Brandon Withrow (known as buba447 on Reddit) shared a video showing what Brandon considers the best reason to learn to use a 3D Printer and a Raspberry Pi. It's a miniature replica of The Simpsons' living room TV, which plays episodes from The Simpsons.
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Withrow is currently creating a detailed guide to help anyone build their own Simpsons TV replica. You'll have to wait until they give a more comprehensive breakdown. They have already shared the basics of how it all came together via Reddit. Autodesk Fusion 360 was used for the design and modeling of the TV, while Ender 3 Pro 3D printing was used to print all of its plastic parts.
Withrow was able, given that the Simpsons were not produced in high-definition and widescreen until the 20th season, to keep the 4:3 ratio. Hidden behind a curved frame, a 640x480 TFT screen is concealed. This makes it appear like an old-school CRT's bulging glass. Inside is a Raspberry Pi Zero with 32GB microSD for media storage.
The first eleven seasons' episodes were compressed to fit on the screen. Animated series such as The Simpsons can be saved to smaller files. When the TV is connected to a USB power source, each episode starts at random. Then it moves on to the next episode. The TV will turn off by pressing the top button. However, it will still remember the episode you are currently watching (assuming that you don't disconnect power completely). The second button is actually a dial connected with a potentiometer. This allows you to adjust the volume level by twisting it back-and-forth.
The build reminds me of Basic Fun!s collectible Tiny TV Classics, which play short clips of popular TV shows. However, having all the great seasons of The Simpsons at your desk is a major upgrade. Assuming Withrow doesn't reveal where Simpsons content is sourced in his build guide, Disney has little reason to shut down this amazing creation.
