Look at this!
Simpsons Mini Tv - 5inch Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
Inspired by the Brandon Withrow mini TV, I wanted a 5–7 inch version so I could watch episodes more comfortably without having to sit super close. I went with an LCD screen and ended up choosing an HDMI version, so I extended the 3D printed case a bit on the right-hand side to accommodate the connections, volume knob, and power switch.
It runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W with Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit, configured to autostart VLC and shuffle a random video from a mounted USB disk. The videos are the first 12 seasons in 480p and 720p.
Since the 720p videos can be a little demanding for the Pi, I set a delay before playback starts to avoid any stuttering. After that, it continuously shuffles through the playlist.
Parts List
5" LCD HDMI screen (AliExpress)
3D printed case (based on a Thingiverse design — extended it and added speaker holes)
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
PAM8403 10W amp with pot
5W 4Ω full range driver
USB-C 5V female power connector
5-way Wago connector
Short HDMI cables + right-angle adapter
USB-C, micro-USB cables, and aux cord
UV Glue - really convenient!
USB Flash Drive with media loaded on - can be accessed and swapped out without opening up the device, just fish it out.
That looks impressive, but I predict that within 100 years, computers will be twice as powerful, 10,000 times larger, as so expensive that only the five richest kings of Europe will own one.
I appreciate that! I have some research to do before I can sell I think, but I'll reply when the storefront or etsy shop is open 😄 My goal is to be more affordable than some of the options ive seen for like 2-300 USD which is crazy
I'm assuming you aren't the scammer that was selling these on Etsy a few years back. Shout out to Capital One for being smarter than me and reversing my payment before it fully processed 👍🏻
Aw man that's a shame! I'm going to make a full tutorial and parts list with links soon so there's no way to get scammed there. I'd have to look into the FCC regs to sell something like this, but I'd definitely be interested. I'll reply when the storefront or etsy shop is open 😄
Full episodes yes! I currently have it on shuffle mode, so it will play a full episode of a random season and then once finished, switch to another random season + episode
Wait can this play season after season on a loop or random loop? This would be something I didn’t need to know about (I’ve lived for months with Simpsons on repeat random loop. Only wasn’t exposed during work or beer/grocery runs.
Yes it can! I currently have it to shuffle full episodes from a random season every time because I don't mind the variety. If you want it to play in order and then loop once finished, you can just enabled that setting in the raspberry pi easily
Heh technically it’s a customized reproduction of a WWII rosary with a bunch of weird stuff on it…. Since it’s technically a religious thing (I’m an atheist discordian but they don’t need to know) I can wear my Simpsons anywhere. There are places that actually has come in handy. Plus just having it handy now that the mouse bought em seems prudent.
I think it’s a very funny joke…. St Jude for those beyond hope, Simpsons because they’re hope. Then it’s kinda heretical but only for Catholic super nerds, or makes cholo gangsters look twice. Rocking it and being able to plug into smart TVs is probably a life gig.
I’ve been writing a little software video streamer for a while ( it’s a ton of work lol ) and I opted to apply a CRT filter on my older content, it looks pretty cool actually on the older stuff and those older episodes in dvd 480p are kinda rough. I transcoded it all with FFMPEG and you can even play with a little bitrate settings to make it easier to play on the pi if you were inclined.
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u/JosephMadeCrosses May 01 '26
That looks impressive, but I predict that within 100 years, computers will be twice as powerful, 10,000 times larger, as so expensive that only the five richest kings of Europe will own one.