TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Mini: Reliving Retro Charm on a Miniature Screen

Imagine a television set so small it could comfortably sit on your fingertip, yet capable of playing videos with surprising clarity and even offering the tactile satisfaction of turning a dial to “change channels.” This isn’t a prop from a sci-fi movie or a scene from a dollhouse – it’s the reality brought to life by Tiny Circuits, a company specializing in crafting incredibly small, functional electronic gadgets. Following up on their success with the miniature Thumby handheld gaming device, Tiny Circuits has turned their attention to shrinking down another iconic piece of technology: the television.

Their latest creations, the TinyTV 2 and the even more diminutive TinyTV Mini, are currently seeking funding through a Kickstarter campaign. These aren’t just static models; they are fully functional video players designed to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia while showcasing the possibilities of modern microelectronics. The concept is simple yet captivating: take the familiar form factor of a classic television, complete with chunky dials and a built-in speaker, and miniaturize it to an extreme degree, allowing users to load their own video content and interact with the device in a charmingly retro way.

Introducing the TinyTV 2: A One-Inch Window to Your Videos

The flagship of this new line is the TinyTV 2. At first glance, its size is the most striking feature. It boasts a one-inch screen, which, while minuscule by today’s standards, is surprisingly functional for a device of this scale. The display itself is an IPS panel with a resolution of 216x135 pixels. While this resolution might seem low compared to modern smartphone or television screens, it’s more than adequate for displaying video on such a small surface and contributes to the retro aesthetic. The choice of an IPS panel is notable, suggesting decent viewing angles and color reproduction for its size.

But the TinyTV 2 is more than just a tiny screen. Tiny Circuits has meticulously designed it to replicate the user experience of vintage televisions. It features physical dials – one for adjusting the “channel” and another for controlling the volume. These aren’s just decorative; they are fully functional controls that provide a satisfying tactile interaction, a stark contrast to the touchscreens that dominate contemporary gadgets. There’s also a working power button, adding to the authenticity of the miniature replica.

For added convenience and a touch of retro luxury, the TinyTV 2 includes an infrared receiver, allowing for an optional tiny remote control. This detail further enhances the illusion of operating a “real” television, albeit one scaled down for a dollhouse or perhaps, as the initial thought suggests, “a television for ants.”

Underneath its charming exterior, the TinyTV 2 is powered by a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller. This is the same chip found in the popular Raspberry Pi Pico, known for its affordability, flexibility, and capability for handling various tasks, including driving displays and processing data. The RP2040 provides the necessary processing power to decode and play video files on the small screen.

Storage for video content is handled by an included 8GB micro SD card. Users can load their favorite videos onto the card, and the TinyTV 2 comes with a companion app designed to help shrink and format video files to the appropriate resolution and specifications for optimal playback on the tiny screen. This step is crucial, as standard video files would be far too large and high-resolution for the device to handle efficiently.

One of the most ingenious features of the TinyTV 2 is its emulation of “channel surfing.” Instead of simply playing one video after another, the device remembers your timestamp in each video file loaded onto the SD card. When you turn the “channel” dial, it switches to another video file and resumes playback from where you last left off. This creates the delightful illusion of flipping between live television channels, adding a layer of interactive charm that goes beyond simple video playback.

Portability is also a key aspect of the TinyTV 2. It’s equipped with a two-hour lithium-ion battery, allowing you to take your miniature entertainment on the go. A USB-C port is included for both charging the battery and transferring data (loading video files) to the device. This modern connectivity ensures ease of use despite the device’s vintage aesthetic.

Stepping Down in Size: The TinyTV Mini

For those who believe that even one inch is too large for a miniature television, Tiny Circuits offers the TinyTV Mini. This version takes the concept of tiny to an extreme, shrinking the device down to a volume of just one cubic inch. This makes it one of the smallest functional video players available.

The reduction in size comes with some trade-offs compared to the TinyTV 2. The TinyTV Mini features an even smaller 0.6-inch screen. Instead of an IPS panel, it uses an OLED display. While OLED technology offers excellent contrast and true blacks, the screen resolution is significantly lower at just 64x64 pixels. This resolution is considerably more pixelated than the TinyTV 2, further leaning into a retro, almost abstract visual style, depending on the content played.

Battery life is also reduced in the TinyTV Mini, offering approximately one hour of playback on a single charge. Like the TinyTV 2, it uses a USB-C port for charging and data transfer and is powered by the same Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller.

Despite the lower resolution and shorter battery life, the TinyTV Mini’s appeal lies precisely in its incredibly small size. It’s a marvel of miniaturization, pushing the boundaries of how small functional electronics can be. It retains the core concept of loading videos and offering a tiny viewing experience, making it a unique collectible or desk accessory.

