My Nostalgia Machine: Recreating 80's broadcast TV with a Raspberry Pi

[@kennylauderdale_en]

I hope this becomes available as a project. We'd have people hunting TV guides, filling out each hour block with tapes every week until all of broadcast history was filled out.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

It would be cool to be able to fast forward and rewind through time. I watched 1986 last night, I'll do 1992 tonight.

[@AdrianMacLeodTheFirst]

This video itself made me feel unexpectedly nostalgic. No “hey guys”, no generic KZbin background music or title screens, no goofy gimmicks… just delicate, scripted story telling, genuine perspective, and straight forward documentation. Feeling very inspired by your work, and really enjoyed watching this on the couch with my morning coffee. Thank you.

[@jnnx]

It’s “HEYYYYY YOU GUYYYYYYYS”, not “hey guys”

[@sorenpx]

You've made me second guess starting my own KZbin videos with "Hey, guys." I must now do some soul searching.

[@DominickSirianni]

You said it. This video was one of the best things I’ve ever watched on KZbin. Made me wish I had the skill to develop something similar or buy a similar setup. I’m done watching KZbin for tonight. This video has me feeling like I want to watch Little House on the Prairie for the first time since I was seven and it was the only thing on TV.

[@elwyndude]

I never thought I would see the day but I found someone more nostalgic than me. I salute you sir.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Much appreciated - though I remember back in the day that people were much more nostalgic than me. I mean, as a society, we've forgotten what it means to be truly nostalgic. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be ;)

[@elwyndude]

@@wrongdog_reckons Thats nostalgia inception! "I remember when nostalgia was really nostalgic" lol I guess my parents werent like that at all. I also think because I grew up in the mid-70s and 80s, so much of my youth is connected with media that can be viewed still today, as you have shown. I think thats easier to rely on that say "we use to go down to the river, fish and eat what we caught" as thats a memory only. Its also nostalgic for me to see 3:08 and think I watched ALL of those. I remember be so disappointed with HeMan when it first was shown. And I wasnt allowed to watch ATeam because of the violence - thank goodness for friends who had less strict parents!

[@LovelessAndroid]

​@wrongdog_reckons Last Christmas season, I put on a mix of 90s era Christmas commercials... it was a TRIP. So cozy and optimistic and just... so much.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

@@LovelessAndroid - I think Christmas is what I'm most excited about with it :)

[@mikebuddybuddy]

I'm a child of the 90s, but there's a similar shared experience there, I think. What I'd like to add is that because TV was rigidly scheduled, you had to PLAN to watch something. You were the one who had to work around the shows, not the other way around. Because of this, being a bigger investment of your time, you were able to enjoy shows more; digest them, look forward to them.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Very similar experience. An interesting term I heard recently on the 'planning' aspect was 'Appointment TV' - we literally made evening plans around a particular show event. You can bet you were thinking about the conversations you were going to have about it later WHILE you were watching, so it was inherently more social.

[@voxnewman]

I need this. They fact that you programmed for evening news, cartoons and Christmas is super-important

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thanks - I'm trying to see what I can do to make it easier for people to use this for themselves. Cheers!

[@xolotlvt]

​@wrongdog_reckons I've recently setup a 1987 CRT with an HDMI/Composite to RF Modulator, this would be SUPER COOL to have!!

[@SojournItaly]

This is what KZbin should be. Informative, creative and thought provoking. Maybe even inspiring. Thank you sir.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Wow, thank you! Those are very kind words!

[@TalmidAndy]

I'm glad that you're going to make this an open source project and share your files and designs. I can see this being an ongoing development and many being built.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thank you! I really hope people use it to make their own - that would be an amazing result of all of this :) Cheers!

[@cavezombie83]

I just want to buy one.

[@RobCamp-rmc_0]

I’d just be happy with the software as a project, but damn if the hardware doesn’t just show dedication to the vibe

[@wrongdog_reckons]

@@RobCamp-rmc_0 - dedication is a nice way of saying 'apt to fall down rabbit-holes' and let scope creep :)

[@projectnerdvana2820]

This wouldn't be a bad tool to help raise your young kids without so much tech. I mean think about it. At what age did us kids from the 80s really start using tech and have our own phones? 14, 16?

[@ineedspicyfood6427]

Great, now I have to make one that targets '95 to '08. Awesome thing you've made.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

The software should be plenty flexible. One of my next tasks is to make a 'cable-mode' version :)

[@KyuketsukiRei]

Lol, if you get it setup with all the channels, commercials, and everything setup in a tv that can be bought ring me up I'll buy one off of you. You're targeting my perfect date range for nostalgia.

[@stewiedarkinvisibleid]

As a 62 year old who grew up watching TV on our RCA cathode ray television set, including saturday morning cartoons, The Twilight Zone every weeknight at 11pm in my area, Star Trek, etc, I am completely blown away at your absolutely brilliant creation! Undeniably incredible! I still own an exact antenna changer that you feature in your creation; it still works - lights up - where I have it resting next to my modern 55" Samsung 4K flat screen television set. Cheers to the good old days, when televsion was FREE!!! 😄

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I really appreciate this comment - thank you. You had a pretty good lineup going on! On the antenna changer - those things have an amazing look don't they - especially when they're lit up it looks like its glowing. Cheers!

[@miamartinez2911]

This is very similar to what I’m doing. I’m using multiple Raspberry Pi’s (1 Pi per channel). Each pie feeds to an Agile Modulator which feeds to a RF combiner. From there I could either broadcast wirelessly or through my home coax cables. I’ve been recreating every channel as it was in 1999. You should be able to pick up any TV Guide and see exactly what was playing. I’m even hoping to recreate the TV Guide Channel.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Amazing! Make sure to show us what you made when you get it done - cheers!

