For anyone still sitting on the fence when it comes to buying your own 3D printer, this news may force your hand. A Redditor who goes by the name of buba447 has just unveiled his model of a working Simpsons TV.
The Simpsons cartoon has rightfully earned its place in history as one of the most influential pieces of television ever created. It has created many memorable moments in its long history, including that iconic purple television that appears in the opening credits and many scenes throughout the show.
Now, a Redditor has actually managed to 3D print and build a working miniature version of it. The tinkerer in question is none other than Brandon Withrow, a Redditor who goes by the name of buba447, who unveiled this sensational piece a few days ago on the platform.
The actual gubbins of the television is composed of a Raspberry Pi Zero and a 640x480 TFT LCD screen. The screen is hidden behind a curved frame to simulate the bulging glass of the old-school cathode ray tube TV in the cartoon series.
The Pi runs on the Jessie Lite operating system and the TV actually runs compressed video files of the Simpsons at random. Each of the episode files was compressed to fit on the card and the TV (well the Raspberry Pi) is powered using a USB cable.
The files are stored on a 32GB microSD card, and when one episode finishes, the next is chosen randomly from the first 11 seasons of the Simpsons. This is mainly because the Simpsons didn't produce high-definition and widescreen versions of the show until season 2. For this reason, Withrow was able to keep the shows with a 4:3 screen ratio.
Incredibly, the small control knobs of the TV also work with the to button able to turn the screen on and off while also being able to mute the volume. Sadly the Pi won't be able to remember where you were when the TV is shut off, but this is partially by design.
Withrow wanted to make the mini-TV as authentic as possible so turning the TV off will not save you where you left off.
The bottom button is a potentiometer that is able to increase and decrease the volume of the TV's internal speaker.
The main TV box was designed using Autodesk Fusion 360 and was printed using an Ender 3 Pro 3D printer.
Withdraw has promised to release a how-to guide to create your own at home, so keep an eye out.
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