Both the TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Mini are being offered at the same price point during the Kickstarter campaign: $50 each. This pricing makes them relatively accessible novelty gadgets for enthusiasts of tiny tech or retro-inspired items.

Image: Tiny Circuits

A look at the TinyTV 2, showcasing its one-inch screen and classic television design.

Image: Tiny Circuits

Another angle of the TinyTV 2, highlighting its compact form factor.

Image: Tiny Circuits

A side-by-side comparison showing the relative sizes of the TinyTV 2 and the even smaller TinyTV Mini.

The Enduring Appeal of Miniature Gadgets

Why do tiny versions of everyday objects capture our imagination? There’s a deep-seated fascination with miniatures that spans cultures and ages. From dollhouses and model trains to intricate dioramas and scaled-down replicas, creating and observing miniature worlds offers a unique perspective and a sense of playful control. In the realm of technology, this fascination translates into a delight in seeing complex functionality packed into incredibly small form factors.

Tiny Circuits taps directly into this appeal. Their previous product, the Thumby, a fully playable and programmable keychain-sized Game Boy, was a significant success, shipping over 10,000 units and demonstrating a clear market for functional miniature retro tech. The TinyTVs follow a similar philosophy: take a beloved, recognizable piece of technology from the past and recreate it in a size that feels both novel and adorable.

The TinyTVs aren’t intended to replace your smartphone or living room television. Their purpose is different. They are novelty items, conversation starters, and unique display pieces. They appeal to collectors of retro technology, enthusiasts of miniature crafts, and anyone who appreciates clever engineering and design. Placing a TinyTV on your desk, bookshelf, or in a display cabinet adds a touch of whimsy and personality. Loading it with clips from classic cartoons, retro commercials, or personal favorite video moments allows for a personalized, looping display that serves as a constant source of amusement or a nostalgic reminder.

The “channel surfing” feature, in particular, enhances the nostalgic experience. It mimics the serendipity of flipping through channels in the pre-streaming era, where you might stumble upon something unexpected. On the TinyTV, this translates to jumping between your curated collection of short videos, creating a unique, personal broadcast loop. This interactive element elevates the device beyond a simple miniature digital photo frame or video player.

The technical achievement itself is also part of the appeal. Fitting a screen, speaker, battery, microcontroller, storage, and physical controls into such a small space requires significant engineering effort. The use of the Raspberry Pi RP2040, a powerful yet compact microcontroller, is key to enabling the video playback and interactive features within the size constraints. The accompanying software to convert videos is also a critical component, addressing the challenge of making standard video formats compatible with the low-resolution, small displays.

The TinyTVs join a growing trend of miniature retro tech. We’ve seen everything from mini arcade cabinets and consoles to projects like the working Lego computer bricks with integrated screens and computers, also featured on The Verge. These devices celebrate the history of technology while leveraging modern components to achieve previously impossible levels of miniaturization and functionality. They serve as tangible links to the past, reimagined for a contemporary audience that appreciates both nostalgia and technological innovation.

Navigating the World of Crowdfunding: A Note for Backers

As with many innovative and niche electronic projects, the TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Mini are launching via a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter have revolutionized how creators can bring their ideas to market, allowing them to raise funds directly from interested consumers and build a community around their projects. However, it’s crucial for potential backers to understand the nature of crowdfunding before committing their money.

Crowdfunding is inherently different from purchasing a finished product from a retail store. When you back a project on Kickstarter, you are essentially supporting the creation of a product and, in return, typically receive a “reward” – in this case, the TinyTV 2 or TinyTV Mini – if the project is successfully funded and completed. You are not making a guaranteed purchase with the same level of consumer protection or certainty of delivery as a traditional retail transaction.

The world of crowdfunding can be chaotic and unpredictable. Companies seeking funding often make ambitious promises based on prototypes and projected manufacturing timelines. While many campaigns are successful and deliver on their promises, there is always a risk that a project may face delays, encounter unforeseen technical challenges, or in some cases, fail to deliver rewards altogether. According to a study conducted by Kickstarter itself, approximately 1 in 10 “successful” projects – those that meet their funding goals – ultimately fail to deliver rewards to their backers. Even among projects that do deliver, delays are common, and the final product may not always perfectly match the initial vision or promises.

Therefore, the best defense for a potential backer is to exercise caution and use their best judgment. Before backing any crowdfunding campaign, especially for hardware projects, it’s advisable to ask yourself several key questions:

• **Does the product look legitimate?** Are there clear photos and videos of working prototypes? Does the project page provide detailed specifications and explanations?
• **Is the company making outlandish claims?** Be wary of promises that seem too good to be true, such as unrealistic timelines, revolutionary performance, or impossibly low prices for complex technology.
• **Is there a working prototype?** Seeing a functional prototype demonstrated in videos or reviews significantly reduces the risk compared to backing a project based solely on renderings or concepts.
• **Does the company mention existing plans for manufacturing and shipping?** Look for details about their manufacturing partners, supply chain, and logistics plans. A well-thought-out plan indicates better preparation.
• **Has the company completed a Kickstarter or other crowdfunding campaign before?** A track record of successfully delivering previous projects is a strong positive indicator. Tiny Circuits’ successful delivery of the Thumby, shipping over 10,000 units, is a point in their favor, suggesting they have experience navigating the manufacturing and fulfillment process.