[@JeffreyJusticeLosey]

I've had a similar project as well. Mine is also multi-channel, but I'm running it from a Windows NUC and old Netgear ReadyNAS since I’m dirt poor and it’s all I have to work with. I’ve got mine using Emby with the GenreCleaner and StudioCleaner to gather/correct metadata including studio and original airtimes, download subtitles, and to maintain consistent video formatting (I use MP4s and STRMs), and to find trailers. I use batch files with FFMPEG and MP4box to make bulk fixes to my files, such as assigning languages to tracks and adding chapter data. SubtitleEdit to fix subtitle files. I have my system generate channels and blocks using language, studio, time block, tag, genre, and other metadata, as well as system calendar data, converting subtitles to closed captioning and select metadata to tv guide data. I have it cluster sets of studios to generate the channel, assigning shows to within an hour of their original time block; I assign this in a simple text configuration file so I can make adjustments easily. If I want to force or exclude a language, tag, movie, show, or pool of shows at a certain date, time, or time range I can also do that in the configuration file. I intersperse sets of up to 3 trailers/commercials at the end and between chapters distributed evenly across the runtime to keep the schedule in blocks of 15 minute segments (I also inject "eye catches" if I have them for a show). Once assigned to a block, the show is locked to that block until all episodes are cycled through unless overridden in the configuration file. I have the scheduling structured around looking for certain holiday tags on movies or episodes so they air on dates appropriate to those holidays. For this reason, I have scheduling assigned 6 months in advance, adjusting based on media availability and changes to the configuration file. This way I can review it all and make adjustments as needed. Each channel is output as a stream on my Emby Live TV. I hope to be able to someday pull from KZbin or Rumble as well, assigning particular channels to air livestreams and uploads, but that’s a bit over my head currently. I still have a lot of work ahead to get my system working perfectly, and I hope to make it an Emby plugin someday so others can run their own.

[@mr.perfect1067]

Can you make a video how you​ built that@@JeffreyJusticeLosey

[@sirracer2005]

​@JeffreyJusticeLosey did you use virtual tv plug-in? And how did ypu get the timing set for episodes to start and finish in their block of time correctly?

[@dstinnettmusic]

This is like a Haiku. The limitations are what makes it beautiful. You can’t capture the full experience of anything in words…especially with the limitations the project itself imposes. But…there’s an image in your head of that time and you managed to very artfully point at that image. Very well done, sir.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

These are incredibly kind words and are much appreciated. There is definitely something to the satisfaction of working within limitation.

[@adgalloway1]

I know that feeling of having only channel 4 out of Greenville. Papaw and Granny lived a mile down the road and they got 4 AND 7. That was a BIG deal. Good analysis of the nostalgia factor. I think you hit that nail on the head.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Its crazy how just a couple of curves could make all the difference in the TV situation, isn't it? And getting channel 7 WAS a big deal! That doubled the chance something worth watching was on. Thanks much for the kind words - Cheers!

[@soupwizard]

A good use around the holidays would be to show the classic holiday specials like the Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin and Christmas shows, It's a Wonderful Life, etc. Schedule them for a particular time like 8pm on a holiday night, the wait would get people to anticipate showtime arriving, just like we did back in the day.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

This is a great approach - it will be easy to add them to the lineup. Cheers!

[@kraftaculousgreekgodofcraf1113]

And add the Star Wars Christmas special! To relive the horror as a kid thinking “what the heck is this??”

[@P.HATHCOX]

🤣​@@kraftaculousgreekgodofcraf1113

[@wrongdog_reckons]

@@kraftaculousgreekgodofcraf1113 - I had only vaguely heard of the Star Wars Christmas Special, but came across it while looking at shows for this and was very puzzled about it.

[@andriodman1]

Star wars Holiday special it's the end game here!

[@ian-digitalhit]

What a great project. Linear TV (and fewer channels), especially before we had VCRs, gave us two things: shared experiences and appointment TV. When you went to school the next day, you KNEW almost everybody could talk about the episode of the hit show. That's so splintered now. Heck, I still haven't seen one episode of Game of Thrones.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I like the term 'appointment TV' - like, you knew what you were gonna do on Tuesday night, you were gonna watch the A-Team. I've noticed that even with people I have a lot in common with, there is a low chance that we've seen the same series and definitely not at the same time so we can talk about it in a real way - otherwise its always 'Well, I don't wanna spoil it for you..." Thanks for watching - cheers!

[@ian-digitalhit]

@@wrongdog_reckons Exactly. Not everyone can gather round the water cooler to figure out "Who shot JR?" So much is deemed "must watch" these days and if you don't subscribe to the streamer or plan to watch it later you basically have to avoid all social media and news sites. 😂

[@Daniel-it1dp]

Yeah, I like that appointment TV. As a little kid my dad was in control of the TV and my only chance at watching what I wanted was 6am Saturday mornings or after I got home from school.

[@murderdoggg]

@@wrongdog_reckons or when you went to the babysitters on Friday night you knew there would be A-Team, Knight Rider and tater tots from the oven.

[@murderdoggg]

@@ian-digitalhit Who shot JR and honest McDonalds Monopoly. That year was the peak of human society.

[@nailbunny42]

I have been wanting the software you created for this project, for YEARS. THANK YOU.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Nice! Give it a try and if you run into any issues, just file a ticket on github. The install and config process is not super simple, so appreciate any feedback. Cheers!

[@andriodman1]

Honestly i thought i was the only one using CRTs playing old games and watching old movies but you took it to an entire new level! Great job. Simply amazing.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

There's just something about that warm glow - the little pop when it powers on. Who can resist it?

[@deckofcards87]

​@@wrongdog_reckonsI love to play super nintendo and sega on my old CRT more than anything. It just feels right. This tv project of yours is taking it to a whole new level of awesome!!

[@letterfella]

I'm the same, still got a CRT set up for Mega Drive and watching old VHS animation which never made the leap to DVD or beyond. Can't beat that glow and hum!

[@SuperBoomshack]

I have a VCR and LaserDisc player hooked up to a Sony Trinitron😂

[@andriodman1]

@@SuperBoomshack dude laserdisc... I've never seen one outside of my highschool science class back in the late nineties

[@Cristofre]

Hey man, this is Cris B. from back home in those mountains you mentioned. Enjoying the video. KZbin is basically my "TV" now, with interesting content like this. I do have many fond memories of laying in the shag carpet watching TV in the 70s and 80s.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Hey Cris - good to see you here! I am the same way - youtube is pretty much all I watch these days. Interestingly, my favorite is @TechnologyConnections - which reminds me of you because you always wanted to know how things worked. Check them out if you don't already. Cheers!

[@Calvero52]

2:31 I was pleasantly surprised to see a Doctor Who listing for part 1 of "The Deadly Assassin" 🥰

[@wrongdog_reckons]

yeah - when I first found Dr Who on PBS, I had no idea what to make of it. It was not like anything I had experienced before (or since?)

