The Simpsons! We've rediscovered its lost pilot, analyzed its lifestyle, and explored the craziest theories, but if there's one thing we still need to do with television's most famous family, it's turn it into a personal project. That's exactly what Reddit user bubba447 did by printing and building a mini TV that plays episodes of The Simpsons on a loop. Its programming is based on the first eleven complete seasons with episodes chosen at random, and it includes fabulous details like a volume control that works perfectly.
With 32 seasons and over 700 episodes, The Simpsons still has a lot of ground to cover. Many fans disagree, and believe (rightly so) that the best of the series lies in the past, the famous Golden Age. But there are also differences when interpreting the length of that era. The strictest followers talk about the first eight seasons, and the more flexible ones even extend to season 12.
With that in mind, the Reddit user called buba447 (real name Brandon Withrow) made a reasonable compromise by using the first eleven seasons of the series for his personal project. What is it? It's a mini Simpsons TV!
The Mini TV That Plays The First Seasons of The Simpsons
The color, the proportions, even the crooked antennas... no one can deny that the work is extraordinary. Unfortunately, buba447 hasn't published a build guide (yet), but he shared some general details. The parts of the mini TV were created with Autodesk Fusion 360, while the 3D printing was done by an Ender 3 Pro.
What about the electronics? It's actually nothing more than a Raspberry Pi Zero with a 32GB miniSD card (enough to play episodes offline), Jessie Lite as the operating system, and a 640x480 TFT screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The curves in the frame definitely help create the illusion of an old CRT tube, but the details don't end there.
https://old.neoteo.com/los-simpsons-union-sovietica/Episodes are chosen at random, and a new one always starts as soon as the previous one ends, providing a continuous Simpsons experience. The first button turns the mini TV on and off (the episode will continue from the last point), and the second is actually a potentiometer that allows you to control the volume. Power is via USB.
What's next? Buba447 will build a second mini TV to develop his guide, and it's likely that all the models will be published on Thingiverse. If you're thinking of a fabulous item for your desk or the ultimate gift for any Simpsons fan, this mini TV is shaping up to be a nearly perfect solution...
