auth/login	Dashboard PIN login
POST	/api/auth/logout	Dashboard logout

Onboarding

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/onboarding/status	Onboarding progress
POST	/api/onboarding/start	Start setup wizard
POST	/api/onboarding/complete	Mark onboarding complete

Trakt Social

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/trakt/collection	Get Trakt collection
POST	/api/trakt/collection	Add to Trakt collection
POST	/api/trakt/checkin	Check in to Trakt
GET	/api/trakt/friends	Friends watching now
GET	/api/trakt/calendar	Upcoming episodes
GET	/api/trakt/recommendations	Personalized recommendations
POST	/api/trakt/rate	Rate content
GET	/api/trakt/stats	Trakt watch stats

Skip Analytics

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/analytics/skip/providers	Per-provider skip stats
GET	/api/analytics/skip/categories	Per-category skip breakdown
GET	/api/analytics/report/weekly	Weekly watch report
GET	/api/analytics/report/monthly	Monthly watch report

Watch History

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/history/filter?status=STATUS	Filter history (completed/in_progress/abandoned)
GET	/api/history/grouped	History grouped by show

Device Management

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/device/health	Device health (battery, CPU, memory, storage)
POST	/api/device/adb-pair	ADB Wi-Fi pairing (IP:port + code)

Remote Control

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/remote/text	Send text input to device
POST	/api/remote/launch	Launch app on device
GET	/api/remote/apps	List installed apps

Artwork & Theme

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/fanart/images	Fetch FanArt.tv images for a title
GET	/api/artwork/chain	Get artwork fallback chain order
POST	/api/artwork/chain	Set artwork fallback chain order
GET	/api/theme	Get current theme settings
POST	/api/theme	Update theme (mode, accent, OLED)

Stats & Logs

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/stats-card	Generate shareable stats card (PNG)
GET	/api/logs?limit=N	Get recent logs
GET	/api/logs/export?limit=N	Export logs as JSON download

🌍 Remote Setup (Tailscale)

You can control your Android TV and update Discord from anywhere in the world using Tailscale. This creates a secure, private tunnel between your PC and your TV.

Install Tailscale on both your PC and your Android TV.
Enable ADB TCP/IP on your TV (run adb tcpip 5555 while on the same WiFi).
Find the TV's Tailscale IP (starts with 100.x.y.z).
Connect: In Ascend Media RPC, use the Tailscale IP as your ADB Host.

Tip

Run adb shell settings put secure always_on_vpn_app com.tailscale.ipn on your TV to keep Tailscale alive forever.

🐳 Docker Deployment

Ascend Media RPC is fully containerized and can run headlessly on a home server or VPS.

Quick Start (One-Liner)

docker run -d \
  --name ascend-rpc \
  --network host \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -v $(pwd)/config.json:/app/config.json \
  -v $(pwd)/data:/app/data \
  -v $(pwd)/rpc_artwork_cache:/app/rpc_artwork_cache \
  -e ASCEND_PORT=5466 \
  -e ADB_HOST=100.x.y.z \
  ghcr.io/cxsmo-ai/ascend-media-rpc:latest

Open the dashboard at:

http://localhost:5466

Docker Compose

services:
  ascend-rpc:
    image: ghcr.io/cxsmo-ai/ascend-media-rpc:latest
    network_mode: host
    volumes:
      - ./config.json:/app/config.json
      - ./data:/app/data
      - ./rpc_artwork_cache:/app/rpc_artwork_cache
    environment:
      - HEADLESS=1
      - ASCEND_PORT=5466
      - ADB_HOST=100.x.y.z

Built With

Python
Flask
pypresence
cloudscraper
guessit
anitopy
SQLite
Zeroconf
Pillow (optional, for stats card PNG generation)
Built-in ADB tooling
Discord Rich Presence
TMDB, EasyRatingsDB, Top Posters, FanArt.tv, Nuvio
Trakt, MyAnimeList
AniList, Simkl, Kitsu, Letterboxd, Last.fm, JustWatch, OpenSubtitles
Plex, Jellyfin, Emby
Notion, Obsidian
IntroDB, TheIntroDB.org, VideoSkip, NotScare, AniSkip, SkipMe, Skipit

Credits

Developed by Cxsmo-ai.