[@trwijbenga]

Expected a more technical video, but I was pleasantly surprised by the philosophical touch about the differences between experiencing TV then and now. Back then I think it was easier to try something that didn't seem interesting at first sight, and stick to it, just because you had less options. Back in the 80s and 90s it was definitely easier to finish video games for me, I had more time and less alternatives so I needed to get good. Nowadays I give up on games/tv shows/movies more easily, there is always something new around the corner. Trying to slow ourselves down in an era of myriad entertainment options is something we should do more. Thanks for the video man!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Appreciate that! The original iterations were more technical, but the final iteration fits with the purpose of the channel - reckoning with the impacts of technology and its place in our lives. Exactly that: to slow ourselves down and reflect a bit. Cheers!

[@michaelbyrne5507]

It was great to see the 4th Doctor on your TV schedule!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Yeah - when Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) started carrying it in the late 70s, I was not sure what to make of it. Had no idea it was one of the most popular sci-fi shows ever...

[@HooningAroundLife]

I love it. In college I used to fall asleep to this website that streamed tv with commercials rom that decade. It was an edited compilation but would scratch that itch of being homesick in college.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thanks! Its really surprising how much comfort 'familiar' can bring.

[@ethanl.9725]

What is the name of the website?

[@turnbasedtoddy7664]

I can’t convey in words how much I love this video. A cigar box on top of the TV was a genius move as it reminds me of going to my grandfather‘s when I was little and watching the TV in the living room. He always had a cigar box on top of it.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Ha! We had similar grandpas because that is exactly where the cigar box idea came from! When he passed, that was the thing I got as a keepsake was an old cigar box similar to the one I used. So, yeah, nostalgia baked in :) Thanks for sharing your memory.

[@themonkeymang]

I always found it so interesting that they always went all out on the music for something as simple as an informational video about how the TV functions

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Right? I ended up watching several of these old RCA informational films about Television and they were soooo dramatic and cinematic in the opening scenes - there was a kind of optimism to it.

[@Lakatu]

This is so important for elders living with Alzheimer’s - especially those with mobility issues!! The level of comfort and engagement from old tv shows/music from their youth is completely underestimated….

[@wrongdog_reckons]

This is the next direction I want to take this project - but there are obviously content licensing to get past and I don't know anything about healthcare. I wonder where I should start to see if this is something that actually would be useful?

[@HighScoresArcade]

This is amazing. We make our living by restoring 70’s and 80’s arcade machines in our public arcade museum locations. On a personal level I would love this invention just for personal use. However my technical knowledge is strictly for 70’s and 80’s electronics. I would gladly pay three times whatever you think it’s worth for this exact setup including content if you would consider building one for sale. Please take my money! Need this in my life and to share with my children

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I've been hearing that message - working to make it easier to use and maybe we'll get it down to plug-n-play so folks can have one of their own. Cheers!

[@markc.7984]

I'd say the same! I've already been curating the three playlists for my "channels" (sci fi shows, sci fi movies, and Adult Swim) and just need someone savvy to build/program it for me; I've got a tube TV on the way to plug it into. If such a thing becomes available to buy, put me on the list!!

[@DominickSirianni]

Thank you! Thank you for showing this is possible. Thank you for sharing it openly. Thank you for reminding us that, when we were kids, it was normal for there to be “nothing on tv” so we had to get out and do stuff. I’ve forgotten what that was like and I miss it.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I appreciate your kind words - I think its good for us to pull away from that beast sometimes and go out and do stuff. Cheers!

[@energeticyellow1637]

This is really awesome! This is very similar to my set up where I use a program called "dizqueTV" which takes my plex library loaded with old shows and constructs as many TV-style channels as I want, rich with commercials and bumpers to boot. Its running on an old gaming PC hidden behind the entertainment unit hooked up to a 1988 trinitron CRT and the experience is wonderfully nostalgic. As it stands it was only set up for running shows from the 90s as that was my favorite decade, but I just finished setting up some 80s stations and when I get done splicing the commercials, the early 2000s will make its way into the lineup too. I essentially have 3 different eras of TV and man is it comfy to just come home after a long day of work and tune into MTV, Cartoon Network, or any of the other stations I built not having to worry about "which of these thousands of shows do I want to watch".

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I had never heard of that - just checked it out and its pretty cool. I like the approach.

[@Wesleym134]

7:24 - Awesome Doctor Who commercial there. Tom Baker always was the most fun Doctor.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I didn't know what to make of Dr Who back in the day - I remember as a 7 year old thinking: One day, all of your peers will love this show and have deep feelings about it. If you don't watch, you'll only be able to smile and nod and then try to turn the conversation to Star Trek, so pay attention... How about Strange New Worlds?

[@Snackypacks]

Impeccable timing! I've been working on a similar project but with little success. It's reassuring to know it can be done, thanks for sharing it

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Keep working at it! What are you blocked on? MPV movie player is your friend :) Cheers!

[@billyc348]

wow thats nostalgic, when you said you grew up in the exact area i grew up in that blew me away. crazy that i got this in my recommended

[@wrongdog_reckons]

It's a small world, huh? I specifically grew up way down Warwoman Road, outside Clayton Georgia. You?

[@nunyabusiness9013]

We are nostalgic for our childhood years because life was awesome back then. You had no job, no bills, and very few worries. That's why we remember things more fondly than they actually were.

[@DominickSirianni]

I think you are partially right. I didn’t enjoy my childhood but I still find myself nostalgic. Very conflicted emotions at times.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Yeah - I think both things happen - I think we're remembering an optimism that we once had about what the future might hold.

[@KyleBevis-u7j]

This is one of the coolest projects I’ve seen on KZbin all year. Amazing work

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Wow, thanks! I am having a blast working on this project.

[@DominickSirianni]

I couldn’t agree more!!! Keep it up!

[@jimmcintosh7656]

I would love something like that, it's too bad that I am a techno idiot. I miss watching TV from back in the day. Even though the content today is at your finger tips for instant gratification, the old days of getting one episode per week was amazing. Your project was like a time machine for me. Thank you.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thank you - I wish I could make and then give everyone one. It really is comforting.

[@michaelstevenson5044]

This is such a wonderful treat! We recently got an old CRT and have been adding bits and pieces and movies and games and things from our childhood. I feel the same way. Both platforms are different but I think that part of it is that inability to go back now that stations have decided not to run anymore. I love your practical use of technology here. Very inspirational.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I really appreciate your kind words. You gotta love that glow and hum of an old CRT huh? Cheers!

