diff --git a/include/xbmcvideochecker/XBMCVideoChecker.h b/include/xbmcvideochecker/XBMCVideoChecker.h
index 61e7ac19..29035f85 100644
--- a/include/xbmcvideochecker/XBMCVideoChecker.h
+++ b/include/xbmcvideochecker/XBMCVideoChecker.h
@@ -8,36 +8,43 @@
 // QT includes
 #include <QTimer>
 #include <QString>
-#include <QNetworkAccessManager>
-#include <QNetworkRequest>
-#include <QNetworkReply>
+#include <QTcpSocket>
+#include <QByteArray>
 
 // Hyperion includes
 #include <hyperion/Hyperion.h>
 
+/// Check if XBMC is playing something. When it does not, this class will send all black data Hyperion to
+/// override (grabbed) data with a lower priority
+///
+/// Note: The json TCP server needs to be enabled manually in XBMC in System/Settings/Network/Services
 class XBMCVideoChecker : public QObject
 {
 Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-	XBMCVideoChecker(QString address, uint64_t interval, Hyperion * hyperion, int priority);
+	XBMCVideoChecker(QString address, uint16_t port, uint64_t interval, Hyperion * hyperion, int priority);
 
 	void start();
 
 private slots:
 	void sendRequest();
 
-	void receiveReply(QNetworkReply * reply);
+	void receiveReply();
 
 private:
+	const QString _address;
+
+	const uint16_t _port;
+
+	const QByteArray _request;
+
 	QTimer _timer;
 
-	QNetworkAccessManager _networkManager;
-
-	QNetworkRequest _request;
+	QTcpSocket _socket;
 
 	Hyperion * _hyperion;
 
-	int _priority;
+	const int _priority;
 };
 
diff --git a/libsrc/dispmanx-grabber/DispmanxWrapper.cpp b/libsrc/dispmanx-grabber/DispmanxWrapper.cpp
index ad8261f8..b785db19 100644
--- a/libsrc/dispmanx-grabber/DispmanxWrapper.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/dispmanx-grabber/DispmanxWrapper.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 DispmanxWrapper::DispmanxWrapper(const unsigned grabWidth, const unsigned grabHeight, const unsigned updateRate_Hz, Hyperion * hyperion) :
 	_updateInterval_ms(1000/updateRate_Hz),
 	_timeout_ms(2 * _updateInterval_ms),
-	_priority(128),
+	_priority(1000),
 	_timer(),
 	_image(grabWidth, grabHeight),
 	_frameGrabber(new DispmanxFrameGrabber(grabWidth, grabHeight)),
diff --git a/libsrc/xbmcvideochecker/XBMCVideoChecker.cpp b/libsrc/xbmcvideochecker/XBMCVideoChecker.cpp
index 2d4a16bf..7896ddbf 100644
--- a/libsrc/xbmcvideochecker/XBMCVideoChecker.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/xbmcvideochecker/XBMCVideoChecker.cpp
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@
 
 #include <xbmcvideochecker/XBMCVideoChecker.h>
 
-XBMCVideoChecker::XBMCVideoChecker(QString address, uint64_t interval_ms, Hyperion * hyperion, int priority) :
+XBMCVideoChecker::XBMCVideoChecker(QString address, uint16_t port, uint64_t interval_ms, Hyperion * hyperion, int priority) :
 	QObject(),
+	_address(address),
+	_port(port),
+	_request("{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"method\":\"Player.GetActivePlayers\",\"id\":1}"),
 	_timer(),
-	_networkManager(),
-	_request(QUrl(QString("http://%1/jsonrpc?request={\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"method\":\"Player.GetActivePlayers\",\"id\":1}").arg(address))),
+	_socket(),
 	_hyperion(hyperion),
 	_priority(priority)
 {
@@ -16,8 +18,8 @@ XBMCVideoChecker::XBMCVideoChecker(QString address, uint64_t interval_ms, Hyperi
 	_timer.setInterval(interval_ms);
 	connect(&_timer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(sendRequest()));
 
-	//setup network manager
-	connect(&_networkManager, SIGNAL(finished(QNetworkReply*)), this, SLOT(receiveReply(QNetworkReply*)));
+	// setup socket
+	connect(&_socket, SIGNAL(readyRead()), this, SLOT(receiveReply()));
 }
 
 void XBMCVideoChecker::start()
@@ -27,33 +29,39 @@ void XBMCVideoChecker::start()
 
 void XBMCVideoChecker::sendRequest()
 {
-	_networkManager.get(_request);
+	switch (_socket.state())
+	{
+	case QTcpSocket::UnconnectedState:
+		// not connected. try to connect
+		std::cout << "Connecting to " << _address.toStdString() << ":" << _port << " to check XBMC player status" << std::endl;
+		_socket.connectToHost(_address, _port);
+		break;
+	case QTcpSocket::ConnectedState:
+		// write the request on the socket
+		_socket.write(_request);
+		break;
+	default:
+		// whatever. let's check again at the next timer tick
+		break;
+	}
 }
 
-void XBMCVideoChecker::receiveReply(QNetworkReply * reply)
+void XBMCVideoChecker::receiveReply()
 {
-	if (reply->error() != QNetworkReply::NoError)
+	// expect that the reply is received as a single message. Probaly oke considering the size of the expected reply
+	QString reply(_socket.readAll());
+
+	if (reply.contains("playerid"))
 	{
-		std::cerr << "Error while requesting XBMC video info: " << reply->errorString().toStdString() << std::endl;
+		// something is playing. check for "video" to check if a video is playing
+		// clear our priority channel to allow the grabbed vido colors to be shown
+		_hyperion->clear(_priority);
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		const QString jsonReply(reply->readAll());
-		if (jsonReply.contains("playerid"))
-		{
-			// something is playing. check for "video" to check if a video is playing
-			// clear our priority channel to allow the grabbed vido colors to be shown
-			_hyperion->clear(_priority);
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			// Nothing is playing. set our priority channel completely to black
-			// The timeout is used to have the channel cleared after 30 seconds of connection problems...
-			_hyperion->setColor(_priority, RgbColor::BLACK, 30000);
-		}
+		// Nothing is playing. set our priority channel completely to black
+		// The timeout is used to have the channel cleared after 30 seconds of connection problems...
+		_hyperion->setColor(_priority, RgbColor::BLACK, 30000);
 	}
-
-	// close reply
-	reply->close();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/hyperiond/hyperiond.cpp b/src/hyperiond/hyperiond.cpp
index dc42115e..58ec19c7 100644
--- a/src/hyperiond/hyperiond.cpp
+++ b/src/hyperiond/hyperiond.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 	RainbowBootSequence bootSequence(&hyperion);
 	bootSequence.start();
 
-	XBMCVideoChecker xbmcVideoChecker("127.0.0.1", 1000, &hyperion, 127);
+	XBMCVideoChecker xbmcVideoChecker("127.0.0.1", 9090, 1000, &hyperion, 999);
 	xbmcVideoChecker.start();
 
 	DispmanxWrapper dispmanx(64, 64, 10, &hyperion);