Remember, when you back a project on a crowdfunding site, you are primarily supporting an idea and helping a company bring a product to life. While you expect to receive a reward, it’s not a guaranteed purchase in the traditional sense. Understanding this distinction is crucial for managing expectations and assessing the level of risk you are comfortable with.

Technical Deep Dive: The Raspberry Pi RP2040 and Video Conversion

The heart of both TinyTV models is the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller. This chip, developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, has gained popularity since its release due to its dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor, relatively high clock speed (up to 133MHz), ample RAM (264KB), and versatile I/O capabilities, including the unique Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines. While not as powerful as the application processors found in full-fledged Raspberry Pi single-board computers, the RP2040 is more than capable of handling tasks like driving displays, processing sensor data, and, importantly for the TinyTVs, decoding and playing back video files.

Choosing the RP2040 likely offers Tiny Circuits a cost-effective and power-efficient solution for their miniature devices. Its capabilities are well-suited for the specific task of reading video data from an SD card, decoding it, and outputting it to the small, low-resolution screens, while also managing the input from the physical dials and buttons, controlling the speaker, and handling USB communication and battery charging.

One of the technical challenges in creating the TinyTVs is adapting standard video files for playback on such low-resolution screens. High-definition or even standard-definition video contains far more pixel information than the TinyTV 2 (216x135) or TinyTV Mini (64x64) screens can display. Furthermore, the processing power required to decode high-resolution video in real-time would be beyond the capabilities of the RP2040.

This is where the companion app mentioned by Tiny Circuits comes into play. This software is essential for converting user-provided video files into a format and resolution that the TinyTVs can handle. The conversion process likely involves:

• **Resizing:** Scaling the video frames down to the native resolution of the TinyTV screen (216x135 or 64x64 pixels).
• **Encoding:** Re-encoding the video using a simple, efficient codec that the RP2040 can decode quickly with minimal processing overhead. This might involve converting the video into a series of still images played back sequentially or using a highly compressed, low-complexity video format.
• **Audio Compression:** Compressing the audio track to a suitable format and bitrate for the small built-in speaker and the RP2040’s audio capabilities.
• **Formatting:** Packaging the processed video and audio data into a file format that the TinyTV firmware is designed to read from the micro SD card.

The effectiveness of this conversion process is critical to the user experience. A good conversion app will produce files that play smoothly on the TinyTVs, with synchronized audio, while minimizing visual artifacts despite the drastic reduction in resolution. The fact that Tiny Circuits provides this tool suggests they have put significant effort into making the process of getting your own videos onto the device as straightforward as possible.

Comparing the TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Mini: Which Miniature Marvel is Right for You?

With two models available, potential backers might wonder which TinyTV is the better fit. The choice between the TinyTV 2 and the TinyTV Mini largely depends on what you prioritize in a miniature television.

The **TinyTV 2** offers a slightly larger and significantly higher-resolution screen (1-inch IPS, 216x135 pixels). This means the video playback will be clearer and more detailed, making it easier to discern images and watch content. It also boasts a longer battery life (2 hours) and includes the infrared receiver for the optional remote. If your primary goal is the best possible viewing experience on a miniature scale, or if you value the convenience of longer battery life and remote control capability, the TinyTV 2 is likely the preferred option.

The **TinyTV Mini**, on the other hand, is all about extreme miniaturization. Its claim to fame is its incredibly small size, fitting into a one-cubic-inch volume. The screen is smaller (0.6-inch OLED) and the resolution is much lower (64x64 pixels). This results in a more abstract or pixelated image, which might appeal to those who appreciate the lo-fi aesthetic or are simply amazed by how small functional electronics can be. Its battery life is shorter (1 hour), and it lacks the IR receiver for the remote (though it still has physical controls). If the absolute smallest size is your main priority, or if you find the highly pixelated, retro-style display charming, the TinyTV Mini is the one to choose.

Both models share the core functionality of playing videos from an SD card, the “channel surfing” emulation, the physical dials for control, a built-in speaker, and USB-C connectivity. They are also priced identically during the Kickstarter campaign, simplifying the decision from a cost perspective. Ultimately, the choice comes down to whether you prefer a slightly more watchable, feature-rich miniature TV (TinyTV 2) or the ultimate expression of tiny tech (TinyTV Mini).