[@ZekuTokairin]

This is awesome, and I appreciate not just your work on the video, but being willing to make all your work on this open source. I was thinking lately about these topics which is probably how I came across this video, because I had been watching the remaster of a show from my childhood, Star Trek: TNG. I believe the show was originally remastered for Netflix, and it looks worlds better than even the DVD, and I can watch it in a quality that I never would have been able to dream of. It's incredibly lucky that this has been made possible and people worked so hard on it. But there's a part of me that wondered, "How did it look to me, back then watching on broadcast TV?" Even the VHS collection isn't quite the same with colors and so on, and I went down this rabbit hole of filters, bleed, and NTSC renderers, and it's fascinating to see exactly how far you were able to take the whole thing. Another part I think you got exactly right was the way that syndicated TV was such a grab bag, you got the episode that was airing, and nothing else. The fact that there was no entire season to binge meant that you were less likely to turn something off if it wasn't exactly what you expected. It also meant that some syndicated shows experimented even within their formulaic structure to include episodes with vastly different tones. The episode of X-Files could've been an urban legend procedural, or a paranoia-inducing alien conspiracy.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thank you for the kind words! I see you know all about rabbit holes? Your point on experimenting within the formula (X-Files) is a really great one. I noted in another comment: I don't mind a formula if the formula works for me :) Cheers!

[@sacul7694]

5:19 I remember watching my grandfather turn this thing on top of his big wooden encased tv. I could hear like a thumping noise coming from it. Each sound the picture got a little better or worse. Kind of like adjusting the tracking on a vcr. My brother and I called it the "thumper". lol. I always thought it was cool and we did get a clearer picture watching golf! :)

[@wrongdog_reckons]

My next task is to add a buzzer so I can try to make the sounds :) These things are amazingly simple, but were doing a lot of work right there in the console that I thought would be being done on the motor itself. To me, its really cool when to start figuring out how they accomplished stuff in the days before microcontrollers and microprocessors. I think in terms of software-defined processes - they just add electricity and a few primitive things they could do with it and ended up making some very advanced stuff happen. The box is pretty cool.

[@saxmeister]

Such a great project for nostalgia. I love it. I grew up just up the mountain from you in Western North Carolina and watched channel 4 out of Greenville as well growing up. So, howdy neighbor!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Your Friend 4! Charlie Gertz (Charlie Said it Would!) and Freedom Weekend Aloft! Good to meet you neighbor!

[@murderdoggg]

I always wanted to do this with a PS2. Load the HDD with all media from 2000-2005. Sopranos, sports, news, everything I watched on TV Awesome to see you do it with the Pi.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

PS2 would make a good one to do it with - cheers!

[@Cristian.Cortez]

I've always fantasized about a project like this, although not specifically pertaining to the 70s/80s. Just the idea of being able to program my own TV schedule, with all the old commercials and for multiple channels that all run concurrently 24/7 I always thought would be such a cool thing to do

[@wrongdog_reckons]

It has been an extremely fun project - especially now that I am trying to add in some more features to make it more accurate WITHOUT per-video metadata (preferring convention over configuration) - its a fun challenge. Cheers!

[@Oldmanorange]

Takes me back to my UHF watching days with the antenna my dad climbed up a tree to mount. Something nice about the simplicity of just a few channels.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I think that's one of the pieces that fits here: it was simpler. I like that.

[@Oldmanorange]

@@wrongdog_reckons When you only have like 3 channel choices. You at least know what you are watching.

[@milesmccreery7676]

this is one of the most impressively thought out and accomplished ideas, along with great video production

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thank you - those are some very kind words!

[@poptheweasel100]

I've always wanted something like this! I grew up in the 2000s so I have some pretty fond memories of Cartoon Network, Toon Disney, Jetix, and others, so being able to recreate them myself like this would be awesome not only for me, but for my family, friends and even hopefully my future family! Something I would love to see in the future would be a UI designed after those old cable box menus, so you can view the guide or info on the show you're watching without having to pull it up on a separate screen. Maybe even a custom watermark ou can place in the corner for the station you're watching to make it feel really authentic. Since getting a CRT TV a few months ago myself, I've definitely enjoyed playing old games and watching old movies on it, but while I got a decent collection of my own media on digital storage, it find it just as easy to stop watching something as it is to start, so I haven't actually watched a lot of it yet. Hopefully something like this would make it a lot more interesting to digest, or at least make it fun to see what comes on every now and then. Hopefully one day I'll get the time to do something like that!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Right now, I am working on making the scheduling a little more flexible. My next big task is 'cable mode' - which will have cable style channel transitions, channel number display and a guide channel. Cable itself has changed a lot over the years, so would also need to be 'themable' for 80s cable vs 2000s cable. Should be there in the coming weeks. Cheers!

[@poptheweasel100]

@@wrongdog_reckons Sounds great! More flexibility is nice, I'm especially hoping for a way to flag timeslots to play commercials and bumpers from a different folder, so you can play a 80s show with era appropriate commercials and bumpers, then play a 2000s show a few hours later with its own set of commercials and bumpers. I've personally thought of like 20 different channels I could make with this, ranging from recreating channels like Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, to more basic channels like anything 80s TV or Anime, to even a Flash cartoons channel. So safe to say I'm excited to see it improve and can't wait to work on my own setup for it! Only problem is, I may need a new NAS to hold all my media... Hopefully a NAS would work since that'd give me a LOT of space for my plans. And, since this is kinda pivotal to my plans, just gotta ask, would subfolders and shortcuts work for the media sorting on this project? For example, I have all my media sorted how I want on the NAS, then another folder that FieldStation42 reads that will contain all the channels, and in that, the folders for cartoons, gameshows, etc, contain shortcuts to the media folders I have sorted in their own space, so I can have multiple channels with the same shows and commercials without wasting space. I imagine it would work, but I'm not entirely sure so I figured I'd ask.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

@@poptheweasel100 This is good stuff. Let's go through it. - Commercial & bumps directory over-rides per time slot is a good feature - github.com/shane-mason/FieldStation42/issues/7 - On the sub-folder and shortcuts question - I use symbolic links to share content across stations, but your suggesting that if it searched one level down you could also combine content from multiple locations into one tag directory? If so, its a good feature - github.com/shane-mason/FieldStation42/issues/8

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I added searching for mp4 files in sub-directories (subfolders) one level deep. Good suggestion, this is an EXTREMELY useful feature for what I am doing right now: adding in Halloween content that I just want to mix in for a while but be able to move out at the end of the month.