Disclaimer

This project is not affiliated with Discord, Stremio, Wako, TMDB, Trakt, MyAnimeList, EasyRatingsDB, Top Posters, FanArt.tv, Nuvio, AniSkip, IntroDB, TheIntroDB.org, SkipMe, VideoSkip, NotScare, AniList, Simkl, Kitsu, Letterboxd, Last.fm, JustWatch, OpenSubtitles, Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, Notion, Obsidian, or Skipit.

All trademarks, names, logos, and brands belong to their respective owners.

Ascend Media RPC does not provide, host, index, distribute, or stream media content. It only detects local playback activity and updates Discord Rich Presence.

Support

If you like this project, consider starring the repository.

Ascend Media RPC
Rich Presence Client + Smart Skip + Android TV Telemetry + Analytics + Integrations

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 1 Commit
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
deepbrid		deepbrid
src		src
tests		tests
vencord_installer		vencord_installer
.dockerignore		.dockerignore
.gitignore		.gitignore
Analytics.png		Analytics.png
Animated network icons.webp		Animated network icons.webp
Connections.png		Connections.png
Dashboard.png		Dashboard.png
Debug.png		Debug.png
Dockerfile		Dockerfile
ERDB Example.png		ERDB Example.png
History.png		History.png
README.md		README.md
Settings.png		Settings.png
Top Poster Example.png		Top Poster Example.png
Trakt.png		Trakt.png
config.json		config.json
docker-compose.yml		docker-compose.yml
docker_build.bat		docker_build.bat
requirements.txt		requirements.txt
run.bat		run.bat
setup_env.bat		setup_env.bat
start_gui.py		start_gui.py
stremio_debug.log.1		stremio_debug.log.1
stremio_debug.log.2		stremio_debug.log.2
stremio_debug.log.3		stremio_debug.log.3

Folders and files

Latest commit

History

Repository files navigation

Ascend Media RPC

Discord Rich Presence, Android TV ADB telemetry, desktop client support, Smart Skip, and premium artwork for Stremio & Wako

🖥️ Dashboard Showcase

Table of Contents

Best Discord Visuals with Vencord

Install the Ascend Vencord build

Enable BetterStremioActivity

Add your own plugins

What Is Ascend Media RPC?

Discord Community

What Does RPC Mean?

Core Features

Android TV Telemetry

Desktop Client Support

Discord Rich Presence

Real-Time Local Dashboard

Artwork Engine

Smart Skip Pipeline

Skipit Setup Guide

How to get your Skipit Credentials:

NotScare Support

9 API Integrations

Trakt Social

Analytics

Core Modules

How It Works

Artwork Examples

Animated Network Icons with Nuvio

Requirements

Quick Start

Installation

Option 1: Download ZIP

Option 2: Clone with Git

Option 3: Docker

What run.bat Does

CLI and Headless Mode

Docker

Docker Compose (recommended)

Manual Docker build

Docker environment variables

Android TV Setup

Step 1: Enable Developer Options

Step 2: Enable Debugging

Step 3: Accept the First-Time Permission Prompt

Connection Methods

Method 1: Auto IP Mode

Method 2: mDNS/Zeroconf Discovery

Method 3: Dashboard Device Scanner

Method 4: Manual IP Fallback

Configuration

Example config.json

API Keys and Providers

TMDB API Key

EasyRatingsDB Token

Top Posters API Key

Nuvio (Animated Network Icons)

Trakt

MyAnimeList

API Integrations

AniList

Simkl

Kitsu

Letterboxd

Last.fm

JustWatch

OpenSubtitles

Plex / Jellyfin / Emby

Notion

Obsidian

FanArt.tv

Using with Stremio

Using with Wako

Dashboard

Dashboard Tab

Connections Tab

Settings Tab

Packages