Yule-Tube Anyone?
Need a shot of Christmas cheer in your life? Check out this mini CRT TV tree ornament that plays clips from classic holiday movies.
‘Tis the season for traditions, which can mean different things to different people. Some of us look forward to get-togethers with family and friends, while others can’t wait for the annual parade to come rolling through town. But whatever your favorite festive activities are, almost all of us have some go-to movies that help to make the season bright. Sitting around the warm glow of the television to enjoy classics like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and It's a Wonderful Life with family can bring back so many memories of great Christmases past.
A Redditor and electronics hobbyist that goes by the handle rip1980 fondly remembers crowding around the television to watch classics such as these, and decided to build an ornament that pays tribute to those memories. The roughly 3-inch wide ornament is meant to be hung on a tree, and it looks like a tiny CRT television of yesteryear. And it doesn’t just look like one, it also acts like one — the ornament can play clips from movies that are loaded onto an SD card that inserts into it.
The tiny 3D-printed case is packed with a 128x160 pixel LCD display, a WROOM32 development board, an amplifier and one-watt speaker, and a LiPo battery. The front of the ornament has an on/off switch and some buttons to scroll through content.
As it currently stands, the SD card sticks out of the top of the ornament, which does detract from the appearance somewhat. But rip1980 is considering 3D-printing a tiny VCR to sit on top of the television and act as a cover — how very appropriate! There may also be some fast forward and rewind buttons coming in a future revision of the design.
If you want one of these tiny televisions hanging on your tree this year, you better work fast! No worries if you don’t get it done on time though — there is plenty of time to prepare for next year!