[@leburn98]

Excellent work. I think why TV watching was so special back then was the shared aspect. With only a few channels, everyone was watching the same cartoons, sitcoms, etc. which led to discussion. Now, in the world of choice, you can have 5 friends, all watching something different. The shared experience is gone for most shows.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thanks! I think you're right. Even if you do find someone who watches the same thing, they are either behind or ahead in the series or watched it so long ago its not at the top of their head, so the conversations can't have depth. Cheers!

[@theguythatmakesvideo]

Right now i use VLC to shuffle all my tv shows like one big tv station. but having the shows separated by channel to flip through would be super cool and your software kinda inspired me to set it up like that

[@wrongdog_reckons]

You should be able to set that up in VLC pretty easy just by making random playlists and then cycling through them. I checked into VLC for this (since its my go-to) and found that it has great scripting capability. Good luck!

[@ForgottenMachines]

7:23 Thank you for this Dr. Who clip...and thank you for this fantastic build and video!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thank you! Dr Who was an anomalie in my early life: being one of the few 'international' shows I had access to via public broadcasting. While I never became a mega-fan, it was important because it showed me what COULD be out there if I take a look. Highly appreciate that show. Cheers!

[@ForgottenMachines]

@@wrongdog_reckons I asked around, and found out that this clip is from a Prime Computer commercial, and NOT a Dr. Who episode...nice touch! But your version looks even better than the versions we find on KZbin now...this is such a cool thing you've done here! Thanks, and keep up the great work!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

@@ForgottenMachines - I found that clip on Achive.org - there are a whole set of prime commercials from that time period.

[@ptonpc]

This is a great build.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thank you much - I appreciate hearing that.

[@xarq0n]

This is the best. I've put off building the same thing but with radio for years, and I think you've finally motivated me to do it. Thank you for your inspiration!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Go for it! Its nice to get lost in a project sometimes. Cheers!

[@professorplum7025]

PLEASE Keep developing this channel switching software! It’s okay so far, but it could easily be great. Adding old school picture in picture digital menus for the tv schedule would be amazing. I could see people using this over Plex with a feature like that. I’d love to make 90s kids channels, or custom movie channels

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I am for sure continuing to develop it - building out the scheduling flexibility now and next up will be 'cable emulation' vs just OTA. I agree - its a good start, but it has a way to go to meet the potential. Cheers!

[@joegarrity6284]

Seeing that antenna rotator box really gave me that nostalgia feel - we had that exact same Bakelite box growing up in Philadelphia. The unique sound it made whilst turning the roof antenna is still burned into my memory. Thanks for bringing that back.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thanks! Can you tell me a little more about the sound? I want to put a buzzer in it to reproduce a sound - and I have heard from a couple of folks that had this box talk about the unique sound it made. The box we had was a bit different (a channelmaster I think) and I recall it just as 'the sound of electricity' - not quiet a motor sound but also NOT a motor sound?

[@adamroach43]

awesome work man

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@AndrewsClayCreations]

Wow, that’s crazy. It amazes me that something like this could be made. I grew up in the 70s and 80s, and I definitely have fond memories of those times. I will never attempt to replicate this, but sometimes I sit down on Saturday morning with a bowl of cereal and play some classic cartoons. Dudley Do Right, Thundarr, and Dungeons and Dragons are a few of my favorites. Thanks for the great video.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thank you! I have found myself using it the most on Saturday morning. I pop it on to see what's on and tend to stay there a bit. Cheers!

[@mattf5207]

I saw the Alliance ‘Tenna Rotor and had to click! We had that. What an awesome project.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Nice - I knew that would get someone's nostalgia up :) Glad you enjoyed - thanks for letting me know!

[@1980shello]

Wow, so glad this found me, I’ve thought about this over the years. How cool it would be to turn an old device on and have it broadcast old media. Thank You!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Its like a little time capsule. Cheers!

[@danielsanichiban]

I’ve been planning to do a similar thing. About nostalgia, I’ve been thinking about it for years. I’ve been a DJ since the 80s and music obsessed my whole life. I’ve found streaming, and the over abundance of new music to be really unenjoyable, much like watching Netflix. It’s the paradox of choice. Having anything and everything anywhere anytime, just devalues it all, the natural response is to take it all for granted, it’s just there. I’ve given up all the streaming subscriptions etc and am back to playing records and tapes. Self imposed limitations, and it’s enhanced my appreciation for things. I’m less lost in it now. I notice a lot of younger people intuitively doing the same thing. Look at what a lot of vintage devices and media cost these days, there are even some VHS and DVD places doing rentals. It’s novel to people now, interestingly obscure, kind of absurd, but fun. That tells you something. Oh nice work btw, pulling that together. Looks like a lot of fun

[@wrongdog_reckons]

This is really well put: streaming just feels so much more empty. I miss the days of disc-jockey's and their personal spin - the streaming algorithms aren't on our side and aren't there for our benefit and it shows. I really appreciate your deliberate approach to remove the things that don't make your life better. Thanks for watching! Cheers!

[@adambeck8180]

My parents have some old VHS tapes of movies taped from TV with original commercials. (At least I hope they still have them.) This is a nostalgic rush, since the commercials are seared in my brain from the time period and further from watching the tape over and over for years.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

That's amazing - would be great to get them digitized and uploaded to the VHS Vault at archive.org so they are preserved.

[@20windfisch11]

This could be a great starting point to actually create a working TV in EmuVR. I imagine the software outputting a network stream on a local IP address and the player component in EmuVR picking it up.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

That's a fascinating idea - would just need to provide a continuous network video stream and a 3-d TV model? Like it!

[@Dave102693]

This is the 4th project of this kind I’ve seen on KZbin within the last 2 years

[@wrongdog_reckons]

There is nothing new or old under the sun, but the numbers say this is pretty rare then. If we doing numbers: "As of December 2023, the average KZbin user watches 9 videos per visit. If they log in daily, they will watch around 270 monthly videos and 3,240 videos per year." - so that means out of the 6480 videos you would have viewed in that time period, 1 in 1620 would have been on this project style. That's fairly rare.

[@kopesetik]

The big question is does it play the Nat'l Anthem and go off the air at midnight?

[@wrongdog_reckons]

That was an obvious miss - but will be the very next feature I add. I'll give it a per-channel configuration for sign-off video and off-air image. Good call!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Now it does! I just added the capability - it was quiet easy. You can now specify a sign-off video (national anthem) and then an off-air video (like a color test pattern).

