Making a portable tiny TV for movies and streaming from computers

6 days ago7 min read

Forget the sleek, monolithic slabs that dominate our living rooms; the real frontier of personal tech is shrinking, becoming tactile, and delightfully bespoke. The latest proof? A charming DIY project that’s capturing the imagination of makers and nostalgics alike: a fully functional, portable tiny TV.This isn't a mass-produced gadget, but a handcrafted device built around a 3D-printed case, powered by a rechargeable battery, and operated with a beautifully minimalist single control button. It’s a project that speaks directly to a growing desire to reclaim our relationship with technology, to move beyond passive consumption into active creation.At its heart, this tiny TV is a canvas. The 3D-printed shell is more than just an enclosure; it’s a statement of personal aesthetic, a chance to choose a color, a texture, or even embed a design that reflects the builder’s personality.This tactile, hands-on process is a stark contrast to the sterile unboxing of a commercial product. It echoes the ethos of the early personal computing era, where hobbyists assembled their machines from kits, understanding every component and connection.The choice of a single-button interface is a masterstroke in user experience design, forcing a radical simplicity that challenges the feature-bloat of modern devices. It suggests a curated experience: press to play, perhaps press and hold for power, letting the content itself become the focus rather than a labyrinth of menus.Functionally, this pocket-sized marvel bridges worlds. It can play local movie files, serving as a digital locket for personal video collections, and it can stream directly from a computer, acting as a hyper-portable second screen.Imagine propping it up on a kitchen counter while following a recipe tutorial, or having it play a calming ambient video on your desk—a tiny window into a different visual space. The use of a rechargeable battery liberates it entirely, making it perfect for a weekend camping trip, a long train journey, or simply moving from room to room without hunting for an outlet.The implications here are profound for the creative community. This project sits at the intersection of several powerful trends: the democratization of manufacturing through affordable 3D printing, the open-source hardware movement exemplified by platforms like Raspberry Pi (which likely powers its brains), and a burgeoning ‘de-influencing’ trend that values unique, meaningful objects over mass-market sameness.For digital artists and UX designers, it’s a physical manifestation of design principles we champion on screen: clarity, intentionality, and user-centricity. It asks, what is the essence of a television? Stripped of smart OSes, subscription prompts, and tracking algorithms, it’s simply a window for moving images.

#featured

#DIY

#portable TV

#3D printing

#rechargeable battery

#streaming device

#tiny screen

#maker project