[@RandallJennings]

@@wrongdog_reckons Complete with 1,000 Hertz tone?

[@murderdoggg]

@@wrongdog_reckons Maybe use a clip from The Wall for a cheeky sign off.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

@@RandallJennings - yes, and then I took it out and replaced it with grocery store easy listening loop over and indianhead test pattern. I couldn't self inflict the tone!

[@MichaelSavidgeStoryteller]

This is such a cool Raspberry Pi project idea! I'm a 90s kid, so I had the luxury of watching more than three channels (although the adults in my life always talked about that) and to see traditional TV programming transform into its current form. I've always wondered if it was possible to recreate how TV stations scheduled programming (I think the industry term is called "dayparting") using my own video files. The github page answers a lot of my questions on that particular aspect of the project. Thank you so much for creating this project; I cannot wait to try it out myself!!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I have never heard the term dayparting, but just looked it up. I just use a lot of terms in my program like 'blocks' 'slots' and 'clips' with not real understanding of how they fit into the industry-think. I am pretty pleased to see that my internal model of how to break the day up roughly fits. I guess one difference in the mental model is that mine are based on 1-hour slots, and it looks like they are using 30 minute increments. In my case, each 1 hour slot can be filled by 2 half hour blocks or 1 one-hour blocks, but both have to come from the same content source folder. You put 2 slots together and fill it with a 2 hour content block and that gives you a feature length. I did some massive simplifications to this process in the past days. Give the code a try, if you run into any problems, just file an issue on github and I'll respond.

[@jjeshop]

Congratulations, you invented Pluto TV...

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Okay, this is a good one - I seriously laughed out loud!

[@ewakko]

I should make a cool knob for pluto tv for my mom to use, to change the channel.

[@destinycaptain247]

This is fantastic. Several months ago I came across a random video where a tech guy built a 90’s era cable tv simulator. It was fantastic. Love this too. Would love to have this running on my regular tv all the time.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I think I know exactly the video you are talking about - the author took it down if it is. It was the video that inspired me to start a channel about my side projects in the first place because they did a phenomenal job.

[@destinycaptain247]

@ - It was fantastic. What both of you have done is something I wish I could do for my home. I want a system where I have all my content loaded and everything runs kinda like you have here where there is a schedule and you jury turn it on.

[@johncasey5594]

As a TV junkie, I have often pondered this question, why am I less nostalgic with today's shows. I think it has less to do with the technology in our houses and more to do with how we received the shows. Back then, for the majority of us who did not have VCRs, if you missed an episode, that was it. Furthermore everything was broadcast weekly, so you eagerly awaited a new episode each week, counting down the hours to air and invested several years into a show. Shows aired average 24 episodes a year. Even up until roughly 2012, this was still the way. I remember waiting on LOST, House, Two and a Half Men, etc. every week. Several things have happened in the last decade or so that killed TV in my opinion. The prevalence of streaming service originals. Shorter seasons, 6-10 episodes. Seasons getting dropped in one day. It is hard to get invested in or feel nostalgic for a show you invest a few weeks into or worse, binge in a couple days. I have a library of over 1,700 TV series and almost 7,000 movies. With few exceptions, I mostly rewatch about 50 of my old comfort favorite series over and over.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I think you are correct - at least for me - that the shorter seasons and binge watching prevents you from developing a relationship with the show - you hardly have time to think about it before its over and the next think has started. I also miss reruns and syndication - it lets you discover new stuff and develop deeper in shows. It seems like now, a show only has a lifespan while its producing new episodes, then it goes to the back of the algorithm somehow.

[@Ephunker89]

This is absolutely incredible!!! What an amazing build and programming! I recently came across an early 2000's alarm clock that is built to look like a tube TV. I am hoping to put a small monitor behind the rounded glass and put a pi in it with a few movies that can be switched between channels. I have zero experience with coding so that may be a dream

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thanks! That sounds like a great idea! You should be able to accomplish it without much/any coding, but might take some configuration and linux research to get it running. Depending on how you want it to work, my software might be a good starting point. If you give it a go and run into any issues, file an issue on the github project and I'll try to help. Best of luck and cheers!

[@Ephunker89]

@wrongdog_reckons thank you so very much! I will do my best and truly appreciate your response. I may be reaching out!

[@currentsitguy]

I grew up in an area where you could chose from Pittsburgh, Youngstown, OH or Wheeling, WV for your stations so we had the motorized rotor. My dad had wired the entire house for the antenna so although I had a TV in my bedroom you had to watch whatever stations the antenna was pointed at which was generally the main TV in the living room.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Oh my! I never thought about this scenario: they're watching channel 2, so I'm watching channel 2. Thanks for sharing that - cheers!

[@Lostmymind1]

Did youngstown tv stations support the Pittsburg sports teams, or the Cleveland ones?

[@currentsitguy]

@@Lostmymind1 It was a mix. It was usually Cleveland 1st, but Pittsburgh was secondary if Cleveland wasn't playing or were playing at a different time or day.

[@adambeck8180]

Awesome! I think the watch-it-or-miss-it element that you talked about made watching TV feel like you were experiencing something that was happening at that moment (even if it wasn't live). More so for network special broadcasts. And, like you said, when anything took over all the channels, the shared experience element was huge (and probably a powerful cultural unifier.)

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Agree - I think my next question is: how could we bring the good parts of that back and leave the bad part behind? To me, the shared experiences are the good parts. The bad parts would be the lack of representation of anyone who didn't fit the mold.

[@farpointstation]

Very thoughtful narration and neat project 👏

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I appreciate that! I had a lot of fun building this. Cheers!

[@EileenF-ng4lq]

You, my friend, have made something I've personally debated on pursuing for a few years. I'm extremely pleased with how this looks, and i personally might consider making my own, if not doing something similar to one of those 70s/80s jerrold cable boxes. excellent video, hope for the best

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Its been a fun one! If you decide to build one and use my code as a starting point, just file an issue on github if you run into any problems. Cheers!

[@Nintendo_Freak8x]

Very cool Project

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thank you! I've had a great time making it and an even better time sharing it.

[@BOTGRINDER]

This is awesome, nice touch with the seasonal programming as well.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thanks! I'm adding some halloween content to my collection right now :)

[@ShaneMcCarthy1]

This would be great for care homes for elderly people with dementia. As a product you could sell I bet you could get good licencing deals also.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I am not going to lie about this, but I had pictured that I might be making a device my family would end up using to comfort me with in the future - so I could absolutely imagine how a familiar device like this would bring comfort. This is a good suggestion!

[@ricksiddiqui8354]

My Mother is 84 years old, has dementia and is currently in a Care Home. When I saw this video, I was thinking the same thing. She knows many old Bollywood movies and it would be neat to make Bollywood content and clips from youtube (converted to video files) as her "channels". Even having an old 4:3 aspect ratio LCD monitor from the early 2000s and a modified "set top box" with a remote control would be awesome for her to enjoy. Worth noting, when we both were visiting the Philippines back in '05 and '06, she lived the 3 indian channels that were part of the regular cable tv line up. What size sd card are you using for content?

[@wrongdog_reckons]

@@ricksiddiqui8354 - I really appreciate you sharing this story and I intend to follow up if there are opportunities for this to be helpful in these cases. If you decide to build one yourself, I hope my code is helpful. If you get stuck, file a ticket on the github project and I'll try to help. On my personal setup, I have 4 channels with a fair amount of content all on 2 250GB cards. I could get even more, but I wasn't smart with encoding at first and a lot of the files are bigger than they need to be.

[@CerealBox64]

I have waited YEARS to see a project like this. You've gone so much further with the scheduling concept than I have ever seen, and it looks fantastic. I can't wait to make a retro tv box of my own someday.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Do it! Updating the code every day to make it easier for folks to give it a try. All you need is a Linux computer to get started. Cheers!

[@jackiechan8840]

Love it.

[@tatesinclair6837]

You are the hero we didn't know we needed.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Awe shucks ;)

[@mewheni]

Great video. If this were ever in a museum, I'd love for a model antenna to be spinning in response to the dial!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Great idea! Now that I think about it, one of the things that is missing with this is the light vibration of a motor spinning on the roof - if I could capture that some how. Thanks for watching!

[@only257]

@@wrongdog_reckonsnice job takes me back to my childhood 😊

[@Mud-Brain]

I've been doing a much simpler take on this for the past year with a simple HDMI to Analogue converter and a pair of bunny ear antennas. I've got a small collection of portable CRTs and with this setup I just broadcast my fourth monitor over UHF, then slap on a VLC playlist of cartoons on shuffle. I've dreamed of having something this detailed though, massive kudos to you for the undertaking.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Can you tell me what you are using to broadcast in UHF? That's a sweet addition.

[@Mud-Brain]

@@wrongdog_reckons It's a generic converter from China I found on Amazon, the seller is Dpofirs but others might have the UHF/VHF model. I tried posting a link to it but the comment keeps getting deleted.

[@Mud-Brain]

@@wrongdog_reckons I got a cheap converter off amazon, the seller was "Dpofirs". There's a lot of resellers but I know that one had the specific UHF/VHF model.

[@keithfulkerson]

That cigar box could be made up to look like a Sears catalog.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

This is a crazy-good idea! Love it!

[@currentsitguy]

More specifically a Christmas Wish Book.

[@KickMaster83]

Fantastic video!! I had an idea for something similar about a year ago but I just couldn't think of how it would work. I'm glad to see it's possible to do something like this :D

[@wrongdog_reckons]

You can do it! Its really not that difficult, just requires some patience and a bit of time to get the collection together. I've tried to document the process on the github page. If you give it a try and get stuck, file a ticket on the github project and I'll try to help.

[@jauregi2726]

We currently drown in media and "content", so nothing feels valuable anymore.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Even the magical becomes blaze from over exposure? I think you are right.

[@CronyxRavage]

Shared experience with random people, yes, thank you for this. That's what's missing from modern society and why it's falling apart. We have no shared narrative anymore.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I think that without a shared narrative, we lose shares assumptions and we lose a common language to even have discussions in. On the other hand, with a mono-culture, people tend to lose options in how to express themselves (think Pleasantville) - is there a happy middle?

[@lapielazoolie]

Pretty elaborate setup for what I’m able to achieve with a dual VCR combo & a recorded used ‘blank’ of the era, though I suppose being able to channel surf definitely does make it feel more immersive. Either way, kudos for making it all open-source!

[@kirbeast46]

I’ve been working on a similar project with a portable b/w tv from 1984. I fully implemented the hardware but I got stuck trying to write my own code. Your open source code could be the key to getting my project completed! Great work and thanks for all the help!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

That's exciting to hear - it should work for you, so give it a try. If you get stuck, let me know and I'll do what I can since there are probably gaps in the documentation.

[@kirbeast46]

@@wrongdog_reckons Thank you!

[@shockfactorobi]

Super cool project and great reflection on technology. Thank you!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Glad you like it! Thanks for watching!

[@5roundsrapid263]

I grew up in a rural area with a very similar experience with TV as you. No cable or satellite, and huge antennas you had to turn. Great work!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thanks! Let me guess - you got used to being able to watch TV with lots of static too then?

[@obscuredfigure]

the cigar box is a genius touch. this is such an awesome project!!!

[@wrongdog_reckons]

thanks! I walked down to the local smoke shop just for that and was super pleased when I found it. I had pictured a wood grained one, so the colors here were perfect. Cheers!

[@thebman80]

Not only if a presidential address came on, you were stuck watching it on every channel. If it was a year the Olympics were on they were also on EVERY channel all the time.

[@joeblow229]

Not just those two things, but baseball (and football?) games that would run overtime and play into the beginning of the next time-slot, meaning you'd miss the beginning of the next show. Those weren't on every channel at the same time at least.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

We only got the one channel most of the time - I didn't mind the Bob Hope specials since they had a sense of humor, but the Billy Graham Crusade was a bad night.

[@MindWipe]

what an ambitious and really good retro approach... i personally use Kodi as a personal Netflix building on my library via my NAS. But i have to admit this is a true nostalgia approach .. nicely done

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I've heard a lot of good things about Kodi - I will check it out. Cheers!

[@JohnDlugosz]

Seriously, you should see about having this exhibited in a Modern Art museum. You might loan it to them for a few weeks. There's also the kind of gallery where they sell art -- you might have it set up there during a suitably-themed show, and have a fancy party where you can talk to guests about nostalgia and media.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

This is incredibly kind! Appreciate that :) Of course I would be willing - its kind of neat to interact with. I'll keep my eye out.

[@JohnDlugosz]

@@wrongdog_reckons You can make it an installation, with a chair some feet from the device. They'll experience having to get up to change channels. Oh, and have it lose vertical hold every once in a while, and make them get up and touch a knob to fix it. That's authentic to what I remember from the early 70's, and will make them interact even if they don't care to flip channels.

[@pinballshawn]

I thought i was the only one that wanted to build something like this! You did a great job on it.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I think we must all miss the past a little, huh?

[@theVAULT909]

I miss a lot of things about the 80s TV experience. Being surprised by what's running. Watching something I didn't knew I'd find interesting or entertaining. Its digestible amount of channels. The zapping between them. Along with the insight, if there's nothing that I liked: it's time to switch off. Somehow, it was a much more liberating experience. Liberating oneself from constantly having to make very specific choices.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

This is said perfectly. When there are a small number of options, its easier to get to a point of "TV isn't for me right now" and move on. Thanks!

[@ThunderSmell]

This was far more in-depth than I expected, very nice job! For me, it's comforting to have old things like a CRT and a Super Nintendo around, and this is next-level.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thanks! I love a good rabbit hole and tend to go deep into them :)

[@RailTownFan]

Amazing Idea and to carry it out is even more amazing!! You got skill and patience! From the start i was thinking how much work it would take to build up that library!! This was so fun to watch!!! 😀

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thank you! If it took me 3 months to build this, 2.5 months were in getting the content. That was by-far the most work, but I spent so much time in it because I got to spend time remembering so many shows I had forgotten all about. It was a trip! Cheers!

[@thomashamilton2240]

Like a lot of people in the comments, I've been wanting to do this for late 80s and early 90s. Have you thought about adding commercial breaks from the time period as well? As I get older I find that I miss them as much as the shows

[@wrongdog_reckons]

It does have commercial breaks from the era - I also got station bumps and promos from lots of local channels in there to. It automatically cuts them into the video feed to build the shows out to half-hour and one-hour blocks. You could easily use software I built for 90's stuff, just by loading that type of content into the catalogs. If you decide to build one, make sure you share it back so we can see what you made!

[@r.corchado816]

Really cool idea! I wouldn’t mind having something like that from my childhood going in the house.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thanks! It trips people out when they see it IRL - its a fun thing :)

[@soupwizard]

This is really neat, and your commentary around the context raises this video up from a technology project to museum-like educational exhibit. I grew up around the era, a little older, but I watched Dukes of Hazard, Magnum PI, Love Boat etc, planning my day so I'd have my homework done so I could watch my favorite shows. It was very social, conversation the next school day would often start with "hey did you watch {tv show} last night - it was awesome!" (or in the case of the Star Wars Holiday Special in Nov 1978 "wow, did you watch that last night? it was weird and kind of boring!")

[@wrongdog_reckons]

These are very kind words and much appreciated! I remember when the play ground games would be about whatever happened on A-Team the night before - it was more of a shared experience for sure.

[@JohnDlugosz]

Today we see more social engagement then ever with commentary KZbin channels. This works better for shows that drop a new episode each week, like Star Trek. For Netflix whose model is to support binging, it's a bit overwhelming to comment on all of Stranger Things all at once. That's true for peer-to-peer discussion (e.g. the water cooler) as well as parasocial commentary channels.

[@Beefy-Cheese]

Witg the hours of original broadcast recordings on the internet archive, i could essentially Frankenstein Mtv back to life. Ive been looking for something like this for a long time. Have you thought of doing radio broadcasts too?

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Archive.org is amazing. Yes, I've thought a little about a radio version, but it wouldn't make a great video though because music copyright sucks :)

[@rog2224]

Is that a Tom Baker Pr!me computer advert? Cool project - takes me back to the days of frenetic reading of TV schedules to see what might be worth watching on the 4 channels we got in the 1970s - BBC1, BBC2, Yorkshire TV, Anglia TV. If we were desperate (and it was after sundown) we''d try Midlands TV off the back of the aerial. 99% of UK tv aerials of that time were static, oriented on line of sight. Things were probably different in the Highlands of Scotland, the Welsh hills, the Pennines and the Peaks, but I grew up just north of the flat part that, for most of WW2, was an RAF landing strip.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

It was! Dr Who started showing up on Public Broadcasting System (PBS) in America in the mid-70s I think. Were they all broadcast from the same general location? We got our signals from Atlanta Georgia, Greenville South Carolina etc - those were all in different directions from us, which required spinning the aerial a bit.

[@moonlitegram]

One thing for me not mentioned here is the novel experience of just stumbling upon something you enjoy but didn't know was going to be on. It could be a movie I owned on VHS and could play at any time I wanted. But somehow if I turned the TV on and discovered it was on, it felt much more thrilling and satisfying.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

This is a real point - the accidental find. I remember how that could turn a really blah day into something you could actually have a conversation about the next day. Cheers!

[@JohnDlugosz]

How did you cut commercials in the right place, where the show planned for a break? It's awful how KZbin just stops anywhere in the middle of speaking a word. Are different shows/channels assigned different sponsors?

[@wrongdog_reckons]

I didn't defeat that - and sometimes you get the "We'll be back after the break" and then no break. One of my next updates will be to put chapter markers in the video files (or associate metadata) - but while the algorithm considers duration of the blocks to try and make a natural feeling, it still has odd timing.

[@JohnDlugosz]

@@wrongdog_reckons Duration of blocks? Does it look for a silent spot so it might seem natural but at least doesn't break in the middle of a word?

[@wrongdog_reckons]

@@JohnDlugosz I haven't added that yet - it currently cuts in even increments of time based on the number of commercial blocks that should be in it. Sounds like the next obvious feature to add - FFMPEG should be able to help with that.

[@JohnDlugosz]

@@wrongdog_reckons Wait another year and you can just tell the A.I. to find the spots for the commercial breaks.

[@samverstraeten4626]

Real nice. You went way more in depth than I initially thought. Pleasant suprise.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback - never sure if people want to see all the rabbit holes I go down with these projects :)

[@trekintosh]

Thanks for open sourcing this! I was going to make my own version of this eventually, so you’ve saved me a crapload of work. I’m going to set up mine as a Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon machine to replicate my personal childhood. I’ve already got the perfect TV, a spherical CRT that was the companion piece to the spherical boom box that was used as the Game Sphere prop from Drake and Josh.

[@wrongdog_reckons]

Please do! And show us what you make! If you use fieldStation42 (my software) as the base, push any improvements back and message if you get blocked! Cheers!